Thursday, August 25, 2011

Is there a place for sentence fragments in my copywriting? -- signed Unpunctuated

Dear Unpunctuated:

Most certainly. Using sentence fragments can enhance your writing style by adding a more conversational quality to it and improving flow. For an example, I grabbed a paragraph at random from jelly-maker J. M. Smucker's 2009  annual report:

Here's how it read originally: 
"The 'Great American PB&J' has been part of family meals for generations and is particularly relevant for the comfort and value it offers in the current economic environment. As consumers reach for what is America’s favorite sandwich, we continue to offer both traditional and new alternatives."  

Here's how I rewrote the paragraph using sentence fragments:"The PB&J. America's favorite sandwich. And a staple on family tables for generations. In today’s economic climate, it’s more than just a comfort food; it’s also a good value. And as consumers reach for more, Smucker’s continues to offer both traditional and new alternatives."

There's something else going on here: the principle of three's. More on that later.


Dear Freelance Copywriter is brought to you by Robert Roth---expert Atlanta freelance copywriter. http://www.rothcopy.com


Monday, August 8, 2011

What's my Swedish furniture name? --"Justa Chair"

Dear Justa:

This is not the first time I've been asked this question. Brand consultancies have spent countless dollars trying to figure out how a certain Swedish big-box furniture retailer comes up with the names on their hang tags. The answer is at the URL below: 

The Blogadilla Swedish Furniture Name Generator


By the way, here's what my Swedish furniture name looks like:


















Dear Freelance Copywriter is brought to you by Robert Roth---expert Atlanta freelance copywriter. http://www.rothcopy.com

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

What are the "Secrets of Copywriting" and how can I learn them? -- Unschooled

Dear Unschooled:
The secrets of copywriting are that not secret. Copywriter Bhaskar Sarma does a great job of revealing ten of them in his blog post, "From my Notebook:10 Copywriting Tips from William Zinsser" (author of On Writing Well).

It's worth the read---especially if you're serious about becoming a better writer tomorrow than you are today. 

http://www.bhaskars.net/2011/07/10-copywriting-tips-from-william-zinsser-from-my-homework-notes/
_______________________________


Who am I?
ROTH copywriting is Robert Roth---expert Atlanta freelance copywriter. http://www.rothcopy.com

What I'm working on now
Writing more content articles for a global crop science company; finishing monthly newsletter for the CDC; in discovery phase of writing a  corporate capabilities brochure for Boston-based financial services company.