Reflection on Writing Task Draft Copies

I have now posted my draft copies of my three writing styles and have started to receive a few comments which I am hoping over the next couple of days will develop into conversations where I will welcome plenty of positive and constructive critism. I have taken some time to reflect upon Task D and have realised that I actually don’t find having to do lots of written work as monotonous as I thought. I say this because my role as a teacher doesn’t involve much if any written work, certainly not to the extent of what I have had to produce for my degree with Middlesex.

Personally I think that my marketing piece is written well and I stuck to my guns about not writing too after research from Michael Cohn stated “Keep the language simple and direct, Buzzwords and jargon can turn people off. Always try to speak plainly about what you are marketing. If some technical vocabulary is necessary, make sure that the terms are explained and examples are given. No matter how sophisticated the readers are, they will become impatient with text that does not get to the core message quickly and efficiently” http://biznik.com/articles/marketing-writing-how-to-maximize-its-effectiveness . I understand that some people may disagree hence why I will be interested to read what people think.

I must articulate that I found the descriptive writing the least challenging as I have always found this style of writing easier to generate. I was often capable of descriptive writing at school as writing stories and poems was something I was gifted at. I think I have a creative imagination and this helps me immensely in the classroom when I am teaching dance as my choreography is frequently about telling a story or portraying an emotion.

My least favorite example of writing is the academic style as I am out of practice and it has been a long while since I have written a form of essay with quotations and research back-up. It did take me the longer to write this style and do welcome all critism as I do feel this is a weaker area for me. I have followed my guide to referencing my quotes the “Harvard” way and feel that my question “Phantom of the opera the current longest running musical on Broadway, will a sequel ruin its reputation?” is relevant and already in discussion.

I have also give thought to Task E and I have commented on many peoples blogs with positive and constructive feedback which I hope helps people deliver excellent final copies of Task D. I also feel that this is really important as it’s a task where I ask myself “is this right?”, “Is this the best it can be?” I can only move forward with my writing styles if people comment and I find this hard as I feel my work is dependant upon someone else because I have delivered the best I can at this stage. I understand the importance of this task and I understand how feedback is important as a teacher to give and receive.

I look forward to reading your comments and they will go to great use helping me with final copies of my writing styles.

Marketing Writing - How to Maximize Its Effectiveness

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. His business helps other business’s increase exposure on the Internet, resulting in increased leads, sales, profits, and ROI and build business’s a content-rich web presence, apply Internet marketing techniques, and utilize blog and social media technologies.

I have used some of his own experience to help me understand what Marketing means and what content a piece of writing needs to include to be successful and classed as Marketing.
I have learnt that the best writing is always clear and to the point, imparting to the reader exactly what he/she needs to learn. This is especially the case with marketing writing, and in particular, Inbound Marketing writing, because the end result is whether the reader agrees to buy the product or service or just read the statement/article based on what is presented in the writing.
In short, if the potential customers are not enticed by what they read, they will not become customers at all. The following are tips on how to maximize the effectiveness of the marketing writing.

Make the readers see value in your headline statement
The most impactful headline is one that makes the readers give it value and so creates interest in pursuing it further. Good marketing doesn't lecture, it converses. One of the best ways to do this is to pose the headline as a question, which engages the readers as they read. In the course of the marketing piece, subtly direct the readers to a viable answer proposed in the initial statement, an answer that they will be willing to pay for. In sum, always consider the impact of making a statement versus asking a leading question.

Keep the language simple and direct
Buzzwords and jargon can turn people off. Always try to speak plainly about what you are marketing. If some technical vocabulary is necessary, make sure that the terms are explained and examples are given. No matter how sophisticated the readers are, they will become impatient with text that does not get to the core message quickly and efficiently.

So now that I have done some research on marketing I feel confident to try marketing some writing. I will probably start with marketing myself.

Michael Cohn
http://bx.businessweek.com/profile/michael-cohn/mcohn283/