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The abundance of broadcast and online multimedia channels means that audiovisual versions of an organization’s message can expand your reach. And it seems that an increasing number of communications and marketing professionals are hearing the siren call of video. eMarketer  predicts that spending for mobile video ads will increase 614.8 percent by 2016. In additionRead more

The use of quotation marks is usually considered to be straightforward: they typically indicate quoted material, dialogue and, in some cases, composition titles. Still, you can encounter tricky situations, so let’s look at some issues that might arise. Quoted Language When quoted conversation or dialogue for a single speaker runs on for more than oneRead more

Whether you’re writing promotional or editorial copy, the first element of your piece that will draw a reader in will be your headline or email subject line. A  few details distinguish subject lines from headlines. For instance, the word free works in print media and on Web sites, but generally gives the impression of spamRead more

Research takes up a significant amount of every writer’s time, and the Internet is an incredibly useful and convenient research tool. However, it’s so huge, you need to know how and where to look. Let’s take a look at your online options. Search Engines and Subject Directories A search engine such as Google lets youRead more

The apostrophe seems like a straightforward form of punctuation, but there are a few tricky situations you’ll have to navigate. For example, when writing informally, you may have occasion to use a double possessive. Example: That idea of Rob’s is brilliant. Unlike a double negative, a double possessive is grammatically fine (though I wouldn’t recommendRead more

When you’ve worked your way through several drafts of a writing project, it’s very easy to want to just be done with that assignment. But before you send the final draft on its way, you need to devote time to copy editing and proofing in order to lower the risk of having overlooked typos thatRead more

The semicolon is a mark of separation that falls somewhere between the comma and the period in impact. Of course, you can’t just use a semicolon as a substitute for either a comma or period whenever you want. I’ll present guidelines for the two main contexts in which the semicolon can be used: 1. ConnectingRead more

Speeches provide excellent opportunities for positioning organizations or their representatives as industry leaders or pillars of a community. A speech can urge an audience to act, persuade them to adopt a particular point of view, provide valuable information and/or generate goodwill. Speech Writing Factors to Keep in Mind When you’re writing a speech, you shouldRead more

Commas are one of the most commonly used forms of punctuation, and they are also one of the most likely to be misplaced. As a recent New York Times op-ed points out, a couple of centuries ago, people placed the comma wherever they felt like placing it. Nowadays, some have been returning to that “funkyRead more

Since many people will decide to read your text after a quick scan through, you need to make your information inviting as possible. Part of that effort involves increasing readability. Here are a few print and online techniques: Use Descriptive Subheads Subheadings help your audience to grasp your topic or message quickly. Also, readers canRead more