http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?prod_abbv=cw Just another WordPress weblog Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:02:22 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Research shows that you have seven seconds to engage your audience, at which point they decide whether to stick with you or bail. Perhaps that's one of the reasons Twitter is so popular: A 140-character tweet can be consumed in about half that time. But you're not publishing on Twitter, ... http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?p=78&prod_abbv=cw Think back to your elementary school days. Name the one thing you remember most vividly about show and tell. It’s the thing, the object, the show, right? You may have no recollection at all of the vivid descriptions and gripping stories your classmates told about the thing they brought in ... http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?p=72&prod_abbv=cw Like anything measurable, customer success stories can be ranked on two axes: level of directness and level of depth. While there are multiple types of success stories and methods of delivering them, some are more frank, credible and detailed than others. The stories that are the deepest and most direct ... http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?p=67&prod_abbv=cw David Murray, a consummate writer and the editor of CW's sister publication/website, Vital Speeches of the Day, waxes nostalgic on his personal blog about the glory days of print. He misses those days not just because they were, in many ways, more fun (the tactile nature of shepherding a publication to ... http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?p=65&prod_abbv=cw WRITING: Avoid Jargon The only time jargon is OK is when everybody in your audience knows what it means. Even then, there's usually a better way to say things. CW Editor Robert Holland talks about how you can avoid jargon in order to make your content as clear as it can ... http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?p=64&prod_abbv=cw Writing for online media is different from writing for print. One of the big differences is that online readers generally are more transient, less patient with long prose and more interested in grabbing all the information they can in as little time as possible. That’s why online copy has to be ... http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?p=61&prod_abbv=cw WRITING: Writing with Purpose What are the three things about an audience your content can influence? And how can you make sure the purpose of your content isn't lost in the storytelling? ContentWise editor Robert Holland shares a few tips to make sure you are writing with purpose. (3 min.) [podcast]http://www.becontentwise.com/media/podcast/WritingWithPurpose.mp3[/podcast] Click here ... http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?p=59&prod_abbv=cw On his personal blog, Writing Boots, sister website editor David Murray complains about a university that advertised for a writer who can "crank out exciting ad copy, then turn around and ink an article for the alumni magazine." David's objection to the characterization of professional writers is well taken. Yet, on the ... http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?p=57&prod_abbv=cw Working with a group of communicators at a financial services company this week, I shared some of the essential skills for our profession. The ability to write well is at the top of the list. The technical aspects of writing such as spelling and grammar are important, but our conversation soon ... http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?p=56&prod_abbv=cw WRITING: Using Style Guides to Make Writing Easier ContentWise editor Robert Holland tells you how style guides can make your job as a writer and editor easier. (3 min.) [podcast]http://www.becontentwise.com/media/podcast/Styleguides_final.mp3[/podcast] Click here for more FREE podcasts on the topic of content marketing. http://www.becontentwise.com/wordpress/?p=54&prod_abbv=cw