I recently wrote straplines/taglines/spirit lines for MVI Data Recovery. It proved to be a difficult task, or at least, not something a writer can pull out of her hat of preferred epithets (not that I ever do, of course). To clarify, a stapline is a short sentence, sometimes a fragment of just three words (“Just Do It”), which escorts a company`s logo into the public eye. I`ve seen it referred to as business`s war cry. I`d add that it`s like the Lunar Module landing on the Moon: delicate, precise, and if all goes well, an opportunity to explore new territory between business and client.

You`ll notice it most when you`re looking to buy something online. You arrive at a top-ranked site, you`re convinced by its flowery and flattering copy, and now you want to take action. Usually, there`s a “click here for a 15 day free trial” or “contact us now via our number/email address” or even “register and receive a discount on your purchase” or whatever. If there isn`t a call to action, you move on, feeling frustrated for wasting your time. Persuading a reader to take action is so important in terms of conversion optimisation. A simple sentence inserted here and there can crush the bounce-rate, bump up sales, and by extension, improve your site`s ranking simply by flagging your customer down.

Duplicate content is often seen as substantial chunks of content across two or more domains that are identical to each other or noticeably similar. The reason search engines frown upon duplicate content is that when bringing up results it would be best for there to be as many diverse interlinking pieces of content as possible, without having several of the same or obviously similar pages of content popping up in the SERPs.

They are many examples of duplicate content, for example, creating a “mirror” of a site or page by copying it onto different domains to stop any delays when the page is being requested by many users at the same time. Another example of duplicate content is when content is shared between several sources, often through news wire articles. Another person may scrape chunks of content off your site, thereby reproducing content without your permission. There are many other examples of duplicate content, but no matter the reasonmethod, search engines still look at it the same. They don`t want the exact or similar content to appear in their results, as it creates a poor user experience for searchers.

Maki, from www.doshdosh.com, wrote an interesting post lamenting the lack of originality in blog writing. She refers specifically to the glut of “top tips” blogs and the “How to increase your traffic” posts that litter cyber space, which she feels rehash every other blog on the same subject and offer nothing new. She has a very good point.

When I first started writing blogs I sought refuge in these types of posts. They aren`t particularly challenging. Someone else has already done the research so you don`t have to think too much about your writing. My editor must have done her nut every week as I spewed out one generic post after the other. It took a while but fortunately I have learnt better, at least I hope I have.

It’s true that the Internet uses language to get its myriad meanings across. I don’t need to prove that point. But do old-fashioned tips for writing still apply to today’s web writing?
Steve Jobs, in response to Amazon’s awful e-book, Kindle, says that nobody reads anymore (possibly he meant that nobody reads books anymore, but it’s okay Steve). Internet marketing language is less a decorative art than a skill that takes into account many concealed truths about search and intention. George Orwell, English author of such unforgettables as 1984 and Animal Farm, had a few things to say about spreading ideas through effective writing. And some of them are useful now, in a world that even Orwell, who died in 1950, did not envisage (in print, anyway).

Hypnotic writing is an ethically cloudy, but effective method of improving sales and conversions. Rex Steven Sikes of Idea-Seminars.com, http://www.mrfire.com/article-archives/guest-articles/hypnotic-questions.html, says that to take full advantage of hypnotic copy, we need to consider the three languages that occur inside English.

The first language, according to Sikes, is the language of pictures, which is how we view items in our minds as well as in the real world. The language of sounds is second, and incorporates our internal monologues, as well as how we interpret what we hear. Third is the language of feelings, which is when a particularly emotive word or turn of phrase elicits a strong positive or negative emotional reaction.

When writing hypnotic copy, it`s important to try and incorporate as many positive words as possible, to create feelings of comfort and harmony. Readers are then more receptive to your product or service and are more likely to read about it. Reading your copy becomes an experience rather than a chore.

Online communication tends to be more informal and relaxed than written text. This conversational style has resulted in everyone sending an email or writing a blog, adopting his or her own version of poetic licence. It`s debatable about whether some rules can be bent to suit a writer`s will or particular style. Other rules are less flexible. By not observing them we detract from our credibility, and effectively announce our carelessness to the world.

Many people think that a few spelling or grammar mistakes will pass under the radar. They suppose that people read articles or blogs for content and not as lessons in the rules of grammar. Which is all very well, but it`s very difficult to take a writer and his/her content seriously when the text is littered with glaring mistakes.

No one really likes wading through the ins and outs of legal issues. I`m not sure that lawyers even like the law. So the thought of registering copyrights and willingly entering a legal quagmire is not something that appeals to our sense of fun. Most of us would rather sleep on a bed of nails and walk through fire than endure a trial. We don`t believe that we would ever file a suit against anyone, so the need for copyright is negated. There are, however, two important theories advocating copyright that counteract this reasoning.

The first is the theory of deterrence, which functions in roughly the same way that the threat of prison is supposed to deter potential criminals from committing crimes. In the case of copyright infringement, the prospect of having to pay statutory damages is the overarching deterrent. In all likelihood, it probably has the same success rate as the criminal justice system.