tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51986912024-03-07T08:03:32.081-08:00The official blog of Blue Ferret Communications. Chris Williams, a Web copywriter and communications consultant, talks about technology, writing, and the communication strategies (and pitfalls) that occur between them. Oh, and ferrety things. Visit <a href="http://www.blue-ferret.com">Blue-Ferret.com</a> for creative, powerful Web marketing services.Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-4880633141141434512007-02-28T14:23:00.000-08:002007-02-28T14:31:27.422-08:00

I don't really want to do this. But I feel I have to.Effective today, I'm ceasing activity on this blog. It's possible I may resume posting at a later date, but I doubt it. Right now, I want to spend the time on other marketing pursuits. These are the ideas I'm tossing around:--A new marketing strategy, based off my website. A full site rework is in progress anyway - new CMS, new content and

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-27471321969716982902007-02-26T13:29:00.000-08:002007-02-26T13:30:48.871-08:00

I checked this morning's RSS feeds and found this little feature on Lifehacker:Hotspotr.com's Wifi Hotspot Locator. Looks fairly complete (San Francisco's ranked #1! Yay!), and the mashup interface is dead simple.I added it to my wireless bookmarks. Then I thought about what to BlogTip on today. Hmm....Wi-Fi use is growing, although most of what I come across requires me to pay for time. If I

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-41478417359266020212007-02-21T12:00:00.000-08:002007-02-20T21:42:51.664-08:00

Sadly, there will be no BFC blog article today. I know, I know. I'm spending today working on my newsletter for February. (The signup link's to your right, all bright and blue.)Normally I do this on Thursdays and Fridays, but I'll be traveling tomorrow for a court hearing on Friday. (Family member hit by SUV; I'm speaking at the sentencing. I didn't go commit assault and battery with a

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-9424545647269882012007-02-19T12:39:00.000-08:002007-02-20T12:09:37.761-08:00

As we all know, one of the biggest problems in lead generation is finding names. Rented lists only go so far, and networking wears on us after a while. In the past I've blogged about using Web services like Google Local to find valuable contacts. Now I'm adding another such service to the self-promo arsenal.Jigsaw.com is a website with the slogan, "Buy and Trade Business Contacts." The idea

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-61998120751510396092007-02-14T14:04:00.000-08:002007-02-14T14:07:53.257-08:00

Despite the wild, unrestrained nature of the Web, there are some things you really shouldn't say. Especially on a business website. I'm talking about language which causes a noticeable, but hard-to-pinpoint dent in your response factor.I'm listing below three things I've come across in the past few years. Each of these language gaffes either irritated, confused or amused me. (You'll have to

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-70944150054047096292007-02-12T14:04:00.000-08:002007-02-12T14:06:27.094-08:00

As you can see, I'm running a new template. I began to suspect a few readers didn't like the hard-to-read dark blue of the last one (partially because my eyes were hurting too). Drop me a comment if you like it.I'm also happy to report that new submittal efforts, to Reddit and Sphere are bringing in a surprising amount of traffic. Thanks, to all of you!Afraid that's all I have for right now.

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-86946374654123719522007-02-07T14:57:00.000-08:002007-02-07T14:58:49.826-08:00

A lot of small business websites don't get updated.The company puts the site up, breathes a sigh of relief now that it's "out there," and goes back to work. Thinking the site will magically know to inform visitors if anything changes.Sound old hat? Sound Web 1.0 (not to be overly cliche)? It is, but it's common. I've even seen companies who regularly blog, or issue a newsletter forget to

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-64201080681508811102007-02-05T14:18:00.000-08:002007-02-05T14:19:14.335-08:00

I've used StatCounter and Performancing to track both my blog and my website for a while now. Both have excellent detail. But recently, Performancing's RSS feed showing my stats went kaput. I don't know why, but I suspect it has something to do with their recent troubles.I've been very grateful for having StatCounter as a backup. It's made me consider the wisdom of having more than one

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-42620037160882874312007-01-31T14:34:00.001-08:002007-01-31T14:34:41.021-08:00

Last week, I read an article that irritated me enough to schedule it into my blog.It referenced several parts of an extensive study on family behavior, done by Nickelodeon. You can read the full article here: http://news.com.com/2009-1025-6153574.html?tag=ytWhen I started reading, I saw a few things I agreed with - technology blurring boundaries between work and home, the vast majority of kids

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-85537092441710777512007-01-29T13:34:00.000-08:002007-01-29T13:35:07.879-08:00

Social networking. It's been called the Web's true form, the ultimate collaboration, the universal conversation, etc. I'm not even going to try picking one. Whatever it truly "is" I'll leave up to the historians.Instead, I'd like to muse on a few things the social networking phenomenon proves. (These are from a writer's perspective, of course.) Simple, basic truisms brought about by this

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-6597656841088699302007-01-24T13:56:00.000-08:002007-01-24T13:57:28.829-08:00

I was working on my newsletter last Friday and happened upon one of those "enlightened moments."I'd typed out, "Be mindful of scheduling factors in your customers' lives." Then I caught myself. Would it sound better with clients instead? I changed it, and yes, "Be mindful of scheduling factors in your clients' lives" looked clearer.(Okay, so it was a small enlightenment. Humor me.)What's the

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-81655932394290974222007-01-22T13:44:00.000-08:002007-01-22T13:45:19.641-08:00

Relax - you're selling too hard.People don't really like being "sold." They like making a decision that benefits them. The mark of a super-marketer is the ability to lean a prospect's decision in your favor. But is there such a thing as trying too hard to do this?In my experience, yes. You can only persuade as far as they want to go. Keeping this give and take in mind while selling, or

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-64033916142365795932007-01-17T13:52:00.000-08:002007-01-17T13:53:11.084-08:00

I have absolutely no idea what I want to write about today. So I'll take the escapist route and post some links from my favorite websites.Run Ubuntu on Windows SystemsI didn't think there would be an easier way for Linux virgins to experience the OS...until now.What I especially like about this is the automatically-installed option of switching into Linux at boot. Switching operating systems at

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-80255820636207415232007-01-15T12:24:00.001-08:002007-01-15T12:24:48.872-08:00

Today our nation pauses to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.I have always had great respect for King. Not only for the courage to stand up when he did, but for the foresight to understand what real unity means. Out of acknowledgement for this man's fervent desire to aid our society, there will be no BlogTip today. I'm heading out to do some volunteering.

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-47080766708698125502007-01-10T15:00:00.001-08:002007-01-10T15:00:42.378-08:00

Ever had a project trip out of the gate?You toil over research, write drafts, move paragraphs around, check some metrics, weigh SEO keywords, dress it up, put the copy out there - and it falls on its face.Nothing. Cricket-chirps. Celebrities coughing get more attention.Of course, you want to edit or replace the piece so you'll get a better result, right? But we're left with a dilemma. How do

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-31318842090790634252007-01-08T12:19:00.001-08:002007-01-08T12:19:43.159-08:00

Since it's a new year, I thought I'd list a few industries I'm looking to work with in my 2007 marketing plan. Haven't before, but I'd love to try them out. Mostly due to my personal interest in their topics.Also, these are all industries projected to experience significant growth/attention in the coming year. All the better for me, huh? And for you. Good writers share. Consider adding these

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-39496159204278133922007-01-03T13:15:00.001-08:002007-01-03T13:15:27.846-08:00

We're back for 2007! I trust I didn't lose any readers this weekend?Good. Welcome back. And now, onward to a new year of written wit and marketing mayhem!Today I'll talk about something that clicked in my brain while working yesterday. (Yes, back to the grind like everyone else.) I received some revisions back from a client for their website project. They only wanted a few changes, nothing

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-36563448714105964372006-12-26T23:26:00.000-08:002006-12-26T23:28:58.909-08:00

BLUE FERRET “COMMCHANNELS”: 3 MINUTES A MONTH FOR CLEARER WRITING AND STRONGER MARKETING :::::BLUE FERRET NEWS/EVENTS::::: Welcome back to CommChannels! You're receiving this month's issue a week early for a very simple reason. Like most of you, I'm taking next week off. Computer – off. Schedule – closed. Mental activity level – minimal. To my colleagues, friends and everyone else who's

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-49677883954873928572006-12-20T14:16:00.001-08:002006-12-20T14:16:31.143-08:00

Story of the New Year. We make a resolution or three, tell ourselves we'll make the time, recite to our bathroom mirror, and...we fizzle out a couple weeks in. No lasting change.Depressing, isn't it? Now, what if I told you there was a method with which you could set 2007's resolutions in stone before the year even starts?It's called the S.M.A.R.T. principle.http://

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-81587254241450409362006-12-18T12:43:00.000-08:002006-12-18T12:44:07.028-08:00

Like many of you, I'm taking next week off. And since the end of the year approaches rapidly, I decided to focus this week on planning for 2007.First, let me put down some links dealing with trends awareness. If you want to plan for a new year, it pays to get a sense of where to look. Some things I think writers/marketing consultants should be aware of include open source, business moving into

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-27089156828837365002006-12-13T15:32:00.000-08:002006-12-13T15:33:22.491-08:00

Copywriters are there to make words sell. We spend years figuring out what phrase has the most impact where. Along the way, it's a natural inclination to avoid repetition. We don't like writing the same thing over and over any more than the audience likes reading it.However, a problem lurks in this always-wanting-creativity preference.It is known as The Obvious Description.You might be tempted

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-18314543855450207662006-12-11T14:11:00.000-08:002006-12-11T14:12:19.658-08:00

"To be or not to be..."Shakespeare hit on something powerful.It's one of the most fundamental verbs in the English language - "be." It's probably used millions of times every day in speech alone.But it can slow down marketing copy like tar on a hot road.Copywriting experts talk about strengthening your writing by eliminating "to be" and its derivatives. I've seen this referenced in so many

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-84051062600663803192006-12-07T14:29:00.000-08:002006-12-07T14:30:21.534-08:00

John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing posited an interesting challenge last night.He's asked for 500 blog mentions of his new book, of the same title as his business. I'm looking forward to it (though I haven't pre-ordered mine yet - holiday budget and all).While I'm of course happy to answer John's call for action, I want to throw in my own viewpoint.He mentioned in his announcement that his

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-1165452541935135702006-12-06T16:49:00.000-08:002006-12-06T16:49:01.970-08:00

(Fair warning - I've had a monster headache all day. Today's article might sound a bit off.)Flow is extremely important to copy. Without flow, there's no story. No foundation on which to build. No steady persuasion effort. You've read copy like this: you get lost, can't figure out what's being said, don't feel like reading more, and so on.Flow depends on connecting ideas. I guess I'm an atypical

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5198691.post-1165266176354275782006-12-04T13:02:00.000-08:002006-12-04T13:02:56.410-08:00

Think twice about ditching all those holiday offer envelopes unopened.Identity theft, the nation's fastest-growing crime, is a particular danger during the holidays. We throw away more during this month alone than some countries do the entire year.Think about all the mail you receive that gets dumped without a second thought - boxes you've received mail orders in, holiday sales offers addressed

Blue Ferrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10249461355543733668noreply@blogger.com0