In my last post, Who do you think you’re talking to?, I discussed how easy it is to fall into the trap of writing for the wrong audience. Here, I present five more instances of writers who are trying to please the wrong reader – everyone a real-life example. Don’t fall into the same traps as these writers! (more…)
Archive for June, 2010
Audience awareness – FAIL!!
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010Who do you think you’re talking to?
Monday, June 21st, 2010As any good copywriter will tell you, nothing’s more essential than knowing your audience. Yes, accurate spelling and a half-decent grasp of grammar are important, but a mastery of the semicolon isn’t going to win you any more readers (it might even lose you some, if this blogger, with whom I tend to agree, is to be believed).
What matters is understanding what makes your reader tick – knowing what it is that gets her up in the morning or keeps her awake at night.
But if you’re a comms professional working in a large organisation, turning this knowledge into compelling copy can be a real struggle, because there’s so much pressure on you to write for the wrong reader. (more…)
Confused? I am now!
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010One of my pet peeves is when graphic designers try to be clever and just end up making the copy look stupid (see “What happens when your designer has more power than your writer” and “Designed to annoy“). Here’s the latest example to offend my sensibilities:
The unfinished, upside-down, wrong-way-round F clef in “Guitar”, I can just about live with.
But that back-to-front semiquaver-minim hybrid standing in for the “v” is an affront to anyone with even a passing knowledge of music.
Unless, of course, this symbol is far too advanced to be unveiled in part one of The Associated Board Guide To Music Theory, which is sitting on my desk as I type.
Perhaps its complexities are explained in part two, where no doubt we’re also treated to a detailed exegesis of the use of umlauted letters in musical scores?
You might call me a pedant, but the point is this: if you’re trying to connect with a particular audience – in this case would-be musicians – show them the courtesy of pretending you know what you’re talking about.
Looks to me like the only one being paid to be confused.com is the design agency that came up with this nonsense.
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