I’ve been doing advertising copywriting for over 20 years. And even though I shouldn’t be shocked when someone overlooks something so basic as “understand your audience before you write,” I still am. Here’s a story I recently pulled out of the archives because it is still relevant today. Too many advertising copywriters and marketers still […]
If you can never remember when to use then vs than, I’ve got good news for you. First, you’re not alone. Second, I learned a great tip a couple of years ago from a writing magazine (I don’t remember which one, which is why I’m not naming names). I haven’t had trouble with these words […]
The “is it homed in or honed in” debate will never die. This is a note I received from a client. (Edited lightly for readability.) Question: I think you made a mistake in my copy. You used the word “home in,” and I think it should be “hone in.” Here’s the sentence in question: “She […]
I once saw an interesting banner hanging over a heavily trafficked street with an example of a good headline: MAKE YOUR MOLE FAMOUS. It certainly got my attention. (The first thing that flashed through my mind was Cindy Crawford’s mole, followed by the actual animal.) The sub-headline indicated it was for some sort of research […]