Comments on: Have you ever tried to eat ice cream with a fork? Copywriting for the Web http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/ web • content • marketing • navigation • seo • social media Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:09:14 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: higher ed marketing » Blog Archive » Friday Five: on writing well* http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-57354 higher ed marketing » Blog Archive » Friday Five: on writing well* Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:10:21 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=399#comment-57354 [...] Copywriting for the web is Heidi Cool’s excellent post on writing for any medium. Trite as it has become to claim that marketing is all about “telling the story,” Heidi reminds us of the truth of that saying: There’s a story to tell behind each of our product’s features or benefits. We can use such stories to lend a snappy headline and explain, in human terms, how our offering can benefit customers in ways they will easily recognize. [...] By: Heidi Cool http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-18361 Heidi Cool Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:05:19 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=399#comment-18361 Greg, that's great that you were able to work with a professional writer, especially that he was able to give you some good tips that you can apply to future projects. No matter how well we write I think we all have room for improvement. As with any skill, there is always something new to learn. And, even the best writers need editors. A fresh pair of eyes is always good at catching nuances that we may miss if we've been working on something too long. Best wishes to you and your site. By: Greg Bowen http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-17574 Greg Bowen Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:33:47 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=399#comment-17574 I hired a professional writer - finally! to help with my copy - he sat down with me and taught me much about writing in active voice, cadence and agreements - I highly recommend it - I thought my copy was decent - hopefully better now! By: Heidi http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-17164 Heidi Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:58:09 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=399#comment-17164 <p>Thanks Andrew!<br /> I think it is easy to become lazy and to just think of products or services as entities we merely describe. But whether we're promoting books, bandages or a Ph.D. program in marine biology, there is some story available. Sometimes it just takes some thought. But if we think about why the product or service exists in the first place we're reminded that it was created for a reason. Someone invented a better bandage to tend a certain type of wound. Someone endowed the marine biology program because they felt such research was important to the environment, to understanding evolution, to learning things from the genetics of zebra fish that we might apply to human health, or whatever. There are thousands of untold tales. We just need to start telling them. </p> Thanks Andrew!
I think it is easy to become lazy and to just think of products or services as entities we merely describe. But whether we're promoting books, bandages or a Ph.D. program in marine biology, there is some story available. Sometimes it just takes some thought. But if we think about why the product or service exists in the first place we're reminded that it was created for a reason. Someone invented a better bandage to tend a certain type of wound. Someone endowed the marine biology program because they felt such research was important to the environment, to understanding evolution, to learning things from the genetics of zebra fish that we might apply to human health, or whatever. There are thousands of untold tales. We just need to start telling them.

]]> By: Andrew Careaga http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-17070 Andrew Careaga Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:40:34 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=399#comment-17070 Terrific insights, Heidi. <i>There's a story to tell behind each of our product's features or benefits.</i> Absolutely. As writers - whether we're writing for the web, for print, for video, for any medium -- we need to investigate to find the story. "Telling the story" has become trite and cliche in recent years, but that's what good copy writing boils down to: Tell me a story. Shame on us writers who get lazy and fail to dig up the story behind our products (or services). There's a story to tell behind each of our product's features or benefits. Absolutely. As writers - whether we're writing for the web, for print, for video, for any medium -- we need to investigate to find the story. "Telling the story" has become trite and cliche in recent years, but that's what good copy writing boils down to: Tell me a story. Shame on us writers who get lazy and fail to dig up the story behind our products (or services).]]> By: Tonya http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-17003 Tonya Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:19:56 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=399#comment-17003 Thanks for the support Heidi! That is good to hear from a pro like you! I've added your blogs to my favs so hopefully there will be many more comments to come. By: TeachingPassion (TeachingPassion) http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-16793 TeachingPassion (TeachingPassion) Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:33:18 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=399#comment-16793 <strong>Twitter Comment...</strong> Heidi Adams Cool - Have you ever tried to eat ice cream with a fork? Copywriting for the Web: Writing comes in many form [link to post] - Posted using Chat Catcher ... Twitter Comment... Heidi Adams Cool - Have you ever tried to eat ice cream with a fork? Copywriting for the Web: Writing comes in many form [link to post] - Posted using Chat Catcher ...]]> By: Heidi http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-16785 Heidi Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:24:53 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=399#comment-16785 <p>David,<br /> That's a great technique. If you can imagine who you are communicating with, it would be easier to set the appropriate tone, mood, vocabulary, etc. I think it also helps psychologically. If it feels like you are writing to a real human, the process becomes more personal and down to earth. Writing then becomes part of a conversation instead of a one-sided announcement. </p> <p><a href="http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/ford_design_researchers_experimenting_with_virtual_people_14097.asp" rel="nofollow">Ford is doing something similar with car design</a>. They create a virtual personality to represent a customer and design to that "person's" needs. This let's the designers focus on what the typical purchaser will want as opposed to what the designer would want for him/herself. </p> <p>Tonya<br /> I'm glad you found this helpful. Though after looking at your blog, it's pretty obvious that you already get it. I'd have thought you were a long-time blogging pro if you hadn't mentioned that you were just getting started. Best wishes to you and the <a href="http://earlyliteracycounts.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">childhood literacy blog</a>, I expect we'll see plenty more great thoughts from you in the future. By the way I blog in my head as well. There are far more entries swirling about the cobwebs of my brain then ever make it through the keyboard and onto the Web!</p> David,
That's a great technique. If you can imagine who you are communicating with, it would be easier to set the appropriate tone, mood, vocabulary, etc. I think it also helps psychologically. If it feels like you are writing to a real human, the process becomes more personal and down to earth. Writing then becomes part of a conversation instead of a one-sided announcement.

Ford is doing something similar with car design. They create a virtual personality to represent a customer and design to that "person's" needs. This let's the designers focus on what the typical purchaser will want as opposed to what the designer would want for him/herself.

Tonya
I'm glad you found this helpful. Though after looking at your blog, it's pretty obvious that you already get it. I'd have thought you were a long-time blogging pro if you hadn't mentioned that you were just getting started. Best wishes to you and the childhood literacy blog, I expect we'll see plenty more great thoughts from you in the future. By the way I blog in my head as well. There are far more entries swirling about the cobwebs of my brain then ever make it through the keyboard and onto the Web!

]]> By: LiteracyCounts (EarlyChildhoodEd) http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-16783 LiteracyCounts (EarlyChildhoodEd) Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:53:15 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=399#comment-16783 <strong>Twitter Comment...</strong> RT @TeachingPassion:Have you ever tried to eat ice cream w/ a fork? Copywriting for the Web: Writing comes in many forms [link to post] - Posted using Chat Catcher ... Twitter Comment... RT @TeachingPassion:Have you ever tried to eat ice cream w/ a fork? Copywriting for the Web: Writing comes in many forms [link to post] - Posted using Chat Catcher ...]]> By: Tonya http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2009/07/22/have-you-ever-tried-to-eat-ice-cream-with-a-fork-copywriting-for-the-web/comment-page-1/#comment-16782 Tonya Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:51:28 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=399#comment-16782 As a new blogger, I found this (and your related articles) very insightful! Thanks!!!