Some emails are just meant to be shared. This from my friend Caroline -- we've been friends since college. In fact, she is the one who made sure I passed Mr. Edward's copy editing class -- thank you for doing those headlines!
Caroline ( that is not really her name) recently took a job at a marketing communications agency that is doing a lot of web work. Evidently, the last class she took on how to be an effective writer for the web was well, a bit depressing.
"You know, I’ve always thought
That the downfall of real art
Was the glue gun…
And the downfall of civilization
Is the self-flushing toilet
(is it really that hard or confusing
to pull the handle?),
And now I’ve discovered the downfall
Of literature…or at least copy writing
In the 21st century.
I just had a lesson on how to write for search engines.
Apparently, it’s not enough to write a good story
Or product explanation for the web audience.
If you don’t use certain words and phrases
Over and over and over and over and over again,
You might as well be writing to yourself,
Because the search engines won’t pick you up
And your message will be lost in cyberanonymity.
Gone are the days of saying what you mean,
And in are the days of repeating yourself
To the point where you sound like the president."
Anyway, you might want to explore this one And use it for your blog. See how other bloggers feel about this writing requirement… Great question. How do people feel about this? Eager to hear what you think. NOTE: Caroline is a pseudonym.