Take care and happy marketing!
Tom and Elizabeth Forsythe, Owners

ARCHETYPE GRAPHIC DESIGN & WRITING SERVICES, INC.
"A great place to start when you want to make a lasting impression"

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How to Write Copy that Sells

Mark Twain said, "Writing is easy. You just have to cross out the wrong words." If only the process of producing great copy really were that simple! Good writing begins with knowing as much as possible about your audience--interests, tastes, reading level, and demographics. You also need to decide up front what you are trying to achieve with a given piece. What is the primary purpose of your ad, newsletter, brochure, or report? Everything about the piece should support this purpose. It may help to visualize your typical reader occasionally as you write. Whether you are trying to sell a product, service, or cause, you should always ask yourself the following questions before you sit down at the keyboard:

* What are the benefits of your product/service/cause to the members of your target audience? In your piece, you’ll want to emphasize “what's in it for them.”
* What else do they read?
* Why is my message important?
* What am I offering to my target market?
* What problems am I solving for them?
* How can I involve them?
* What is my central message (in one sentence or less)?

Good design can really improve your piece’s readability and help you keep the reader’s attention by bringing structure and order to the information you are presenting. Divide your copy into small pieces that are easier to digest. Use lots of subheads, bullets, illustrations, and photos and emphasize main points graphically. Pull out quotes and use sidebars.

You also want to choose the appropriate tone for your audience and the type of piece. Should you be personal, friendly, and chatty? Informative and concise? Persuasive? Challenging? The reader must feel the importance of the content to the writer. Avoid the "nobody at home" mode of writing that is often found in textbooks and how-to manuals.

Some mechanics of good writing
The lead is crucial and so is the conclusion. Use present tense or simple past test whenever possible. Present tense lends immediacy to your piece. The passive voice is usually awkward and stiff, and you should avoid it. Avoid is/was; use more action verbs. Vary your sentence length. Short, punchy sentences create rhythm. Give the reader something really memorable and a reason to save your publication. Provide visual details. Give the reader something to do. This helps readers get attached to you and your organization. Most people are more interested in people than in ideas. Quote real people. Use sidebars; put info that doesn't fit in a box. Minimize "including . . ." and other forms of listing. Constantly solicit feedback and keep learning about your audience. Consistency is key; predictability is bad.

Tips for collaborative writing
Establish the goal of the project.
Agree on an intended audience.
Identify a leader, the final editor.
Clearly outline the process and the sequence of events.
Establish a production schedule and stick to it.
Make everyone's responsibilities clear.
Ensure consistency with a style sheet and final editing.
Establish the length of the final printed piece and assign word counts whenever possible.
Resolve conflicts as they arise.
Organize an efficient review process and be sure that the person with final say has input at each major stage of production.

Many thanks to Georgann Eubanks of Minnow Media LLC for the "Mechanics" and "Tips" sections of this article. www.minnowmedia.net

TECHNICAL stuff

It helps to know the lingo when dealing with graphic design, copy editing, and printing. Below are some commonly used terms:


1. Trifold: a brochure that folds twice, creating three panels on each side; the most common paper size for a trifold is 8 1/2" x 11."
2. Roll Fold: occurs when a brochure with a least four panels on each side folds inward from right to left so that each panels rolls over the subsequent one.
3. Gate Fold: occurs when the two outer edges of a brochure are folded to meet in the center so that the fold resembles a gate.
4. Accordion Fold: occurs when the panels of a brochure are alternately folded in one direction and then the other to create an appearance like the folds of an accordion.
5. Embossing: impressing an image in relief to achieve a raised surface.
6. Newsprint: a lower grade paper made mostly from ground wood pulp and small amounts of chemical pulp; used for printing newspapers.
7. Caliper: the thickness of paper, usually expressed in thousandths of an inch (mils).
8. Photo or Model Release: document signed by the subject of a photograph that gives you the right to use his or her picture (or a child's picture) in your publication.
9. Concepting: the process of coming up with a variety of possible “looks” and/or themes for a brochure or other marketing vehicle such as a website.
10. CMYK: shorthand for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black--the four ink colors used in four-color process printing to produce full-color pieces.


Energizing Tips for the Weary Professional
Need a boost? Keep reading for helpful info on managing your time, relaxation techniques, and just plain old being happy.

Hints for Effective Time Management

1. Be flexible. Don't let your schedule run you--take back control of your time.

2. Identify when your most productive hours of the day typically are and schedule your most challenging tasks during this time whenever possible.

3. Break large, overwhelming tasks into small, sequential tasks.

4. Whether it's electronic or paper, keep a detailed calendar.

5. Mom was right! Make a list of things to do and mark tasks off as completed. Some people find it helpful to put the most difficult tasks first on the list and to limit the list to only the most pressing items.

6. Finish one task before moving on to another.

7. Set aside some time each day for planning and reorganizing.

8. Don't shuffle papers; handle it now.

9. Keep it neat; have only one job on your desk at a time.

10. Set aside one or two times each day to return phone calls and e-mails.

11. Set deadlines for yourself and meet them.

12. Take time for yourself. Relax and do nothing!

Be aware of and try to minimize the thirteen biggest time wasters:

1. Telephone interruptions.
2. Visitors dropping in.
3. Unscheduled meetings, unnecessary meetings, and meetings without a clear agenda.
4. Lack of objectives, priorities, and deadlines.
5. Cluttered workspace.
6. Failure to delegate.
7. Trying to do too much and underestimating the time you need to accomplish a task.
8. Failure to establish clear lines of responsibility and authority.
9. Inadequate, inaccurate, or delayed information from others.
10. Indecision and procrastination.
11. Lack of clear communications and instructions.
12. Inability to say "NO".
13. Fatigue--take care of yourself to keep your energy level high.

Relaxation Techniques for the Body

Your body is always trying to communicate with you. Sometimes it whispers, and sometimes it shouts. When you need to relax, your body says things like, "I'm tense," "I can't breathe," or "I don't have enough energy to cope with the stresses I'm facing." You can try to ignore these messages from your body, but ultimately you can't escape the tight muscles, shortness of breath, and fatigue that are telling you to stop and unwind. You can greatly improve your quality of life by spending a few minutes each day giving your body a chance to relax.

Try a "Body Check-In." Take a deep breath. How relaxed are you right now? Where is the tension in your body? If you're like most of us, you're more aware of your bank balance or world events than you are of what's going on in your own body, even though you're living in it. Your body knows everything there is to know about your unique states of tension and relaxation. All you have to do is turn your attention inward and learn from it.

From time to time during a busy day, pause in a quiet spot and close your eyes. Allow your breath to slow and deepen. Ask yourself where you are tense. Mentally scan your body for any areas of tightness or pain. As you find each twitch or ache, thank your body for showing it to you. All tension is muscular tension, and all muscle contraction is self-produced, even if you aren't aware of producing it. Once you become aware of the tension, you can begin to let it go.

Focus on each area of tension for a moment. Exhale slowing and allow your tight back muscles to relax, your eyelids to stop twitching, or your knees to stop aching. Tell your body, "It's okay. We don't need this tension or soreness anymore. We can let it go." Thank your body for keeping you alive and informed and for serving you despite all of the times that you've ignored its needs. Do something special for your body today: exercise, sit in a hot tub, get a massage, or wear your most comfortable clothes. Keep checking in with your body. It will tell you the truth you need to know, and secrets you can't hear from any other source.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Many people can't seem to allow themselves to relax or be happy, especially at work. They think that being light-hearted, cheerful, and inspired is inappropriate for the work environment. Some people also worry that co-workers, employees, or the boss may perceive them as lacking a competitive edge or the drive to succeed if they are too cheerful at work.

Can you be happy and "keep your edge"? Of course! Relaxed, happy people are usually the very same people who love what they do and are therefore highly motivated to improve their job performance continually. Happy people are often easier to be around and therefore make better team players. Chronically unhappy people, on the other hand, often feel victimized by their situation. Their own misery holds them back. They may be more difficult to work with and lack motivation because they focus on the negative.

So, relax, it's okay to be happy! You'll see solutions where others see problems, you'll be less likely to feel discouraged, and you'll have more energy. Your positive feelings will be contagious, and everyone you work with will benefit.

About the Owners of ARCHETYPE
Tom Forsythe is the graphic designer, and Elizabeth Forsythe is the writer and project manager. Since 1998, we have worked with over 100 businesses and nonprofits of all sizes, and we’d like to add you to our list of happy clients. For more information on our credentials, see the “About Us” page of our website.

The information contained in THRIVE! may be reprinted in your newsletter or other publication. Please e-mail Elizabeth to obtain permission.

Contact information:

Click here to go to our web site
www.archetype-usa.com

ph. 919.835.0450
fax 919.835.9760

Elizabeth's e-mail: ewfx@mindspring.com
Tom's e-mail: tjfx@mindspring.com

1615 Sunrise Ave.
Raleigh, NC 27608

Why should you choose ARCHETYPE for your marketing needs?

1. You will save money. Unlike larger shops that have a huge overhead, we work out of our home and pass the savings on to you.

2. You will get your project on time. Because we are small, we can turn on a dime. We provide quick turnaround, and we always meet our deadlines.

3. You will get our full attention. When you choose ARCHETYPE, you work directly with the two people who bring your project to fruition.

4. You have access to a wide range of services, and you pay for only the services that you need. We offer graphic design and layout; writing, editing, and proofing; print and project management; marketing consultation; public relations/media services, traditional media illustration; photography; and website design.