We’ve built the Wordsmithie blog around sharing our ideas for creating effective content that engages audiences and sparks brands. This includes the nuts ‘n’ bolts of good, customer-centric writing and storytelling; how to make the editing, design and production process go smoothly; as well as do’s and don’ts for working with an agency. We’ve reported on digital marketing trends and talked about finding inspiration and keeping the creative juices flowing. All valuable information that can apply to any industry.
But we were just getting started.
The Wordsmithie team includes several writers with industry-specific experience and subject matter expertise. To tap their knowledge and give YOU, our audience, more of what you need from us, we’re expanding our blog to cover writing for several types of industries and markets.
Digital Marketing Specialist Khaleelah Jones will cover writing for technology and startup companies, particularly tech startups. From Khaleelah: “My blogpost will discuss how to write effective copy intended for external audiences for the tech and startup markets. I will discuss how, in these two related industries, innovation and rapid development often make written collateral intimidating (if not incomprehensible) for industry outsiders. I will include the best ways to write impactful copy that gets audiences excited about technology research and product development, including writing for the right medium and audience (e.g., how to write for social media vs. white papers vs. marketing copy).”
Senior Editor Heidi LaFleche will share insights on writing for educational organizations. From Heidi: “Storytelling plays an important role in both the education and nonprofit worlds. Whether you’re marketing products and services that improve teaching and learning, developing a new curriculum, or promoting a nonprofit the seeks to engage its audience in its mission—the stories of how your work makes a difference are key to your marketing communications. While data, statistics and other quantifiable results showing impact matter, stories are what enable customers and prospects to share your passion and get on board with your work. This blog category will explore ways to engage these audiences.”
Writer Sandra Wu will share the ingredients needed for successful recipe writing. From Sandra: “My blogpost will discuss food writing as it relates specifically to recipe writing. These days, there are so many places to find recipes (blogs, cookbooks, magazines, Pinterest, Instagram) that people often end up choosing one based on a photograph or the story behind it rather than on the recipe itself. I will discuss how to write copy that is both engaging and accurate so that readers will not only be enticed to make the recipe, but also be able to follow it easily once working in the kitchen. Proper setup of the food in question (origins/background, potential recipe pitfalls, author’s own personal experiences with it, what’s the new spin?) and avoidance of unhelpful but commonly used words (e.g., delicious, yummy, tasty) are important elements to consider. I will also go into specifics of putting together a proper ingredient deck and method.”
Jenny Muller is a copywriter and content strategist with deep experience in consumer brands, and the retail and beauty verticals. From Jenny: “My blogpost will cover best practices for writing for two notoriously challenging vertical markets: retail and beauty. It can be tricky for potential customers to look at a pair of pants or a tube of lipstick and understand whether it’s right for them, true to size, true to color, and so forth. Effective marketing and writing for each needs to help customers overcome some of these barriers to purchase. My experience has given me a better understanding of what works (and what doesn’t!) when writing for retail and beauty.”
Senior Writer and Editor Jeryldine Saville will cover marketing communications within the real estate industry. From Jeryldine: “Real estate writing spans a broad continuum. B2C writing must paint an evocative visual picture for prospective homebuyers, who are making the biggest purchase of their lives. Words need to play to consumers’ emotions and aspirations and convey a lifestyle they will be living once they invest in the American Dream. B2B real estate writing, on the other hand, leaves modifiers of all kinds behind, focusing on the quantitative measures instead and quickly cutting to the bottom line. Real estate professionals view words as a mere vehicle for the numbers, which tell them the only story they need to know. This widely divergent approach to real estate communications makes it a uniquely challenging and rewarding industry to write for.”
This is the first post in our six-part series on writing for specific industries. We’ll be posting every week for the next six weeks, so check back often. Have an industry we don’t write about in this series? Let us know on Twitter @sparkingbrands and we’ll write one just for you.