The power of blogging: the story of Gradulthood

The heart warming tale of how starting a blog changed one ‘gradult's’ life...

It's not going to write itself.

I finished university in 2009. When it comes to bad graduation years, that one’s got to be up there with 1939. Okay, perhaps that’s stretching the limits of hyperbole somewhat. Let’s just say it wasn’t ideal.

Upon graduation, I decided to shun the undignified scramble for the last remaining grad schemes. I just didn’t want it enough. 500 applicants battling it out for a place on the Rent-a-car management programme? Nope, not for me. Instead, I worked in a stockroom and a nightclub – before hotfooting it over to America.

Reality sure is cold and hard

Upon my return, I was faced with two unfortunate realities: I had no job and my parent’s house was beckoning. On the plus side, I had a killer tan. I soon found myself working as a call centre temp for one of the legal loan sharks thriving on the bloodied carcass of Britain’s economy.

It was at this stage I decided to start a blog. I’d always loved writing, and with nothing else on my plate, I thought: what have I got to lose? They say write what you know, so I began blogging about that awkward time in life between graduation and adulthood: no longer a student, not yet in a career. Gradulthood was born.

Advertising is the art of the concept. Copywriting is the art of words

Ad agencies employ copywriters. But they tend to work alongside a designer in a creative team, focusing on creating ad concepts. Using a copywriting agency to do the word-based work can free ad creatives to focus on what they’re best at.

Lousy punctuation... Apostrophes absent without leave or in the wrong place... Flat vocabulary... Advertising copy can be a real source of wonder. But it can also look as if it was a last-thing-on-Friday afterthought. It’s understandable really: when you live for the big idea, the fiddly bits can seem slightly underwhelming.

Ask a top-flight agency creative copywriter to research and write a 28 page sales brochure and they’ll think you’re having a laugh. Draft an 80 page website so it’s consistent with the campaign? Get out of here. Write this trade flier? No can do, I’m late for lunch and it’s sushi day.

Take a break from hackneyed travel copy

By avoiding overused phrases and describing destinations in a fresh way, you can revitilise your travel copy.

Where can you go to absolutely guarantee ‘crystal clear water’, ‘friendly locals’ and all manner of ‘breathtaking views’? Somewhere ‘off the beaten track’? Or perhaps somewhere in the ‘beating heart of the city’?  The standard travel brochure, that’s where.

Unfriendly locals and unspectacular views

Anyone who’s ever written any travel copy will be guilty of using some of these gems. I’ll hold my hands up and admit I’ve placed a few hotels in ‘picture perfect’ locations.

The problem with using these trite phrases is that, they’re so worn out they’ve all but lost their meaning. And if copy loses its meaning, it ceases to do its job. When a consumer reads a travel brochure they should be able to feel the sand beneath their feet and taste the local cuisine. The words must evoke the destination in such a way that the consumer isn’t just willing to hand over hundreds or thousands of pounds – they’re eager to. 

Fresh, dynamic language is the only way to achieve this. In late 2011 we were given this very brief by Planet Cruise. In addition to evoking their destinations and the cruise experience, they felt they offered a different proposition to competitors. However, this wasn’t shining through in their literature. Our task: make the selling points come alive.

2011 copywriting trends

2011 was a busy year in this office. But what were the top five copywriting trends at Barnaby Benson...?

Jumeirah don't do budget

1. Going Global. We live in changing times. The established order hasn’t just been challenged, it seems like it’s been well and truly overturned. East is the new West, and in the Americas, South is the new North. In 2011, the majority of our clients had one thing on their mind: accessing these developing markets.

Luxury hotel chain Jumeirah were peppering the desert with jaw-dropping hotels. FTSE 250 recruiters, SThree, were operating in 15 countries -  including the likes of Russia and Qatar. And HSBC were pointing to their established links in Brazil and China and scurrying to attract the staff to service growing demand. That's right, last year was all about building a global empire, BRIC by BRIC.

2. CSR. That’s corporate social responsibility to those not up on their acronyms. Public demand and Government policy mean it’s an increasingly important field. Companies are starting to take responsibility for the impact they have on the planet.

Demonstrating environmentally responsible activities is now an absolute must if you're going to be a major player. We recently worked on a CSR website for global giants Coca-Cola Enterprises Europe. Did you know they make bottles from plants these days?!

What does your site’s tone say about your company?

What makes your company stand out from the crowd?

Company websites are an integral part of a brand’s image and increasingly the first thing a potential customer sees. So it’s vital that yours reflects what you’re company is about and what sets you apart. 

Every organisation needs something to differentiate them from the competition. Their USP, as they call it in business textbooks. Or their ‘value proposition’ as they call it in the updated version of those textbooks.

But sometimes it’s difficult to highlight what makes you different. For example, how do you show potential customers that it’s your service that sets you apart before they’ve actually experienced it?

Well, one way is through the language and tone you adopt. If your company prides itself on its straight-forward and personalised service, the tone of the website should reflect this. It should be straight-forward and personal too.