A Few Words on Words

So, you’ve got an amazing idea for a blog post for your business, and you’re ready to get it out there for the whole world. You want everyone to have a look at the great things that have crossed your mind. That’s fantastic! Something big is happening at your business or in your personal life, and you want to share it. You sit down in your favorite comfy chair with your coffee (or other beverage) and start typing. There are a couple of things that you should keep in mind while creating your masterpiece.


Spelling and grammar are very important:
While this is a blog post and not a doctoral dissertation, the need for proper spelling and grammar is still present. If someone is scanning your content, they may be quite put off by misspelled words or the improper use of “their” when it should be “they’re” or something else similar. Now, you’re probably thinking something like “I’ve got it under control” or “What’s the big deal?” Well, here’s the deal; people who don’t know any better will not notice the effort that was put into providing quality, properly constructed content, and people who do will notice that you’ve got all of your ducks in a row. This will lend valuable credibility to you and your product/organization.


Big words are for educated small minds:
Throwing a lot of $25 words at your posts will not necessarily help you seem more knowledgeable. It is great to know the words and even better to understand them and use them properly in speech and writing. It’s completely different to understand the words well enough to use common words in their place. We have all met people who speak in jargon and technical terms. They think that they’re proving how much they know but, in actuality, they are demonstrating how little they actually know. Bottom line, if you can’t convey your message in terms that everyone can understand, you can’t convey your message.


Be sure to use keywords to build SEO:
When writing your blog, be sure to include everything that encompasses your message. This means keywords. Think of what you’re writing about and then think of how people discuss the topic. What are some of the common words that are part of that conversation? Got some of them in mind now? Good. Include them in your post; in a natural way. Don’t make it look like you’ve added a string of nonsensical words together just because they are related to the topic and search inquiries. Bad, bad, bad.


Proofread:
This should go without saying, but it’s now been said (or typed anyway). It’s a good idea to get your piece exactly where you want it… great words, great arrangement, and a smooth, easy read. Then leave it alone for a few hours. When you come back to it, look at it with a critical eye and you’ll make changes. We guarantee it.
Now, get out there and get to writing.

Branding and Your Best Bud

Do you understand branding as well as your dog?

The other day I was tossing around the old tennis ball with Clever Dog. Every time I threw the ball, he’d gallop off to fetch it. POUNCE! Then he’d bring it right back and drop it at my feet. “More Ogre Daddy!” he seemed to say. This went on for several minutes. Then I gave the ball to a different but equally capable ball thrower. THROW! Clever Dog looked at New Ogre and then at me. He then went to a shady spot next to the building to lie down.

Even though New Ogre and I threw the ball in basically the same way, Clever Dog preferred to fetch it only when I threw it. He picked Brand Daddy over Brand New. This is an example of brand loyalty. Clever Dog and I have a history. He knows that I’ll throw the ball, he can bring it back, and I’ll throw it again. I provide a product that he likes and, even though New Ogre could provide the same basic product, Clever Dog comes back to me. As long as I do what he expects, and I don’t let him down, then he’ll buy my ball throwing every time I’m selling.

A brand is much more than just a name and a logo. It is delivering a quality product or service, the same way, every time. Your brand is everything about your company. Everything about your company is your brand. Consider any company that has had negative publicity for whatever reason. The product that they were selling didn’t change, but due to the negative publicity that they received, their brand was tarnished. Once a brand image has been built it requires constant attention. The deliverable provided by the company must consistently be what the customer or client is looking for. If not, the brand is soiled and no one likes a dirty brand.

Mommy, What are Ogres Made of?

Somebody asked us one time “What makes Clever Ogre a good ad agency?” Well, not being an ad agency is a good start for us… and we’re not a pr agency either. We are a lot more than either of those. Throw away your preconceptions of what ad or PR agencies are. Consider a new label that can’t be nailed down to two letters. That’s Clever Ogre.

We do what is necessary to create and promote brand you. We don’t stop with a logo, a tag line and a website design. You need more than that because public perception of your business doesn’t stop on your website. It stops……………………………………………………………………… way over here (here… -ere… -ere).

We can’t control what people say about your business or product, that’s up to you and the quality of your deliverables. Sorry, that’s just the way it is. What we can do is influence their opinion of what is said. Ogres are strong. We can hold you above our head when the water gets too deep. We can bend the bars on the gate just enough to let you get through.

We’re ogres because we do things differently. We do what needs to be done; not what everyone else is doing.