There's no point in taking a nihilist perspective. Financial markets move in cycles, and it's important to keep a level head and figure out your best strategy to see through the tough times.

Don't stop marketing yourself and your business. Keep up the advertising, PR, and other marketing and sales activities -- but do it intelligently. Ask yourself "Am I hitting my target market?", "Are there opportunities in this climate that I may have overlooked?".

Try and gain a new perspective and hopefully you'll identify some new opportunities to help your business.

I know this is all a bit 'airy fairy', but it all depends on your business and the nature of what it is that you do.

For those who don't know, a client brief is when a copywriter, or other creative person, requests information from a client about a project. It takes into account all aspects regarding the project: what it is, who it's for, and anything else relevant to the outcome. Client briefs are used by advertising agencies, marketing consultants, and just about anyone in the creative industry.

The purpose of the brief is to give the creative person (that would be me) the best possible understanding of the client's objectives, their audience, and most importantly, the key message they wish to convey.  But the client brief often serves as an opportunity for the client to really think about the goals they wish to accomplish. It is a chance for them to be introspective.

These days we are all running on full-steam, racing against time.  Whether we are trying to make budget or meet a deadline, the pressure mounts and we only look at the short term objective.  A client brief offers you the chance to put it into perspective.

When sitting down to write a brief, think about who you want to reach: your target audience.  What do they like? Something funny, witty, dry or simple?  Do they like bright and colourful or something more conservative? How do they like to be spoken to? With authority? Or in a conversational manner?

Finally: what is the ONE thing you want to say to your audience? Don't over-complicate your message. Give it to them in one simple sentence.

Once you have done this, you are on the right path to achieving a successful outcome.

In the Links page of my website I will put in links to websites where you can find information and examples of client briefs. 

1. Newsletters are a great way to keep your name, brand or product top-of-mind.  Whether you sell cars or ideas, you want your customers to think of you the next time their needs turn towards your specialty.

2. You're offering a free benefit to your customers. But there's a catch here: Make sure you provide a newsletter that provides real value. Offer advice that your customers haven't heard before. Not only will this ensure that you are truly offering a great service, but it ensures that they'll read future issues --  or even forward it on to colleagues. You can also offer incentives, such as discounts or competitions, to help foster forwarding on.

3. A newsletter will increase the word count of your website. The basic rule of Seach Engine Optimisation is that the more words on your website to search, the higher your ranking should be on search engines. Therefore by offering a newsletter, you are advertising your business on several levels.

If you're worried about time constraints, a newsletter doesn't have to be weekly or even monthly. A quarterly newsletter can be just as effective. If you are offering truly informative information, the more eagerly it will be read by subscribers. It's also best to keep it short, say about a single page, in order to keep the reader's interest.

One of my clients, a financial markets educator,  provides a free newsletter through their website regarding market performance. What makes this newsletter an excellent example is its use of the company's in-house experts to write informative pieces analysing a specific market or stock in a tutorial style. This newsletter proves the credibility of the company and their expertise while offering unique and useful information to readers. 

I'll be adding an e-newsletter myself (by subscription) over the next few months, so keep an eye out for it!

We're all busy these days. Everything is done in a rush, rush, rush. Many talk about whether the English language needs to be changed to move with the times. The first battlezone that seems to suffer the most in casualties with English is Email (of course I could include SMS texts, but let's not even go there!).

Does Email deserve different rules than snail mail correspondence? It can definitely be more casual, there's no doubting that. But it's important to remember your audience.

When you send an Email to a client you are being judged. A client doesn't care whether it's in an Email or a brochure; they expect perfect punctuation, capitalisation and spelling. Sentences need to be clear and concise. You are trying to communicate your message in the best way possible.

No one's saying you have to sound stuck-up! But don't rely on spell check. Read EVERY email over before you send it.

Common grammatical mistakes:

Its (possessive) versus it's (it is)

They're versus their

That verus which

In the next blog I'll run through some of the more common mistakes and expand on how to correct them.

Have fun!

When I sat down at my computer for the first time, I realised I didn't know what to write! I've been writing for other businesses for so long that it was hard for me to think of topics. It was around this time that colleagues and friends started calling me up to ask me if I could help them with their copywriting needs. 

I slowly came to the realisation that I enjoyed writing for businesses. The process of learning and inspiration is one that never grows tired. When you work with a business, or an individual, it is a constant process of discovery and collaboration. Helping a business to identify what makes them unique is a process I thoroughly enjoy. Hence why I'm here.

I've helped all kinds of businesses, from stock brokers, banks, recruitment agents through to online news sites. I've produced information ranging from scripts, presentations, prospectuses through to fridge magnets! Each project offers its own challenge no matter the size or complexity.

I'll add to my journal entries with information, hints and advice on how to perfect your message. Getting the right message out to clients means you've made a strong impression. It keeps customers coming back!