In Defense of Good Writing

I am the mother of a 28-year old millennial. She is college educated and has a good job in the tech sector. However, I noticed that reading is not a hobby for her. Her writing skills are good enough to satisfy daily business needs: emails to clients, internal reports on her team’s activities, and recent thank-you notes to family and friends who came to her wedding last summer. Of course, she can text at the speed of light, and she messages friends on social media. However, the lack of interest in reading books left me wondering if there is a gulf in her ability to recognize deeper meanings in literature, such as symbolism or allegories.

So, I asked her, “Did you read Moby Dick in school?” She reacted with a face and said, “I hated that book; it was just a ship captain and his fight with a whale.” Hmmmm. Then I asked her if she knew what an allegory is. “No,” she said. I told her, “Moby Dick is an allegory; the characters represent historical figures and events. Captain Ahab represents Abe Lincoln, the whale slavery, and their battle is The Civil War.” My daughter had never been taught the finer points of this classic. I felt sad; especially since the college she went to promotes ‘critical thinking,’ but you’ve got to wonder what they are referring to. It’s certainly not the finer points of reading a book with the ability to deconstruct its hidden meanings.

What Does this Mean for Business?

First, let me say symbolism and allegorical references are not the stuff of business content. However, a background in literature is a must for copywriters who aspire to create a compelling story for a brand. A personal favorite brand story of mine is the Subaru “Dog tested, dog approved” campaign. The commercials feature the “Barkley Family” of golden retrievers. We see them driving the pup to school, getting the car half-cleaned by a pack of English bulldogs, and facing off with a family of wieners over a plate of hot dogs.

The spots are heartwarming moments; similar to what we all experience throughout our lives, they pull at our heart strings. I think because we see the worry of loving parents, the antics of teenagers, the full-throated shouts at the mail truck while the family is out for a drive—all seen through the lens of dogs.

This is a smart marketing strategy for Subaru who did their research. Nearly 70% of their customer base are dog owners. But it took creative thinkers to tell a brand story that continues to draw a loyal following.

Why Good Writing Matters

Since the advent of SEO, business writing has become a competition to attract algorithms. Forbes weighed in on the topic: “Optimization is only for robots, not for readers.” On the question of quality content, the author said, “Quality is only one ingredient…there are thousands of bland blog posts that rank well for keywords because their owners have spent time and money on link building and optimization.” So, when it comes to business writing, what’s more important, talent or technique, or what I wrote about recently: SEO or storytelling?

In “The Science of Strong Business Writing” from The Harvard Business Review, they stress the importance of strong writing skills in business. Among their examples are a few that align with what I’ve learned over the years as a copywriter. These include:

Simplicity: Research shows that the brain likes a short sentence best. It’s called processing fluency. Here’s a quick example: use the active voice and as few words as possible. When you write “Profits are loved by investors,” as opposed to “Investors love profits,” you diminish comprehension by 10% and add length to a simple phrase.

Brevity: Why is a six-line paragraph only one sentence? I’ve seen this on corporate websites many times. Where’s the editor? A particular source of irritation is the double adjective and double verb trend. Example; “The tool delivers a solution that is efficient and effective.” Or this…“Our software application enables and activates a seamless transition.” OMG. Stop!

Keep it brief and avoid overused words. Example: I have a personal friend who owns a successful software firm. I mentioned that “digital transformation” is a popular search term, one that a client wanted us to use in an article. The reaction was swift. “I hate the term,” he said. “It’s everywhere, and I just blank it out.”

Drama: Readers love novelty, so if you want your message to stick, consider twisting verbiage so that it connects to emotion. For instance:

● Instead of “challenge the competition,” try “outwit rivals”

● Instead of “reward innovation,” try “prize ingenuity”

● Instead of “Kate has a good idea,” try “Kate’s idea says ‘I dare you’”

Make it personal: Steve Jobs gave one of the most emotionally stirring graduation speeches ever. He told three stories; what he called “Connecting the dots backwards.” Each story starts with an event in his life that began badly, but ended brilliantly. The first was his decision to drop out of college and audit classes in calligraphy, even though it did not earn him credits toward a degree. What it did was ignite an idea: one that led to unlimited fonts and user interfaces for today’s digital devices. “We all owe Jobs a debt of gratitude for bringing creativity into the world of technology.” I urge you to watch the speech on YouTube. It is a timeless lesson in the power of personal storytelling.

In “The Difference Between Good Writers & Bad Writers”, the author points out that good writers develop these habits:

• They practice: take time to write, craft and edit a piece. They walk away and come back with fresh eyes. This is how mistakes jump out at you.

• They take criticism and say “thank you” to helpful feedback.

• They have an editor: My partner and I proof and edit each other’s work. It takes the ego out of the process and delivers a cleaner, tighter piece of writing.

What Young Content Creators can Learn from Mentors

I began my copywriting career at an iconic global agency. I had some small agency experience, but yearned to play in the big leagues. I met the executive creative director, (I’ll call him Steve), at a restaurant on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. He was a middle-aged man with an old-school style. Why meet in his office when you could get acquainted over lunch? There was only one glitch: this very accomplished, well mannered man had 7 martinis. Full transparency; I had just one year of sobriety under my belt as a new member of AA. He kept saying, “Have a drink,” and I kept politely declining.

I didn’t get the job because my background wasn’t a perfect fit. But three months later, the recruiter called again. “The person they hired didn’t work out,” she said. “And Steve asked for you.” We met at the same restaurant. Steve had the same 7 martinis. And this time I took the job. “What the hell,” I thought. “If it’s a disaster, I can leave.”

Instead, it was a career-building adventure with a gifted mentor. Steve managed a team of writers and designers. We worked on the direct marketing side of the business, so content had to not just persuade, but spark a decisive ”YES.”

There was a big blackboard in the creative conference room. At the top, Steve wrote “Lazy Copywriting.” For every violation, we were fined a dollar. After he saw marked improvement, Steve treated us all to an expensive - cocktails included - dinner. Some of the our “lazy copywriting” dings included things like:

• For all your (fill in the blank) needs: Steve hated this. He’d say, “For all your sock needs…for all your snot needs…for all your dipshit needs. Don’t let me see this!”

• Customer centric: “Where’s the emotion in that?” he’d ask. “If you’re trying to say you put your customers first, you need to prove it—not make up some meaningless term that’s nothing but business-speak.”

• In today’s changing environment: This another phrase that earned Steve’s disdain. When I see that today - and I do - I can’t believe copywriters are still using that tired phrase.

• Using We: One that always caught junior copywriters was overuse of the word “We.” Steve always pushed the “you” voice. “Who are you talking to?” he’d ask. “What are their pain points? You have to earn the right to tell the story, and that starts with ‘You.’’”

I met Steve when he was 52. He was gone at 55 from a heart attack. He not only helped me hone my writing skills, but taught me the fine points of presenting to the client: the usual stuff like making eye contact, connecting the story of your campaign to the business strategy, and something else. He’d say “Always throw in a shitty brick. When they coalesce around something they hate, they may choose the better option—yours.”

Advice to aspiring copywriters? Learn to love books. Lead with a great story. Find an inspirational mentor.