Direct Focus

October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Take time today to consider how you can improve your mental health and encourage others to do the same.

Today is the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Please consider donating to an Indigenous charity near you. https://bit.ly/3yBO52L

Today we mark National Truth and Reconciliation Day by wearing orange and taking time to acknowledge and honour survivors of residential schools.

COPYWRITING CLASS with Christopher: A Guide to Ad Copy

There’s no one magical strategy for creating a successful advertisement. If there was, life would be a lot easier for copywriters (or a lot more boring, at least). Every brand and every situation will definitely require a different approach, but here are a few generally universal truths you can rely on for writing ad copy.

BE CLEAR:
There’s obviously something to be said for creating a sense of mystery, but even if that is your approach, remember that it’s still pretty important for people to understand what the heck you’re talking about or what you want them to do. If audiences have to think too hard, they usually just move on.

DON’T ASK, TELL:
Using close-ended questions (especially at the beginning of the copy) immediately disqualifies potential audiences. Open-ended questions are better, and they certainly have a place, but why even provide an option? It can be so much easier to just tell people what to think or do.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH:
Whatever you say in your ad content has to be the truth (or at least very close to the truth). If you promise audiences one thing and then deliver another at the next step of the funnel, you will betray their trust. That's a powerful result, so you’ve probably lost your chance at converting them forever.

DON’T OVERTHINK IT:
Cute wording, cleverness, puns and jokes, double meanings—that’s all good stuff, but it should never come at the expense of an ad’s efficacy. If you can’t make something fancy or intricate work properly, then go with something more direct: simplicity may not be as exciting, but it rarely backfires.

Today we mark IT Professionals Day with a big “thank you” and a promise to always try restarting our computers before calling for help. Thanks for everything you do, IT team!

MARKETING MOOD with Jess: Building Anticipation

Whether you’re launching a new product, brand, or service, you want to create some tantalizing engagements to keep your clients and customers on their toes.

BE A TEASE: The corner of a book cover, a snippet of a logo, a collar of a shirt—get up-close and personal with your product or brand imagery without giving the entire thing away.

START A COUNTDOWN: Many social media platforms have built-in countdowns to incorporate into your posts. You can also create countdown-related copy and images to post anywhere.

LEVERAGE A NEWSLETTER: Pre-launch is a perfect time to get people’s attention and stay on their radar. Create a mailing list to share more promos, freebies, and other valuable content. Perhaps a sign-up to the mailing list can provide a coveted pre-sale or discount code.

GET STRATEGIC: Do some research on the best times of the day, month, and year to launch something new. Finesse your strategy, execute it, then take a little break— too many launches and too many countdowns can cheapen your sales strategies.

Yes, we're already nostalgic for summer. Our highlight was probably Spirit Week, which was loaded with fun, food, costumes, and (mostly friendly) competition.

Special shout out to team yellow (The Lemon Heads) for taking top spot on the podium at the always-exciting DF Summer Games.

What was the best part of your summer?

We see the beginning of September as a time of change and evolution. What transitions will you be working through this season?

COPYWRITING CLASS with Christopher: Literary Devices

Writing that’s interesting is usually more easily remembered, which is a good thing in marketing and advertising (that’s rumour, at least). Employing literary devices can be an effective way to spice up your copy—when used appropriately, of course. Here are a few suggestions!

ALLITERATION: It can be a bit silly, and it may induce an eye roll or two, but alliteration definitely adds some dynamism to what would otherwise be stale messaging.

PERSONIFICATION: When people relate to someone/something, they’re more likely to appreciate and enjoy the interaction. Give something inanimate some life—it may help!

ONOMATOPOEIA: Using this device will definitely trend your copy in a more playful direction, but there’s no denying it can grab attention.

SIMILE: Similar to personification, a well-placed simile will help audiences understand a concept or message that might otherwise be a bit confusing.

MARKETING MOOD with Jess: Activism

START INTERNALLY: Before you even begin setting up a social media calendar or looking at what activism/awareness campaigns are happening this month, check out your own organization first. Inspect your core values, look at company history—all that stuff. It's also a good idea to find out what your organization stands for and seeing if it is that reflected in hiring, customer service, and internal procedures. This is all important because while it is great for us to use corporate power for good, audiences (internal or external) will be quick to critique and criticize any disconnect between what an organization says and what they actually do.

KNOW YOUR SCOPE: Once you’ve established what your organization does and cares about, you can undertake an activism audit. There is, unfortunately, a lot of work to be done in this world, and one organization, including yours, cannot (and probably should not) chime in on every global issue. Authenticity and integrity are backed up by action, not just posts, so consider using online activism only when it can be backed up by tangible results as opposed to just “awareness.”

BE INTENTIONAL: When you’ve identified what aligns with your company’s values and actions, plan content with clarity and intention. Why are you posting instead of sharing someone else’s content? What can you contribute to the greater good? If you don’t have a good answer to this, maybe it’s not a good move. Many brands fall prey to “Last Minute-itis,” which is throwing together a post the day of an important event just for fear of being seen as silent and uncaring. Content around sensitive matters should be created thoughtfully and with the input of the impacted parties whenever possible.

LOOK BEYOND THE CALENDAR: Most social media coordinators have felt a distinctive “ick” feeling as they delete their rainbow logo on exactly July 1st. The same can be said for Black History Month in February, Truth and Reconciliation Day in September, and many other awareness movements. Consider incorporating this activism into your marketing plan beyond just one post a year.

ACCESSIBILITY, LANGUAGE, AND IMAGERY: Finally, we can incorporate activism into what we do every single day on a smaller scale. Marketing strategies should account for how language and image translate to different groups. Is your stock or vector imagery representative or many groups or just a few? Who is missing from the group photo, what language is potentially causing harm, and how can you ensure your content is accessible and respectful?

Today is Terry Fox Day. We celebrate the sacrifice this incredible human made for all Canadians living with cancer. Follow the link to donate today. Cheers, Terry.

🔗: https://terryfox.org

Everybody always says to "just be yourself," but is there anything more terrifying?

Putting yourself out there, trying your best—it takes courage, and it's scary, but it's necessary in order to find success (whatever that looks like for you). We believe in you!

Whether you’re chilling on the chesterfield or basking on the beach, the Direct Focus folks have cool content recos that will help you soak up summer.

COPYWRITING CLASS with Christopher: PUNCTUATION

You know, those little symbols that are in and around words and sentences and stuff. Punctuation can sometimes be taken for granted or seen as unimportant. The fact is that punctuation plays an enormous role in how your content is interpreted, understood, and engaged with. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

ACCURACY MATTERS: You can’t use punctuation however you want simply because you feel it works. You really do have to follow the rules.

PROPER USAGE HAS BENEFITS: Don’t think of having to use proper punctuation as being confined or boxed in. Punctuation can (and will) enhance your content’s creativity.

EACH POINT HAS A PERSONALITY: One way or another, every piece of punctuation will have an effect on the tone of your content—choose wisely!

MARKETING MOOD with Jess: BRAND HUMOUR

Humour connects us. Without it, life would just be a long, sad, boring documentary. Harnessing the power of comedy can do wonders for creating connections with your audience and helping your brand stand out. Follow these tips to help you do it effectively and to avoid *crickets.*

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE: You likely wouldn’t tell the same joke to your grandmother that you would tell your friends (or maybe you would, maybe gram grams is wild), so you should apply the same logic to your humorous content. Keep in mind your audience’s age, location, technological knowledge, lifestyle, media preferences, etc.

CONSIDER TRENDS CAREFULLY: Some social media teams will suggest that anytime a trend emerges, you and your business should 100% jump on it as soon as possible. Maybe, instead, you should take a beat and reconsider. If a trend is timely and aligned with your brand’s vision, then go for it! Otherwise, it may be a waste of time and energy, and, worse still, it could actually damage your brand.

FIND YOUR COMEDIC VOICE: Just like people, brands can hit different comedic notes. Does your brand have a light sense of humour with puns sprinkled here and there? Is your brand a fan of dark humour? It is dry? Identifying the brand voice and tone can help with comedic messaging and keep things aligned.

TOUGH CROWD?: Humour is subjective. Someone, somewhere, is not going to find you funny (shocking, for sure). When this happens, assess whether you’ve actually caused harm (if so, apologize, learn, move on). If it’s just a matter of preference, it may be appropriate to poke a little fun at yourself. A lighthearted apology and a little splash of self-deprecating humour can lift the mood and might even get some positive engagement.

Every member of the team has value!

BE HUMAN means being vulnerable, being authentic, and being real. It means being courageous enough to attempt greatness—if you’re afraid to fail then you’ll never succeed.

It's a core value we hold near and dear.

We’d be lost without our warehouse crew! Happy Logistics Day to our team—they work tirelessly to ensure everything runs smoothly.

This core value is literally baked into our business model.

DELIVER GREAT means overcoming any challenges, changes, hurdles, or confusion to exceed expectations.

June Is National Indigenous History Month in Canada.

This is a time for us to recognize the rich and unique history, heritage, resiliency, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people across the country.

As Canadians, it's important for each and every one of us to observe this month. It’s important to learn more about Indigenous cultures and traditions, to educate ourselves about and focus on reconciliation, and to celebrate the contributions made by Indigenous peoples and communities.

Trust is the single most important part of a team’s ability to succeed.

MAKE TRUST is one of our core values because we believe that the only way that any of us win is if we all win. It’s about support.

We’re better together.

COPYWRITING CLASS with Christopher: RESEARCH

Audiences can always smell a rat. If your content isn’t informed, then you’re going to lose the audience’s trust and attention. That’s why research is important. Maybe you’re writing a blog about capitalism. Maybe you’re building an ad campaign for a nail salon. Maybe you’re creating case studies for a tool manufacturer.

Whatever you’re writing about, you better become an expert quickly. Here are a few tips to help you do that

ECHO RELIABLE SOURCES: Find credible experts and use their content to inspire yours.

PUT IN THE TIME: Faking it will only take you so far. Put in the time and learn it properly.

KEEP IT SIMPLE: Only include relevant info—spamming details can make copy feel insecure.

SLING SOME SLANG: Colloquialisms can help give content some authenticity.

Let us know your research tips in the comments!

Happy Pride Month from all of us at Direct Focus!

What does BETTER 2.0 mean?

It's one of our core values, and we take it seriously because it means striving to be the very best version of yourself—something we want for every one of our team members.

Marketing Mood with Jess: Building a Trustworthy Brand

CLEAR COPY: Clarity is kindness, and it builds trust! Copy that is free of errors helps get your point across. It also shows your audience that you pay attention to details and care about their experience.

ACCURATE IMAGERY: Misleading imagery and misrepresentation are a one-way ticket to mistrust. If there is ever a need to alter an image, ensure you clearly communicate how and why it is different than what your customer might expect.

SHOW, DON’T TELL: Listen, I love copywriting, but words need to be backed up with proof. Demonstrate how excellent you really are through videos, tutorials, infographics, and other interactive content.

REAL STORIES FOR REAL FOLKS: Telling honest stories from the heart, whether they are client testimonials or employee interviews, helps build a connection. Personal narratives allow customers and clients to see themselves as part of your story.

It might just be the best day of the year! We’re celebrating National Donut Day with the delicious help of Oh Doughnuts. You deserve a doughy delight, doughn’t you?

Our core values inform everything we do.

OWN IT! means each and everyone one of us has to think like a leader—it’s the first step toward being one, after all. We empower our team to make decisions and find solutions that benefit everyone.

Always create content that answers a question your audience may have or ask in the future. 💡

By providing content that informs, educates or entertains, you can build trust and provide value to your audience.

Direct Focus is hitting the books! We’ve compiled our team’s favourite books to inspire creativity. Let us know if you've read any of these and which ones you’d add to your list.

COPYWRITING CLASS with Christopher:

What’s more intimidating than a blank page? It can be annoying (maybe even downright upsetting) trying to hit a deadline only to have your creativity abandon you and be left with only the mocking flicker of the dreaded cursor. Writer’s block happens to everyone, so here are a few tips to help you keep the ideas flowing, or, at the very least, trickling.

MOVE: Get up! Your coworkers may give you weird looks, but stretching, walking, or even dancing can help shake things up and get things moving.

BREAK IT DOWN: What exactly are you trying to say? What is the goal of your content? Write it out in plainest, simplest way possible and go from there.

ASSOCIATION: Try writing about something related to your subject. Think about the products, services, industries, people, or even the words that surround your subject. Start from the outside and work your way in.

JUST WRITE: It may seem silly, but sometimes the easiest way to overcome a block is through sheer will. Just start writing/typing something, anything! It doesn’t matter what it is—just build yourself some momentum.