LiveWire Copy :: Advertising • Branding • Marketing

By Josh Anderson
Owner + Copywriter

The first time I told a friend I was a copywriter he said, “So you deal with trademarks?” Well no, not exactly.

When I called up my dad to tell him the first web site I wrote was published he said, “So you developed it?” Well no, not exactly.

Last time I told a peer that I was working in the marketing communications department at a leading financial services company he said, “So you sell insurance?” Definitely not.

Seems there’s some confusion as to what exactly a copywriter does. Hopefully by dispelling some misconceptions I can help clear things up. More importantly, I hope to illustrate the important role copywriters can play in the success of your company.

Truth #1: Copywriters write catchy slogans, and other important details
If you’re not an advertising insider or someone who TiVOs “Mad Men”, I can understand how easy it is to limit copywriters to the slogans you read or jingles you hear. But we do more than that. Copywriters are responsible for writing copy.

And what is “copy”? Well, you’re reading some now.

Copy can be a blog entry, tweet or Facebook update, the words in a print ad, the script for a TV or radio commercial, the content of a web site. And yes, copywriters come up with slogans, jingles, taglines and program and product names, though these are usually part of a larger campaign.

Perhaps a better explanation is that copywriters are responsible for building a brand persona. Our copy helps give companies a distinctive voice in the marketplace. And with well-written, strategic copy, companies can more effectively talk to their target markets. Good copywriters can actually help move the sales needle.

Truth #2: Copywriters are professionals, ripped jeans and all
If everyone could write copy, then I would’ve stuck with my original plan to major in English and sling coffee at an Uptown cafe. And this would’ve been the shortest blog post on the internet.

Fortunately that’s not the case (though you may be wishing this post had ended about three sentences ago). Copywriters are professionals despite our appearance, and we take our craft seriously. We’re always fine-tuning our skills, looking for new ways to execute communications in a fresh, engaging way. And we’re constantly adapting in order to take advantage of new media.

Every company believes they have an employee who writes well enough for their needs. Chances are this person may have every relevant rule of English memorized. But it’s copywriters who know when, why and how to break those rules. And when it comes to communicating in today’s saturated mass media, doing what’s unexpected helps companies cut through the clutter and reach their target audience.

Truth #3: Copywriters work with your company, from the outside
By definition, freelance copywriters are not one of you. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Here’s why:

• Fresh perspective – Copywriters have the luxury of looking at your business without bias. We can easily identify what you’re good at and we may even identify strengths that companies don’t see themselves.
• No boundaries – Copywriters come at your brand from all angles. We look at what’s been done before and find ways to do it differently, or better, or both. We aren’t bound by your company’s history, inner workings or past performance.
• Always hungry – Copywriters are eager to solve a marketing challenge. Sagging sales, how about mailing a killer direct response campaign? Your company’s suffering from a lack of awareness, how about running an unforgettable print ad campaign? We’re always searching for the next opportunity to churn out great copy. And not necessarily for the awards. Copywriters want to be part of something that has “legs,” an effective, memorable campaign that runs for a long time. And we want to be the person your company turns to every time you have a writing need.

Copywriters are also good editors, though not necessarily when it comes to our own blog posts. But hopefully this long-winded explanation helps clarify exactly what a copywriter does. I sure hope my dad is reading this.

By Josh Anderson
Copywriter + Owner

I live in North Minneapolis. Fortunately my home was spared during the recent storm that produced a tornado on Sunday, May 22.

My neighbors just 8 blocks to the east weren’t so fortunate.

I drove by the ravaged homes on Monday. And I can tell you, seeing these images on the news is nothing like witnessing them in person. The destruction doesn’t compare to Joplin, Missouri. But the feeling is just as devastating.

Homes without roofs. Roofs without homes. Hundred year old elm trees completely uprooted. Debris everywhere. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

But what I’m seeing as a result is God at work through people. In just a day, fully coordinated efforts were underway to restore order and hope to North Minneapolis. One of the organizations doing it the best is Urban Homeworks, a community development nonprofit working to reweave strong communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Their mission is “to perpetuate the hope of Jesus Christ through innovative community development that produces dignified housing low income families, a strategic network of good neighbors and the redemptive development of real estate.”

I found them on Facebook thanks to one of my friends. And I’m amazed at how they’ve utilized social media to aide their efforts.

Their status updates are timely and relevant. The information is clear and concise. As a result they’ve been able to enlist nearly 2,000 volunteers; a large contingent, I believe, coming through social media channels.

This unfortunate event illustrates what a powerful communications tool social media can be for any organization. If used expertly, social media is proving to be the way to reach Americans. And it truly mobilizes people.

I hope to volunteer with Urban Homeworks in the coming days. And I hope you’ll join me. Want the info? Just visit find them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/urbanhomeworks.

By Josh Anderson
Owner + Copywriter

I was one of the millions who wondered if Christina Aguilera made a prop bet on how long the National Anthem would last.

I was one of the millions hoping for a wardrobe malfunction during the Black Eyed Peas Half Time Show snoozer.

But I may be one of the few who think Super Bowl ads have gone way of the leather helmet.

They’re historic. But now the majority just look stupid and are no longer useful.

Viewing behaviors have changed
It’s true that nearly 2/3 of the U.S. population gathers around the television for this single football game, with beverage and deep-fried-anything in hand. But that doesn’t change the way we watch the boob-tube.

For years now, many of us have been conditioned by TiVo, Apple TV and/or Netflix. So you’re telling me that for one Sunday night, those habits are just going to magically disappear like the beer in my fridge? No way.

Even if fans say, “I can’t wait for the commercials.” What they’re really saying is, “I can’t wait for the commercials so I can load up on more wings and leave that pig Bill with the celery sticks.”

The thrill is gone
Not so long ago Super Bowl commercials were simply enjoyed. Viewers looked forward to the next Pepsi commercial like the next episode of “He-Man: Masters of the Universe.”

Now we stuff ourselves over-analyzing them.

We dissect them at the party. We discuss them on Facebook. We comment on them over Twitter. We no longer allow ourselves to be entertained.

Part of the problem is advertisers are chasing the thrill of cowboys herding cats, lizards talking with east coast accents and babies trading stocks. But instead of innovating, they’re regurgitating ideas. And paying more to do it.

Viewers aren’t helping. Now we expect the unexpected. It’s like we’re watching the fourth installment in a slasher movie franchise: Of course the girl who walks into a dark room without turning on a light is going to get butchered.

Move forward by looking back
What should be done? The answer might have been offered a few years ago when Go Daddy first started advertising during the Super Bowl.

Sure the commercials were raunchy (and still are). But they were perfectly targeted to the audience and the call to action was spot-on. In fact, their web site crashed as a result of the traffic generated from a single ad. A great return on investment for the fledgling company.

Today, companies need to reconsider the role Super Bowl commercials play in their overall strategy.

Is their commercial a single showcase of the company? If so, then it needs to be more than amusing. It must be groundbreaking. For many advertisers, that’s an impossible expectation.

But what if a Super Bowl ad was a vehicle designed specifically to send viewers somewhere else like a web site, Facebook page or other online location? Once there, they could be treated to something truly unique, entertaining, even innovative.

Helmets are still needed in football. But they were re-engineered when the game changed. It’s time for advertisers to stop banging their heads against a wall when it comes to Super Bowl commercials.

By Josh Anderson
Owner + Copywriter

Off Target

You’re not mistaken. That was me in Wal-Mart at 3:45 a.m. on November 26.

Over the past two years I’ve become addicted to the crazed consumerism that Black Friday represents. And I don’t apologize one bit for my obsession. I’m willing to sacrifice a couple hours of sleep and fight the crowds for one day if that saves me from doing the same every weekend leading up to Christmas.

Granted, it didn’t start out that way. For years I escaped to the office as protection from Black Friday. But I finally gave in to the insanity last November, all for an HDTV.

I remember it vividly, which is impressive considering the high levels of tryptophan running through my system. Small landfill piles of coupons were passed around almost as freely as the third serving of green bean hot dish.

And there it was – A Sony Bravia HDTV at Wal-Mart. And the deal was irresistible.

I went. I scored the TV. And I vowed to do it again this year.

But my experience with Black Friday the last two years has got me to thinking: What’s up with Target?

Missing the mark

I’m not a big Wal-Mart shopper; my preference is Tar-get Boutique (and when I say my preference, I mean my wife’s). But this year in particular, their deals on the day when most retailers are hoping to bank big bucks were sub-par at best.

In fact, most of what we purchased at the bulls-eye came off the grandmas’ lists. About the only thing I was interested in was a portable hard-drive. Whoopee. And that didn’t even sniff the cart.

To say I was surprised by the lack of deals would be more polite than the woman I saw berating a poor employee about running out of $3 toaster ovens.

Admittedly I wasn’t in the market for a big-ticket item, but considering the ad campaign Target ran, I assumed the deals would be, ahem, on target.

In fact, people I talked to raved about the frazzled character featured in each of the TV spots. Perfect casting, they suggested. Hilarious, they claimed. I agree.

But we all know that no amount of advertising can make up for door buster busts. You know that whole “pay no attention to the lack of deals behind the curtain” argument.

Now I haven’t seen the sales results. But it would take a lot of toaster oven purchases to help Target enjoy a Friday that truly lands them in the black.

By Josh Anderson
Owner + Copywriter 

Coupons will never be the same thanks to Groupon

I’ve never been much of a coupon clipper. 

About the only thing I trim is my facial hair. 

Besides, the idea of saving $0.17 on a bag of potato chips never offset the amount of work required for me to find a Sunday newspaper, sift through its mounds of coupons and then painstakenly cut along those tiny dotted lines. 

That’s why Groupon is brilliant: No coupon clipping. Simply sign up online and watch the daily deals roll into your e-mail inbox. 

Sure I had to delete offer after offer of laser hair removal services and food discounts (fortunately these weren’t from the same company). But finally, my time came in the form of a Groupon for golf at Mississippi Dunes. A deep discount. 62% off to be exact. It was well worth the wait. 

But what about Groupon is making it the fastest growing online company in the history of the Internet? I’ve identified three reasons for its success. 

Bricks and mortar 

Groupon is a real company, in a real U.S. city, run by a real (young) CEO. The young CEO part may be the same, but the other aspects serve as a far cry from the dotcom companies that burst at the end of the 1990s. Groupon is a company you can search for on Google and find on Google Maps. 

In fact, Groupon reps are physically located in each of the markets they serve. And these hired professionals work directly with the retailers to create the deals. 

Facebook 

And how do people find out about these deals? Or about Groupon itself? Well I found out from a penny-pinching, discount-seeking fiend of a Facebook friend. 

She’s always on the lookout for the next best deal. And she’s no hoarder of the deals she finds. She shares them on Facebook. All the time. 

Groupon benefitted not only from me signing up, but from every other friend of my penny-pinching, discount-seeking fiend of a Facebook friend. 

Companies offering discounts through Groupon also benefit. 

You may not be interested in half off eco-friendly home supplies, but now you know Natural Built Home is a company that offers such products. And in the future when you’re in the market for some nice solar panels, who will you think to call? 

Copywriting 

But of course, I think the main reason for Groupon’s success is their willingness and ability to present offers in a uniquely ammusing way. Namely by incorporating memorable copywriting. 

Unlike other forms of coupons, Groupon doesn’t rely on exclamation marks. Instead, they draw readers in with their irreverent humor. Take this excerpt for example: 

After centuries of experimenting with Slappy Hour, Mopey Hour, and Witching Hour, the world’s bars and restaurants stumbled upon Happy Hour—and have never looked back. Today’s Groupon takes you to a place where every hour is happy hour. For $15, you get $40 worth of creative American cuisine and drinks at Restaurant Aura and Bar, located at Calhoun Square in Uptown Minneapolis. 

What’s really genius isn’t the humor so much as how Groupon isn’t silly for silly sake. They bring everything full circle to relate to their offer. Impressive, especially considering many of Groupon’s writers aren’t even marketers. Instead they feature acting and script writing backgrounds (surprising since Groupon isn’t a restaurant in Hollywood).

Chances are you’re not a 29-year-old wunderkind looking to take the internet by storm with your newest venture. But you probably have your own web site that you need to work harder for your business.

Take a look at your site’s content. Is it engaging? Enlightening? Enriching? If not, consider igniting with new copy. Contact LiveWire Copy for your next web project. I may even offer you a discount.

LiLu Interiors enjoys Halloween fright as much as anyone, but interior design shouldn’t be scary . . . Fear Not on the Design Inspiration Blog this week.

By Josh Anderson
Owner + Copywriter

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a seminar on social media. And one of the best parts of the event, aside from the all-I-could-drink coffee, was a peer panel who shared their experiences.

Too often seminars like these serve up nothing but lofty aspirations and under-ripe fruit. But this panel offered real insight into what they encountered when introducing social media strategies at their respective companies.

I should preface this by admitting that I could never stand in front of a room of 75 to deliver a speech. I go all cotton-mouthed just thinking about it.

Yet one of the panelists didn’t seem to have any trouble speaking. Unfortunately the words that dribbled out of her mouth were about as transparent as my drip coffee.

Accelerators. Deliverables. Synergy. Thinking outside the box. 30,000 foot look at the situation.

That’s when I got up for a refill.

Your target audience will tune out too
All companies use jargon. It helps them conduct business. How? Employees aren’t wasting time trying to remember a program name like the Fair and Equitable Employee Benefits Liability Equation. They just refer to it as FEEBLE.

Problems start when company jargon starts leaking into marketing. It waters down the message. And the people you’re trying to reach simply turn the page, change the channel or delete you.

Whether you’re talking to consumers or other businesses, you need to find a way to relate. Here are three steps to consider:

1. Start with a clear voice
Perhaps the most important step to eliminating jargon from your marketing is to identify your brand persona. How do you want to be perceived by your target market?

When writing for LiLu Interiors, I noticed that much of the interior design industry focused on helping people realize their dreams through design. A good message, but it had become an industry cliché.

So I created a campaign that focused on debunking interior design stereotypes. In doing so, I identified a unique voice for them – fun-loving, accessible, different, even a bit edgy.

Have you found your voice?

2. Be authentic
Knowing who you are starts when you understand who you’re not. Take Target and Walmart for example.

The two retail giants share essentially the same business model – national chain of stores that offer a variety of products at discounted prices. Yet their brand personas are wildly different. And they work hard to be authentic to who they are in every aspect of their business, from the ads they run to the products they sell.

So when it was recently announced that Target would carry Apple’s iPad first, it fit each brand persona. Target affirmed itself as an industry trend-setter. Walmart will affirm its price-leader status when it eventually starts selling the iPad for less.

3. Ask for help
Retail store, interior design boutique, financial services conglomerate, law firm, medical company, businesses of all types and sizes benefit from finding their own voice. And for many, a freelance copywriter can help.

I’ve spent nine years writing for a financial services company, so I know the excuses that come up when considering an outside perspective:

• Won’t understand the complexity of our business
• Won’t know enough about our products
• Won’t appreciate our culture

But here’s what you can get:

Fresh perspective – Freelance copywriters have the luxury of looking at your business without bias. We can easily identify what you’re good at and we may even identify strengths that companies don’t see themselves.

No boundaries – Freelance copywriters come at your brand from all angles. We look at what’s been done before and find ways to do it differently, or better, or both. We aren’t bound by your company’s history, inner workings or past performance.

Always hungry – Freelance copywriters are eager to solve a marketing challenge. Sagging sales, how about mailing a killer direct response campaign? Your company’s suffering from a lack of awareness, how about running an unforgettable print ad campaign? We’re always searching for the next opportunity to churn out great copy. And not necessarily for the awards. Copywriters want to be part of something that has “legs,” an effective, memorable campaign that runs for a long time. And we want to be the person your company turns to every time you have a writing need.

Jargon is great for playing Buzzword Bingo. It’s terrible for reaching your customers. So when you’re ready to make real connections, contact LiveWire Copy. We can talk about your needs over a cup of coffee.

Get your own Buzzword Bingo card at http://businessbuzzwordbingo.com/

You’ve probably seen versions of this before. It’s called Buzzword Bingo (there’s another word for it, but my mom is probably reading this so I’ll refrain).

This is a great game to play at your next meeting, teleconference or WebEx. Simply print out a card and each time a business catch phrase is uttered, mark it down. You’ll be surprised, or disappointed, at how quickly you get a Bingo.

Try this out and let me know what you think in the Comments section. I’ll be back next week to explain what this has to do with copywriting.

Have fun with this change agent. Just don’t get yourself right-sized.

By Josh Anderson
Owner + Copywriter

I’m what you call a late adopter of technology.

My home computer was a hand-me-down five years ago. I just stopped punctuating my texts. And that HDTV I finally purchased on Black Friday 2009 isn’t even connected to cable.

In the words of Saturday Night Live’s Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, “Things in your modern world frighten and confuse me.”

So it was a struggle to even fathom the idea of blogging. That was until I started reading more about it – on the Internet.

That’s right. I actually sat in front of a computer screen and started following posts on Copyblogger and ProBlogger. Recently I’ve caught on with Social Media Examiner. All of them offer great tips for bloggers, though some are a bit technical for me.

Yet there seems to be one overarching theme harped on by every “professional” blogger I follow – Don’t be afraid.

That’s when I put pen to paper and wrote down why this blogging thing could be right for me. And now look at me, I’m typing them our for all to see:

Blogging is cheap
One of my biggest hang-ups when it comes to technology is price.

I know people who waited in line to drop $300 on a phone that dropped reception if held at the wrong angle. (Who knew cell phones needed to be held at a right angle?) Then they proceeded to wait in line for a rubber band to fix the problem.

By comparison, blogging is relatively cheap. All you need is a computer, Internet connection, hosting and a domain name.

An affordable used computer can be found just about anywhere online. You can even use the free ones at your local library. Purchasing a domain name and hosting services will probably run you around $50 a year.

Heck, if you want to go all techno-geek you can even use that smart phone of yours to blog, whether it holds reception or not.

Blogging is a labor of love
Once you’ve mastered the technical side, here are two states-of-mind every blogger should wrap their heads around:

1. Want to vs. Have to. 60-80% of blogs are ditched 30 days after inception. That failure rate can be attributed to many people thinking they have to blog. Secret is bloggers write because they want to. Whether it’s for a business or personal, don’t even think about launching a blog if you can’t see yourself writing it years from now.

2. Get the word out. At last count there were 200 million blogs floating around cyber space. Think yours will be different than others? It’s won’t be. But what can make it stand out is your unique point of view. And you need to promote your blog both online and offline if you want to enjoy a good following.

Blogging is social
As you can imagine, I was a bit late to the social media party. But now that I’m here, I’m ready to drink the Kool-Aide.

If you’re just taking sips at this point, get ready for this big gulp: Blogs succeed virally.

What does that mean exactly? Take this post for example.

I published it into the blogosphere. But then I made sure it was seen by my social network on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Let’s assume it’s the greatest bit of information they’ve read today (hint, hint) and they send it to their network of friends and colleagues.

As a blogger I hope those people start following me regularly. But perhaps more than that, I pray that they send a link to their friends on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, LinkedIn, etc., encouraging them to take a look.

That way my readership grows faster than an Amway pyramid scheme. And before I know it, thousands of readers are following me.

A growing readership motivates me and every other blogger to write even more insightful posts, which in turn earns us even more readers. And soon I’m considered an expert. It can work that way for you too.

Here’s where you come in
I’m ready, are you?

This is the first post LiveWire Copy has published that allows comments. So if you feel so moved, let me know what you think of this blog.

Love it, hate it, I can take it. I’m not afraid. Cavemen can take constructive criticism too.

By Josh Anderson
Owner + Copywriter

I did it. I survived a visit to the Minnesota State Fair. Even after snapping the Achilles tendons of a dozen unlucky passersby with my stroller, I ended the day without incident. As a bonus, I left with the same number of kids as I brought. I knew it would be a good day after scoring free parking.

Apparently most of the state decided to ditch the cabin for a visit to the Great Minnesota Get-together as well. A single-day record of 234,000 of my closest “friends” joined me, free parking or not.

The limited elbow room didn’t interfere with me feasting on everything from deep-fried cheeseburgers and pork chops on a stick to Sweet Martha’s Cookies and fudge puppies. Even my kids were enjoying Nitro Ice Cream by 10 a.m.

Shoving food into my mouth gave me plenty of time to think, though the constant sound of chewing was a bit distracting. What did I think about? First my cholesterol. Then I moved on to blogging. Now admittedly I don’t have a natural inclination to tap away at the keyboard while enjoying all-you-can-drink milk. But I did identify three ways blogging can be compared to eating food at the fair.

1. Pace yourself
Just ask the guy who pounded three trays of cheese curds before reaching Machinery Hill about taking it easy. He’ll tell you, or at least the look on his face will – too much too soon will leave you in a world of hurt. Same goes for blogging.

Take time to plan out the number of blog posts you can realistically commit to writing. Post a main entry on Monday and four short, supporting posts the rest of the week. Blog a couple times a week.

Or commit to one blog entry per week, a good rule of thumb if just one person is writing them. This keeps you in front of your readers on a regular basis. It also gives you freedom to write more posts should current events dictate it.

2. More is not better
Pace is important, but so is quality. A bucket of soggy posts is never as satisfying as a smaller portion of fresh-cut ones. In other words, don’t bloat your blog with empty posts just to meet a self-imposed schedule.

Effective blogs are the ones that leave readers craving more. If your followers are left feeling groggy afterwards, they’ll stop reading. And nothing saps a writer’s motivation more than knowing his or her blog has been cut out of a reader’s diet.

Cut back on the number posts if it means the content will be meatier as a result.

3. Break out of the routine
Perhaps the most important thing to watch out for is predictability. It’s bad for a writer. It’s even worse for an audience.

Think of it like mapping out your visit to the fair by focusing on only your favorite food stands. We all do it. But if you’re too rigid with your routine, chances are you’ll become bored and overlook the new pot roast sundae in favor of your old pronto pup. And your audience won’t want to join you.

As I mentioned before, mapping out posts ahead of time is a good way to pace your blog. But break out of the expected every now and then. You might discover a mouth-watering opportunity just waiting on a stick for you.

Blogs are a great business tool, especially when used correctly. If you’re looking for ways to improve or better utilize your blog, contact LiveWire Copy. I can’t ever seem to get my fill of igniting brands through advertising, branding and marketing copywriting.