Portfolio
Articles
Click the titles below to see articles I’ve written:
Breaking the mould: Manufacturers are achieving success with Ro-Matt’s help
A telltale twin – accelerating development with a digital twin
Next-gen controllers: New trends for PLCs and PACs
Blog Posts
Click the titles below to see posts I’ve written:
3 Examples of How the Internet of Things Impacts Manufacturing
10 Robot Terms You Need to Know
What Is the Manufacturing Skills Gap, and How Do You Close It? Part I
Manufacturing End Users Reveal Cobot Best Practices
5 Jobs Robots Can Do That Humans Don’t Want
Don’t Let Rumours Ruin Your Robot’s Chances of Success
Yes, Collaborative Robots Can Be Repurposed in a Changing Production Environment
Busting Common Myths About Robots: Part II
Busting Common Myths about Robots: Part I
Case Studies and Success Stories
Click an image on the left to enlarge it and scroll through success story and case study examples.
Case studies and success stories are extremely effective ways to show people how your product or service solves problems and delivers results. I’ll start by talking to your project lead about the problem the customer was having, the solution your product or service provided, and the results your customer is seeing, ideally with an impressive return on investment. If possible I’ll also interview your customer to get background information and quotes. Having the customer explain why they chose your product or service, and saying how happy they are with the results speaks volumes.
Brochures and Flyers
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Strong headlines, concise copy and a clear call to action are brochure and flyer essentials. As with all marketing, audience is everything. I’ll need to know what you want people to do after reading your brochure. Visit your website? Call you? Sign up for something? Buy something? Is the brochure a leave-behind piece used by your sales force? Do you need different versions to serve different purposes? Whatever your needs, I can write effective copy that sends the right message to your target audience.
In addition to writing I can consult with graphic designers about layout, where to give emphasis, and selecting the best images to highlight key messages.
Websites
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Imagine that you could have your top salespeople giving their best pitches to your target customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That’s what your website should do. Your home page needs to clearly explain what your company does and make it easy for people to find the information they’re looking for.
E-Books and White Papers
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White papers are useful tools to explain new or complex technology to a non-technical audience. The benefits and opportunities are presented using plain language, and the opportunity for a return on investment is implied if not spelled out.
Companies usually issue white papers because they want to sell a solution that uses a particular technology (or methodology), and they need to explain that technology to potential clients. A well-written white paper needs to explain the technology without losing people, show the market opportunities, and position your company as a thought leader with the best product or solution to exploit the technology. Again, audience is everything.
The Mobile Application Strategy white paper example in my portfolio is from 2009, way back when apps were new, if you can even remember back that far! The BlackBerry® and other smartphones were just starting to gain traction. People who got in on mobile application technology early are now viewed as visionaries. We don’t need this white paper now because apps are common knowledge. It’s a good example to show how a white paper is used at the beginning of the adaptation of new technology.
My technical background, clear writing training and marketing experience make me an ideal writer for e-books and white papers. Contact me for help explaining new or complex technology to your market.
Social Media Profiles, About Us/Bio Pages, and Recruiting Messages
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What’s your story? How did your business get started? What interesting information don’t people know about you? We want to know who we’re working with and who we’re buying from. Your corporate profile/company overview or “about us” information needs to make people want to work with you.
Are you attracting the strongest applicants for the positions you have available? Recruiting messages need to be written in the voice of your company’s brand as targeted messages designed for your ideal candidates.
User Guides, Training Manuals, and Installation Instructions
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Do you promise a training manual or user guide with your product? Are you exceeding your customers’ expectations or are you patching together something that barely meets the requirement for documentation?
It amazes me how often installation instructions present steps out of order.
1. Connect the black wire.
2. Before connecting any wires be sure the power is off.
Oops.
This often happens when several people contribute to a document. I can provide a fresh set of eyes, ask questions about missing steps and write the instructions in order. I’ll also provide recommendations about the images that should be included to illustrate the essential steps in the process.
Professionally written user guides, training manuals, and installation instructions inspire confidence in your products. They’re also of great value internally to help your customer service team and sales force learn how your products work without requiring assistance from busy engineers.
Catalogues
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My first copywriting job was for a catalogue, and I’ve always enjoyed writing catalogue copy. The example on the left for Safety Equipment shows my early copywriting skills and my short-lived career as a hazardous waste handler model.
For technical catalogues I like to streamline table information to help specifiers easily narrow down the feature choices. I can also test your How to Order information to make sure it works with your “how to build a product number” instructions. I’ll make it easy to compare one product to the next by providing information in a consistent order and format.
For retail catalogues, the headlines do the heavy lifting. During the holidays, people are flooded with catalogues, so the promotion for your products needs to stand out. I can’t completely explain how I write headlines. It’s part perspiration, part inspiration. I keep paper with me all the time because I’ll often think of the perfect line when I’m taking a break.
Whether your catalogue is technical or consumer-focused, print or online, I can write headlines, copy, and specifications that make it easy for people to buy from you.
Promotional Material
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Many promotional strategies use a variety of materials like posters, flyers, banners, and more. Whether you’re preparing for a trade show, annual conference, or the launch of a new program, I can craft each message for maximum effectiveness while maintaining overall consistency.
This portfolio example is from a study skills program that needed to reach the learners in need of help, and make it easy for instructors to encourage students to use the program.