Adventures in Advertising & the Outdoors

Why Hire a Writer?

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 23:24:05 GMT

Save your teeth. Save your sanity. Savor the results...

You know your business and your customers better than anyone else, so why farm out the writing to a professional? And why not let AI write it for you? Here are a few things to consider.

Do What You Do Best

Free yourself up to focus on running your business. The time you spend agonizing over the nitty gritty of writing text or coming up with and evaluating concept ideas could be spent doing what you'd probably rather be doing (whether that's running your business or going fishing).

Get an Outside Perspective

You know your business inside and out but that can actually be a detriment to reaching customers who don't. When you hire an outside writer, like yours truly, they'll think about your business from a customer's perspective, identify hurdles and anticipate new ways to motivate them to action.

Harness the Power of AI

AI is only as good as you empower it to be. It relies on specific input ("garbage in, garbage out") and what's already out there on the internet to formulate drafts. Emphasis on drafts. AI actually remarkably good at generating drafts...then you need to take time to make it accurate, genuine, consistent and, most importantly, unique to you. A good writer will work with you to generate good drafts and create great finals.

Build and Boost Your Brand

Language is a powerful tool and a reflection of your company and your values. Sometimes the text needs the voice of scientific authority. Or gentle caring. Or DEI sensitive. Every client is different and your communications should all be a reflection of your brand. Good writing is much more than stringing words together, checking spelling, and maintaining good grammar; it's about effective communication.

Get a Strategic Partner

Good writers ask good questions, help you think through the answers, and work in partnership with you to help you achieve your goals.

KT Expands to Midwest

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 12:46:04 GMT

Now serving clients in Alaska, Minnesota & Wisconsin...

Life has expanded my horizons beyond the beauty of Alaska and I now split my physical time between Anchorage, AK, and River Falls, WI. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area (shown above) and the Birkie Biner Ski Trails are nearby – and so are my clients. I'm always a phone call away and am happy to jump on a plane to direct a shoot or take a meeting. I also look forward to working with new clients in the Minneapolis / River Falls region.

Find the Best Way

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 16:28:42 GMT

Here's my strategy for keeping your creative on track...

As a creative, my mind is often flooded with ideas, stories to tell and directions to go. The way to find the most effective solution is to start with a sound strategy statement based on these five questions I ask of my clients (and help them refine):

OBJECTIVE: What do you want this specific project to accomplish?

TARGET AUDIENCE: Who exactly are you trying to reach (to accomplish the objective above)?

CONSUMER BENEFIT: How exactly does your product or service benefit your target? i.e., Why should the target care about what you have to say?

SUPPORT: What's the proof or the reasons why your product or service can promise the benefit/USP above?

TONE: What kind of tone – humorous, personal, serious, etc. — will be the most effectively communicate with your audience and/or fit in with your brand?

Once you nail down these answers, the creative can begin, stay on track, and help serve as a barometer of success.

XC: Skate-skiing 101

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 20:34:24 GMT

Learn to skate-ski with these simple tips...

So you got the equipment*, you've found a groomed trail (gotta stay on top of the snow or it won't be fun), and you're ready fly down the trail. Excellent! There are many methods of learning skate-skiing. Here are two of my faves:

Shoot the Moon

Remember that "shoot the moon" game with the steel ball between two metal bars? Okay, I'm dating myself but here goes. Imagine your skis are the bars and your hips are the ball in the center. \ o / When you position your skis in a v-shape and lean forward (at the ankles), you'll naturally move forward. Keep leaning and you'll fall on your face...which is a great drill for young kids who love face plants! For the rest of us, catch yourself by throwing your weight onto one ski...and then the other...and then the other...and you're off!

Pizza - Penguin - Hip Push

In classic skiing, you keep your skis in a parallel, "french fry" position with the occasional "pizza" to snow plow or slow down. To start skate-skiing, put your skis in a reverse pizza position, with your ski tips outward and the body as the point. Now shift your weight left and right on your skis – like a penguin trying to stay warm. Now that you have the pizza and the penguin, all you need is a gentle push from your hips. Bend at your ankles and lean forward. Once you get that weight shifted just right, you'll start to glide on one ski then the other as you keep the penguin hopping left and right. The faster you go, the longer you can "ride the glide" on each ski before shifting your weight.

*Basically skis without fish scales or ridges on the bottom and poles that reach up to your chin.

"What's in it for ME?"

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 12:46:04 GMT

That's the ONE question you need to answer with every communication you put out there.

Your customers, followers, fans all want to know, at a fundamental level, "What's in it for me?!"

The answer is your unique selling proposition (USP), your ultimate customer benefit, and the reason why your customer should buy the product - and buy it from you.

The answer may be tangible like "best price" or "ability to do X" . It might be something more fuzzy like "gain confidence" or "feel good about yourself." Whatever the answer, along with the supporting facts to back it up, is essential to creating an effective message.

How to Interview Experts

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 12:46:03 GMT

Good interviews require so much more than good questions...

Do Your Homework
What is your subject's area of expertise? Do you know enough to ask the right questions? What is it you ultimately want them to communicate to your audience? (What does your audience want to know?) Do they like or dislike being in front of the camera? Are they long-winded, or too concise? The more you know about your subject and the subject matter will help you craft the questions and direct the shoot in a way that they're most comfortable.

Plan Questions Carefully
You may only have a few minutes with a busy subject so be respectful of their time. You may not have the luxury of letting them ramble (although sometimes that can produce amazing results). Put your questions in a logical flow, always keeping in mind what you need them to communicate.

Keeping it Tight

Don't be afraid to get them to repeat something if the sound wasn't quite right, you need it to be more concise, or you want a different camera angle. The trick is to get them to not say, "Like I said before..." Sometimes it helps to give them an intro to start their thought such as, "My patients often ask me if a knee replacement is necessary and what I say is..."

Embrace the Unexpected
If they bring up something interesting but unexpected, take that time to explore that if you can. You may end up with footage for other videos in the future or discover something more important than you'd planned.

Maximize Production Value, Especially the Audio

If you can afford a production studio with high quality lights, audio and camera(s), go for it. A professional looking video reflects well on most businesses. That said, people are used to seeing phone-shot interviews – but use a lav mic and pay attention to background noise. If anything about the sound quality is annoying, your viewers will immediately click away.

Create Edit Script with Transcriptions
Get a transcription of the whole interview - I love rev.com's service - and create a script with time codes for your editor (or you) to follow, using the best takes and communicating effectively. It also gives you a quick way to find a different "the," replace a missing "and," etc.

There are countless other tips and tricks to produce good interviews, including incorporating B-roll, shooting subjects in the element and much more. Always keep you audience in mind - what do they want to know and what look and feel will work best for them?