33 image design
  • About
  • Web
  • Print
  • Current
  • Testimonials
  • Q&A
  • Contact
  • Blog

A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Purpose

5/28/2015

0 Comments

 
Your Purpose
Excerpt from Crew Blog
Posted by Leon Jacobs

A great place to start is with a recursive mind game I call the Benefit of game.

Take a blank sheet of paper and write down simply what your business does.

Ask yourself: What’s the benefit of that? and write it down below the first statement. Ask the same question about your answer and write below.

Keep going along the same pattern as many times as you can. Try not to give up until you have gone through at least seven iterations.

It really helps to go through this exercise in a multi-player environment. So play it with a friend, partner, or spouse. Even better, play it with a kid.

And play it with more than one person. You may find that central themes emerge but eventually you will find something that will not just inspire you and the people that work with you, but also make your business memorable and attractive to your audience—who are actually just made up of people like you and me.

If you’ve been honest in your questions and answers you should have a pretty advanced and deeply insightful statement blinking back at your from the bottom of the page.

Here’s an example of how this might play out for a bakery:

Proposed purpose: We bake artisanal bread.


What’s the benefit of that?
We fill your tummy like in the old days.

What’s the benefit of that?
We take away your hunger and make you feel nostalgic.

What’s the benefit of that?
We make you feel as safe as you did when you were a child.

What’s the benefit of that?
Purpose: Bread that is comfort

With a few simple steps you’ve gone from bread, to bread with a story and a unique difference. Now it is up to you figure out how to apply that in your business whether that means using it to steer your corporate identity, shape the interior design of your bakery, or, of course, influence your marketing strategy.

Whether you’re going through a major rebrand or sitting in your living room planning world domination it’s never too early to define your company’s core purpose.

Your purpose is the DNA of your business. It’s code that you inject into everything you do so that you come out with a unified shape, movement, and direction. Above all, your purpose is a way of saying you’re here for more than the money. You’re here to make a difference.
Read blog post online
0 Comments

How to Write Killer Copy for Your Website

5/27/2015

0 Comments

 
How to Write Killer Content for Your Website
By Carrie Cousins
Carrie is as designer, writer and content marketer.
She has more than 10 years of media and marketing experience.


No matter how stellar the design, no website is complete without great copy. From headlines and captions to text in meta data fields, copy is what will convert a visitor into a customer. Here are some ways to write effective copy without pulling out your hair in the process.

Set a Goal


You are trying to sell something, right? Stick to that purpose. Think about it this way: Every action or click is a sales pitch to move to the next element. Whether the goal of your site is to get someone to read a blog or buy a tomato, the end result is the same — to “sell" the user on a specific action. Frame every sentence in a way that leads users to this goal.

Words to try: Click, buy, read, scroll, learn

Use Clear, Concise Language

Every word on your website should have a purpose. A website is not a research paper and is likely to be consumed by a wide audience. Use simple words, sentence structures and clear language. Avoid phrases that contain jargon or industry-specific terms unless they are necessary. Would you rather buy a "red, ripe tomato" or a "crimson-hued fruit with a round shape that goes well on salads"?

Words to try: Now, because, easy, join, understand

Create a Voice

Establish a connection with your copy's tone and voice. While some websites speak directly and conversationally to users, others are lighter and more fun. The voice should match your brand image and remain consistent across channels. If you are jovial on Facebook and Twitter, for example, that same voice should be used in website copy. To create a voice, make a list of 10 words that describe your brand or blog, use those words to frame how you speak to users and use those words and synonyms in your copy. Remember, you are speaking to and creating a connection with users; personal pronouns are good option.

Words to try: You, we, help, inspire, discover

Edit, Edit, Edit!

Nothing can make or break your website like good editing. Every word needs to be read and reread until it makes perfect sense. Replace boring words with those that incite action. Remember the basics of sentence structure -- include a subject and action. Hire an editor to help clean up your copy.

Words to try: Create, develop, innovate, accomplish, improve

Paint a Picture

Show website visitors what you want to tell them by painting a picture with words and images. The language on your website should pair with the visuals for a complete package. Simple descriptors can help show users what you are trying to say quickly.

Words to try: Powerful, trust, love, ironclad, color or smell

Keep it Simple

Avoid things that are strange or overly complicated in introductory copy. In headlines, subheaders and first sentences of paragraphs, introduce concepts or ideas in a simple manner. Back to that tomato: NC Tomato Man describes his tomatoes as "epic," and has a book by the same title. The four-letter word is powerful, simple and engaging. Simple language is not only easy to understand, but it is also respectful of the user's time.
Picture
Words to try: Authentic, easy, quick, limited, tested

Write Actively

Use strong active phrases and verbs and write in the active voice. Think of every sentence as it is actually happening — a subject performs an action (active voice). An action does not happen to a person or thing (passive voice). There's a fun little trick to help you identify active versus passive voice: If you can add “by zombies" after the verb, and the sentence makes sense, you are writing in the passive voice and should restructure. The other trick? Avoid the “is" to “to be" construction and find a word that shows the action.

Words to try: Run, create, try, profit, promote
0 Comments

    Author

    Debi Bodett
    Debi Bodett is an independent graphic designer for print + web.

    Categories

    All
    Brand
    Business
    Current
    Marketing
    Movies
    Photography
    Resources
    Website Design


    RSS Feed


Getting around

Home    |    About    |    Web    |    Print    |    Current    |    Testimonials    |    Q&A    |    Contact    |    Blog
Picture
Privacy Policy
Join my list!

Inspired design for print + web  |  33 image design  |  Debi Bodett  |  Olympia WA  |  (360) 754-7345

share

©2017

33 image design