nj copywriter | Scott McKelvey Copywriting & Marketing

Why It Helps to Go Back to Kindergarten Before Diving into a Marketing Strategy

September 5, 2018 by Scott McKelvey Leave a Comment

A few hours before I sat down to write this article, I watched my daughters board the bus for their first day of school. 8-year-old Caitlin is starting third grade, and 5-year-old Cassidy is off to conquer kindergarten. The drama leading up to the first day of school was relatively minor. Caitlin said she didn’t want to learn multiplication and division. Cassidy had more basic concerns, like knowing where to sit and how to get to the bathroom.

How Asking Questions within Your Marketing Content Keeps Your Audience Engaged

August 8, 2018 by Scott McKelvey Leave a Comment

I’ve read a ton of articles about asking questions in the headline of a blog post, a page on a website or the cover of a brochure. But asking questions within marketing content can be a powerful technique that helps you build a stronger connection with your audience. We ask questions during everyday conversation all the time. We do it to show people we’re interested. To listen. To learn. To show we care about someone else’s viewpoints. To make the conversation less one-sided. To pique someone’s curiosity.

How a Local Software Company Elevated the Quality of Its Blog Content

July 25, 2018 by Scott McKelvey Leave a Comment

Community Software Solutions (CSS) has been creating online software to support government and nonprofit community programs since 1991. One of their signature products is Eleo Donor Management Software, an affordable, easy-to-use system designed to help nonprofits improve fundraising and build donor relationships. When CSS was preparing to develop online content and ramp up the social media presence for Eleo, they didn’t take the cheap route. No Craigslist, no Fiverr, no discount freelancing sites. They partnered with a large marketing company and paid a premium price.

The Secret to Winning with Conversational Content (It’s Not Just the Words)

July 11, 2018 by Scott McKelvey Leave a Comment

I often talk about the importance of writing conversationally. Like people talk, as David Ogilvy once said. When your marketing content sounds like how you talk in an actual conversation – not how everyone talks, but how you talk – your content will sound more authentic, become more believable and trustworthy, and knock down barriers to the sale. Nobody wants to read content that sounds more like a user manual, textbook or press release than a conversation.

When You Say, “I’ll Take a Crack at Writing My Own Content,” How Much Is that Crack Costing You?

June 6, 2018 by Scott McKelvey Leave a Comment

It’s not uncommon for a potential client, flabbergasted that it actually costs money to hire a content writer, to ask what the cost would be if they write their own content and then have me edit. “Why don’t I take a crack at it?” they say. “Then you can clean it up, make it sound more natural, and suggest any improvements.” Well, I can do that. But that’s not the best use of my services.

Marketing Observations from my Spring Vacation, Disney Edition

May 16, 2018 by Scott McKelvey Leave a Comment

I hadn’t been to Disney World since I was 6 years old. As a point of reference, there was no Epcot when I last went to Disney. My wife, Kelly, hadn’t been to Disney since she was 12. So when we planned our family vacation to Disney World, the experience was about as new for us as it was for our daughters, 7-year-old Caitlin and 4-year-old Cassidy.

If You’re Not Writing Like People Talk, What Are You Writing Like?

April 11, 2018 by Scott McKelvey Leave a Comment

Before I took my business full-time, I was working as a communications consultant for a global company. I had ghostwritten an article for an executive that would appear in a major trade publication. Back then, my process was the same as it is today. Record the interview so I can listen, capture every word and ask follow-up questions instead of scrambling to take notes. After reviewing the audio and doing some research, I wrote the article. “The tone is far too casual for a senior executive,” I was told. “It needs to sound more professional and intellectual to appeal to other executives.”

If Your Marketing Isn’t Working, Your Content Might Need an Empty Claim Audit

March 14, 2018 by Scott McKelvey Leave a Comment

Ever since the first newspaper ad was published in the early 1700s, advertising has been littered with empty claims. This awful trend continues to this day with print media and collateral, radio, TV, outdoor, and online platforms. Decades ago, you might have been able to get away with being vague. There wasn’t as much competition, and there wasn’t as much exposure to marketing. Beyond traditional ads and directories (remember the yellow pages?), consumers didn’t have a ton of choices. Today, the market is oversaturated with both brick-and-mortar and online businesses and services.

Why Product Knowledge and Typing Ability Do Not a Content Writer Make

February 28, 2018 by Scott McKelvey Leave a Comment

I was talking to a graphic designer the other day about one of his clients. The client was having his logo and website professionally designed, so the graphic designer recommended hiring a writer to handle the website content. The client’s response? “I know my product better than anyone, so I’ll write the content.”

Leave No Marketing Stone Unturned: The Email Signature Edition

January 31, 2018 by Scott McKelvey Leave a Comment

Last week, I read a simple, no-brainer tip that made me say to myself, “Hey, moron, why aren’t you doing this?” Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI, wrote a post about including a P.S. in your email signature. Dr. Misner was looking at it from a networking perspective. In addition to your contact information and links to your social media pages and blog, use a P.S. at the end of your email signature to tell people who would be a good referral for you and your organization.