Category — lists

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!

A couple days ago, a guest-writer for Copyblogger wrote 6 Ways that Bloggers are Like Rappers. It was fun, and it inspired me to write the counterpoint… 5 ways Bloggers aren’t at all Like Rappers. Here it is:

Dissimilarity #1: Appearance
Rappers look like football players. Bloggers look like, well, nerds. Rappers date supermodels. Bloggers can’t get dates at all. Rappers drive the most supped-up (‘pimped out’) cars on the planet. Bloggers drive old Subaru’s. This really is no contest.

Dissimilarity #2: Armament
Rappers carry guns. Bloggers carry iphones. The Indiana Jones Sean Connery remarked (after squirting ink in a Nazi’s eye) that the “pen is mightier than the sword.” Well, turns out (unfortunately) that it’s not… and even if it was, a fully-automatic AK is mightier than either. No contest on this one either.

Dissimilarity #3: Aliases
Curtis Jackson rhymes under the alias 50 Cent. Cordozar Broadus goes by Snoop Doggy Dogg. Andre Young goes by Dr. Dre. Pretty cool stuff. Bloggers, on the other hand… not so much. I blog under my real name, as do 90% of other writers. People like Brian Clark and Darren Rowse go way out on a limb with names like CopyBlogger and ProBlogger… but really, that’s not all that cool in comparison. When is someone gonna light up the net as Bloggy Dogg Dogg? Or Writes-ezzy to the Sheezy? Who knows.

Dissimilarity #4: History
Rap has history, and it has soul. It’s comes from oppression, disengagement and anger. It started as protest music of a race and a class that still wasn’t getting a fair shake…. and that was willing to stand up and talk about it.

Blogging, on the other hand, doesn’t have a lot of history or soul. It comes from comfort, intelligence and boredom. It started as a hobby of a people with too much time on their hands, determined to make other people listen to them.

There’s quite a difference there.

Dissimilarity #5: Quality Content
But allright… here’s the update to #4. Rap, despite its roots in meaning, has evolved into something different altogether. These days, it’s about useless amounts of money, women and power. About a bunch of disingenuous clowns trying to create a fake gangster image they have no intention of living out.

Blogging, on the other hand, has become a place of meaning. A place talented and interesting individuals go to create quality content, and have quality interactions. A place that’s pushing our society toward change, and pushing its’ people toward a new way of living (both online and off).

Blogging is where it’s happening. Blogging is the new rap.