Content Creation

“My task, which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel–it is, before all, to make you see.”

Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim

Website Content

The first thing most people do when you tell them about your company is ask if you have a website. You hand over a business card, they go and look you up online. In fact, this has become such standard practice that, for many people, if you don’t have a website, your company doesn’t exist!

We live in a digital age. More than 2.4 billion people use the internet every day. Not showing up in an online search makes your company look dated, out of touch and (dare I say it?) slightly dodgy.

Your website is a portal to your customers, and to potential customers. It’s an online brochure or catalogue. Its doors are open 24/7. It provides you with a base for all your advertising, promotions and information about your products and services. It’s instant, and can be added to, updated and changed in real-time.

This requires content. Great content. You want to invite customers through the door, and keep them there. You want them to bring others. A great way of doing this is to create a company blog, or newsfeed, one which is updated regularly and addresses issues and topics of interest to your target demographic.

Your website is your portal to the world. And the more attractive and interesting it is, the more credible is its perceived value. It is your voice.

Let me help you find that voice, and make it heard!

Content for social media needs to be relevant, dynamic and constantly updated. Social Media is one of the most powerful communication tools available today, and it can be used in so many ways. Twitter feeds are a great way of communicating directly with your audience, engaging in conversations with individuals in a way that would not have been possible a few years ago. It gives you the ability to listen to what your customers are saying, to find out what they want, what interests them, what sparks conversation. It gives you a platform to engage with them directly and respond quickly to their concerns or questions, which gives you (and your brand) a human touch. Facebook and Instagram have the same advantages . And all of them require good content and great writing skills. There are billions of mediocre posts out there – I can help you make yours stand out.

A press release is an effective way of sending out information to a selected audience through specific publications such as newspapers and magazines. It is particularly useful for announcing big company developments and changes (mergers, change of ownership, etc), as it reaches a widespread audience and adds the publication’s credibility to the story. A good press release gives the main facts (who, what, where, when, how and why) in a short, journalistic format, which may or may not be edited by the publication should they decide to print it.

Newsletters are a great way of keeping in touch with customers, suppliers and even staff in large organisations. They can be printed or sent out online. Understanding your audience is very important for the content of a newsletter. People read what interests them. Newsletters are an effective way of promoting new products, introducing new services or people, running small promotions and competitions and connecting with a specific demographic. They need to be snappy, relevant and easy to read.

Short, persuasive ad copy is often the most difficult content to come up with. Although it may appear short and “easy” to write, clever advertising copy is worth its weight in gold. The end result is often only a 5-word slogan or pay-off line, but if it is memorable, it gains a life all of its own. An instantly recognisable slogan is very powerful. Let me help you create the magic.

Pamphlets, flyers and brochures are the traditional medium for getting your message out to your public. Although this is becoming less cost-effective and efficient than social media, traditional methods often work best in areas with limited internet or at specific locations where a piece of paper serves as a tangible reminder of who you are and what you do. For it to work effectively, however, your audience must be interested in what you are saying – the piece of paper needs to be eye-catching, easy to read, and useful. There is no point in spending a lot of money getting piles of pamphlets printed if they are going to be thrown away without being read, so it is essential that your content is relevant, readable and interesting. I can help.

Blogging is an effective way of connecting with your audience. It is a friendly, approachable way of writing that makes your reader feel as though you are talking directly to him or her. A good, consistently updated blog page can be used to introduce any number of pertinent subjects and trending topics, and can even spark debate and conversations between you, your readers, and their readers. A really good blog can be shared on many other websites, which brings new readers back to your website, and back to your product or service. It’s a great tool, but it requires great content, and time.

It’s Annual Report time. It’s all about the numbers. But in between, there have to be a few words. And they have to look good because, well, it’s all about the numbers!
Sometimes, it helps to take a step back.
Put it down in point form, and hand it over to me.
Take a well-deserved nap while I do your proofreading…with fresh eyes and a sharp pencil!
Say out loud what you want to put down on paper, let me write it up for you!
Write the basics down, I’ll help you create the words to make each point flow from one into the other, bringing out your character and expression, and saying just what you want to say, how you want to say it!