info snack

Bite-sized chunks of info from Vancouver-based freelance copywriter/web editor Rob Mathison, including recent projects, info/articles, links, and interesting stuff found on the web. And a picture of a doughnut.

I'm available for freelance/contract work.

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1907 Vancouver tram-cam

I think this takes you around Granville-Hastings-Carrall-Cordova-Cambie-Robson. Still driving on the left in those days and there are noticeably more hats and fewer Starbucks outlets.

El Clasico: Round three

Round three of the El Clasico marathon today. Let’s hope for more artistry from Messi and co. Animation (of November’s amazing Barcelona performance) by Richard Swarbrick of Gareth Bale vs Inter Milan fame.

Inside Vancouver - a tourism blog done well

It amazes me that not every city or country’s Tourism Board has a blog. There’s a limitless amount of content that can be produced and no shortage of writers, photographers, videographers and other content creators who would jump at the chance to get their work featured.

An example of a tourism blog done very well is Inside Vancouver from Tourism Vancouver. The content is really well organized, with clear categories (instead of the vague “Things to Do” you often see on travel-related blogs, or worse, content organized by month as in many blogs), and it does a brilliant job of showcasing the people, sights and things to do within the city. A quick search on Google for a couple of topics sees the blog rank pretty highly, so the SEO element works well. And of course every post is easily distributed through Twitter and Facebook.

Useful stuff #7 - Things

It’s a bit embarrassing to count how many task management type apps or online to-do list tools I have tried over the years, but Things (Mac) is the only one I’ve stuck with as an alternative to a pen and paper for planning and organizing my own projects. And it has an iPhone version that syncs nicely.

I did stick with one other to-do list service, though (in addition to Today). TeuxDeux is a nice one if you float between different locations/computers. Also has a good iPhone version.

Fancy gadgets more viral than gorillas?

This video from Corning Glass has had over 10m views and counting on YouTube - compared to just 90,000 or so for their one featuring a gorilla.

It’s a nice way of telling a story about a pretty mundane product, not to mention looking very plausible. Man in gorilla suit - not so much. Should have had him play the drums.

Got a desk for rent in Vancouver?

This has been my longest stretch working from the home office/local coffee shop (four months now) and I’ve decided I need workmates again, or at least other people working around me.

I’m looking for a co-working or shared office space in Vancouver for at least one day a week - ideally with a small design/marketing/digital or other creative business, a small start-up, or a social enterprise or charity - basically somewhere where I could also make myself useful if ever needed. I can provide copywriting, content, proofreading and other services in part-return or for similar reasonable rates (as well as just helping out as an extra pair of eyes).

I’m office-trained, have worked in a shared, rented or hot-desking space before and am happy to contribute Timbits, do the coffee run, come for post-work beers, discuss the Canucks, etc, etc.

Or, somewhere like The Melting Pot or Centre of Social Innovation would be perfect.

Content informs design; design without content is decoration.

 Jeffrey Zeldman

One job title. Three toques. I gave myself the longish job title of copywriter / web editor / web content strategist partly because that’s a benefit of being self-employed, partly to keep up-to-date with recent developments in the area of web content, and partly because choosing one risked pigeonholing myself (which also sounds painful). This post is intended to clarify the differences between the three slightly different but interlinking roles of copywriter, web editor and content strategist (in the context of what I do direct for client companies or through agencies).  Copywriter A copywriter is, to quote the title of this excellent book, an idea writer, as well as a marketing storyteller. The aim of a copywriter is to deliver your messages and communicate your stories in as compelling and engaging a way as possible. There are different types of copywriter, but generally I do the following: Web copy Print copy Copy themes Platform copy Marketing storytelling Copy for any sort of marketing campaign Taglines and headlines Newsletters Articles Scripts, eg corporate videos Customer value statements Web editor Web editors make cluttered, unclear and inaccessible websites better. A web editor can step in when you have existing content from, for example, a brochure or other source, but it’s not readable, accessible or engaging enough to work well on the web. Or you have existing web copy and it’s just not very good. The aim of a web editor is to help ensure that visitors to your website very quickly understand the hows, whys, whats and whos of your business, as well as making sure the content is up-to-date and written in a consistent style (often, web content is produced by a number of different people). As web editor, I can: Edit and organize content for the web Ensure consistency Write a style guide Provide training in web writing for future client content updates Add keywords for search engine optimization purposes Write meta data Web content strategist Web content strategists take an overall, holistic view of your website and other content to make sure it’s all working well together. The aim of a web content strategist, like any kind of strategist, is to ensure there is a plan in place for all or specific elements of your content. A relatively new role, it’s quite similar to a web editor role, including: Content planning and organization Content reviews Content audits Content inventories Content repurposing Content marketing Editorial schedules, eg blog calendars Depending on what your project involves, I can wear one or a combination of these hats (without actually wearing them of course; I don’t own any of the hats above) on your project. Please get in touch for more info. 

One job title. Three toques.

I gave myself the longish job title of copywriter / web editor / web content strategist partly because that’s a benefit of being self-employed, partly to keep up-to-date with recent developments in the area of web content, and partly because choosing one risked pigeonholing myself (which also sounds painful).

This post is intended to clarify the differences between the three slightly different but interlinking roles of copywriter, web editor and content strategist (in the context of what I do direct for client companies or through agencies). 

Copywriter

A copywriter is, to quote the title of this excellent book, an idea writer, as well as a marketing storyteller. The aim of a copywriter is to deliver your messages and communicate your stories in as compelling and engaging a way as possible. There are different types of copywriter, but generally I do the following:

  • Web copy
  • Print copy
  • Copy themes
  • Platform copy
  • Marketing storytelling
  • Copy for any sort of marketing campaign
  • Taglines and headlines
  • Newsletters
  • Articles
  • Scripts, eg corporate videos
  • Customer value statements

Web editor

Web editors make cluttered, unclear and inaccessible websites better. A web editor can step in when you have existing content from, for example, a brochure or other source, but it’s not readable, accessible or engaging enough to work well on the web. Or you have existing web copy and it’s just not very good.

The aim of a web editor is to help ensure that visitors to your website very quickly understand the hows, whys, whats and whos of your business, as well as making sure the content is up-to-date and written in a consistent style (often, web content is produced by a number of different people). As web editor, I can:

  • Edit and organize content for the web
  • Ensure consistency
  • Write a style guide
  • Provide training in web writing for future client content updates
  • Add keywords for search engine optimization purposes
  • Write meta data

Web content strategist

Web content strategists take an overall, holistic view of your website and other content to make sure it’s all working well together. The aim of a web content strategist, like any kind of strategist, is to ensure there is a plan in place for all or specific elements of your content. A relatively new role, it’s quite similar to a web editor role, including:

  • Content planning and organization
  • Content reviews
  • Content audits
  • Content inventories
  • Content repurposing
  • Content marketing
  • Editorial schedules, eg blog calendars

Depending on what your project involves, I can wear one or a combination of these hats (without actually wearing them of course; I don’t own any of the hats above) on your project. Please get in touch for more info. 

Useful stuff #6 - Today

My favourite to-do and calendar app, Today sits in the menu bar and integrates with iCal - very useful.

Gareth Bale vs Inter Milan

Breathtaking. (Bale’s performance and the animation.)

Surely won’t be long before we’ll see this animator used in a Nike or Adidas ad.