writing copy Archives - Clairemont Communications

Copy Cat: Support Ninjas

August 1, 2016July 15, 2022 Cherith AndesBlog, Copy Cat, Marketingcopy, online content, web content, web copy, writing copy, writing tipsLeave a Comment

I thought Domino’s had stolen my heart when it launched the pizza tracker — complete with customizable themes. Themes, people! I’m fairly sure my pizza-per-day ratio skyrocketed just so I could watch that parrot squawk updates about my pepperoni-with-extra-cheese creation.

And all was right in the universe…until I discovered Eat24 by Yelp. Concept? Online food delivery. Price? A touch higher (to account for outsourced delivery fees, understandably). Copy? My new favorite.

Eat24’s website is proliferated with promotional phrases that tout the usual products for a website of its ilk (fast delivery, an easy app, reliable reviews). But the copy’s unexpected and playful nature combined with the punchy brevity transforms it from advertisement into entertainment.

Need help? Don’t bother calling anything so stodgy as a “customer service representative.” No, Eat24 employs “support ninjas.” I almost want to invent a problem just to find out what that phone call entails.

Once you submit that order, you’re normally hit with a “thanks, and we’ll get it to you shortly.” Not with Eat24. Your order sparks cosmic celebration.

Looking to download the Eat24 app? It’s not a gaming app, but after the copy’s humorous jab about the chopsticks, you don’t really care.

Just one more example how good, well-targeted writing never goes out of style! Check out some of Clairemont’s other favorite Copy Cat picks!

Copy Cat: The Piddling Puppy

April 27, 2016July 15, 2022 Cherith AndesBlog, Copy Cat, MarketingAnne Lamott, Bird by Bird, copy cat, good writing, how to write, writing copyLeave a Comment

I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for a good quote.

I’m not referring to glib cliches like “Live, laugh, love” or taglines such as “Sweat is just fat crying.” (Ew!) You can keep those t-shirts.

Skilled writers curate powerful verbs, adjectives and nouns. They shuffle, chop, revamp and refine until the sentence magically teleports an image from their brains into yours like a hologram. In the end, you forget you’re even reading.

One of these gurus is Anne Lamott. (If you haven’t read “Bird by Bird,” don’t walk; fly to Amazon.com and order your copy.) Anne’s thoughts are an effortless yet razor-sharp combination of humor and poignancy.

Writers’ minds are prone to wander. (What? Sorry, I was checking Facebook.) In Bird by Bird, her guide to writing, Anne encourages young authors to cultivate patience during the writing process. We need to gently train our minds to return to the task, a point she emphasizes in this sentence:

“Try looking at your mind as a wayward puppy that you are trying to paper train. You don’t drop-kick a puppy into the neighbor’s yard every time it piddles on the floor. You just keep bringing it back to the newspaper.”

Puppy. Sure, I can see myself as a puppy. Eager, cheerful, adventurous. And puppies are…wait, drop-kicked?! Heaven forbid we mistreat our four-legged friends!

That mild shocker drives her point home. Her metaphor crafts a mental picture of an emotionally laden yet familiar experience. Forget “use the bathroom” or “have an accident.” Nope, Anne chooses short, punchy verbs that you probably won’t find in a formal textbook. Piddle. And you know what? I got it.

From piddling puppies to smacking lips, we’re seeking eye-catching copy. Check out our picks so far!

Calls-to-Action You Can’t Refuse

July 2, 2015July 15, 2022 Cherith AndesBlog, Copy Cat, Marketingcalls-to-action, Content Marketing, creative marketing, effective pop-ups, great calls to action, marketing strategy, PR content, PR copy, Raleigh PR Agency, writing copyLeave a Comment

Calls-to-action (CTAs) are the life breath of advertising and marketing strategies. Why bother crafting (and funding) a hefty communications campaign without utilizing the number one catalyst to recruit leads? Click, download, listen, like, share—no doubt you’ve been peppered with these same pop-ups vying for your attention. And no doubt you’ve ignored equally as many pop-ups (probably with an eye roll thrown in for good measure).

However, communication strategies can’t afford to skip or skimp on these vital triggers. As Megan Marrs points out, effective CTAs incorporate not only striking design but more importantly compelling copy. So please note, whether in print or online, content still reigns as king.

As I was perusing one of my favorite fashion retail sites (don’t tell my husband), I encountered one of these CTAs. Same old, same old—until I read the last line.

Option 1: “Enter Your Email for 50% Off Your Entire Purchase.”

Option 2: “No thanks, I prefer to pay full price.”

Wait…back up! I don’t want to pay full price! And hence, you see the beauty of this particular pop-up, not in the actual CTA but in the opt-out text. By cleverly articulating the consequences of opting out, Ann Taylor actually convinced me to relinquish my precious personal email address…hook, line and sinker. And now I’m a regular newsletter recipient!

The lesson? Take a second glance at your standard copy and look for a fresh way to frame the customer’s or client’s options. What’s in it for them? What will they truly lose if they refuse your offer? Honest and creative positioning cuts through the competing marketing “noise,” nabs the reader’s attention and just might make the difference in your sales, clicks, shares, downloads, sign-ups, tweets, posts, replies…you get the picture.

Now it’s your turn. What quality makes your copy effective?