BLOG, BLOG, BLOG

Communication is all around us, everywhere, every day. Some of it's fantastic, some of it's really awful and most of it is pretty mediocre. I love talking about the good, the bad and and the ugly. Below are blogs about all of them. If you ever see any ads or design or marketing that you'd like me to write about, please let me know. If you'd like to subscribe to my newsletter, please contact me. Don't worry, I promise I'll never spam you.

Case Study: Internode

If your target audience changes, you need to make sure you’re still communicating well. Internode realised it was time to dejargonize the geek-speak.

Case Study: Retirement Village

Going in-house worked really well, brainstorming with staff and interviewing happy residents to gather testimonials.

Case Study: Ad Agencies and Web Developers

Ad agencies, marketing agencies and web developers may have copy to write but no copywriter to write it. Let’s chat.

Case Study: VIP Home Services

What do you do when your website needs more copy and blogs for good SEO but your marketing team has way too much to do?

The Elevator Pitch — how good is yours?

An Elevator Pitch, also called an Elevator Spiel, is a very quick introduction about yourself.

AI – When The Bot Becomes The Boss

Much of the world seems to be very excited about AI — Artificial Intelligence. Now, I have absolutely no issue with AI doing the heavy lifting for us.

Under-promise and Over-deliver

That’s an old advertising saying, or maybe an old direct marketing saying. My creative director in Singapore (JWT) was very fond of it and absolutely drummed it into us.

FREE 1 Hour Webinar - Page 1 of Google

Google is stricter than your old English teacher when it comes to the words on your website! Five simple writing tips could be the difference between you being on Page 1 or lost in cyberspace...

Website checkup

How long since you’ve had a really close look at your website? Maybe it’s time for a checkup. A website checkup is a 90 minute session where we take a really good look at your website, see what’s working and what is not.

What can copywriting do for your website?

Visual impact is awesome — but it’s essential to have some great words. Because when Google loves your words, your website ranks better...

3 reasons to choose a brainstorming session

Very different to a meeting, a brainstorming session gives you a valuable opportunity to discuss your strategy, your website and your marketing ideas...

Are you hiding your light under a bushel?

When I start working with a new client, helping them with web content writing or a web review, one of the first things I ask them is... how are you different from your competition?

Don't be scared to niche

In a recent blog post, I talked about one of my unique selling points — being around as a copywriter helping Adelaide businesses for over 20 years.

How to tell your customers how good you are

As Australians, some of us a bit too good at downplaying our good points. Hiding our best assets. Yes, it's the Tall Poppy Syndrome...

Time to work on your website?

Whether your website just needs a little bit of TLC, or a massive overhaul because your strategy has now shifted to more of an online focus, I can help you.

Don't disappear in the lean times

No matter how tough it is, if you want to be trading on the other side of this, it’s important for you to keep your name out there, somehow.

How I got back on Page 1 of Google in 5 days

I’d been resisting getting a new website for quite a while, but after copywithcream.com.au fell off Page 1 of Google a couple of years ago, I knew I really needed to bite the bullet and ‘just do it’.

Blog - Blast past your competition with a PWA

Introducing the website/ app hybrid that’s changing all the rules online.

Blog - AdWords and Social Media

The importance of ‘putting your house in order’ first.

Blog - Wasted Real Estate

Does your website suffer from ‘wasted real estate’?

Blog - Offline Marketing

With the advent of everything online, it’s easy to forget about the old-school ways of doing things. But that could be a big mistake.

Blog - How's your newsletter going?

Newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your clients but getting to Issue 2 can sometimes be a problem. Here are 7 tips to help you do just that.

You don't have to be good at everything

Nobody is good at everything – Einstein clearly didn’t know how to brush his hair. Let’s stop pretending we are good at everything

Is that project really worth taking on?

When I started Copy with Cream 20 years ago, I said ‘yes’ to every project because I desperately wanted to build up my copywriting business.

Important part of branding — service

I have 4 cafés within walking distance of my home office but I don’t go to any of them. Instead, I get into my car and drive 5 minutes to my favourite cafe.

Standing out from the crowd is a risk

I am always encouraging my clients to push the envelope, be different from their competitors and I find I often get a helluva lot of push-back.

ARCHIVE BLOGS

Oscars stuffup caused by bad typography?

The problem with good design, good typography or good writing is that you don’t really notice it - until it's not there.

What on earth is that logo about?

A client showed this logo to me during a brainstorming session and wanted to know what the heck they were thinking. I did my best to try and explain.

Standing out from the crowd is a risk

I am always encouraging my clients to push the envelope, be different from their competitors and I find I often get a helluva lot of push-back.

Quiet out there? Make a noise!

Keeping brand awareness high is important to every business. But whenever an election is called, things go a little strange in the business world.

Writing rules kill freedom expression

Do you have trouble writing? Does your inner censor rear its ugly head and tell you that you don't know what you're doing? The answer may be in this post.

Is that project really worth taking on?

When I started Copy with Cream 20 years ago, I said ‘yes’ to every project because I desperately wanted to build up my copywriting business.

Clear advertising messages get results

When you have a lot to explain or an exciting message to convey, it’s tempting to try to do it all. But that just creates confusion.

Important part of branding — service

I have 4 cafés within walking distance of my home office but I don’t go to any of them. Instead, I get into my car and drive 5 minutes to my favourite cafe.

How to stand out from the crowd

If there was ever an example of dudes doing something different in order to stand out from the crowd, this was it. I was pretty impressed so I stopped.

You don't have to be good at everything

Nobody is good at everything – Einstein clearly didn’t know how to brush his hair. Let’s stop pretending we are good at everything

HEADLINES — UPPER CASE or not?

Now, I’m not generally a fan of a lot of capital letters, and never have been, even before it became known as shouting.

Nice sign. Where on earth is it?

I would have thought that it would be obvious that the placement of the sign is as important as the sign itself. Judging by these examples, clearly not.

Give me some old-fashioned service

For anyone out there who still uses the old-school diary that you actually write in, with a pen, here’s a story for you.

Ripping off content from other websites

The basis of a good website is good content. The best way to create it is by writing it from scratch.

Three ways to double your sales

Here are three ways to double your sales — how we can learn from Berocca, shampoo and toothpaste advertising and promotion.

Is technology making our lives more complicated?

Embracing technology is one thing, letting it rule our lives is quite another

Is On The Run a bit of a misnomer?

Upselling is one thing, making other customers wait way too long is quite another.

Why don't suppliers support their sales people?

It's disappointing when the manufacturer of the products you're selling doesn't back you up. Or the head franchise office doesn't give you support.

Promote your business using Facebook

It's harder than ever to promote your business using Facebook.

Does being very graphic pay off?

I’m sorry, but if I’m eating, which sadly I do in front of the TV, toilets and slobbery dogs are the last things I want to look at.

Who gives a crap

Here’s a business that’s good for the planet and whose advertising is really clever. The name is Who gives a crap and they make toilet paper.

Clever ads for OtterBox

Clever TV ads by OtterBox find all of their target markets

Choosing the right talent

Choosing the right talent for your advertising

When choosing popular talent backfires

Famous faces sell products but how many?

An ad with no actors, just real people

Real people talk about how renewable energy is linked to the local economy of their regional Australian town.

How much detail should you go into?

When writing, how much detail should you go into?

Tongue in cheek humour

I was in town the other month and couldn’t help but notice this banner up on the Stag Hotel at Adelaide’s East End.

Thankyou voucher gets traffic into store

I happen to spend a lot of money at a particular chemist, because they’re a compounding pharmacy and close to home.

Rebrand backfire?

Being gluten free, I have limited options when it comes to sweets. I rocked up to my local health food store to get my gluten free licorice and discovered it wasn’t.

Magazine defying the trend

Publisher of Adelaide’s In-Business Magazine told me that after 32 years, the BRW magazine was not going to be printed any more.

Lady on the train says it’s going to blow up

The lady on the train says it’s going to blow up - Tips from a freelance copywriter.

Killer headline

Killer headline - Tips from a freelance copywriter.

Being too conservative can kill your business

We all have the need to belong. To feel like we are a part of a group.

How do generous returns policies lead to fewer returns?

Earlier this year, I was shoe shopping in earnest. I was excited to find 4 pairs of shoes that I wanted.

When the best quality is not enough

The other day, I was whinging to a friend about the fact that things just aren’t made the way they used to be.

Three different approaches to taglines

One of the things I get asked about most, when I’m at networking functions, is taglines. Do you have to have one?

Look at this beautiful truck!

As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so please excuse me as I wax lyrical about a truck that is beautiful.

Here’s a business with a real USP

One of the basics of writing copy is to find your business’s USP (Unique Selling Point) and tell everyone about it.

Bossy advertising doesn’t work

As I was leaving my local shopping centre, just wanting to get myself home to a cuppa tea, a Bex and a good lie down.

At last, Telstra made the change

Telstra came out with a new-look invoice which they trumpeted about, which I thought was not a very good new look at all.

An oldie but a goodie

I was in the car yesterday, listening to the radio for a change, and was pleasantly surprised and amused to hear the old Aeroplane Jelly jingle come on.

Adapt or die

As you may know, government funding to the BECs (Business Enterprise Centres) was cut earlier this year.

A very good use of guilt

While passing my local health store, I was very amused to see their sign out the front, and immediately reached for my camera.

Good signage makes a great first impression

You may have read my blog ‘Signs don’t have to be boring’ about fun signs at Goodwood.

A double dose from this pharmacy

As George from Seinfeld says, ‘I am speechless. I am without speech… ’ When I saw this sign, I felt just like George.

Yellow Pages what ru doing!

Got my new Yellow Pages the other day, and I wonder why they bothered.

“What the BLEEP do I put on my website?”

After many requests from my small business coaching clients, I’m rapt to introduce the first of Copy with Cream’s web workshops.

Rundle Mall Plaza bus boo-boo

Amazing how many times ‘every day’ is made into one word when it is supposed to be two words.

Don’t get silly with your advertising claims

I cracked up laughing when I saw this van. Clear logo with nice strong branding that makes it look a bit like an ambulance.

BREAKAWAY – ‘noice logo’

Getting very excited about the back of a van sounds a bit weird but there are SO many times I’m taking photos of bad examples.

Vehicle signage

Vehicle signage is one of the most cost-effective ways of getting your business name out there, when you consider how many people will see it.

Leave a good logo alone

I’m a big fan of the saying ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. Which is why I just had to stop and take a photo of this sign.

Free advertising tips

Welcome to my blog! This is the place you can find out how to avoid making the common mistakes people make when they do their advertising.

Better branding for your business

People are visual creatures, and you only get one chance to make a first impression. Your branding could be killing your business.

Let's have a chat, I can help you. Karen :)

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