Background

Great new regional tourism portal is looking for new content.

The Brief

Deliver a variety of content  including static pages and blog posts to demonstrate the opportunities for tourism in the region, but to also show the value that the site could have for local businesses.

How we did it

Time on the job and local expertise. Regular communication with the client gave us the agenda, helped us advise on the content delivery and focused the brief given to our writers. And here’s the clever part: by using local writers we delivered detailed content that is full of insider knowledge.

And now?

TCW delivers regular, monthly content to a client who just keeps asking for more.

The Background

South Oxfordshire is looking to attract more tourists. As part of its strategy it hired a PR company, Tourism-Angles, which in turn asked TCW to deliver content for a themed blog, a tourist guide and Twitter support.

The Brief

Devise blog content related to a popular TV series that drives traffic to the county’s official tourist portal. Support this with regular Twitter updates and work with the PR company to create a printed tourist leaflet.

How we did it

Long sessions of personal contact helped us better understand not just the aims of the brief, but also the driving forces behind this contract. By briefing our most experienced writer and taking a central position in the delivery of all the content, we are delivering excellent work; we are even planning a field trip to South Oxfordshire to catch up with some of our new Twitter followers.

Client Testimonial

Here’s the pdf of our travel brochure, which has already found its way into hotels and tourism destinations across the county – expect a testimonial soon.

Visit South Oxfordshire

The Background

Ontario is an adventure playground. Ontario knows this, but needs the UK to know it!

The Brief

Create compelling content solutions that help feature individual activities, and also create a bigger picture of this province and it’s natural potential. Publicise a new competition using the ASH blog and its social media as a launchpad.

How we did it

As a client of both ASH and TCW, Ontario is benefiting from our shared expertise. Great copy, delivered and promoted online and across ASH’s social media, has got this project of to a flying start…

Client Testimonial

Coming soon…

It shows what the travel industry thinks people want from travel websites, and reveals what it is travelers (your potential customers) actually want!

UK / US/ and Italian versions below:

UK – Social Traveller Report 2011

US – Social Traveler Report 2011

IT – Social Traveler Report 2011

As much as I’d like to think I’m an oracle on web writing, I’m not.

So, seek out the best advisory sites and bookmark them, look at publications you like and analyse their grammar.

Or for the shortcuts you are waiting for, just follow the links I’ll publish here.

Each site listed has helped me in my career, and I guarantee they will help you!

This Week: emphasis – business writing trainers

Homepage:http://www.writing-skills.com/

Background: this is a commercial organisation, so courses cost. That said, they are excellent. And should a formal course not be your thing, just look around the site for clear and concise writing tips.

Best Feature: Company blog – not always updated, but covers the really important stuff we all need to pay attention to.

The Background

XperienceDays and ExperienceGifts are internet businesses; they really know their way around the web. To further develop their presence they needed new, regular, unique copy.

The Brief

Research and write blogs for both based on individual activities, events and sectors. Write only for the US market and get to understand both sides of the business: the consumer and the advertiser.

How we did it

Again, lots of face time with the people who run the show. There are subtle differences between both sites, but once these were ironed out the copy began to flow.

Rather than just turn around content we work together. The client comes with suggestions and leads everything, but we chip in too! Very detailed information from the firm helped us set deadlines and a long-term working relationship was formed.

Client Testimonial

“We were really happy with the results!”

The Background

Top travel firm needed a large volume of short destination guides. With a defined market in mind and a new site about to launch, it was time to get some proper, useful copy on the site.

The Brief

Establish a style that reflected their client market, match this to each destination and manage the delivery of more than 100 guides.

How we did it

Our editor wrote two contrasting styles, giving the client the chance to feedback what they wanted most. We merged the two, refined the style and set our editorial team into action. By establishing regular delivery dates and closely editing everything, we delivered the lot!

Client Testimonial

“Since we’ve been working with Mark at TCW he’s provided us with some great informative guides and articles which have helped our SEO no end, plus he has also demonstrated his ability for variety, writing posts for our blog, and our readers love it!” David Lees, SEO Manager, Redseven.

If punctuation is the little pieces around words (periods, commas, hyphens etc.) then grammar is the words and what they mean.

So get your words right and visitors will get what it is you do; get them wrong and they will leave your site.

Here’s an example:

“Our trip uses boats and bikes. To get to the first camp we’ll paddle slowly/ peddle slowly.”

(Confuse paddle and peddle, and guests will not know which comes first, the boating or the cycling).

“Walkers will see the river and the trees with their waterproofs on.”

(Are the trees really wearing waterproofs?)

So, to help clear things up, here’s three tips to help improve web grammar.

NO1: Before you write, ask:

Who are my clients? (If you attract CEO’s to your trekking page then write using words they understand).

What am I trying to say? (Is it the walkers wearing waterproofs or the trees?)

NO2: As you write, keep it tight – the longer each sentence gets, the greater the chance you’ll lose meaning.

To do this use first use strong headings to grab attention, and use bullet points to signpost individual sections. In your sentences cut out wasted words, and keep it simple (more on this later).

No3: After you write, read everything.

Read back and edit your site before it goes live. Get other people to read what you’ve written. Did they understand the concept? Do they know what your specialty is?

If not, start again!

Next week it’s Writing for the Web II – Using words that work

However, with a couple of pointers you will soon know the basics. We’re not interested in Pulitzer Prize writing for now, just the basics to get that copy sharp.

One look at website tells a client everything they need to know. So let’s show them we mean business.

The Full Stop (Period).

This underused punctuation mark is your best friend. Use it to end sentences. Use it to replace commas if your sentences are dragging on. It will keep your content punchy. Like this. However, take care: too many and you loose the flow and feel of a well-written piece.

But don’t use them after another punctuation mark.

That would look stupid!. Wouldn’t it?.

It doesn’t go after titles such as Dr or Mrs. If it did, the previous  sentence would have ended ‘or Mrs..’

And don’t put it in headings. Look back to the heading of this section. Can you spot the rogue period?

The Comma

Really easy this one.

Use a comma to separate introductory elements

“Before February, I want to re-design my website.”

If in doubt, read it out! You’ll hear a natural pause.

“I want to re-design my website before February.” This needs no comma thanks to it being an active sentence.

” However, we can do you a deal! ”

Use a comma to separate items in a list

To be safe, put a comma after each related item.

“We sell surfboards, kayaks, canoes, and wetsuits.”

This avoids the problem we see below:

“Please prepare four meals: salad, spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and burgers and fries.”

Without the last comma that’s three things, and someone’s getting a portion of  lasagne and burgers and fries!

Use a comma to contain  information you could get rid of

“The conference, which was held yesterday, was a success.”

Get rid of everything within the commas and it still makes sense.

Next up, we switch to Grammar for the Web, and learn how to keep readers interested. See you then!

Look Back: Writing for the Web I

Active – Remember to write the ‘who’ before the ‘what’.

Direct – Don’t waste words. Web users are reaching to click away so get to the point.

Simple - Write short sentences and use words everybody understands.

Active

Here’s a passive sentence: “Lots of money was given by the government to adventure sports companies to help them improve their web sites.”

Here’s an active sentence: “The government gave adventure sports companies lots of money to help them improve their web sites.”

Direct

Write for people. Use ‘you’, or at least get as close as you can. ‘People who kitesurf’ – becomes – ‘Kitesurfers’ and ‘Holidaymakers staying in our hotel’ – becomes – ‘Guests’. Easy!

Simple

Cut out wasted words, use words people understand and keep sentences short.

Here’s some bad web words.

“To try and make my website more effective in reaching out to customers,* I redesigned it because our research told us that good web design is critically important* to customers, more so than ever before*.”

Now give it a little A D S:

“Our research revealed customers really appreciated good web design, so I redesigned our website.”

Even more active:

“I redesigned our website after research told us customers like good web design.”

That’s 35 words to 13!

Next week: Punctuation for the web