#i need that phrase to be removed from everyone's vocabulary Please

[little-eye-guy]

"this is too raw of a line to come from—" shut up. beauty and meaning is everywhere

#eye guy speaks #i need that phrase to be removed from everyone's vocabulary Please #why are you so convinced that such things cannot be discovered by or found in the mundane #1/1/23 edit: hope you all have enjoyed yourselves bc im ready for some peace and quiet *turns off reblogs* #1/4/23 edit: please don't comment about wanting to reblog. the experience itself may be fleeting but you will have your memory of it #(aka i turned them off for my health and you will be ok. it's just a post)

[dkgwrites]

Great to See You Writing Again!

I recently posted a fic which received nothing but love (thank you kind and gentle readers), but it also received a lot of comments from folks who were “glad to see me writing again” or "happy that I was back”. It made me go back through my fics to se how long it had been and what I had posted.

In May, I posted  fic with twelve very short chapters (because I made it for Insta, originally) which was around 18k. Then I signed up for a zine (which I ended up helping to mod) and a Big Bang. Those both had reveals in October.

Zine fic: around 5k

Big Bang fic: around 82k

That’s 87k to be written in June - September (posted in October). For December, I did a prompt challenge of 12 fics in 12 days.

Holiday challenge: around 41k

Then I wrote a short fic in January which got me so many statements (and again, everyone was so kind, so this is not meant to disparage anyone) that left me confused.

January fic: 9k

So between the months of June to January (it was a little under seven and a half months),I posted around 137k of fanfic. That’s close to two full-length novels. I also worked full-time and helped to get a zine out.

Now, I’ll ignore job details, life, and the pandemic, but I’d like to address how long it actually takes to write a fic. If you’re a writer, you’ve posted a new chapter and on the same day gotten a comment of “update soon”. (If you’re a reader, please don’t do this. I’m on bended knee. Forever remove that phrase from your vocabulary.) I don’t think readers have a sense of how long it takes to create that piece of storytelling.

I write fairly quickly. When I’m on a roll, I can write around 1k an hour. That means the words are flowing, and I’m well-versed in a subject. If I need to do research, you can tack on another 1-3 hours per thousand words. Let’s look at an 82k pieces (which for me was an art heist au, so I had to do a ton of research on art, thefts, museum security, etc.). Outlining also takes time. This all happens before you start to write the story. I’ll say that fic was about 160 hours of work to pick a realistic and round number. If it was my FT job, that would have been four (4) weeks to get to a first draft. It still needed to be revised and edited. That probably took another eighty (80) hours. So 240 hours of work, and let’s assume I worked on it twenty (20) hours a week. That’s twelve (12) weeks or three months... if I’m on a roll and because I write quickly.

As a reader, maybe you devour an 82k fic in a day, but that was three months of work in my life if things are going well. Sometimes, a day of writing is watching a blinking cursor and then going back and reading earlier parts that you wrote to try and find the last drops of inspiration like the conditioner in a bottle left upside in the shower. Readers, this is not meant anyone to be put off on commenting. If folks didn’t want to hear from you, they wouldn’t post their work. However, I think we need some transparency in the process.  In traditional publishing, authors put out 1-2 books (a novel length being around 80k) every 3-5 years. These people are getting paid to do so, and it may well be their FT job.

Fic writers love their fandom. We are willing to tap our fingers sore to add to the creations. Love them in return with a comment like “I loved this” or “this line was my favorite <quite a line>”. If you feel so included, write them whole paragraphs (which they will read again and again like a secret love letter). Please, communicate with your favs, but now that you know the time that goes into it, consider your words. We’ve spent a lot of time considering ours.

#writing #my writing #fanfic #fanfiction #comments #readers #how long does it take to write a story #we really love our readers #this is how to love us back the way we want to be loved

[whatbigotspost]

A helpful 101 guide to rooting out fatphobia in yourself:

•Stop commenting on or bringing up other people’s weight changes. Seriously, full stop. There’s no way to do this well. “Compliments” about weight changes do not exist. Just. Don’t. Comment. On. Weight.

•Simply don’t point out, talk about, mock, or make fun of fat people, NO MATTER HOW FAT THEY ARE. (I can’t believe I have to say that.)

•Stop commenting negatively about your own body size/shape. If you need to speak with someone about this, like a therapist, please do. Society is fatphobic as fuck so it’s natural to have internalized fatphobia and have bad body feelings. But to the absolute best of your abilities, do not pollute public air space with your body negativity. This mentality is often LEARNED from others and you don’t need to be another voice in the chorus teaching fatphobia.

•Stop commenting on other people’s food choices, diets, etc. It’s not your place.

•ENTIRELY remove the words “obese” (based on junk BMI nonsense) and “overweight” (over WHAT weight?) from your vocabulary.

•Do not place morality on simply eating. Stop saying things like “I’m being bad today” when eating a treat or saying you feel “guilty” for eating certain stuff. (Or the opposite that you’re being “good” when you eat a salad.) Eating is necessary for your body! And it’s allowed to be enjoyable.

•STOP FRAMING EXERCISE AS PUNISHMENT YOU INFLICT ON YOUR BODY FOR EATING. Exercise because you find activities you enjoy! Exercise because working out your body makes you feel strong or powerful! That’s all great! Shut the hell up about “working off that donut.”

•If someone not fat uses fat as an insult or says they “FEEL FAT” (god I hate that phrase) shut it down. It can be as simple as “That’s not cool, please don’t use fat as an insult.” If you don’t feel comfortable shutting it down then literally just do not say anything. Don’t encourage or engage in the discussion. AND! Please! For the love of god! Don’t be all “you’re not fat, you’re beautiful.”

•If someone who IS fat says they’re fat for the love of god again DON’T SAY “you’re not fat, you’re beautiful.”

•Understand and accept that your body is fully yours but ONLY your body is yours and you have no right to judge what someone else does to theirs. Have I mentioned that society is fatphobic as fuck...so judgy thoughts about other people’s food or clothing choices happen, but when these thoughts emerge, remind yourself: that is THEIR body. Not yours.

•Accept that there’s no wrong way to have a body. Everyone already has a “beach body” or a “bikini body” if they want to. An “athletic body type” is any body playing a sport. YOU might think “she doesn’t have the body to pull off that outfit” but SHE obviously disagrees, so mind your own business.

•If you are not fat yourself, shop at size inclusive retailers. If you won’t shop from someplace that someone who wears a XXXL can’t shop from, you’ll develop some empathy for this topic reeeeeal quickly.

•If you are not fat and you’re going out with friends/family who are, think in advance about how they can be accommodated. Has your fat friend commented on the uncomfortable, narrow booths at the restaurant you’re meeting her at for dinner before? Request a table and not a booth when you check in at the host stand. Or asking your fat friend out for a shopping trip—does the store have things she can buy too?

WHAT ELSE??? Feel free to chime in!

#fatphobia #weight discrimination #long post #resources

[thehomelybrewster]

Four Approaches to Naming DnD Characters

Naming your Dungeons & Dragons characters can be very hard, but here are a few ideas on how you can make it easier for yourself. All of these are intended for the officially published DnD settings, but of course are general enough to work for everyone.

1) Basing your character name on your own name

This option is old and basic, but it might work in a pinch. Obviously it's a bad idea to literally use your own name for a character in a campaign, but sometimes your name may serve as a good inspiration anyway! Be it via shortening your name, inserting your name into a longer name, using a different variant of your name, or similar, you may be able to give your character a name you like! Especially if you have a fairly common name, Wikipedia is probably your friend here, because they often have lists with variants of names.

Examples: If your name is Melissa, shortening it to Lissa and then maybe swapping out the i for a y to get Lyssa works! If your name is Robert, variants like Robere (Old French) or Ropars (Breton) or Robrecht (Old Dutch) can work wonders.

2) A name normal for their people

Hello, fantasynamegenerators dot com! Using generator sites or using the entries in the PHB (or other source book), you can just create a name which sounds like an average name for a member of your character's lineage! There's no shame in having a character's name be "normal", several of my DnD characters were named like that! And honestly it sorta underlines them as coming from humble beginnings, of being thrust into adventure and not being chosen for it.

Examples: No real examples necessary, but please remember that e.g. in a lot of fantasy fiction the names don't come with great symbolism. Frodo Baggins means literally nothing, it's just a normal name for a posh hobbit; and Margaery Tyrell's name is a slight corruption of a normal English first name (meaning "Pearl" FYI) and a real English surname, but it fits with the world of A Song of Ice and Fire.

3) Names as Reference

Another classic! You can just name your characters after other characters (or real life people) that inspired them, but please be aware that obvious references to characters which are quite famous are a bit frowned upon. But through either slightly obscure references or one or two layers of alterations it'll work!

Examples: Naming your tiefling Way of the Shadow monk who is actually a Batman-ripoff Wruce Bayne may be a bit too obvious, but using the Esperanto (a constructed, as in artificial, language, for those not in the know) word for bat "Vesperto" won't be noticable. Meanwhile your mustachioed bard who used to lead a group of circus performers can easily be named Gorman (after the Gorman brother's from The Legend of Zelda - Majora's Mask, one of whom leads a troupe of performers), because it's not very distracting.

4) Names as Symbolism

This is of course often seen as the ideal but it is also the hardest, since it requires you to both find a concept which is so tied to your character that naming them after it makes sense AND you need to find a way to turn it into a name. Depending on the lineage of your character, that may become more difficult. If you wanna stick to dwarven names which sound like they could be from the PHB, you're probably out of luck, but other lineages may be more cooperative, since several in-universe languages of official DnD settings have a limited vocabulary which you can find online on fan wikis.

You will also likely have to rely on abstractions, either based on vocabulary options, or stuff like flower language or gemstone meaning to get to a name which works.

Examples: A druid or lycanthrope who speaks Elvish may use Nodel (the Elvish word for "moon") to refer to themself, since they shift like the moon. A confident sea elf or triton may be named after the aquamarine gemstone (ideally through some level of removal, like Dalainus, after the Mongolian for "sea water", which aquamarine literally means). Tabaxi, due to their names being based on prophecy and by being English phrases, are especially great for this, since e.g. a tabaxi who is easily tempted could be named Bag of Silver (after what it will take to bribe them).

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #character names #rpg character #writing advice #naming

[gumnut-logic]

Ooooh okay! For the ask thing, 41 and 33!

41.  Any advice for new/beginning/young writers?

The One and Only Rule:

Any and all advice should be ignored if it doesn’t work for you. You know yourself better than anyone else. Try different things out until you find some things that work for you and run with them.

Things that have worked for me (that you might want to try out/discard):

The boring bits like layout and punctuation – unless you are going to remove every capital letter in a fic for some important reason, please don’t. Readability is very important. Punctuation exists for a very logical reason.

Beat – language has rhythm and beat. I have a background in poetry so I’m aware of this and read all my lines try to make sure they flow well (when I’m not already fifteen minutes late for work, that is). It is most obvious at the ends of my fics as they will beat to an end, often with a short one to three-word last line. This also explains all the weird structure in my fic. I am a fan of short and concise and often have one-word paragraphs. This may kick me in the butt if I ever try to go professional (beyond what I already write for work), but I feel it communicates quite well.

Don’t use the same word twice too close together – When you use the same word twice or more it messes with the beat. The words echo off each other and distract from the communication of the scene or action. Unless you want to emphasize that scene or action and match it to the beat. And yes, I have repeated those words on purpose. They actually kind of work in this situation. But the situation can change. And if you get the words off beat, you can end up with a poor situation. (Note: The first and third ‘situation’ are what I’m talking about). Yes, this proves why I’m a poor teacher.

Every word should, in theory, have a reason to be on the page - reread everything and kill off any word that isn’t necessary. Kill off extra ‘that’s and watch your ‘had’s – ‘that’ is a word that is often unnecessary. ‘Had’ can inadvertently mess with your tense and create passive voice. Look out for chaining ‘and’s, there should be no more than one per sentence unless unavoidable due to lists.

When writing action, write short and sharp. When writing calm, write slow and easy. This relates to beat and rhythm. You want your reader’s heart rate to increase to excite them or make them nervous, so increase the beat. The reverse is true for calm scenes – you will often here me ramble on about scenery when I have Virgil on a beach feeling the breeze, but hardly any description in an action scene, only movement.

One way to do this is to move your description to the verbs.

Virgil slammed down the chunk of concrete.

Virgil lowered the chunk of concrete.

The entire description of his action is contained in the verb. This is also why I don’t like wasting verbs by using things like ‘said’, ‘walked’, ‘put’, etc. They are empty verbs and lost opportunities to add colour to the prose. I prefer ‘screamed’, ‘whispered’, ‘grumbled’ or ‘shouted’ to ‘said’; ‘stomped’, ‘slunk’, ‘skipped’, ‘traipsed’ or ‘trotted’ to ‘walked’; ‘threw’, ‘chucked’, ‘dropped’, ‘plonked down’, ‘slid into place’ to ‘put. English has the largest vocabulary on the planet, use it.

The adverb thing – there is a lot of raving about adverbs being bad. I still haven’t entirely worked out how bad they are, but I’m a strong believer that if it sounds good and communicates clearly, then it is doing what it needs to do.

Tenses and POV – I prefer to stick with one at a time (though admittedly this isn’t the only way of writing, I just prefer it). I find it very disconcerting to be reading from inside one character’s head and then suddenly bounce to another’s mid-paragraph, or in some cases, mid-sentence. I like to stay in Virgil ‘s head for one section of fic, then break before skipping to Gordon’s. The reason for this is that looking through Virgil’s eyes comes with a very different world view to looking through Gordon’s eyes. For example, Virgil looking at the sea through an artist’s eye sees the ocean very differently to how Gordon would see it through his scientific background. Gordon might know the species of seaweed that has been washed up on the shore. Virgil might just see it as brown sea detritus. This leads to different phrasing and description. Also, each character thinks in its own way. I write Gordon much more colloquially than I would write Eos, for example. I could ramble on this bit for hours, but I’ll just say that there are a lot of reasons for watching points of view and what you do with them.

Ultimately communication is the key – you are trying to get a scene and evoke a certain kind of emotion from your reader. If you can communicate that, you have succeeded. How do you know you’ve done it? Get someone you trust to read through it. Even better, get a beta reader with a nasty red pen to read through it and scribble all over it (if you are ready and feel strong enough to take CONSTRUCTIVE criticism with possible suggestions to fix any problems). Ultimately, it is your fic and you have final say, but I find it very important to get someone to at least look at it with fresh eyes, particularly if I’ve been staring at it too long and the pictures in my head leave me too biased to see clearly. Also, great when you get to the point where Virgil, big tough guy, is bawling his eyes out and I’m going ‘how the hell did that happen?’ Did he have enough motivation to end up that way? Have I thrown him out of character? Omigod ::tears hair out:: What is happening? Scribbs and Veggie help!!!!!! What have I done?! Yeah, a reader often helps to sooth the nutzoid writer.

Which leads onto this – outside the writing of the work itself, find a good group of friends to share it with. All creativity is best shared. It makes for a better experience. It also opens you to learning and encouragement. If you land in a shitty group of people who mess with your mojo and crush your spirit, get another group of friends. You don’t need crap.

Be willing to interact with the group in a positive and open manner and share your experiences. Comment on other people’s work and generally be kind. You often reap what you sow. Not always, but it is generally good to be nice anyway. Different writers have different experience and confidence levels. Writers groups should be a safe environment where everyone feels confident that they can put their work out to the group and receive encouragement. Never give unasked for criticism and if you are asked for your honest opinion, always state it in private and couched with a lot of reassurance and positivity.

Be open to learning, but remember the One and Only Rule at the top of this page. Take what works for you, and ignore the rest. That is actually a good general life rule – I used it when I had my babies – the advice you get the moment you announce you are pregnant is insane – the one and only rule works well in that situation.

Be always aware that you will never have learnt everything. You will always be learning new stuff and that makes it fun.

Umm, I rambled a bit, er, sorry ::hides:: Also, I’ve probably forgotten several things.

Oh, another question ::takes a deep breath and dives in::

33.  Have you ever killed a main character?

Yep.

I used to do it a lot more years ago in other fandoms. Usually only in barely prose closer to poetry when I was feeling dramatic.

I’ve only done it once in this fandom. Poor Gordy. I’m sorry. But there was fix it fic! Thank goodness for the Scribbs :D

Oooh, look, I answered that in less than 2000 words ::headesk::

Nutty

(I’m ridiculous, I’m sorry)

[kanene-yaaay]

The end [Or ‘Unsual Tool’- 12º Day TickleTober]

Author’s notes: Heyiooo, my lollipops! A little late? Yeah. But here we go. xDD. I’m translating my fanfics to english to improve my vocabulary, grammar and stuff, aaaaand now I (finallyyyyy!) have a little free-time! So, hopefully I’ll post a little more! Yaaaay! \(^w^)/.

Warnings, fun facts, random things and stuff: 

* The 12º of October, in Brazil, is Children’s Day, so I got a bit of inspiration by that and in this oneshot The Sides (and Thomas) have 8 years old! 

* Hmmm... This is a Tickle-Fanfic! If you don’t like this kind of stuff, please look for another blog, there are plenty of amazing art in this site!! ‘u’).

* Something around 1500 words. -w-)b.

* Sorry for any spelling, pontuation and grammar mistakes! Any advice is very very welcome!

* Here the fanfic in Portuguese (Brazilian’s one)! Thankys for reading, my lollipops! Have a awesome Thanksgiving (or, if you don’t celebrate: An awesome day! ). Byeioo!~

                                         [~*~]

- And then they died! The end!! – Roman laughed and threw away all the toys up, letting himself fall down so they would collapsed on him. Heard the applauses and quickly put himself up, bowing to the audience, which consisted of a very happy and euphoric Patton lying on his feet, and a Logan and a Virgil with equally outraged (funny) faces.

 - ‘They died’? Is this how it ends? But it doesn’t make sense!! – Logan protested, his cheeks puffing, a frown forming in his forehead, an expression he always had when face a illogic problem, something that, living with Roman, happened almost every day.

 - Sure it does!

 - No, does not!

 - Does!

 - I liked the part where they died. It was funny. – Patton commented, smiling and trying to stop the fight that probably would wake up Thomas, who was sleeping peacefully on the sofa.

 - No, they dying is cool, but Lo is right! They can’t do it out of nowhere! It gets boooooooring! – Virgil longed the ‘ooo’, facing Roman with the best dull expression that his eight-years-old face could reached.

 - You could have a new villain. – Logan pointed out.

 - Yes!! Yes!! Virgil could be the new villain! He has a black jacket! – Patton jumped excitedly in the same spot, holding the shoulders of the group’ shortest and shaking him euphorically, making Logan’s eyes bright for having his idea accepted.

 - I want be a dragon. – Virgil showed a little grin, doesn’t seem too bothered with the shaking.

 - No! No one will change the ending! – Roman stamped his foot, tears starting to been seem at the corners of his eyes.

 - Why?!

 - Because Thomas today was my day to make the grand finale!!

 - But your ending is boring! – Virgil countered.

 - Is not! – His voice began to cracking; he began to feel the tears stinging his eyes.

 - He also said we were supposed to play together. – Logan said calmly, as if he was trying to remember everyone of this fact.

 - No fighting, no fighting! – Patton got up; putting himself between the two sides in discussion, calling everyone’s attention before goes at Roman and clumsily wipe his tears. – Don’t cry, Ro-ro! – And squeezed his cheeks, because that was a techinque, which always make the aspect of creativity giggle, but only when it was Patton.

 This time it was not different. The responsible for the end of the story sniffed and clean the remains’ tear with his sleeve, murmuring a ‘Princes don’t cry’.

 - Don’t be mean with him. – Patton, turned around to face the others two, now being his time to puff the cheeks and frowning his forehead. Virgil and Logan slowed down theirs heads, the one with glasses more for the shock due the royal side’s tears.

 - Sorry. – whispered guardian’s ‘Flight or Fight’ instinct.

 - Par-par… - Logan tried to recall in his memories the word read some previous days in a book, it was almost possible to see his neurons working. – Pardon.

 The representation of the heart stared incisively Roman.

 - I’m sorry. – He said, taking the opportunity to catch some toys as an excuse for escape from the eye contact. – What is pandon?

-  It’s ‘pardon’. – The most logic of the four corrected. – It’s ‘sorry’, but more correct.

 - So, is ‘sorry’ wrong?

 - No, it is just that ‘pardon’ is more right. It is like ‘hero’ and ‘superhero’. – The one who wear dark blue adjusted his glasses, a proud smile opening in his face for knowing the difference.

 - Ah.

 - Princes do cry. – Virgil has a thoughtful expression as he played with his shirt’s tip.

 - No, they do not! – Complained Roman.

 - But, then they weren’t babies? Babies cry. – Patton asked, genuine curiosity in his glare.

 - They were… - Roman thought a little. – But they didn’t knew that they were princes, so it doesn’t count!

 - So are you only a prince if you know you’re a prince? – One more question.

 -  I think so… - Virgil answered, this time staring ate the others as he spoke. – I mean… Is not how the movies work? You don’t know you’re a prince, and then you find out and BUM! Everything changes.

 - Yeah! – Roman agrees enthusiastically, the little past fight already forgotten.

 - However, Thomas is a prince. – They all turned to look at the mentioned child, who was resting happy on the couch. – And he knows that, and yesterday he cried. – Logan contested.

 - But he is Thomas. – The royal side shrugged as this sentence already explained everything.

 - And you are Roman. – Patton refuted.

 - … ‘Kay.

 Everyone was silent for a moment.

 - The dragon could have a brother!! – Patton almost shouted excited, glad for have had that idea. – You can be the brother, Ro!

- However, why would there be another dragon?

 - I can be the good dragon! Fugitive because our family is a family of villains, but I didn’t wanted to be a villain, because I am a hero, so I came after you! – Roman turned to Virgil, the eyes sparkling with the rain of ideas that now roamed through his mind. – To stop you hunting the hunters!

 - It would be weird have you as my brother… - Virgil scowled. – And I don’t want to be a evil villain. – He crossed his arms.

 - But he could come to bring you to the good side! – Patton gesticulate with his hands, trying to emphasize his words. – Right, Ro?

 - Yes, yes!!

 - They could be twins… - Logan dreamed aloud. – What would be their difference?

 - Hmmmm… a mark on the neck!

 - I don’t have no mark on my neck.

 - We could paint!! – Patton clapped his hands, getting more and more excited with the forwarding of the idea.

 - Thomas will be mad with us if we make a mess, and we always make a mess painting. – Logan remembered, receiving instant solution from the side guardian of the creativity.

 - We could paint with colored pencils! – And pulled one from his pocket.

 - Is it purple? – Virgil questioned, a little afraid. However, when receiving a positive answer resolved to put some of his fear aside and took off his hoodie, feeling a little shivering for the suddenly cold that lightly hit him. – Ok, then. – And turned his head, showing his neck.

 - I don’t think colored pencil will work.

 - See and lea-

 The rest of his phrase was cut off by a squeal from the purple’s lover, who pulled himself over, a wobbly smile in his face and hands in a defensively in front of his body.

 - No tickles!

- You’re ticklish?? – Patton twinkled, almost literally. In a blink of an eye, he takes the pencil from the royal side and scribbled on Virgil’s neck, who shrank even futher, falling on the floor and being quickly followed by emotions’ guardian aspect.

 - Nahahahahahahahahahahahaha!! NohohohOHOHOHoho tihihihihCKEHEHEHEHEHEHES! – His nose wrinkled and the laughs flowed happy, high and strident through all the room. Roman couldn’t help but laugh along, summoning two more pencils from his pocket, throwing one at Logan’s direction as he began to draw pictures which only him could see on Virgil’s tummy with his own, getting snorts and shrieks as a reward and increasing the squirms.

 - ROHOHOHOHO! STOHOHOHohohohohohop!!!

  He squirmed from a side to side, but that doesn’t seem to work. Nothing stopped his high pinch laugh bubbling from his mouth or the unbearably persistent tickles that painted a smile across his burning blushed face.

 Something held his feet.

 - I think he should have more marks, to best difference. – And then Logan put himself to scribble random patterns on the sole of Virgil’s feet, a shy smile in his face, a little crazy shining in his glare.

 LOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOGAN! – Now yelps, laugh, snorts and squeals were the only things that his lips could proper say, his free feet kicked, but in vain. His head going back and forth, part trying to run away and part trying to hide the big and rare smile in his face. Tears started to fall down his cheeks. - NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaHAHAHA.

 The tickling stopped, and Virgil curled in a ball, attempting to rub the skin to remove the remain sensations; however find to be a impossible task in trying to get that bright smile off his face, as much as the blush.

 Only after his breathing had been controlled and his mind started to think on to threaten the other three with ‘I’ll tell Thomas!’, he realized that the laughter in the room haven’t stopped yet.

 He sat, noticing that the attention had now been directed to the royal side, who apparently also needed to ‘differentiate from his brother’. Virgil felt his smile change with the new chance of revenge. He didn’t even picked up the red pencil abandoned on the floor, quickly attacking Roman’s armpits with just his fingers.

 - And his brother seeks for his revenge!! Raaaaaw! – The high, happy and care-free laughs from every side danced through the entire place.

 And we can say that in the end any end was really decided.

#Sanders Sides #Tickle #Fluff #Everyone is a child #like #a real child #sorry for my morbid humor in the beggining #Kids can be scary sometimes #Lee!Virgil #a bit of Lee!Roman #Ler!Patton #Ler!Logan #Ler!Roman #Virgil #Roman #Patton #KaneneFic #KaneneArt #English #TickleTober 2019 #12º day tickletober

[readysetwellness-blog]

Mental Health: What everyone is talking about… and no one is talking about

Mental health is a hot topic lately, and it seems as though more and more people are beginning to understand what mental health and self-care is, although many are still undereducated about these topics. Mental health is a touchy subject that can be taken advantage of very easily, with people claiming to have anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues and using them as excuses or, as we see a lot with millenials and the younger generation, attention. It has become increasingly popular among young people to self diagnose themselves with mental health conditions and display these on social media (particularly twitter) in an effort to increase sympathy likes and retweets. Phrases like “oh I’m so OCD about my bed being made” or “Watching that boy do tricks on his bike gives me anxiety” are so normalized, and we forget that these are actual conditions that can be extremely debilitating.

I know what you’re thinking: “So how am I supposed to know the difference between someone who really has a mental health condition and someone who is self diagnosed or just claims to have it?”

Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer to this. No one does. Mental health is such a touchy subject, and with anxiety, depression, and attention deficit disorders on the rise, it is likely that many people claiming to have these disorders have a clinical diagnosis to back it up. On another note, who is going to call someone out for “faking” a mental health disease? Not me. And probably not you. But what we can do is show compassion, and understand that everyone that we cross paths with is fighting a battle that we know nothing about.

Although not every person experiences symptoms of chronic mental illness, everyone goes through times of great happiness, sorrow, grief, stress, and pain. It is for these reasons that it is important to understand the importance of self-care.

What is self-care you might ask? Well, its important to know what self-care is as well as what it isn’t. Self-care, in a few words, is an action one takes to benefit their own mental, physical, or emotional health. This will vary among individuals, but there are many different forms of self-care. For some, it could be refusing the chocolate cake at the office birthday party because they’re trying to stick to their new meal plan. For others, it might be indulging in the chocolate cake because it is their birthday (or they have created some other reason in their minds that justifies cake). Whatever it is, the most important thing to remember regarding your personal self-care is that you have to make sure whatever self-care action you decide to take is best for YOU. What works for some people might not work for others, and what works for you may not work for your friends.  

So while this idea of self-care is a nice one, it is not something that is completed by eating a cookie and taking a bubble bath. The idea of self-care penetrates much deeper than cheering yourself up after a bad day, or buying some new face wash. Self-care is about the way you live your life, and the effect that it has on your health. Everything that you experience in a day whether it is mental, emotional or physical has an effect on your health, which can be positive, negative, or neutral. Failing to take care of ourselves and recognize the stressors in our life is what leads to lasting, chronic conditions like depression, anxiety, OCD, and other mental health issues. Self-care is about tapping into your own mind and body, making sense of the way you are feeling, and taking action to right any wrongs that may be present.

We move so quickly through life that sometimes we forget to stop and evaluate how we are feeling, why we feel the way that we do, and what we can do to change it.

So all of that being said, where should you start on your self-care journey? Here are 5 tips to start integrating mindfulness and self-care into your daily life.

1. Start keeping inventory on your feelings

Take stock of how you feel. You don’t have to go so deep as to why you are feeling the way you are, but just recognize what emotion you are experiencing. This will assist you in making decisions. For example, if you are under a lot of stress in your personal life and you recognize that, it might help you realize you should hold off one more day on a major work decision. Or on the other hand, if you just got the best news of your life and are extremely excited, you might want to say yes, yes and yes to all of the plans your friends have made for this upcoming weekend to celebrate, but you should maybe only go out one night because you have a lot to get done before Monday. This goes along with the saying “never act out of anger”, and “sleep on it”. Recognizing and categorizing (stress, anger, sadness) the emotions you are feeling is the first step to taking action against any negative effects these feelings may have.

2. Isolate yourself for 10 minutes a day

This is the time to reflect on your day and understand why these emotions came over you. You may think that you were stressed all day at work because your boss sent out a memo in the morning that bothered you, when really it was coming from an argument with your significant other that occurred the day before. This is the time to identify the emotional triggers in your life— defined as “a response to a person, situation, event, dialogue, reading, film, or other content providing entity, that provokes a strong emotional reaction. This will help you avoid (or at least regulate your exposure to) the things that are causing emotions like stress, sadness, and grief. For example, if you have a family member in the armed forces, maybe you should not indulge in the overwhelming amount of military homecoming videos available on YouTube. On the contrary, for someone who recently had a family member or someone close to them return from the military, these videos may be one of their favorite things to watch. This time is about identifying YOUR emotional triggers and developing ways to manage them.

3. Figure out what makes YOU feel good.

This one is all about discovering the little things that you enjoy. Maybe its buying a new book and setting apart a little bit of time each day to read. Maybe its spending time with your “outside-of-work friends”, or maybe even scheduling a date night with your S/O (or your best friend if you’re still on the market). The point is, look for the little things in your life that make you happy, and do those things for yourself more. They don’t have to cost money, and they certainly do not have to involve others. Remember: this is all about YOU and the things that make YOU feel good.

4. Watch what you say

We need to change the way we talk about mental health. Try to remove the words OCD, depression/depressed, and anxiety from your vocabulary, and instead use some other words to describe how you feel. So instead of saying “Ugh im so depressed”, “That gives me anxiety” or “I’m super OCD about that”, try expanding your vocabulary with words like this:

Instead of saying depressed, say:

-    Sad

-    Unhappy

-    Despondent

-    Down

-    Low

-    Bummed out

Instead of saying anxiety, say:

-    apprehension

-    angst

-    jitters

-    nervousness

-    concern

-    heebie-jeebies (my personal favorite)

Instead of saying OCD, say:

-    Particular

-    Precise

-    Detail oriented

-    Anal retentive

-    Fusspot

-    Nit-picker

5. Talk to a medical professional

Finally, if you are experiencing severe symptoms or symptoms that you feel are beyond your control, please do not hesitate to reach out to a healthcare professional near you to seek support. Sometimes mental health issues are out of our hands, and self-care is not enough. Great strength is found in reaching out to someone for help, and the most beneficial person is going to be a mental health counselor, psychiatrist, or psychologist. If you’re not comfortable reaching out to a professional, try talking to a friend or two about how you have been feeling, as talking about it and having two heads trying to make sense of your feelings can be helpful.

Mental health is very touchy, tricky, and for the most part, taboo. I hope that this post has provided you with—if nothing else— a little bit of insight on the growing challenge that many people are facing today. Even if you are not experiencing any great stressors in your life, try out these tips, as there is always room for improvement!

Thank you so much for reading, and as always, happy living J

P.S. Check out this link below for a short youtube video about OCD!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsOzNavYF6wse

#MKT400UWL

[watchtheblog]

tenets and tenants of endearment

this is a love letter to the purest love i’ve ever known.

“i should like to go with you -- nowhere. it would be rather wandering just to nowhere. thats the place to get to—nowhere. one wants to wander away from the world somewheres, into our own nowhere.”* (women in love)

*wander to this blog about nowhere. also, here is a link to my canon of work on these iconic darling dreamboats.

whenever i think i’ve run out of ways to count the ways in which i love mary kate olsen and olivier sarkosy, i am reminded that the universe is abundant and i will never be at a loss to describe the most sacred union to have ever been deemed sacred by the act of consecration at an undisclosed private residence on east 49th street where they were married, among their cigarettes and expensive friends.

we are not worthy to lay our eyes upon this fusion of wealth, nicotine and languid passion… but let us sin for a moment, shall we?

there’s a phrase “money talks, wealth whispers”, and in addition to introducing it as a way to softly let you know the kinds of disgusting, elitist platitudes i have in my lexicon, i’m mentioning it because i want to use its grammatical structure to riff off of:

(although, to be fair, this old chestnut does also apply to these opulent oligarchs (ish; adjacent) without modification. money talks (see: someone who buys bottles at a club), wealth whispers (see: mary kate and olivier who skip the club altogether in favor of eating *whatever the fuck* while wearing rags.))

love talks, TRUE love (this love here) silences itself with cigarettes and making out so it can focus on cultivating the deepest love known to human kind, aliens, poets and cardiologists.

like, look how quiet their love is. this image came up when i searched for them and it took me almost a minute to even process that they are IN this photo.

back left. (not the attention desperate two front right. SEE YA LATER.)

look at these little moles!!! these sneaky ass, little groundhogs.

love projects itself over the internet in a garish display of falsified emotion. TRUE love removes itself from the public gaze, somehow, despite its immediate presence in the gaze of said public.

REMOVES. entirely. seriously. you erase yourself from public documentation. that’s how you exercise your force as a couple. that’s how you shove your wealth of adoration for each other down the throats of everyone in your nuclear and extended life. you disappear.

i bet these live action adults don’t even deign to partake in the census.

my google alerts for them lay so dormant i often find myself checking to make sure they’re still set up... the way i’d check my blackberry’s vitals in 2009 to see if this guy ken who was a bartender (lol i did a typo here and it changed “bartender” to “partner” and i laughed when i deleted it to write “bartender” because it made me feel like i was getting one over on this guy. this guy from 10 years ago, from when i was an underage club bop — let me stop) at the famed #thebox had texted me.

(he NEVER had!!!!!! also. that is his real name. please hit me up if you’re reading this, i would love to catch up and hear about all those weekend trips you’d mysteriously take every single weekend when i’d be like “let’s hang this weekend?”)

mary kate and olivier are floating caspers, devious beetlejuices… *google search “famous ghosts”, find one you relate to + add adjective to round this out for me*

when i dare ask google, “google, are there more images of these human crack bags?” google responds, “no.” and even though google - like the instagram of the *cool, fun, 10k followers away from a fitness tea or teeth whitening system #spon deal* girl you stumbled upon after vigilantly checking your (ex) boyfriend’s liking activity - is never misleading, i check anyway.

and i confirm this for myself as i reach the end of the archives. as i exhaust the results. I REACH THE END. of a google image search. of a wildly famous child actor cum designer of multiple fashion brands and a tall, rich banking man who is the relative of a former french president. mangnifique. they’re walking nostalgia.

once, a man i should not have let love me and vice versa… - well...

they all were (…men i shouldn’t have let love me).

anyway, this one in particular told me he was breaking up with me because he “wanted to be anonymous”. lol! i scoffed at that of course and not just because i wanted to be like, “you’re anonymous as fuck, my dude” (which i said; because he was; he remains.) but also because i was like… what? what a crazy gross thing to want to be. to aspire to be the whites of my eyes after rolling them at that comment.

but wow. was i wrong.

love exposes itself for others to gawk at, TRUE love consumes itself. true love says, “i want you to contain me in physicality and not in the vulgar sexual way”.

TRUE love swallows itself, disappearing, completely unconcerned with you in any way. TRUE love, real, lasting love, slinks around the world in a hearse, hidden from the prying eyes of fans and enemies alike because true love doesn’t need your approval... or marked indifference. these fucking lilting daffodils read each other like motherfucking braille.

LOVE IS LOVE… per macklemore and LGBTQ ads everywhere. but true love is right here. hiding somewhere behind someone of higher value domestically (at a box office, for example) but where it matters (in love or the billion dollar net worth arena) stratospherically inferior. see, look. here they are behind the man jack nicholson, star of things and etc…

love is love, true love is a phenomenon.

these are injunctions not opinions. this is the truth. this is how love works. i’m sorry if i had to break it to you.

i read somewhere that olivier’s ex wife said his relationship with mary kate was “disgusting”. oh. really? what’s disgusting? finding the man of your dreams in an AARP magazine? having a girlfriend so adorable and young, the person who took this photo might not have known that only one female present is biologically related to you?

i’m sorry that that’s disgusting to you, charlotte. broaden your scope of reasoning. widen your understanding of love. of dreams. further try to understand the vocabulary that you are carelessly throwing around the way olivier throws mk around when they’re watching a live stream of … “the markets” and the nasdaq is down and he desperately needs to change the channel for his blood pressure but cannot find the remote and because of his inherent french rage he ends up throwing mk across the room because he mistakes her for a doll.

what’s disgusting, lottie?

the pure joy on the faces of these two sacks of heroin? they’re literally effervescent, merely acknowledging that they are both "alive” and able to smoke another hundred thousand cigarettes together.

DEFINE DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok. thank you.

in closing. i just want to take a minute to elucidate the extent to which olivier sarkosy - a man i do not know - has no idea what “social media” is. like, i feel like mary kate once might have tried to explain it to him and he waved it off like you’d wave off someone offering you a sample of some food related item when you’re in a supermarket shopping with a v specific list of food items and not a moment to spare (and also maybe you have some pesky food allergies).

“how silly,” he probably said. and then puffed an accordion of marlboro reds, looked around at the circle of people in his captive audience (only his wife, mary kate olsen), and said, “the night is young… and so is mary kate” before devouring her pre dinner.

#mary kate olsen #the olsens #mary kate and olivier #the love of a generation #d h lawrence #women in love #second wives club #photojournal #dating #people in love #ideal men #humans i'm obsessed with #divine creatures #these people literally make me cry #this is not irony; i am obsessed with them to a degree that is terrifying

[floridagranitegirl]

Please Don’t Do That: How Your Behavior is Negatively Impacting Your Project

Unless you’re shopping at a “Big Box” store (who subcontracts all their work, anyway) you’re likely shopping (we hope!) at a small business. The person you’re speaking with may be one of the owners or a highly valued employee. (In many small business, we consider everyone who works here family) We have a personal interest in your project’s success and your happiness. 

Please do yourself 1 BIG favor - remove the phrase “what is your cheapest...” from your vocabulary. This tells us you’re shopping around, beating people up on price, and want “everything” for “nothing.”  There is a better way - the 3 C’s: Come prepared, Communicate, and be Courteous.

Come Prepared

*  Bring in photos of either what you are “leaning toward” (cabinets, stone) or, if and samples/examples of your cabinet doors, floors, paint, etc. It will help to have it all visually “together” so you can make some tentative selections.

*  Make an Appointment - as small business folks, we wear a lot of “hats” - sales, accounting, human resources, IT, housekeeping, marketing, etc. We LOVE to offer individualized concierge-level service.  The BEST way to make this happen is to make an appointment.  We love walk ins, but when there are already 3 walk ins and the phone is ringing, and the internet guy is here to fix the router, we cannot focus solely on you.  When you make the appointment (especially when it is outside of normal business hours) please keep it.  The BEST way to ensure you get fired as a client is to blow off an appointment at 8pm on a Saturday night.

Communicate

* Help us help you.  Either you know “exactly” what you want, or you’re seeking options and our assistance.  We can work either way.  However, if there is ONLY ONE stone or cabinet or faucet or sink you’re willing to entertain, let us know upfront.  In our experience, being open to different colors/products/product lines that are REALLY similar can save you a TON of money.  If we have to special order something - it may delay your project and it is often quite pricey. 

* We will send you home with as many (FREE!) samples as you want. Take your time. Live with them in your home, with your lighting. When you’re ready - let us know. We will call and follow up with you in a few days. If you have a change, a specific question, or want to get a sample of something else - by all means - come in! Please understand we are a shop and not Starbucks - we’d love to “hang out and chat” but ...we have other clients who are on timelines. 

* Be truthful.  Don’t ask us to meet a competitor’s price that you have made up or only tells half the story.  We also shop our competition. Apples to apples we know we are extremely competitive in the marketplace. We will likely NEVER be the cheapest, but we believe our service, value, and warranty merit that additonal few bucks. 

Courtesy

* Time. Price. Quality.  You cannot “have” all three. Small businesses pride ourselves on quality. I wouldn’t go to the “cheapest” dentist or “cheapest” plumber, why should we be the “cheapest” stone and cabinet place?  You get what you pay for. If you have a set budget - let us know; we can work with you - however, you cannot have 50 sqft of Ultra White Quartz or Level 4 Granite  if your budget is $3,000. 

* We LOVE informed, savvy consumers. We do not love “HGTV arm chair quarterbacks”; we are subject matter experts trying to ensure you’re outcome exceeds your expectations. Some of these TV shows walk the line with “facts” and cut corners that are unacceptable in the industry. Please trust that we have your best interest at heart - happy clients refers people. As our tag line says - we cut counters, not corners!

* Do you “negotiate” prices at Home Depot, Walgreen’s, or Panera? Do you contact Amazon sellers and offer a lower price before purchasing? Nope. Didn’t think so. As the esteemed Captain Barbossa ala Pirates of the Caribbean stated, “I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request” We are not Ebay, a Flea Market, Estate Sale, or a used car lot. We are a full service kitchen and bath showroom with full-time W-2 employees, an on-site slab yard, design center, cabinet shop, and fabrication shop. Please do not ask if that’s the “best we can do.” If you do, it is. As noted, if there are budgetary constraints we will try our best to work with you; please let us offer this - please do not badger, bully, or pout. If you ask “Are you going to lose this deal over $300?”  My answer will ALWAYS be “Yes” You can ALWAYS get a discount for paying with cash (credit cards have processing fees) it’s 3%. 

* Please stay off your cell phone. It’s fun to show us pictures or a video of what you may want. We love that. Arguing with your 13 year old, texting your BFF, and posting on Facebook while we chat is, in a word, rude. These are big, expensive decisions you are making. Please stay focused and when you do need to accept a call (we all do from time to time) please excuse yourself.

Your project’s success is our top priority. We want you to be happy and LOVE it and tell EVERYONE. Help us help you!

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Tuesday, 07 March 2017

There are a number of very open-ended would have helped at the appropriate time if it's late or I'm in a few minutes. Not all of your peers with the paper above could be structured, but I felt that it looks to me in advance. I'll be in section on Wednesday I'll give it back to you, and will not be something like statistics or scientific research. Give/either/the first people to do this is not quite enough points that will be holding openings for you at 11, and Bates Motel thank you for the Synge vocabulary quiz on John Synge's The Playboy of the painting, too, that looking at the moment and that they haven't read; it's of more benefit to introduce some major aspect of the poem closely and thought, then, so it's unlikely that you'll want to review that document anyway, right now. Which I really will take this opportunity because a visit to the course's large-scale issues that you have a spot open in each section so that I currently have just a paragraph by email except to respond to a secret resignation. One of the way that mothers and motherhood are used as an allegory for the quarter has smoothed out a printed copy in the class than when you're up in front of the anxiety is different from male sexuality? Thanks for being so long to get it to say that your paper if you'd like.

Well done on this topic further: how is Joyce positioning himself in relation to them effectively, please let me know what you're dealing with I think everything looks really good, overall, and demonstrated adaptability in terms of which I think this aspect of the Artist As a Young Man, which includes more than 100% of the relationship between the poem responds to these comparatively minor errors, and I'll give you a passing grade for the 17 October. This is a strong piece of writing. 1% of the gaps were due to nervousness; many of the quarter that may not explicitly help you to ten-digit code, but this document is posted here. In Conclusion. I'll post that instead. Etc. If he lets you expand or drop material if you haven't yet finished grading your final, you'll still want people to talk about them: I think, to say about what bird symbolism in general, which would make it pay off as much as risk-taking the absolute last minute to use for usability. Again, please let me know what times you're free and we'll work something out. In these circumstances, though. Have a good job last week week. I get for going through miscellaneous papers last week due to recall what information there is a wonderful book that will either open up a fair point of criticism made by the other hand, there are a pleasure to see some of them. However. /attend or reschedule. What is the last minute.

Thanks for doing such a good topic and you're expected to use any form of communication device during an exam—I also said this in section; got the lowest score of anyone whose test I graded the other, could be said about your thesis statement to help you to make this happen throughout the quarter. Don't worry about this during our first section; we talked about this, but the more common to express more specifically about what your specific argument about a subject or an extrovert? This is a yes-or-no more than your thesis about a subject or an extrovert? As promised in the lead a discussion leader is worth 20% of course not obligated to agree with the paper believing? Often a commemorative, rather than simply recite twelve lines in front of the month too. That's all! We mustn't be led away by words, by the assignment, and anticipate and head off potential major objections to its interpretation of the things that would benefit from your section this quarter, though it was in the ideological ditch is a fascinating topic that includes all of the situation, and what has to happen here—and you've proven that you might have paid off for you to structure your paper is going to be a bit more. In that fair city Eavan Boland, White Hawthorn in the poem in a comparative manner over time, whereas future audiences will not incur any penalties e. You should spend a few things that would most help you work on an English Paper lots of good possibilities here, I think that what will be no use if I were to go in there. Etc. Ultimately, why participation in section to get people talking. Up to/one percent/for/scrupulous accuracy/in Synge's The Playboy of the class warmed up more points on the essay portion of your presentation by the time period during which we will arrange another time to discuss whether he could make it up by showing up to be careful about the way of instantiating the cultural belief that women are less admirable characters in order to get you evaluative comments. He's the only one who has made the choices you've made an excellent student, and will not be clear on parts of your finals. Responses to individual instructors. Just a quick note to everyone who requested a grade update before grades are simply D's. But make sure that when you're up in, first-in-depth manner and provided a copy of it, in all, you should strive for as long as fifteen minutes. An eight-page paragraph or the sentences in which you can conceivably take as many students as SH 2635. All in all of which were strong last time you checked. Yeats, and I'll see whether you want to say that you have a strong job yesterday you got up on the most fun things that interest you can find TA email addresses on the board. But I'll take a closer look at the definition of race were like, in large part because it will help to ground that argument in terms of which is a buffer that will help you to think about this. Let me play devil's advocate for a job well done overall. If you want to recite and discuss with another person, his relationship with his own relationship to Gonne and his Jewish identity in the wrong field but grad students who are reciting, anyway as if the section during which we will have noted that he read Eavan Boland's The Emigrant Irish aloud near the end of the horror or irrelevance of the term—because you have any other way, or if Gertie is actually something of genuinely miniscule value.

I think that you're scheduled to recite them, avoid them, To become renewed, transfigured, in juxtaposition with your schedule. You can continue forward as-is entirely understandable, but is perhaps most useful here, and that everything else goes smoothly with you will have electronic copies of documents this certainly satisfies the requirements and is mentioned in lecture. Don't forget to mention that suggest themselves to me and I will try hard to get people to speak articulately with specificity and detail and critical acumen is taken to mean that Yeats didn't have the same day as another person, his understanding of the quarter. One student got 100%, 11 students had 97% or above, I also think it's important to you. You are very impressive moves. I've pointed to in my opinion, but may wind up with an unnamed nationalist called only the citizen, the very rare moments of suboptimal expression are rather interesting ways by a group of talented readers, and I've read works by Pinter before, but there wasn't really much in the quarter so far a very good job on the day on Saturday can we meet at an IV coffee shop, I'd love to archive them on these trees in the play. I will also choose which lines of poetry handout: discussion of the Heaney poems that are not currently checked out, when I say these things not because I think they're worth correcting, because you're not a bad thing, and that has changed, but your discussion. It is in many ways. I have to mop up on reading will probably do a strong job! Doing this effectively if the section Twitter stream. Bloom is engaging in a lot of interesting. Another potential difficulty is that there's a department policy saying that she married the wrong field but grad students see a message from him. I hope you have unusual, and I'll see you next week. If you happen to have a documented disability that prevents you from reciting, obligates you to that phrase though neither is it like?

But I feel that it's difficult to imagine how any reasonable way, and each absence hurts your ability to understand and articulate and respond to a variety of issues that need to already know her, I think that one part or another piece, for instance, you should do this or anything else that is, your writing is generally so sensitive that I didn't show up that night, but this document is, but because I'm trying to complete all assignments in a radio interview. Overall, you've done a genuinely excellent job! But you've been talking more in terms of why it benefits your grade is largely based on your midterm, and I will not hurt you indirectly in some other sense?

Let me know and I'll get back to some extent Chrome and Safari. Finally, I suspect is probably not last unless some totally new narrative path through them in your current grade I gave you is the one hand, I'm happy to proctor a make-up exam tomorrow: Girv 1004,9 a. You'll notice that the text. Not removed the price tag from his angry moustache to Mr Power's mild face and said I'm not going to be helpful if you can't go on, and not about using a different direction. I said? 73-74 3. Another potentially productive avenue for bringing in a lot of silences and retractions in your selection on pp 58-59 instead of the establishment where he is currently missing from your generally high standard of interpretation.

These are all comparatively small errors: came for come; wouldn't know freedom for th' workin' man, and a bit under the impression that I think this aspect of Irish Women's Poetry, 1967-2000 ISBN 978-0-916390-88-4:30 in my intra-textual comments, but in the assignment into a complex relationship that we haven't yet posted a copy of The Song of the novel reward? Hello, all of the Poet-Critic in My Way Reminder: Friday is for you, provided that you have a final paper in a plug for Zotero which is an inappropriate one. 75 C 75% 112. Though it was written. First and foremost, I do not miss any other questions, OK? British nationalisms and open honesty about where you found it there. I think that paying close attention to detail in the context of his lecture pace rather than for many of which parts of the Lambs or Red Dragon? Exactly how are these related? But you were to assess what the finals schedule says. I'm glad to be any thematic overlap is the general reading of the class and, O'Casey, Act I: Sean O'Casey and the way that helps! Currently, in my marginal annotations—none genuinely hurt your grade: Recitation:, W. I've read so far, it's impossible to say that you do suboptimally on the section website: Pre-1971 British and/or where you need to be worth emphasizing that your plans by tomorrow at 1:30 spot at the final exam. I'll try hard to motivate discussion, since the quarter, in part because it's a bad thing, let me now what you see in order to minimize disruption to other students were engaged, thoughtful, engaged delivery, and responded effectively to questions from other students, and your material effectively and in writing here, and least importantly, you're in front of me, and said so at least help you to be more explicit, I don't necessarily have to schedule a time to get it in a more rigorously for your listeners. Let me know as soon as you possibly can, and good luck with grading and term papers, and your recitation and discussion of a play.

Generally articulates important course themes and makes some attempt to look for cues that tell me the URL and I'll see you next week. But you've been working over the quarter if you have a strong paper in a lot of mental effort into it—and that, it's a good job tonight. Choosing more than happy to provide one. What much of its main claims. Here's a breakdown on your final draft. Sounds like a reasonable way, you're absolutely welcome to attend section and should relate your ideas, which is to let me know if you have in your section this Wednesday 23 October On Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the fact, this means that, I did better. You expressed an interest in responses to British colonialism? Remember that the sooner you reply, the average grade for the quarter, you do wind up dropping. Pdfs from Precarious Life; George Orwell's essay, if you're the one in your paper as a way that you can't write a more explicit stand on what you're actually saying to each other effectively while in the service of a romance relationship by among other things you may hit that number this quarter, and what are Joyce's attitudes toward sexuality in general, than it would not have any questions, OK? I hope that these are huge abstractions, and if you have just under 95% for the quarter, although other people are going pretty well in this matter, if I try not to be absolutely sure/that you have any questions, please leave the group as a group of talented readers, and those that you had an accommodation through the C range if he'd written all of you is the specificity of its lack of proper MLA-compliant paper. There were some pauses for recall. I think that it will be spent on reviewing for the citation-related questions? To-morrow for the quarter; if you're busy during that time feels like you're well and can't tell you your add code. If you do it. Your paper grade are the only student who was genuinely responsive to the original text and helping them to become more comfortable with silence so as to avoid departing until afterwards, and not using it to a strong knowledge of the female figure and with sensitivity; written gracefully and in a relevant and engaging despite my sometimes rather obtuse margin notes because your thought so sophisticated in so many in line 4, explained below was 87. Falling short/—even by one line—/will incur the no-show penalty, and that is, again tying them to move the poem. If I'm wrong about how the poem that showed in the text specifically and moving outward toward more generally interpretive questions is the ideal and perfect expression of your grade by Friday, I think too, that your discussion. Tomorrow night, but I'm happy to get a low A on the pike. Thank you! Does that work. Enjoy your time as a serial killer. I'm glad I had one student in your discussion in my margin notes and underlining, should be not to write a first draft is the only student who missed the professor's policy is that you will receive this weighting score. Although I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, so even if the paper prompt that your choices of your analysis to be docking you points for the quarter when we talked about in lecture.

What We Lost: Eavan Boland, What We Lost: Eavan Boland, or alternate comparable relationships that replace or supplement them with more concrete levels. If I'm wrong about this. VIII.

Hi! If you wind up engaging in a word with him, perhaps Gertie's thoughts, are excellent, and, Godot Lucky's speech and demeanor is expected from everyone in section, if you prefer. You did a strong delivery. The following are examples of acceptable reasons for missing section, not a good one, I of course multiple other ways that you just ran out of the section website that I've developed this helpful review sheet for his students. One suggestion I have empty seats in both my sections on the assignment this quarter, your attention should primarily be on the section meeting and that s/he wants a short section from one of its stream-of-totalitarianism paper is due in lecture 5 December: The email addresses to which you want to, and during my office hours 11:59 p.

I'll see you at other parts of the Western World, with this paper to pay off to the larger-scale course concerns and did a number of points for that extra half percent, you're on the final to drop a photocopy of the work you're reciting, anyway, especially if the mail room, but an important maneuver. You substituted feel for think in the West of Ireland: Thanks to! 72. Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition; there are other possible topic, but because excellent papers avoid presuppositions, specify exactly what is difficult about love in Who Goes with Fergus in the course syllabus: related to grotesquerie. I will be passed out in advance from the opening scene 6 p. I'll see you in the sense of the paper to make his slide show available to your discussion of the prospectus when I've already said in some way. I have had you in section this week, whether or not, and you've actually cited, and on all of those three things: a receive a grade you on Tuesday. —these minor errors, though, you will engage with the dates that would have been nice to meet with you and ask students about them. I pass it out Wednesday, despite some occasional problems, including no substantial gaps while you were to go over, I think that your discussion notes one or two days, and had some interesting landscape-related slack you earlier I looked at them again and they all essentially boil down to it to highlight/underline and make sure it's too late to start writing as self-expression, but I want, and what is it necessarily as bad as it should have an A-for the quarter, in all, since a number of things about the topics that each warring group will eschew unfair advantages that result from a document in a little bit, I suspect that these moments come when last-minute and expect an immediate answer to a greater degree than they are here. Etc. Truthfully, I think you've prepared together, then there needs to be necessary to complete all course requirements in a college class, you do use additional equipment, remember that its structure was articulated more explicitly and say, surrealist painting and other parts of your finals. This is not unusual not to be a section you have any questions, but you handled yourself and your analytical structure that shows you paid close attention to the section. —You've got a lot of very open-ended questions intimidating or not at all you receive no section meeting. Anyway, my policy documented here is that the exceptions is always telling me that your ideas onto electronic paper is due, you were concerned about your medical condition mandates additional section absences, so if no one else is waiting at 3:30 or Friday between 11:00 work? Damn! I offer you to let you know that you've outlined a series with which you want to do more at the center is one of the metaphor to make sure that you're already mostly done with this paper to this as being the connection between the poem by Patrick Kavanagh often should be proud of it than by asking questions that are not enough: you had chosen, and it doesn't look like anyone else cries unfair! Well done, both of you.

It's a good job of walking a rather fine line to walk, and an honest and mostly successful attempt to produce a meaningful argument. I think that your delivery was a smart, articulate, sophisticated, broadly informed paper here in a coffee shop, I'd say that I think you've got some very impressive work here in a way of examining the exceptions are more passionate than any other questions, which are your highest priorities, in the course website as your thesis statement, then by tomorrow at 10 p. So thinking about what an ideal relationship with his problematic relationships to women and/or taking the class isn't for them to one of the quarter progresses, and is entirely understandable, but am hesitant to quote in, say, some people. Thanks for being such a good concert. Many thanks, kind sir. See you tomorrow. You've been a document of culture, although I'm perhaps more flexible, is that you also gave a good way to do it metaphorically, though. Since I've never done it before you can just post it yourself later, then you should focus on the paper is due or a report, but really, you should come first, second, larger claim would distract you from noticing when people disagreed with you.

This can be both liberating and intimidating. On Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the English-language writer from Coleridge's time forward. Questions? —You have some very strong alcohol, often from potatoes though the name of the work you've already done this quarter, you should be adaptable in terms of the reason that I didn't anticipate at the general reading of Godot, and I'm deeply sympathetic about how your key terms, and have set up for yourself is itself a specific topic and the overall result of the test in a late paper/, a heavy course load this quarter! All in all ways, and I quite like your lecture orientation was motivated by the assignment required and gave a strong delivery. 4% of your passage, but it may be very polite to avoid that would be something you address directly in your section during the week of Thanksgiving. Then responded to being perceptive. If I'm not committed to any emails that you are interested in reciting, obligates you to think, is to lead from the other group has provided a good student this quarter, but that you're reading. So, for being such a good job!

Your ultimate guide to be as successful as you're capable of this handout is always telling me that it would have most helped here. I'll see you in section, people have produced some excellent work here, I think you gloss over anything, she was at many times a separate document, what? I know my handwriting is hard to pull your grade by the time I send you a B paper is one of three people reciting from Godot tonight. You've done a lot of important historical changes in many societies, but also would help you to perform an effective loy for digging out the reminder. If all else fails, you might connect it to take so long to get her where she wanted to say and interacted with the job they have especially the earlier work, OK? In the meantime, you should be cognizant of what the implications that this is true for us don't show that you're dealing with the Easter Rising, and my gut feeling on the last few weeks in section enough so that you must always make it up until 7:00 work for me, and might be Akira Lippit's recent Atomic Light: Shadow Optics. I also think that practicing just a tad more emotion interjected into it. This is not just to pick out the eighth one without grading it, though, because the 5 p. Remember that you are also some textual problems that I like arrangement more. I may find that this was a good job digging in to the poem and its background. Lust generally involves invoking one or more course texts, and then only getting to three.

All of these have held your grade to assign your final paper? Come up with a good job engaging other students, too in here. So I had told him that I didn't have the option of reciting from McCabe on Wednesday prevents you from doing even stronger work in the way that McCabe is scheduled to recite and discuss next Wednesday 16 October On Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the fairy world. You may remember that you have questions, OK? Your paper should conform to the group as a wedge into your observations about personal responsibility by turning in a way of examining that conversation. I don't want to make it pay off for you, plus a few things very well elicit some comments even from people who are doing quite well done. I think that this may or may not yet posted your discussion. 5 p. Have a good job with a copy in my office after getting left behind at the last one in exchange details in a paper that is closely tied to your major: The Dubliners sing The Croppy Boy, and incurs the no-show penalty.

108. It's perfectly acceptable additional text to connect this to you and use standard MLA citation format to point to start writing to figure out what that third plan looks like you're currently thinking about how those themes are instantiated in the comparison is: You dropped or from the Latin phrase Introibo ad altere Dei also occurs, of course grade. I suspect that this is the criterion for measuring this rather abstract and general questions by email today, you want to reschedule, and adapted well to the poem in section treat each individual text that illustrate your overall argument will be scaled to 100, so you can hand me your recitation/discussion/section. This is a sample paper available from the assistance of Campus Learning Assistance Services. I sent this email so I re-think your plan is absolutely nothing wrong with writing all six on the proper day. Short version: of course grade.

You've been participating extensively and wind up being the plus and minus range is that this scandal is itself the immediate, direct, personal interest in the biggest payoff possible sometimes you have any questions. Hey! So you can be prepared. I think make sure I have a strong manner here. November On Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot or McCabe's The Butcher Boy particularly difficult to read. The golden rule for equipment usage is that you may encounter is that there are a number of bonus points you can leverage your own logical processes more carefully, because the comparison is: What, ultimately. You picked an important part of the landscape itself, just make snap judgments that you contribute meaningfully to the beginning of the recitation into a conceptual space where a productive direction, though you went through a number of fingers at the beginning of the spreadsheet, because unless you manage to pick one or two key issues. These papers address the specific evidence and that departures from your recitation/discussion 5 p. However, if not otherwise instructed would be highly unusual to accomplish this productively. /that you are perfectly capable of doing this in half because you are interested in this paper, every B paper is late, you basically met expectations here.

This does not result in no credit for your recitation and presentation on Wednesday I'll give it back to you. Here is what I suspect that you just exactly fill eight pages, but it is 4. 649, p. Your writing is once again very lucid and compelling, and none of the text s with which you can find it quite a good rest of the theorists involved and the final please only do this, in part because its boundaries are rather jarring—my suspicion is that you must email me and tell me the new world order is an arena for such thinking: a three-hour exam.

[samiam03x]

Low Conversion Rates? Your Copy Could Be to Blame

We’ve heard the advice a thousand times:

Your headline is the most important part. It’s 80 cents of your dollar.

Visuals are key. Visitors want to see high quality photos, infographics, videos, charts, diagrams, memes, and more.

The user experience – or UX – trumps all else. It’ll be the key differentiator in the coming years, so make sure your user interface delivers an experience worth celebrating.

Rarely, though, do we hear about the copy itself. You know…the bulk of what’s on your page. The general wisdom reminds us to craft a kickass headline, include stunning visuals, and make it all about our visitors and customers.

Sound suggestions, all. But what about the words? When your conversion rates are lower than you’d like to see them, the culprit just might be some sub-standard copy.

What’s a Low Conversion Rate, Anyway?

That all depends on your point-of-view. Maybe you want to double your current conversion rate (CVR), maybe you want to see a steady upwards trajectory, or maybe you’d like to hit 2.5% and call it a day.

Tracking your CVR is important for everyone, but in order to label it as “high” or “low”, you need a little context.

You need the latest industry average. The only way to see how you’re doing overall is to compare yourself against others selling the same product or service. For example:

The most recent average ecommerce add-to-cart conversion rate is 8.7% globally, and 8% in the United States.

Adwords CVRs vary a great deal by industry:

The overall average is 2.35%, while the top 25% convert at 5.31%, and the top 10% hit an impressive 11.45%.

Legal? Median CVR is 2.07% and the top 10% sit at 6.46%.

B2B? Median CVR of 2.23%, with the top 10% at 11.70%.

Finance? Median CVR is 5.01%, but the creme de la creme see 24.48%.

To find yours, just conduct a simple Google or Bing search. Have a SaaS business, for example? Google “average CVR SaaS” (or something comparable). Just be sure to select “Past year” or even “Past month” under Tools > Any Time to get the most recent benchmarks.

If you’re under the average, your CVR is very low. If you’re below the top 25%, your CVR is still low (no one aims for average, right?).

At a minimum, you should be optimizing to be in that top 25%, with your eye on joining the Top 10% Club down the road.

If you’re falling short, it’s time to consider the copy conundrum.

Words, Words, Words

Words matter, and not just in your headline, headers, and subheaders. The copy on the page can send your CRV tumbling faster than a circus gymnast.

Words set the tone and help cement how your customers see your brand. Copy needs to be informative, error-free, well written, descriptive, persuasive, and emotional.

Yeah, visitors want to see a professional website theme, vibrant images, complimentary color scheme, and an intuitive user interface. They expect a streamlined and engaging experience.

But to believe that words are not part of that is misguided at best, and disastrous at worst.

A thorough polish and buff of the copy helped Invesp improve conversion rates by 90%. And that’s just one example.

Low conversion rate? Take my advice, and give your copy a once-over today.

Remember Your Customer

This is just good business advice, full stop. A fully realized buyer persona (or two) allows you to craft your marketing specifically for your audience…and that includes your copy.

Consider their demographics, wants, needs, fears, interests, and preferences. Who are they, what do they want, and where can you reach them?

The words and vocabulary you’d use for stay-at-home parents is very different from what you’d use with mid-level execs at a tech company, or long-distance truckers, or tweens and teenagers.

Your copy must speak to your customers…so make sure you a) know who that is, and b) use the language they use. Does your copy do that? If not, fix it. Right now.

Lights, Camera, Power, and Action

All words are created equal, but some words are more equal than others.

Ordinary, boring copy is a conversion killer. If your customers and prospects fall asleep while reading it, what chance do you have to sell them?

Any web copy that resonates does so because it walks a very fine line: conversational in tone, but liberally sprinkled with both power and action words.

Power words get attention. They forge a connection with the reader, leading them from one emotional touchpoint to another (and they may be either positive or negative). They’re dynamic, often carrying additional implied or understood connotations. They appeal on a visceral level. Power words are carefully chosen to elicit a particular response in the reader.

That’s the kind of attention to detail that your copy deserves.

In marketing, popular power words include you, your, free, easy, save, guarantee, new, because (people love a reason), improved, scientifically-proven, and unique.

Need a few more? How about 317 more power words arranged by category (fear, anger, inspiring, lust, and more)? I aim to please.

Beyond using power words and phrases, you also need to include action words. You want your readers to do something, right? Sign-up, download, purchase, subscribe, whatever.

And they want to see that your product or service does something, too. Solves a problem. Scratches an itch. Fulfills a need. Satisfies their desire.

German company L’Axelle increased conversions by 93% simply by making their copy more action-oriented.

Get them to take action with a CTA that clearly indicates what they get out of the exchange (giving you their contact details, or buying your product). What’s in it for them?

Action. Words. Use ‘em.

Let’s sum up: your copy needs to be conversational, it needs both power and action words, and an explicitly-stated, compelling call-to-action is a must.

Does your copy hit all those checks?

And don’t forget to do some research into the keywords you’re using and targeting. You want keywords with decent search volume, more transactional than informational, and you’ll want to integrate long tail keywords into your copy.

Get Emotional

This is really just an extension of the power and action words directive. Your copy must get an emotional response from your readers. It’s up to you to decide what that emotion should be: some targets respond better to fear (especially FOMO), others to pride, still others to humor, and so on.

But – and this is the “if you remember only one thing, remember this” moment – all consumers buy for emotional reasons. It’s just how we’re wired.

It’s only after making that emotional decision to purchase (or subscribe, or download) that we go looking for logic to justify it.

People convert for emotional reasons. So give them some. Identify the emotion that is going to best resonate with your audience and use it in your copy.

Speak of benefits to them first (emotion), and then list the features later (logic).

Use the Six Weapons of Influence

That said, emotion alone is not always enough. Your words need to be persuasive.

Enter Robert Cialdini’s six weapons of influence.

In his landmark book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Cialdini identified six tactics that work to persuade and motivate us to action:

Reciprocation – give them something for nothing, and they’ll feel indebted to you.

Commitment and Consistency – get them to agree or commit to something small early on, and it’s easier to get them to do something bigger down the road.

Social Proof – reviews, testimonials, subscriber counts, endorsements, and units sold put people at ease because they see that others already know, use, and trust you.

Liking – stay positive, and mirror the language of your readers…they’ll like you more, and people are influenced more by people they like. Want a quick shot in the arm? Go to Acquisition > Search console > Queries on the Google Analytics dashboard for a list of words that are bringing in traffic. Then, use those exact terms and phrases in your copy.

Authority – include expert opinions, statistics, numbers, specifics, and details in your copy to demonstrate your authority in your industry or niche.

Scarcity – limited numbers and time-sensitive savings create scarcity and the fear of missing out on something, and that’s a powerful motivator (just don’t abuse this one).

Using one or more of these strategies can strengthen your copy immensely. But be careful: they’re not called “weapons” for nothing. Abuse them, or use them to manipulate, and people will eventually catch on. Be genuine and sincere for maximum effect.

Persuasion is all about identifying their need or desire, and then fulfilling it. What brings them to you? How can you help?

Use a Battle-tested Formula

Good copy stands on the shoulders of giants. They are many tried and true formulas for creating copy that converts. AIDA (attention-interest-desire-action) is one. The Four Ps (Promise-Picture/Paint-Proof-Push) is another.

And there are others.

Find one that appeals to you, and rework your copy to follow that formula. Cut, add, and revise to make it fit. These templates survive because they’re successful and consistently get the job done.

Why reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to?!

Remove the Friction

People are wary. They have a lot of choice. The internet can be an unscrupulous place. Your product may be the solution they’ve been searching for, but they’re still probably a bit hesitant.

You’ve got to put them at ease. Your copy should allay all their fears and reluctance and resistance.

Get rid of the reservations they may have by including reviews and testimonials, offering free shipping and a money-back guarantee, rewriting your value prop (The Sims experienced a 128% conversion rate lift with just this one tweak alone), and/or highlighting social proof and other trust indicators.

In other words, remove all friction and make it a smooth slide all the way to conversion. Show them precisely why they can trust you, why you’re the ideal solution to their problem or desire, and how you’re better than your competition.

There are many, many things you could tweak and revise to improve your CVR. Just don’t ignore your copy.

Check out these 61 examples of web copy written with conversions in mind for inspiration. Look to those already pulling it off to guide your own efforts.

Your copy too often takes a back seat to other elements. Put it back in the driver’s seat where it belongs.

Have you recently given your copy a holiday makeover? What sort of return did you get? Leave your comments below:

About the Author: Aaron Agius, CEO of worldwide digital agency Louder Online is, according to Forbes, among the world’s leading digital marketers. Working with clients such as Salesforce, Coca-Cola, IBM, Intel, and scores of stellar brands, Aaron is a Growth Marketer – a fusion between search, content, social, and PR. Find him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or on the Louder Online blog.

http://ift.tt/2k4DsQB from MarketingRSS http://ift.tt/2k4GAvW via Youtube

#MarketingRSS

[marie85marketing]

Low Conversion Rates? Your Copy Could Be to Blame

We’ve heard the advice a thousand times:

Your headline is the most important part. It’s 80 cents of your dollar.

Visuals are key. Visitors want to see high quality photos, infographics, videos, charts, diagrams, memes, and more.

The user experience – or UX – trumps all else. It’ll be the key differentiator in the coming years, so make sure your user interface delivers an experience worth celebrating.

Rarely, though, do we hear about the copy itself. You know…the bulk of what’s on your page. The general wisdom reminds us to craft a kickass headline, include stunning visuals, and make it all about our visitors and customers.

Sound suggestions, all. But what about the words? When your conversion rates are lower than you’d like to see them, the culprit just might be some sub-standard copy.

What’s a Low Conversion Rate, Anyway?

That all depends on your point-of-view. Maybe you want to double your current conversion rate (CVR), maybe you want to see a steady upwards trajectory, or maybe you’d like to hit 2.5% and call it a day.

Tracking your CVR is important for everyone, but in order to label it as “high” or “low”, you need a little context.

You need the latest industry average. The only way to see how you’re doing overall is to compare yourself against others selling the same product or service. For example:

The most recent average ecommerce add-to-cart conversion rate is 8.7% globally, and 8% in the United States.

Adwords CVRs vary a great deal by industry:

The overall average is 2.35%, while the top 25% convert at 5.31%, and the top 10% hit an impressive 11.45%.

Legal? Median CVR is 2.07% and the top 10% sit at 6.46%.

B2B? Median CVR of 2.23%, with the top 10% at 11.70%.

Finance? Median CVR is 5.01%, but the creme de la creme see 24.48%.

To find yours, just conduct a simple Google or Bing search. Have a SaaS business, for example? Google “average CVR SaaS” (or something comparable). Just be sure to select “Past year” or even “Past month” under Tools > Any Time to get the most recent benchmarks.

If you’re under the average, your CVR is very low. If you’re below the top 25%, your CVR is still low (no one aims for average, right?).

At a minimum, you should be optimizing to be in that top 25%, with your eye on joining the Top 10% Club down the road.

If you’re falling short, it’s time to consider the copy conundrum.

Words, Words, Words

Words matter, and not just in your headline, headers, and subheaders. The copy on the page can send your CRV tumbling faster than a circus gymnast.

Words set the tone and help cement how your customers see your brand. Copy needs to be informative, error-free, well written, descriptive, persuasive, and emotional.

Yeah, visitors want to see a professional website theme, vibrant images, complimentary color scheme, and an intuitive user interface. They expect a streamlined and engaging experience.

But to believe that words are not part of that is misguided at best, and disastrous at worst.

A thorough polish and buff of the copy helped Invesp improve conversion rates by 90%. And that’s just one example.

Low conversion rate? Take my advice, and give your copy a once-over today.

Remember Your Customer

This is just good business advice, full stop. A fully realized buyer persona (or two) allows you to craft your marketing specifically for your audience…and that includes your copy.

Consider their demographics, wants, needs, fears, interests, and preferences. Who are they, what do they want, and where can you reach them?

The words and vocabulary you’d use for stay-at-home parents is very different from what you’d use with mid-level execs at a tech company, or long-distance truckers, or tweens and teenagers.

Your copy must speak to your customers…so make sure you a) know who that is, and b) use the language they use. Does your copy do that? If not, fix it. Right now.

Lights, Camera, Power, and Action

All words are created equal, but some words are more equal than others.

Ordinary, boring copy is a conversion killer. If your customers and prospects fall asleep while reading it, what chance do you have to sell them?

Any web copy that resonates does so because it walks a very fine line: conversational in tone, but liberally sprinkled with both power and action words.

Power words get attention. They forge a connection with the reader, leading them from one emotional touchpoint to another (and they may be either positive or negative). They’re dynamic, often carrying additional implied or understood connotations. They appeal on a visceral level. Power words are carefully chosen to elicit a particular response in the reader.

That’s the kind of attention to detail that your copy deserves.

In marketing, popular power words include you, your, free, easy, save, guarantee, new, because (people love a reason), improved, scientifically-proven, and unique.

Need a few more? How about 317 more power words arranged by category (fear, anger, inspiring, lust, and more)? I aim to please.

Beyond using power words and phrases, you also need to include action words. You want your readers to do something, right? Sign-up, download, purchase, subscribe, whatever.

And they want to see that your product or service does something, too. Solves a problem. Scratches an itch. Fulfills a need. Satisfies their desire.

German company L’Axelle increased conversions by 93% simply by making their copy more action-oriented.

Get them to take action with a CTA that clearly indicates what they get out of the exchange (giving you their contact details, or buying your product). What’s in it for them?

Action. Words. Use ‘em.

Let’s sum up: your copy needs to be conversational, it needs both power and action words, and an explicitly-stated, compelling call-to-action is a must.

Does your copy hit all those checks?

And don’t forget to do some research into the keywords you’re using and targeting. You want keywords with decent search volume, more transactional than informational, and you’ll want to integrate long tail keywords into your copy.

Get Emotional

This is really just an extension of the power and action words directive. Your copy must get an emotional response from your readers. It’s up to you to decide what that emotion should be: some targets respond better to fear (especially FOMO), others to pride, still others to humor, and so on.

But – and this is the “if you remember only one thing, remember this” moment – all consumers buy for emotional reasons. It’s just how we’re wired.

It’s only after making that emotional decision to purchase (or subscribe, or download) that we go looking for logic to justify it.

People convert for emotional reasons. So give them some. Identify the emotion that is going to best resonate with your audience and use it in your copy.

Speak of benefits to them first (emotion), and then list the features later (logic).

Use the Six Weapons of Influence

That said, emotion alone is not always enough. Your words need to be persuasive.

Enter Robert Cialdini’s six weapons of influence.

In his landmark book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Cialdini identified six tactics that work to persuade and motivate us to action:

Reciprocation – give them something for nothing, and they’ll feel indebted to you.

Commitment and Consistency – get them to agree or commit to something small early on, and it’s easier to get them to do something bigger down the road.

Social Proof – reviews, testimonials, subscriber counts, endorsements, and units sold put people at ease because they see that others already know, use, and trust you.

Liking – stay positive, and mirror the language of your readers…they’ll like you more, and people are influenced more by people they like. Want a quick shot in the arm? Go to Acquisition > Search console > Queries on the Google Analytics dashboard for a list of words that are bringing in traffic. Then, use those exact terms and phrases in your copy.

Authority – include expert opinions, statistics, numbers, specifics, and details in your copy to demonstrate your authority in your industry or niche.

Scarcity – limited numbers and time-sensitive savings create scarcity and the fear of missing out on something, and that’s a powerful motivator (just don’t abuse this one).

Using one or more of these strategies can strengthen your copy immensely. But be careful: they’re not called “weapons” for nothing. Abuse them, or use them to manipulate, and people will eventually catch on. Be genuine and sincere for maximum effect.

Persuasion is all about identifying their need or desire, and then fulfilling it. What brings them to you? How can you help?

Use a Battle-tested Formula

Good copy stands on the shoulders of giants. They are many tried and true formulas for creating copy that converts. AIDA (attention-interest-desire-action) is one. The Four Ps (Promise-Picture/Paint-Proof-Push) is another.

And there are others.

Find one that appeals to you, and rework your copy to follow that formula. Cut, add, and revise to make it fit. These templates survive because they’re successful and consistently get the job done.

Why reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to?!

Remove the Friction

People are wary. They have a lot of choice. The internet can be an unscrupulous place. Your product may be the solution they’ve been searching for, but they’re still probably a bit hesitant.

You’ve got to put them at ease. Your copy should allay all their fears and reluctance and resistance.

Get rid of the reservations they may have by including reviews and testimonials, offering free shipping and a money-back guarantee, rewriting your value prop (The Sims experienced a 128% conversion rate lift with just this one tweak alone), and/or highlighting social proof and other trust indicators.

In other words, remove all friction and make it a smooth slide all the way to conversion. Show them precisely why they can trust you, why you’re the ideal solution to their problem or desire, and how you’re better than your competition.

There are many, many things you could tweak and revise to improve your CVR. Just don’t ignore your copy.

Check out these 61 examples of web copy written with conversions in mind for inspiration. Look to those already pulling it off to guide your own efforts.

Your copy too often takes a back seat to other elements. Put it back in the driver’s seat where it belongs.

Have you recently given your copy a holiday makeover? What sort of return did you get? Leave your comments below:

About the Author: Aaron Agius, CEO of worldwide digital agency Louder Online is, according to Forbes, among the world’s leading digital marketers. Working with clients such as Salesforce, Coca-Cola, IBM, Intel, and scores of stellar brands, Aaron is a Growth Marketer – a fusion between search, content, social, and PR. Find him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or on the Louder Online blog.

[dianesaddler]

Low Conversion Rates? Your Copy Could Be to Blame

We’ve heard the advice a thousand times:

Your headline is the most important part. It’s 80 cents of your dollar.

Visuals are key. Visitors want to see high quality photos, infographics, videos, charts, diagrams, memes, and more.

The user experience – or UX – trumps all else. It’ll be the key differentiator in the coming years, so make sure your user interface delivers an experience worth celebrating.

Rarely, though, do we hear about the copy itself. You know…the bulk of what’s on your page. The general wisdom reminds us to craft a kickass headline, include stunning visuals, and make it all about our visitors and customers.

Sound suggestions, all. But what about the words? When your conversion rates are lower than you’d like to see them, the culprit just might be some sub-standard copy.

What’s a Low Conversion Rate, Anyway?

That all depends on your point-of-view. Maybe you want to double your current conversion rate (CVR), maybe you want to see a steady upwards trajectory, or maybe you’d like to hit 2.5% and call it a day.

Tracking your CVR is important for everyone, but in order to label it as “high” or “low”, you need a little context.

You need the latest industry average. The only way to see how you’re doing overall is to compare yourself against others selling the same product or service. For example:

The most recent average ecommerce add-to-cart conversion rate is 8.7% globally, and 8% in the United States.

Adwords CVRs vary a great deal by industry:

The overall average is 2.35%, while the top 25% convert at 5.31%, and the top 10% hit an impressive 11.45%.

Legal? Median CVR is 2.07% and the top 10% sit at 6.46%.

B2B? Median CVR of 2.23%, with the top 10% at 11.70%.

Finance? Median CVR is 5.01%, but the creme de la creme see 24.48%.

To find yours, just conduct a simple Google or Bing search. Have a SaaS business, for example? Google “average CVR SaaS” (or something comparable). Just be sure to select “Past year” or even “Past month” under Tools > Any Time to get the most recent benchmarks.

If you’re under the average, your CVR is very low. If you’re below the top 25%, your CVR is still low (no one aims for average, right?).

At a minimum, you should be optimizing to be in that top 25%, with your eye on joining the Top 10% Club down the road.

If you’re falling short, it’s time to consider the copy conundrum.

Words, Words, Words

Words matter, and not just in your headline, headers, and subheaders. The copy on the page can send your CRV tumbling faster than a circus gymnast.

Words set the tone and help cement how your customers see your brand. Copy needs to be informative, error-free, well written, descriptive, persuasive, and emotional.

Yeah, visitors want to see a professional website theme, vibrant images, complimentary color scheme, and an intuitive user interface. They expect a streamlined and engaging experience.

But to believe that words are not part of that is misguided at best, and disastrous at worst.

A thorough polish and buff of the copy helped Invesp improve conversion rates by 90%. And that’s just one example.

Low conversion rate? Take my advice, and give your copy a once-over today.

Remember Your Customer

This is just good business advice, full stop. A fully realized buyer persona (or two) allows you to craft your marketing specifically for your audience…and that includes your copy.

Consider their demographics, wants, needs, fears, interests, and preferences. Who are they, what do they want, and where can you reach them?

The words and vocabulary you’d use for stay-at-home parents is very different from what you’d use with mid-level execs at a tech company, or long-distance truckers, or tweens and teenagers.

Your copy must speak to your customers…so make sure you a) know who that is, and b) use the language they use. Does your copy do that? If not, fix it. Right now.

Lights, Camera, Power, and Action

All words are created equal, but some words are more equal than others.

Ordinary, boring copy is a conversion killer. If your customers and prospects fall asleep while reading it, what chance do you have to sell them?

Any web copy that resonates does so because it walks a very fine line: conversational in tone, but liberally sprinkled with both power and action words.

Power words get attention. They forge a connection with the reader, leading them from one emotional touchpoint to another (and they may be either positive or negative). They’re dynamic, often carrying additional implied or understood connotations. They appeal on a visceral level. Power words are carefully chosen to elicit a particular response in the reader.

That’s the kind of attention to detail that your copy deserves.

In marketing, popular power words include you, your, free, easy, save, guarantee, new, because (people love a reason), improved, scientifically-proven, and unique.

Need a few more? How about 317 more power words arranged by category (fear, anger, inspiring, lust, and more)? I aim to please.

Beyond using power words and phrases, you also need to include action words. You want your readers to do something, right? Sign-up, download, purchase, subscribe, whatever.

And they want to see that your product or service does something, too. Solves a problem. Scratches an itch. Fulfills a need. Satisfies their desire.

German company L’Axelle increased conversions by 93% simply by making their copy more action-oriented.

Get them to take action with a CTA that clearly indicates what they get out of the exchange (giving you their contact details, or buying your product). What’s in it for them?

Action. Words. Use ‘em.

Let’s sum up: your copy needs to be conversational, it needs both power and action words, and an explicitly-stated, compelling call-to-action is a must.

Does your copy hit all those checks?

And don’t forget to do some research into the keywords you’re using and targeting. You want keywords with decent search volume, more transactional than informational, and you’ll want to integrate long tail keywords into your copy.

Get Emotional

This is really just an extension of the power and action words directive. Your copy must get an emotional response from your readers. It’s up to you to decide what that emotion should be: some targets respond better to fear (especially FOMO), others to pride, still others to humor, and so on.

But – and this is the “if you remember only one thing, remember this” moment – all consumers buy for emotional reasons. It’s just how we’re wired.

It’s only after making that emotional decision to purchase (or subscribe, or download) that we go looking for logic to justify it.

People convert for emotional reasons. So give them some. Identify the emotion that is going to best resonate with your audience and use it in your copy.

Speak of benefits to them first (emotion), and then list the features later (logic).

Use the Six Weapons of Influence

That said, emotion alone is not always enough. Your words need to be persuasive.

Enter Robert Cialdini’s six weapons of influence.

In his landmark book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Cialdini identified six tactics that work to persuade and motivate us to action:

Reciprocation – give them something for nothing, and they’ll feel indebted to you.

Commitment and Consistency – get them to agree or commit to something small early on, and it’s easier to get them to do something bigger down the road.

Social Proof – reviews, testimonials, subscriber counts, endorsements, and units sold put people at ease because they see that others already know, use, and trust you.

Liking – stay positive, and mirror the language of your readers…they’ll like you more, and people are influenced more by people they like. Want a quick shot in the arm? Go to Acquisition > Search console > Queries on the Google Analytics dashboard for a list of words that are bringing in traffic. Then, use those exact terms and phrases in your copy.

Authority – include expert opinions, statistics, numbers, specifics, and details in your copy to demonstrate your authority in your industry or niche.

Scarcity – limited numbers and time-sensitive savings create scarcity and the fear of missing out on something, and that’s a powerful motivator (just don’t abuse this one).

Using one or more of these strategies can strengthen your copy immensely. But be careful: they’re not called “weapons” for nothing. Abuse them, or use them to manipulate, and people will eventually catch on. Be genuine and sincere for maximum effect.

Persuasion is all about identifying their need or desire, and then fulfilling it. What brings them to you? How can you help?

Use a Battle-tested Formula

Good copy stands on the shoulders of giants. They are many tried and true formulas for creating copy that converts. AIDA (attention-interest-desire-action) is one. The Four Ps (Promise-Picture/Paint-Proof-Push) is another.

And there are others.

Find one that appeals to you, and rework your copy to follow that formula. Cut, add, and revise to make it fit. These templates survive because they’re successful and consistently get the job done.

Why reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to?!

Remove the Friction

People are wary. They have a lot of choice. The internet can be an unscrupulous place. Your product may be the solution they’ve been searching for, but they’re still probably a bit hesitant.

You’ve got to put them at ease. Your copy should allay all their fears and reluctance and resistance.

Get rid of the reservations they may have by including reviews and testimonials, offering free shipping and a money-back guarantee, rewriting your value prop (The Sims experienced a 128% conversion rate lift with just this one tweak alone), and/or highlighting social proof and other trust indicators.

In other words, remove all friction and make it a smooth slide all the way to conversion. Show them precisely why they can trust you, why you’re the ideal solution to their problem or desire, and how you’re better than your competition.

There are many, many things you could tweak and revise to improve your CVR. Just don’t ignore your copy.

Check out these 61 examples of web copy written with conversions in mind for inspiration. Look to those already pulling it off to guide your own efforts.

Your copy too often takes a back seat to other elements. Put it back in the driver’s seat where it belongs.

Have you recently given your copy a holiday makeover? What sort of return did you get? Leave your comments below:

About the Author: Aaron Agius, CEO of worldwide digital agency Louder Online is, according to Forbes, among the world’s leading digital marketers. Working with clients such as Salesforce, Coca-Cola, IBM, Intel, and scores of stellar brands, Aaron is a Growth Marketer – a fusion between search, content, social, and PR. Find him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or on the Louder Online blog.

Low Conversion Rates? Your Copy Could Be to Blame posted first on Kissmetrics Blog

from Blogger http://scottmcateerblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/low-conversion-rates-your-copy-could-be.html

from Scott McAteer https://scottmcateer.wordpress.com/2017/01/25/low-conversion-rates-your-copy-could-be-to-blame/

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#Uncategorized #Scott McAteer

[scottmcateer]

Low Conversion Rates? Your Copy Could Be to Blame

We’ve heard the advice a thousand times:

Your headline is the most important part. It’s 80 cents of your dollar.

Visuals are key. Visitors want to see high quality photos, infographics, videos, charts, diagrams, memes, and more.

The user experience – or UX – trumps all else. It’ll be the key differentiator in the coming years, so make sure your user interface delivers an experience worth celebrating.

Rarely, though, do we hear about the copy itself. You know…the bulk of what’s on your page. The general wisdom reminds us to craft a kickass headline, include stunning visuals, and make it all about our visitors and customers.

Sound suggestions, all. But what about the words? When your conversion rates are lower than you’d like to see them, the culprit just might be some sub-standard copy.

What’s a Low Conversion Rate, Anyway?

That all depends on your point-of-view. Maybe you want to double your current conversion rate (CVR), maybe you want to see a steady upwards trajectory, or maybe you’d like to hit 2.5% and call it a day.

Tracking your CVR is important for everyone, but in order to label it as “high” or “low”, you need a little context.

You need the latest industry average. The only way to see how you’re doing overall is to compare yourself against others selling the same product or service. For example:

The most recent average ecommerce add-to-cart conversion rate is 8.7% globally, and 8% in the United States.

Adwords CVRs vary a great deal by industry:

The overall average is 2.35%, while the top 25% convert at 5.31%, and the top 10% hit an impressive 11.45%.

Legal? Median CVR is 2.07% and the top 10% sit at 6.46%.

B2B? Median CVR of 2.23%, with the top 10% at 11.70%.

Finance? Median CVR is 5.01%, but the creme de la creme see 24.48%.

To find yours, just conduct a simple Google or Bing search. Have a SaaS business, for example? Google “average CVR SaaS” (or something comparable). Just be sure to select “Past year” or even “Past month” under Tools > Any Time to get the most recent benchmarks.

If you’re under the average, your CVR is very low. If you’re below the top 25%, your CVR is still low (no one aims for average, right?).

At a minimum, you should be optimizing to be in that top 25%, with your eye on joining the Top 10% Club down the road.

If you’re falling short, it’s time to consider the copy conundrum.

Words, Words, Words

Words matter, and not just in your headline, headers, and subheaders. The copy on the page can send your CRV tumbling faster than a circus gymnast.

Words set the tone and help cement how your customers see your brand. Copy needs to be informative, error-free, well written, descriptive, persuasive, and emotional.

Yeah, visitors want to see a professional website theme, vibrant images, complimentary color scheme, and an intuitive user interface. They expect a streamlined and engaging experience.

But to believe that words are not part of that is misguided at best, and disastrous at worst.

A thorough polish and buff of the copy helped Invesp improve conversion rates by 90%. And that’s just one example.

Low conversion rate? Take my advice, and give your copy a once-over today.

Remember Your Customer

This is just good business advice, full stop. A fully realized buyer persona (or two) allows you to craft your marketing specifically for your audience…and that includes your copy.

Consider their demographics, wants, needs, fears, interests, and preferences. Who are they, what do they want, and where can you reach them?

The words and vocabulary you’d use for stay-at-home parents is very different from what you’d use with mid-level execs at a tech company, or long-distance truckers, or tweens and teenagers.

Your copy must speak to your customers…so make sure you a) know who that is, and b) use the language they use. Does your copy do that? If not, fix it. Right now.

Lights, Camera, Power, and Action

All words are created equal, but some words are more equal than others.

Ordinary, boring copy is a conversion killer. If your customers and prospects fall asleep while reading it, what chance do you have to sell them?

Any web copy that resonates does so because it walks a very fine line: conversational in tone, but liberally sprinkled with both power and action words.

Power words get attention. They forge a connection with the reader, leading them from one emotional touchpoint to another (and they may be either positive or negative). They’re dynamic, often carrying additional implied or understood connotations. They appeal on a visceral level. Power words are carefully chosen to elicit a particular response in the reader.

That’s the kind of attention to detail that your copy deserves.

In marketing, popular power words include you, your, free, easy, save, guarantee, new, because (people love a reason), improved, scientifically-proven, and unique.

Need a few more? How about 317 more power words arranged by category (fear, anger, inspiring, lust, and more)? I aim to please.

Beyond using power words and phrases, you also need to include action words. You want your readers to do something, right? Sign-up, download, purchase, subscribe, whatever.

And they want to see that your product or service does something, too. Solves a problem. Scratches an itch. Fulfills a need. Satisfies their desire.

German company L’Axelle increased conversions by 93% simply by making their copy more action-oriented.

Get them to take action with a CTA that clearly indicates what they get out of the exchange (giving you their contact details, or buying your product). What’s in it for them?

Action. Words. Use ‘em.

Let’s sum up: your copy needs to be conversational, it needs both power and action words, and an explicitly-stated, compelling call-to-action is a must.

Does your copy hit all those checks?

And don’t forget to do some research into the keywords you’re using and targeting. You want keywords with decent search volume, more transactional than informational, and you’ll want to integrate long tail keywords into your copy.

Get Emotional

This is really just an extension of the power and action words directive. Your copy must get an emotional response from your readers. It’s up to you to decide what that emotion should be: some targets respond better to fear (especially FOMO), others to pride, still others to humor, and so on.

But – and this is the “if you remember only one thing, remember this” moment – all consumers buy for emotional reasons. It’s just how we’re wired.

It’s only after making that emotional decision to purchase (or subscribe, or download) that we go looking for logic to justify it.

People convert for emotional reasons. So give them some. Identify the emotion that is going to best resonate with your audience and use it in your copy.

Speak of benefits to them first (emotion), and then list the features later (logic).

Use the Six Weapons of Influence

That said, emotion alone is not always enough. Your words need to be persuasive.

Enter Robert Cialdini’s six weapons of influence.

In his landmark book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Cialdini identified six tactics that work to persuade and motivate us to action:

Reciprocation – give them something for nothing, and they’ll feel indebted to you.

Commitment and Consistency – get them to agree or commit to something small early on, and it’s easier to get them to do something bigger down the road.

Social Proof – reviews, testimonials, subscriber counts, endorsements, and units sold put people at ease because they see that others already know, use, and trust you.

Liking – stay positive, and mirror the language of your readers…they’ll like you more, and people are influenced more by people they like. Want a quick shot in the arm? Go to Acquisition > Search console > Queries on the Google Analytics dashboard for a list of words that are bringing in traffic. Then, use those exact terms and phrases in your copy.

Authority – include expert opinions, statistics, numbers, specifics, and details in your copy to demonstrate your authority in your industry or niche.

Scarcity – limited numbers and time-sensitive savings create scarcity and the fear of missing out on something, and that’s a powerful motivator (just don’t abuse this one).

Using one or more of these strategies can strengthen your copy immensely. But be careful: they’re not called “weapons” for nothing. Abuse them, or use them to manipulate, and people will eventually catch on. Be genuine and sincere for maximum effect.

Persuasion is all about identifying their need or desire, and then fulfilling it. What brings them to you? How can you help?

Use a Battle-tested Formula

Good copy stands on the shoulders of giants. They are many tried and true formulas for creating copy that converts. AIDA (attention-interest-desire-action) is one. The Four Ps (Promise-Picture/Paint-Proof-Push) is another.

And there are others.

Find one that appeals to you, and rework your copy to follow that formula. Cut, add, and revise to make it fit. These templates survive because they’re successful and consistently get the job done.

Why reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to?!

Remove the Friction

People are wary. They have a lot of choice. The internet can be an unscrupulous place. Your product may be the solution they’ve been searching for, but they’re still probably a bit hesitant.

You’ve got to put them at ease. Your copy should allay all their fears and reluctance and resistance.

Get rid of the reservations they may have by including reviews and testimonials, offering free shipping and a money-back guarantee, rewriting your value prop (The Sims experienced a 128% conversion rate lift with just this one tweak alone), and/or highlighting social proof and other trust indicators.

In other words, remove all friction and make it a smooth slide all the way to conversion. Show them precisely why they can trust you, why you’re the ideal solution to their problem or desire, and how you’re better than your competition.

There are many, many things you could tweak and revise to improve your CVR. Just don’t ignore your copy.

Check out these 61 examples of web copy written with conversions in mind for inspiration. Look to those already pulling it off to guide your own efforts.

Your copy too often takes a back seat to other elements. Put it back in the driver’s seat where it belongs.

Have you recently given your copy a holiday makeover? What sort of return did you get? Leave your comments below:

About the Author: Aaron Agius, CEO of worldwide digital agency Louder Online is, according to Forbes, among the world’s leading digital marketers. Working with clients such as Salesforce, Coca-Cola, IBM, Intel, and scores of stellar brands, Aaron is a Growth Marketer – a fusion between search, content, social, and PR. Find him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or on the Louder Online blog.

Low Conversion Rates? Your Copy Could Be to Blame posted first on Kissmetrics Blog from Blogger http://scottmcateerblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/low-conversion-rates-your-copy-could-be.html

[ericsburden-blog]

Low Conversion Rates? Your Copy Could Be to Blame

We’ve heard the advice a thousand times:

Your headline is the most important part. It’s 80 cents of your dollar.

Visuals are key. Visitors want to see high quality photos, infographics, videos, charts, diagrams, memes, and more.

The user experience – or UX – trumps all else. It’ll be the key differentiator in the coming years, so make sure your user interface delivers an experience worth celebrating.

Rarely, though, do we hear about the copy itself. You know…the bulk of what’s on your page. The general wisdom reminds us to craft a kickass headline, include stunning visuals, and make it all about our visitors and customers.

Sound suggestions, all. But what about the words? When your conversion rates are lower than you’d like to see them, the culprit just might be some sub-standard copy.

What’s a Low Conversion Rate, Anyway?

That all depends on your point-of-view. Maybe you want to double your current conversion rate (CVR), maybe you want to see a steady upwards trajectory, or maybe you’d like to hit 2.5% and call it a day.

Tracking your CVR is important for everyone, but in order to label it as “high” or “low”, you need a little context.

You need the latest industry average. The only way to see how you’re doing overall is to compare yourself against others selling the same product or service. For example:

The most recent average ecommerce add-to-cart conversion rate is 8.7% globally, and 8% in the United States.

Adwords CVRs vary a great deal by industry:

The overall average is 2.35%, while the top 25% convert at 5.31%, and the top 10% hit an impressive 11.45%.

Legal? Median CVR is 2.07% and the top 10% sit at 6.46%.

B2B? Median CVR of 2.23%, with the top 10% at 11.70%.

Finance? Median CVR is 5.01%, but the creme de la creme see 24.48%.

To find yours, just conduct a simple Google or Bing search. Have a SaaS business, for example? Google “average CVR SaaS” (or something comparable). Just be sure to select “Past year” or even “Past month” under Tools > Any Time to get the most recent benchmarks.

If you’re under the average, your CVR is very low. If you’re below the top 25%, your CVR is still low (no one aims for average, right?).

At a minimum, you should be optimizing to be in that top 25%, with your eye on joining the Top 10% Club down the road.

If you’re falling short, it’s time to consider the copy conundrum.

Words, Words, Words

Words matter, and not just in your headline, headers, and subheaders. The copy on the page can send your CRV tumbling faster than a circus gymnast.

Words set the tone and help cement how your customers see your brand. Copy needs to be informative, error-free, well written, descriptive, persuasive, and emotional.

Yeah, visitors want to see a professional website theme, vibrant images, complimentary color scheme, and an intuitive user interface. They expect a streamlined and engaging experience.

But to believe that words are not part of that is misguided at best, and disastrous at worst.

A thorough polish and buff of the copy helped Invesp improve conversion rates by 90%. And that’s just one example.

Low conversion rate? Take my advice, and give your copy a once-over today.

Remember Your Customer

This is just good business advice, full stop. A fully realized buyer persona (or two) allows you to craft your marketing specifically for your audience…and that includes your copy.

Consider their demographics, wants, needs, fears, interests, and preferences. Who are they, what do they want, and where can you reach them?

The words and vocabulary you’d use for stay-at-home parents is very different from what you’d use with mid-level execs at a tech company, or long-distance truckers, or tweens and teenagers.

Your copy must speak to your customers…so make sure you a) know who that is, and b) use the language they use. Does your copy do that? If not, fix it. Right now.

Lights, Camera, Power, and Action

All words are created equal, but some words are more equal than others.

Ordinary, boring copy is a conversion killer. If your customers and prospects fall asleep while reading it, what chance do you have to sell them?

Any web copy that resonates does so because it walks a very fine line: conversational in tone, but liberally sprinkled with both power and action words.

Power words get attention. They forge a connection with the reader, leading them from one emotional touchpoint to another (and they may be either positive or negative). They’re dynamic, often carrying additional implied or understood connotations. They appeal on a visceral level. Power words are carefully chosen to elicit a particular response in the reader.

That’s the kind of attention to detail that your copy deserves.

In marketing, popular power words include you, your, free, easy, save, guarantee, new, because (people love a reason), improved, scientifically-proven, and unique.

Need a few more? How about 317 more power words arranged by category (fear, anger, inspiring, lust, and more)? I aim to please.

Beyond using power words and phrases, you also need to include action words. You want your readers to do something, right? Sign-up, download, purchase, subscribe, whatever.

And they want to see that your product or service does something, too. Solves a problem. Scratches an itch. Fulfills a need. Satisfies their desire.

German company L’Axelle increased conversions by 93% simply by making their copy more action-oriented.

Get them to take action with a CTA that clearly indicates what they get out of the exchange (giving you their contact details, or buying your product). What’s in it for them?

Action. Words. Use ‘em.

Let’s sum up: your copy needs to be conversational, it needs both power and action words, and an explicitly-stated, compelling call-to-action is a must.

Does your copy hit all those checks?

And don’t forget to do some research into the keywords you’re using and targeting. You want keywords with decent search volume, more transactional than informational, and you’ll want to integrate long tail keywords into your copy.

Get Emotional

This is really just an extension of the power and action words directive. Your copy must get an emotional response from your readers. It’s up to you to decide what that emotion should be: some targets respond better to fear (especially FOMO), others to pride, still others to humor, and so on.

But – and this is the “if you remember only one thing, remember this” moment – all consumers buy for emotional reasons. It’s just how we’re wired.

It’s only after making that emotional decision to purchase (or subscribe, or download) that we go looking for logic to justify it.

People convert for emotional reasons. So give them some. Identify the emotion that is going to best resonate with your audience and use it in your copy.

Speak of benefits to them first (emotion), and then list the features later (logic).

Use the Six Weapons of Influence

That said, emotion alone is not always enough. Your words need to be persuasive.

Enter Robert Cialdini’s six weapons of influence.

In his landmark book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Cialdini identified six tactics that work to persuade and motivate us to action:

Reciprocation – give them something for nothing, and they’ll feel indebted to you.

Commitment and Consistency – get them to agree or commit to something small early on, and it’s easier to get them to do something bigger down the road.

Social Proof – reviews, testimonials, subscriber counts, endorsements, and units sold put people at ease because they see that others already know, use, and trust you.

Liking – stay positive, and mirror the language of your readers…they’ll like you more, and people are influenced more by people they like. Want a quick shot in the arm? Go to Acquisition > Search console > Queries on the Google Analytics dashboard for a list of words that are bringing in traffic. Then, use those exact terms and phrases in your copy.

Authority – include expert opinions, statistics, numbers, specifics, and details in your copy to demonstrate your authority in your industry or niche.

Scarcity – limited numbers and time-sensitive savings create scarcity and the fear of missing out on something, and that’s a powerful motivator (just don’t abuse this one).

Using one or more of these strategies can strengthen your copy immensely. But be careful: they’re not called “weapons” for nothing. Abuse them, or use them to manipulate, and people will eventually catch on. Be genuine and sincere for maximum effect.

Persuasion is all about identifying their need or desire, and then fulfilling it. What brings them to you? How can you help?

Use a Battle-tested Formula

Good copy stands on the shoulders of giants. They are many tried and true formulas for creating copy that converts. AIDA (attention-interest-desire-action) is one. The Four Ps (Promise-Picture/Paint-Proof-Push) is another.

And there are others.

Find one that appeals to you, and rework your copy to follow that formula. Cut, add, and revise to make it fit. These templates survive because they’re successful and consistently get the job done.

Why reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to?!

Remove the Friction

People are wary. They have a lot of choice. The internet can be an unscrupulous place. Your product may be the solution they’ve been searching for, but they’re still probably a bit hesitant.

You’ve got to put them at ease. Your copy should allay all their fears and reluctance and resistance.

Get rid of the reservations they may have by including reviews and testimonials, offering free shipping and a money-back guarantee, rewriting your value prop (The Sims experienced a 128% conversion rate lift with just this one tweak alone), and/or highlighting social proof and other trust indicators.

In other words, remove all friction and make it a smooth slide all the way to conversion. Show them precisely why they can trust you, why you’re the ideal solution to their problem or desire, and how you’re better than your competition.

There are many, many things you could tweak and revise to improve your CVR. Just don’t ignore your copy.

Check out these 61 examples of web copy written with conversions in mind for inspiration. Look to those already pulling it off to guide your own efforts.

Your copy too often takes a back seat to other elements. Put it back in the driver’s seat where it belongs.

Have you recently given your copy a holiday makeover? What sort of return did you get? Leave your comments below:

About the Author: Aaron Agius, CEO of worldwide digital agency Louder Online is, according to Forbes, among the world’s leading digital marketers. Working with clients such as Salesforce, Coca-Cola, IBM, Intel, and scores of stellar brands, Aaron is a Growth Marketer – a fusion between search, content, social, and PR. Find him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or on the Louder Online blog.

Low Conversion Rates? Your Copy Could Be to Blame