Show information on both a macro and micro level: zoom in for details; pull back to see trends. Offer something for both the casual and the comprehensive viewer.

Choose the right type of chart. Are you showing a comparison? Use a bar chart or a line chart. A relationship? A scatter chart or a bubble chart. A distribution? Use a line or column histogram. A composition? Use a donut chart—which is easier to read than a pie chart—or, a stacked area chart.

Hard-earned credibility can be lost over a whiff of deception. Avoid obvious visual cheats like distorted numerical scales or misleading keys.

Good design is good business. If you think that good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.

One mistake I often see in infographics is adding too much text, so experiment with ways to visualize the data. e.g. using iconography, charts, or even huge numbers or letters.

Stick to only three to four main sections, and divide them into a maximum of three to four subsections. Having a giant, messy infographic defeats the purpose of creating one in the first place.

Use visuals to break down complex ideas, but don’t overcomplicate it.

Concluding interviews with these two questions can elicit GREAT quotes for your case study:

1. If you could give advice to others facing your challenges, what would it be?
2. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Happy interviewing!

Build trust and improve rankings with search engines by researching keywords that help folks find your content. Tools like Google Trends, AnswerThePublic, and Soovle are a great place to start!

Jargon-filled or sales copy doesn’t pass the smell test with search engine algorithms and can hurt your rankings.

Set your sights on search!

When writing email subject lines, avoid words in all-caps, click-bait hyperbole, exclamation points, and salesy language. Otherwise, your messages could land in spam folder jail.

Save the Spam for your holiday casserole!

If your white paper runs more than 20 pages when it’s been laid out, consider breaking it into a multi-part series. This will make your content more digestible and also drive engagement over time as you build anticipation for upcoming installments.

Shorter is better in the long-run!

Poor grammar is off-putting and sloppy. But when finding your voice, it’s okay to break some grammar rules. Like starting a sentence with “and” or “but.” Or using sentence fragments and ending a sentence with a preposition.

Keep your voice personal, conversational, and relatable. Learn more.

Always give a final once-over before you pass your masterpiece on to your client. Tiny errors have a way of sneaking in as your work goes through editing. Things like misnumbered subsections or capitalization mistakes may crop up, and extra spaces have a way of appearing when you accept your editor’s suggested changes.

Look back to look forward!

Pro tips to keep your social conversations buzzing:

• Be better, not louder, Be friendly and conversational
• Write like you talk (but make sure your spelling and grammar are correct)
• Ask questions to spark conversation
• Promote collaboration — recognize people and respond directly
• Humor works wonders!

Deliver value at every turn!

There’s nothing more embarrassing than misspelling the name of your client’s company or CEO, or anyone who’s referenced in your piece. A quick Google search will confirm if that actor is a Keira or a Kyra, if that company’s name is all lowercase, or exactly what that person’s title is.

Details can make or break you!

Guide your readers with visual cues like statistics, callouts, pull quotes, infographics, pithy section headers, and bulleted lists. Your content should be easily summarized by your readers with a quick 10- to 15-second scan.

Give your content room to breathe!

It’s unlikely you’ll catch all errors on the first pass. Read through first for fluency and flow (excessive alliteration? Too wordy? “Pet” words repeated too often?). Then read again, aloud, looking at each word individually to check for typos, missing/doubled words, punctuation, and spacing. Finally, give the piece a once over to make sure the format is consistent (Is one header in italics and another bold? Do some subsections have numbers and others letters? Is the spacing between sections the same?) Having one focus for each pass helps you catch those easy-to-miss errors.

– Be better, not louder
– Be friendly and conversational — write like you talk, but make sure it’s spelled correctly and grammatically well-written
– Ask questions to spark conversation
– Recognize people and respond directly
– Humor works wonders!
– Promote collaboration
– Deliver value at every turn

Ensure all associated campaign assets and media (emails, landing pages, social media, etc.) share a common DNA for messaging to maintain consistency and increase audience awareness and retention.

For evergreen (long-lasting) landing pages, avoid time-based references (“this winter,” “in 2016,” etc.).

The tenses are chronological as the story unfolds.

Start in the past tense and then move into the present tense to discuss the current efforts or future plans. Stay somewhat consistent about the story flow; it may be OK to mix and match the tenses a little. But the reality is that about 2/3 will be written in past tense because the story is about something that’s already happened.

Say what you need to in the most concise and clear manner possible. It can be tempting to elaborate on complex ideas, but keep in mind that less is more. According to copywritertoday.com, readers spend an average of 37 seconds on an article. Most audiences — especially those using social media platforms — want information that grabs their attention and is served in small bites.

Keep copy blocks/bullets short to give the eye white space to rest (if people see a long block of text on a site, they may not bother to read it).

Some things translate well and some just don’t. If you’re planning on localizing your content, you’ll want to avoid using jargon, metaphors, and cultural references, and you’ll want to use gerunds sparingly.

If you’re sending out a reminder email, don’t forget to repeat the opportunity or offer. Your recipients may not remember the original content.

Play it again, Sam!

Customer and expert quotes plus third-party validation go a long way in lending credibility to your work. And, it can bolster search engine trust and improve your rankings, too!

If you’re recording a meeting call or a case study interview, it’s a good idea to make a voiceprint at the start by having speakers state their names. This makes it easy to identify who’s speaking at any moment, especially if you’re having the call transcribed.

Don’t be shy, say hi!

Whether you’re proofreading your own work or someone else’s, reading aloud helps your tongue catch mistakes your eyes tend to skip over when reading silently. Two “the’s” in a row or reusing a word in a sentence will be more obvious if you’re reading every word out loud.

Speak out!

Make sure everyone on your copy team knows the client’s style and tone. Are there certain words they prefer (or which to avoid)? How do they spell e-commerce? Are they fans of the serial comma? Friendly or formal tone? It will save a lot of time and heartache if everyone starts on the same page.

Learn the rules of the road before you fire up the car.

All content and copy pieces often go through multiple rounds of reviews and revisions; changing words, quotes, and product names along the way.

Step back and re-read the entire piece to make sure changes are implemented globally and consistently.

Having no visual guiding points in your newsletters means many users will drop off mid-read without ever reaching the point you wanted to convey.

Depending on the design template, a mix of short blurbs and bullet points is the easiest for the eye to scan. 👀

Before creating new content, think about how you can evolve and repurpose your existing work.

For example, if you’ve held a webinar, you can transcribe that content to an ebook, pull sections from the ebook to use as content on your website, pull quotes for social posts that link back to the webinar…

The opportunities are endless!

We’re all keen on showing off our amazing reviews, but a great review for your web development services has no place on a social media management proposal.

When including testimonials/customer quotes, ensure they’re relevant to the topic at hand and not too general.

The number of “no-click” searches is on the rise. Although we’re all tempted to be quirky with our headlines and meta descriptions, sometimes keeping it simple drives more engagement.

It’s important to ensure your featured snippet is concise, yet highly descriptive. Use more long-tail keywords to target specific “How do I” questions, and let users know they can find the answer on your website.

Okay, but where is the first part?! Readers won’t bother going out of their way to try and find it – they expect you to lead them to it.

If a blog post is part of a series, link it to the prior piece and note when the next part will launch.

Did you ever see someone pull out big numbers and make bold statements without showing anything to back up their claims? Taking that extra time to cite your sources or add a hyperlink can mean the difference between being perceived as a thought leader and a sweet talker.

All information comes from somewhere—say where. It’s a simple practice that pays dividends.

Draw your audience in by sharing personal accounts and anecdotes. When readers personally identify with content, it can actually lead to better site traffic and higher engagement. And If your platform permits it, encourage readers to share their own experiences.

Creating a sense of community goes a long way to fostering loyalty to your organization or brand.

When crafting content for your product or service, think about the questions your customers might be asking, and make sure your value props answer them. Search engines will also reward you with better results.

Keep it conversational!

When pitching guest blogs to other websites, they probably won’t be interested in more of the same stuff that their own writers produce. Aim to give them unique-but-related expertise that’s also within their editorial standards.

Balance blending in and standing out!

When crafting a bulleted list, make sure your items follow the same structure, such as starting each with a (different) verb or making each item a question.

The goal? Clean, consistent, and clear!

When it comes to headlines, use numerals instead of spelling out numbers. This better grabs the reader’s attention, even though it makes your 7th-grade English teacher wince if the number is under 11.

Digits for the win!

When you finish your next piece, make one more pass. Look for any word over eight letters, and cut it in two. Every time we swap a long word for a short one, we make our message twice as easy for the reader.

Shorter and simpler for the win!

The first paragraph of your press release should include the whos, whats, whens, wheres, and hows of your announcement. Then take a deeper dive in the second paragraph.

Just the facts up-front!

Even though it’s nice to see everyone’s shining faces, if you have limited bandwidth or gremlins have taken over your internet connection, disable video when joining a Zoom or Google Hangouts meeting. It should help keep your meeting afloat.

Sometimes it’s better to be heard than seen!

If you’re in a Zoom or Hangout (or even an old-fashioned conference call) with a lot of people, mute yourself when you’re not speaking to save bandwidth plus help reduce background noise and cross-talk. Just don’t forget to unmute when you have something to say!

When working from home, it’s easy to become a desk potato. Stand up, stretch, or take a quick lap around your home in between meetings. Go out for fresh air if you can. Not only is it good for your circulation, it’s a great way to clear your headspace, too.

Shake it!

If you have limited bandwidth or flaky internet, disable video when joining a Zoom or Google Hangouts meeting.

With so many people working from home now, teleconferencing services are feeling the strain. Whatever platform you’re using, try to log in at least 5 mins. before your virtual meeting guests arrive, and make sure everything is working. Offer your cell phone number or other way to contact you in the meeting invite, in case something goes awry.

Building a remote team means that you can gather the best talent from not only around the corner, but also around the world. By having people in different time zones, you can also help ensure that people are online 24 hours a day to service clients in different time zones.

Be inclusive when it comes to developing, modifying, and following a schedule, especially if you have a family.

Do you need shorter work sessions and longer breaks than if you were working from an office? A few minutes between calls to stretch your legs and check the mail? Make working from home as structured as possible while acknowledging that home is not the office, and you’ll likely have to change the way you work to feel productive and set boundaries between your home as a workspace and a place to live.

Even though you might be able to stay in bunny slippers and jammies all day thanks to working from home, getting dressed and groomed nonetheless is a great way to get you into the work mindset.

Dress to impress, even if it’s just for you!

There are so many animals in shelters just waiting for someone to come take them home. Got some space around your work desk? De-stress with some quality cuddle time by adopting or fostering. You’ll both get something out of it.

You know what they say – a friend in need is a friend indeed. 🐈

When you need to put yourself in work mode, you may be hesitant to take a break… But don’t forget to stay hydrated, otherwise you’ll notice that your brainstorming has abruptly hit a wall.

Studies show that even mild dehydration can negatively impact your focus, mood, and energy levels. Always keep a large glass or water bottle nearby, just in case you want to avoid the water cooler chat.

If your company operates remotely, check in on your colleagues via chat/Slack/Google Meet and encourage the same types of casual conversations you would normally have in the office.

Stay connected!

To avoid neck and back pain, consider getting a laptop stand and Bluetooth keyboard/mouse so you can set yourself up for ergonomic success regardless of if you’re working at a desk or your dining room table.

General rule of thumb: your display should be directly at eye level and your elbows should sit at a relaxed 90-degree angle.

Most work-from-home pros have gone through the embarrassment of a barking dog, fidgety child, or a neighbor’s at-home dance workout interrupting business calls.

When possible, schedule calls during what you know are low-activity times at home.

Sometimes, sleeping on things sparks up fresh ideas in the morning.

Create a shared, post-brainstorm file where your team can continue to add new ideas, sketches, pictures, and web content after the brainstorm is over.

… but not every idea can make it to the next round.

One person can have an idea that just isn’t the right fit, while another can have a great idea that will discourage someone else from suggesting an even better one if the conversation goes on for too long.

As a brainstorming leader, make sure everyone feels heard and valued, and reserve drilling down into individual ideas after the brainstorm is over.

Ever started searching frantically through your email inbox to find that critical message as your client waits on the other end of the line? The longer an email thread becomes, the easier it is to lose important emails in the vortex. If the content changes as the conversation thread gets longer, go ahead and change the subject before you hit “Reply”.

If want to keep a key message on top of your mountain of emails, give it a new subject line!

Instead of using words, have your team draw or shape their ideas out of art supplies, toys (Play-Doh® is a good one), or found objects—then snap photos to capture the moment.

Keep those creative juices flowing!

Reposting content like blog posts, infographics, and videos is a great way to give an energy boost to your content marketing strategy. And even better, it takes almost no production time.

Play it again, Sam!

Help everyone in a brainstorming session find their voice by starting with an icebreaker, like “Tell us something about you that might surprise people.” Warm up the room and forge quick bonds as you create a safe, welcoming environment.

Make it a group effort!

To help shy brainstorm contributors feel more comfortable and also limit over-sharers from commandeering time and attention, give everyone 30 seconds to write an idea on a sheet of paper. Pass the idea to the next person, who adds to it. Keep the idea sheet going around the room until everyone has added their thoughts.

Turn customers into brand ambassadors by treating them like insiders. Sure, creative and bold messages can get you noticed, but connecting authentically and personally is what will cut through advertising chaos.

When it comes to marketing strategy, no need to reinvent the wheel when personalizing assets like blogs, emails, and direct mailers.

Instead, do what graffiti artists have been doing for decades: leverage the power of the template.

Turn customers into brand ambassadors by treating them like insiders. Sure, creative and bold messages can get you noticed, but connecting authentically and personally is what will cut through advertising chaos.

Keep it real to seal the deal.

Don’t omit unflattering data. Consider what communication perceived as “opaque” says about a company.

Being transparent is a huge trust-building factor.

Avoid featuring more than one or two CTAs per email (“Learn more”, “Register now” or “Download here”).

Users could get confused about what exactly it is you want them to do.

If you want your subscribers to take multiple actions or share multiple assets, add them in a follow-up email.

Never assume that your clients, customers, and followers know how to decipher niche-specific terminology.

To increase connection with your audience, make a move toward conversational language with words your customers actually use.

Video conferencing does a great job of building team spirit. However, meeting your co-workers in real life is an experience that technology has yet to replicate.

Think about quarterly regional get-togethers or annual global meetups to get staff together. Once people connect and build rapport in person, it can make remote work run more smoothly the rest of the year.

When thinking of a name for your business, make sure it can be easily found when recommended by word of mouth.

For example, if you register your business name as “Hony”, you’ll need to spell it out for people you meet at networking parties, otherwise they’ll likely end up googling “Honey”.

Whenever possible, direct your users to interact further with your brand instead of ending the conversation.

For example, include links to 1-3 other pages/content assets in the “thank you” message after someone completes a form.

87% of remote workers feel more connected to their team with video conferencing. Texts and emails are great to keep the communication going, but seeing a smile and hearing a laugh every so often makes working at a home office feel much less lonely.

Choose software that’s easy to use. Google Meet is good for both client and team meetings as outside users can join without creating an account.

If you’re leading a brainstorming session, you should bring some inspiration from any existing strategy and research, but you can also gain inspiration from unexpected things that you may encounter.

So, keep an open mind, and let the world be your spark!

You need to be able to relate to your customers in order to engage with them in a deeper way. Don’t invent a messaging strategy from scratch. Instead, invest your time into learning what your customers already resonate with.

Make an effort to learn who they are, where they are, and what they respond to, so you can join in on the conversation authentically.

Keep the juices flowing with the starbursting technique by asking more questions instead of seeking the answer. A statement like “Our new smartphone should have the best low-light camera” could be followed with a question: “What does the customer for that look like?”

Just like your favorite two-year-old, keep the questions coming!

More searches, shopping, and content consumption are happening with voice commands over car and home smart speakers, smart phones, and earbuds. Make sure your content is voice-ready by doing things like writing your FAQ pages in conversational language or structuring your SEO content to answer the who, what, where, or how that people want to know.

Make your content heard!

You don’t have to tell your whole life story to the world, but if you were to describe your public persona as a character, what would she or he be like?  Resonate with others.

Get a little personal!

Keep your brand up-to-date by staying in touch with what’s happening in your field — the latest technologies, techniques, trends, and styles.

Keep it fresh!