Services
On this page - Articles - Press releases - case studies/success stories - web content - Advertisements - Presentations - Direct marketing - Editing - Public Relations Consultancy - Video Scripts & SpeechesTechnical Writing
• Articles
Every business or organisation understands the power of public relations. When journalists want to write about you, that’s fine, but what if an editor offers you an article, provided you write it? If you lack the time or confidence to tackle the job, that’s where I can help. The article will be written by me, but ‘bylined’ to you – so you get the credit and your business gets the valuable exposure it needs in its target media. The same thing applies to articles needed for newsletters and websites. Read more ...
• Press releases
You’ve got something to say, but how do you make it interesting to the press? It’s not unusual for a popular trade magazine to receive more than 500 press releases in a single day! How on Earth do you get heard above the noise level? There are few guarantees when it comes to press exposure, but if your story is genuinely newsworthy, provided it’s succinctly written and pitched correctly, it’s got a fair chance of being used. I will condense your news into an eye-catching, punchy story that will appeal to editors. Read more ...
• Customer case studies/success stories
A good customer case study is worth its weight in gold – almost as good as straight PR. A genuine endorsement from a happy customer looks great on your website and in your other marketing collateral, particularly if the customer is happy to be named and quoted. Anonymous case studies are also an option when your customer is publicity-shy, but they don’t have the same impact. Read more ...
• Website content
There are some brilliantly creative websites out there today, but it’s surprising how often even the best sites contain poorly-written copy, or copy that contains avoidable grammatical and spelling mistakes. It’s unnecessary for the copy to let the whole site down when the solution is so simple: have your website copy written professionally. I will be pleased to quote for writing website copy on a project or page-by-page basis, so why not contact me now for an exploratory discussion? With the web moving at an ever-faster pace daily, there is no time like the present. Read more ...
• Advertisements
Advertising for fast-moving consumer goods may be the province of the big agencies, but a huge amount of advertising is carried out for serious business-to-business and industrial customers. The problem is, a lot of the time it’s too serious and a bit dull. After all, industrial buyers are consumers too – they want to be amused and stimulated while they are being informed, the same as the rest of us. And amusing and stimulating ads are more memorable, too. I approach business-to-business advertising as a ‘technical consumer’ – getting the essentials of what you are trying to sell across, but in a memorable manner that is more likely to generate enquiries - and lead to sales.
• Presentations
Busy people seem to find themselves making a lot of presentations and the more senior you are, the more people want to hear you talk. So it’s ironic that busy senior people have the least time available for preparing professional, engaging presentations. That means the job is often rushed at the last minute – maybe in the airport or on the train en route to the meeting or conference – and the presentation fails to do you or your business justice.
Even if you only have time to get the presentation reviewed quickly, it will look so much better if the words are spelt correctly and there are no grammatical mistakes – and the same fonts and point sizes are used across all slides.
If you are giving a paper at a conference and need a short synopsis to submit to the organisers, followed by a full paper if your subject is accepted, then I will be pleased to write them for you, once we have had a discussion to give me the brief.
• Direct marketing
Whether for traditional postal marketing or email marketing, you probably have less than ten seconds to grab the reader’s attention. So what is written had better be eye-catching and immediately persuasive. That means matching your offer to the reader’s needs and aspirations very closely and producing copy that makes them want to read on and respond.
I will work with you to analyse the key elements of your offer and match them to the profile of the target audience. Then I will write powerful copy that ensures your direct mailer presses all the right buttons and generates the maximum response.
• Editing
Even if you believe firmly in writing all your own marketing and technical copy, it is possible to be too close to your subject and not notice that what you’ve written lacks the flow and interest to make it successful. You may well be quite evangelical about what you do, make or sell, particularly if you run your own business or organisation, but often the best copy comes from having a little distance from the subject and less personal involvement in it.
I will give your copy a clean-up, check all the spelling and grammar and return it to you ready for publication.
And just to reassure you that you’re not alone, I have worked for one company whose CEO, whilst a brilliant and successful businessman, was not at all comfortable writing formal letters or emails, so he would get me to write them for him. No embarrassment necessary – he was richer and more successful than I will ever be, despite his writing abilities, but I was able to ensure he did not lose face when dealing with industry peers and colleagues.
• Public relations consultancy
With over twenty years experience in high-tech and industrial marketing communications, both client and agency-side - including five years running my own public relations agency - I am well-qualified in providing freelance consultancy to client companies and agencies.
As a freelance, my rates compare favourably with agencies and I will always give you an honest opinion as to what is and is not newsworthy and how to get you and your business exposure in your chosen media.
• Video scripts and speeches
A sales or instruction video needs a tightly-written script with a logical flow, so that an effective video can be shot. I look at the process that the video is trying to explain and identify what can be explained best with pictures, rather than words, then fill in the gaps with realistic copy that completes the story through the voiceover or narration.
• Technical Writing
Installation, instruction and operating manuals seem deceptively simple, but if they are written without an understanding of how the products work, they will not flow logically and users will find them frustrating, rather than helpful. How many products have you bought where the manuals are, frankly, rubbish? I will analyse what your manuals need to do and write them so that they work without confusion or ambiguity. I have developed manuals and other technical documentation in conjunction with product engineers and graphic designers, so I will ensure that the words for your manuals fit the technical information, as well as the images and diagrams they need.