Posts from — May 2008

Well, at least 5 things they do wrong when it comes to writing. I’ll let the other stuff go for now.

1. They can’t spell. This bothers the hell out of me… and more than likely, it bothers the hell out of everyone who looks at the site. Nothing says ‘we’re incompetent and lazy’ like spelling and grammatical errors. Learn how to spell application, synergy, and tomorrow. Learn the difference between our and are. Even spend a couple minutes on it’s vs. its’. It’ll pay off.

2. They don’t revise. I’ve written here that EVERYBODY is a writer. It just takes effort, hard work, and revision. Everything that goes on a website should be at least 3 drafts deep. At least. I see a lot of copy that isn’t, and it’s not terrible stuff either, just another draft or two from being top quality.

3. They don’t care. I think number 1 and 2 reflect this one… I think most people don’t spell well and don’t revise well because they don’t care. They just don’t put the effort in, and I think that’s stupid. Startups aren’t selling a product - they’re selling a brand, and a brand experience. Your ability to write that experience into existence isn’t just crucial. It’s everything! You need to care, and you need to spend time on it.

4. They communicate poorly. I think a lot of startups have a good idea, and they have a good idea of how it’ll help other people. But they just can’t communicate it. I go to their website, and see that there’s something there. I see potential, and sometimes, I can ‘get it.’ But it takes a lot of effort. Usually, more effort than I have the time for… I leave before I get it. Obviously, that’s not good. The big idea (and the brand-experience) needs to there. It needs to be right up front, and it needs to be accessible.

5. They’re boring. This brings me to my last point. New startups are exciting. They’re unique, fresh, smart, and filled with seat-of-your-pants type freedom. If your copy communicates this - it really shows how cool you are, and really shows how cool your product is, people will climb over each other to get a piece of it. But if your copy doesn’t do that - if you can’t show the visitor who you are, and what your product really does, it’s boring. You’re missing the point, and missing your best opportunity to get people there, and get people using your product. Unfortunately, I see that happen a lot. Far too often.

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Apparently, more people need to read StartupWriting.com

Alright, it’s not exactly a huge milestone, but I’ve been writing here for almost two months now. To commemorate the occasion, this is list week (I’m not really commemorating anything… I just wanted to do it). I’ll write a few lists about the blog, about startup writing, and later in the week, I’ll write one for a friend (and for another blog). There’s a lot to look forward to!

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Today, it’s a retrospective… five things I am after this long writing here. I am…

1. A better writer. I started the blog to showcase the writing I was already doing. It wasn’t intended as a get-better tool, but that’s what it’s been. I’ve learned a lot about startups, a lot about writing, and a ton about writing for startups. Really, it’s what I’ve said before - writing isn’t rocket science… producing good stuff is just a matter of getting out there, and doing it (continually). It applies for a startups trying to write their copy, and applies for me trying to write this blog.

2. More Connected. This blog has been great. It’s plugged me into the startup scene and into the blogging scene, both in Boulder and around the web… I’ve met a lot of cool people and seen a lot of cool stuff since I’ve been here. This blog may be about me trying to establish myself (and my expertise), but really, it’s about community. About adding something of value to the blogosphere and to the startup communnity. It’s cool to see it happening, and it’s cool to get some energy back from other people (doing other things).

3. More sure about the concept. A couple months ago, I started focusing my writing on startups, and subsequently, started this blog. I was pretty sure a lot of startups could use my help, and I was pretty sure a lot would hire me. But like any new business, I wasn’t certain. And, of course, while I’m still a ways from where I’d like to be eventually, I know I’m really onto something. I know I can give a lot of value to a lot of startups, and I know I can make a living doing it.

4. More determined to make the concept work. Along with confirmation of my concept comes more motivation to make it work. I know I have something here, so I’m psyched to see it play out. I have tough days, even tough weeks. But in the end, I have the energy to keep going. I feel determined to make it work.

5. More determined to make the concept work here. Well, I’m gonna keep building my StartupWriting business, and I’ll keep doing it here, at www.startupwriting.com. I’ll do some different stuff, and the blog will evolve. But this is still where it’ll happen. Thanks for stopping by, thanks for reading so far, and thanks (in advance) for sticking around… there’s a lot more coming!

This is the last of my posts on blogging (for now). Scroll down to see the others, and stay here if you want to be an expert on whatever it is you do.

What I mean is that blogs can be a place for you to position yourself as an expert in a certain field, or on a certain subject. It’s what paper-published authors and writers have been doing for decades - write enough good stuff, and people will start to look to you for your knowledge and opinions. Think Peter Gammons on baseball or David Broder on politics. Trusted names.

On paper though, it takes awhile to get there, and not just anybody can do it. Even if I were able, I couldn’t walk into the Washington Post and start writing their political commentary column. That’s why blogs are so cool. They allow qualified and talented people to establish themselves as experts, without having to convince anyone else they can do it. No newspaper editors, no climbing your way up the magazine staff… just content consumers. If you write a good blog, and if you give out good information, people will notice, and people will start to regard you as an expert.

Look at StartupWriting.com as an example. I probably can’t write a piece for The New Yorker, and I probably can’t teach a college writing course, but I can publish here. I try to publish good stuff, and try to publish helpful stuff. Hopefully people are starting to notice, and hopefully I’m on my way to establishing myself as an expert (or at least a knowledgeable person) when it comes to writing startup copy.

Why is this good (for me or for you)? Well, being an online expert will help nearly any business. A successful expertise blog not only brings visitors in, but it brings quality visitors in. The type that already regard you as knowing your stuff, and already regard you as someone producing a good product. It’s like the best referral and the best About Us section rolled up in one, and it’s what makes sales (which is the point, right?).

Now go find something to be an expert on (hopefully your company already has its’ niche), and go write one. Or, of course, you can pay an expert to do it.