Known by Faulkner as the “father of American literature,” Twain offers some great advice on writing (or, more specifically, not writing adjectives), the creative process and editing.

In his letters to other writers, Twain would express his deep-seated distaste for adjectival writing:

“I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English – it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don’t let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it.“

And:

“You need not expect to get your book right the first time. Go to work and revamp or rewrite it. God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention. These are God’s adjectives. You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by.”

Don’t Bog Down the Reader

These two quotes are great advice for SEO copywriters. Most of us should know by now that unnecessary adjectives do nothing more than distract the reader and bog down either a narrative or an article for SEO or marketing purposes. Just take a look at this example:

Exhibit A:

The precisely meticulous, some would even say persnickety, and attractive writers at the first-class, prime SEO Company, The Ocean Agency, always craft their fantastically readable articles with a precise eye and a informed head which help you with the stubborn Google rankings!

Exhibit B:

The writers at The Ocean Agency write precise articles that help you rise in Google’s rankings.

While we writers over here at The Ocean Agency are certainly an attractive bunch, it’s not really necessary to say so (along with everything else in that top sentence). The adjectives are like chains on a man walking the plank: they sink the sentence.

When to Write

Twain also offers a bit of advice when to write an article:

“The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say.”

While we don’t always have the time to write several drafts, especially when trying to get a client to rise in the rankings, there is always time for heavy editing. You really don’t start writing until you’ve typed out everything you’re thinking on a subject. It’s good to type out all the information you’ve discovered on a certain subject and then go back and shape it.

Writing is like cleaning your room: you sort everything into piles, then you put it away. At least, that’s how I clean my room. And it’s how I write now, and it makes things go quicker and come out cleaner.

Finally, Twain offers some of my favorite advice on the (arguably) worst word in the English language: Very.

“Subsitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”

Never use the word “very.” There is no reason. It adds nothing. It’s like putting mayonnaise on a chicken salad sandwich.

After all, if we’re to trust anyone, it may as well be Mark Twain.

The author series takes the wise words of the best writers of the past century and looks at them through the eyes of an SEO copywriter. If we are to learn, it should be from the best. And thus we shall.

With the emergence and mass-adoption of social media, marketing buzz words are now on steroids. So, here at the Ocean Agency, we thought we would help out business owners by translating marketing buzz words and break down how they can improve your business, minus the marketing speak.

1) Augmented Reality

Definition: Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery – creating a mixed reality.” (Wikipedia)

Our Definition: Mixing technology into physical real-world experiences

Example:

Does augmented reality make sense for you business? Possibly.

Here is one example:

If you’re a restaurant, you could have the food items on the menu reveal themselves in all 3-D glory.

Obviously, augmented reality is expensive to produce, but the future lies in digital experiences mixed in with consumers physical spaces that tell a compelling story, or, more importantly, offer some kind of value.

Biggest take away for your businesses: Incorporate technologies that improve the experience of your customers.

2) Geo-Location

Definition:” Geo-location is the identification of the real-world geographic location of an Internet-connected computer, mobile device, website visitor or other.” (Wikipedia)

Our Definition: Identifying and targeting  customers based on their location.

Examples: Foursquare location targeted specials and advertisements:

Does geo-location make sense for your business? Probably.

This one is definitely living up to the hype thus far. With the expansion of social networking on mobile devices, people are sharing their location data at an increasing rate. Businesses can create relevant ads on these platforms that aren’t intrusive.

With this data businesses can help consumers make decisions, save money, and build brand loyalty. A win-win for both brands and consumers.

Something to keep in mind:

Recently, Foursquare has partnered with a variety of major media outlets like BravoTV and the New York Times. The only incentive for users from these partnerships?

A Bravo TV or New York Times Olympic Badge.

These are great incentives for Foursquare addicted PR, communication and markerting types, but in order to encourage mainstream adoption the incentives will have to increase.

Biggest take-away for your business: Make your place of businesses a true destination. People share their location to gain incentives and because it says something about them. Ask yourself this question: Would people want to tell the world that they are at your place of business? Why? Why not?

3) Brand Utility:

Definition: “The brand utility method is concerned less with feature sets and more with functionality. How can your products make the lives of consumers better? That is the question that a brand utility advertising campaign seeks to answer.”  (Printing and Advertising)

Our Definition: Improving the lives of your customers to inspire loyalty in your customer base.

Example:

ING Direct.

If ING Direct is a bank, why does it have cafes in major cities in the US?

Brand Utility.

The ING Direct cafe offers free wifi, $1 coffee/tea and $1 pastries, in addition to employees who know all about ING Direct products.

They improve the lives of their customers by offering discounted coffee and food and even give those with an ING direct account free coffe or tea on Fridays. The ING direct cafe concept is a perfect example of brand utility, and it makes incentives offered by other banks look lame/miniscule in comparison.

Biggest take away for your business: If you improve the lives of your customers, they will thank you publicly and keep coming back.

What can you do to improve the lives of your customers in a way that fits with your overall brand message?

Alright, now it’s your turn. Business owners:

Would you use these tools in your marketing plan? Why or why not?

These days social media may get even more press coverage than the recession. Most executives and business owners know they should be using social media, but everyday i’m shocked by the sheer number of companies that have little to no social media presence. Based on what we hear in our everyday dealings with clients here are 9 common excuses barriers to entry:

1. Time
“We just are too busy to use social media.”

We hear this all the time, and is the number one most common excuse. The thing is, you can be effective on social media in as little as an hour a day. Make a daily, weekly, and monthly checklist for your social media presence that keeps you on task and focused. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you accomplish your social media goals. The power of social media is too great to ignore, and an hour a day is a small sacrifice to make for a great social media presence.

2. Lack of staff

“We don’t have anyone who understands social media.”

Well, change that. Consult with a social media expert, invest in some social media guidelines and then get your feet wet. Once you get going with social media, you’ll realize that anyone who is personable and understands people will excel on the platform. Everyone has a people person on their business roster, now just turn them into your social media rockstar.

3. What’s the ROI?

“So if I put all this time and effort into social media, what’s the ROI?”

There is a plethora of literature out there that shows the power of social media for businesses. Some of my favorite articles on this topic are from Mashable, Chris Brogan, Intereactive Insights Group, and Decker Marketing. The key point to drive home is that the cost of social media marketing is minimal compared to the cost of traditional marketing. What CEO or CFO doesn’t want more value for their marketing or PR dollar?

4. Fear

“We’ve never really done anything on the internet before.”

Somehow, there are plenty of people who think that the internet is just a giant virus cesspool filled with porn. Well, on some level they might be right, but deep down they also understand that there is a reason why there are 250 million active users of Facebook. The best way to combat fear is to provide examples of interesting things that like minded business are doing with social media.

5. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it

“We’re doing well as it is”

Many businesses we talk to are doing extremely well and do not see the need for more marketing. Social media is about more than marketing, it is also about PR and branding. Do you want your business to be viewed as behind the times? Why not build an active community around your already loyal customers. The best way to ensure constant growth is an engaged customer base, and social media gives you the tools to build brand exceptional brand loyalty.

6. Our competition doesn’t do it yet

“Our competitors aren’t using social media, why should we?”

This is like praising mediocrity. Don’t you want to be better than your competition? Stand out from your competitors by using social media to market events and products, to humanize your brand, and build a community of customers. Don’t blend in, stand out!

7. Customers don’t use social media

“Our customers aren’t the types who play around on social networks.”

There are very few industries left where customers do not use social media at all. Here are some great stats to argue your point via Econsultancy. Everyone’s customers are on some form of a social network, whether it is Youtube, Facebook, Myspace or Twitter some of your customers are there. If you really believe that your customers aren’t on social networks and your still making a profit as a business, the power to expand your customer base via social media is immense!

8. Afraid of backlash

“What if someone says something bad about us?”

We’ve all heard the stories of brands getting ripped via social media. The good news is, if you respond correctly you can return negatives into positives and illustrate yoru companies excellent customer service and dedication.

9. Don’t know what to talk about.

“We’re just not that interesting”.

There is someone who is interested in what your company does. Take them behind the scenes, show your personality, and give people a sense of what you’re really about.

Now you have the tools to challenge anyone who is stonewalling the social media revolution!

In any case, in the piece he stresses that blogs are actually the perfect compliment to magazines. Magazines generally come out once a month, and in his words:

“Blogs can break stories; magazines can explain stories. Magazines can survey and analyze issues; blogs can archive as much data as necessary to back up your analysis. A blog can fill in many gaps that a magazine schedule leaves wide open.”

The GQ story, “America’s 25 Douchiest Colleges” illustrates the ability for blogs and magazines to compliment each other. When I first read the story, I was taken aback. I sat in my chair and thought, “This sounds exactly like something that would be on Gawker.” But then, as I continued reading the story I reveled in reading snarky and sarcastic blog content in a polished and tangible format. There was something special about reading a Gawker like topic in GQ. Interestingly enough, the link to the GQ article was posted two days ago on Deadspin.

This got me thinking. We are a competitive culture, and we always assume that one technology will destroy the one preceding it. We love to watch innovation, but for us, innovation generally means that something inefficient has to die. As marketers we need to keep in mind that innovation works at differing paces based on the idea and the product. It is our job to stay ahead of trends, and discover what the masses will adopt in the future.

But, we can’t get carried away. People still read magazines and watch television. Hey, people even still read the newspaper. It is about integrating new technologies with existing platforms that really allows products to take off. Here at the Ocean Agency we are constantly impressed by the way that the social web can act as a home for an entire media campaign. So, follow GQ’s lead, and create something that works effectively across a variety of platforms.