News and Views 

I'm a writer. I've got things to say...imagine that.

From tips and tricks to help you become a better communicator, a little bragging on some projects we're proud of, to observations and opinions on writing, marketing, business, social media, and education - this is where the conversation is.

Come join in.

I'd like to throw in a disclaimer; I'm not responsible for the wonky formatting on this page! The web host has made some changes to its site building process, and for some reason, this page (and all the posts on it) suffered. My apologies for the additional scrolling you may have to do; I believe you'll find my words to be worth the extra effort. ~ WDW 

 

Keeping My Credibility

August 27, 2009

                                                                       

     
In the opinion of some people, if a writer uses their talent to blog for a living, they're disingenuous, dishonest, and untrustworthy.

                                                           

I recently read someone who I hold in high esteem say that they'll unfollow a person who is paid to blog because they can't trust that person anymore. I could have let that comment get to me but I didn't. You see, I am a professional blogger. A few companies pay me to blog on a regular basis.

 

I don't falsely evangelize a product or service, and I do not pretend to be someone I'm not. I merely discuss what I do with their product or service. I don't even get free products or services from the companies for which I write.

 

One of the companies is an internet provider. I've created a blog about what I am able to do with the internet, which is search for information about my favorite sport and team. I love European Football (soccer) and my team is Manchester United. So, I write a blog about Premier League Football, the games Manchester United plays, the teams they play against, the various injuries players sustain, World Cup qualifications, FIFA, UEFA, and whatever else is going on during the season.

 

Another company I blog for is a satellite television provider. I'm an Anglophile and I love BBC America TV shows. I write about Being Human, Dr. Who, Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Torchwood. I also write about American shows on HBO like, True Blood, Entourage, and Hung. I don't pretend to know anything about satellite TV and I'm not trying to sell the service, or bash any other providers. I talk entertainment.

 

In any economy but especially in this one, I am out to earn money. I am a writer, it's what I do. I write words for a living. How does this make me any less credible? If I am writing an ad that says a certain mascara will make your lashes their longest ever, or that my client's burger is the best tasting on the market, am I selling out my credibility then? Where is this line in the sand, where do the black and white solidly meet to bang away the gray?

 

Do you honestly expect that every blog you read on the internet is going to be genuine? At least the ones I write professionally are not hard pitch sales tactics filled with made up reviews and comments. I have real readers that write to me and follow me. We interact with one another on Twitter and we comment on shows and games. We don't talk products and services. How does all of this benefit my clients? Their name is at the bottom of each post with a link to their site. The name of the blog is their company name. My readers trust me because they've gotten to know me as a person, which in turn has earned the client a measure of trust. The fact that I don't push the product onto my readers gives the client even more credibility.

 

I've done nothing to diminish your trust. I've been completely honest. This is my personal site and I'm pushing no agenda or product here. Follow me, or don't follow me. The choice is yours. I'm merely telling you a story about my style of blogging as a professional. I'm not standing with a foot on either side of a line, nor am I in the middle of black and white…hovering in a gray realm. In the blogs I post but am paid to post…I am still me. So again, I say…follow me or don't. I'm no more or less credible with or without your faith.

 

Using Social Media for Business

August 11, 2009

 


Some of the most popular methods of internet advertising to develop in recent years are the many aspects of social media. Networking sites like MySpace and Facebook are more than just places for family and friends to connect, they've become places for businesses to hock their wares and for corporations to push their brands. Blogger, Wordpress, and Squidoo are just a few spots where you can create free web pages and blog about your life or what you're selling.


Yet, social media is not rea...


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Corporate Bloggers

August 11, 2009

                                                                                        



Many companies today are hiring corporate bloggers. Some are simply hiring them to talk about what it is they do with their product, others are hiring them to actually promote their products and services. This morning, I attended a breakfast for "Social Media Charlotte," and our guest speaker touched on the topic, but not enough in my opinion. See, I write blogs for a few companies. I am a corporate ...


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Twitter as Social Media

August 11, 2009

 

This article appeared in the June issue of Saathee Magazine

 

Last month's edition of Saathee featured a terrific article introducing you to Twitter, by Gail Martin of DreamSpinner Communications.   She explained the 140 character system conveying ideas called, "Tweets" and gave some great advice on using Twitter to increase your business's visibility. 

Twitter can be a valuable tool to generate traffic to your business's website and raise the number of hits you receive on a regular ba...


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How to Get Your Music Played on the Radio

August 11, 2009



I used to work for a radio station, where I produced and sometimes hosted a show that highlighted new music from established artists and music from artists trying to break into the industry. They could be on independent labels or large labels, it didn't matter. The show was even called, The New Music and Indie Label Show. Not an overly creative title, but it got the point of what the show was about across well enough.

My job was to go through the hundreds of packages from bands and agencies ...


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Grammar Issues 101

August 11, 2009

There is a mistake among writers on the internet that I see all too often. When I come across the error, I stop reading, re-read the sentence, look for the author's name and credentials, go back to what I've been reading and often don't finish the article. This one little mistake has taken away enough credibility (in my eyes), that I no longer want to hear what the writer has to say. I'm not saying I never finish reading, I'm saying that sometimes I don't.


Here's an example of the mistake th...


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Writing a Paper: Help for High School and College Students

August 11, 2009

Part 1 ~ Getting Started                                                                                 

These next couple of posts will benefit both high school and college students. I'm going to discuss writing papers. (Up front, I'll let you know I am an Instructor of College Composition.)

Writing is crucial to your success in and out of school, so learn to do it well. Communication is the key ingredient in everything from a well structured resume to a project proposal for a potential cli...


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Writing a Paper: (Part 2) How to Avoid Plagiarism

August 11, 2009

Writing a paper involves reading. A great deal of reading. In fact, writing is all about reading. A writer who doesn't read is usually not a very good writer. By reading, we learn how to write better. We can appreciate the beauty of another author's words on the page as they describe the human condition. So often we writers are Empaths, soaking in the world's emotion. We reflect everything that everyone around us is feeling, by taking it to the page. When someone else writes a really great li...


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Internet Killed the Newspaper Star

August 11, 2009

 

Blog

 

Internet Killed the Newspaper Star

 

As a writer and journalist, one might think that when the day came, that the newspaper died, I would personally, take it very painfully. As an idealistic kid, I used to think I'd grow up to be a double or triple-column, half-page writer in some major newspaper…naturally, I'd also be writing the great American Novel, Oscar winning screenplays, and directing all of my own films. 

 

Twenty years ago, we didn't see it coming. The fact that t...


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Can Social Media Make You a Victim?

August 11, 2009

Today's social media world has nurtured a landscape in which a level of camaraderie develops online that normally wouldn't be felt in person. Often, a person's identity and information is available because of their business and their desire to gain new clientele. But, when is too much information – too much? When you're writing about being in the airport on Twitter, the world suddenly knows you're not at home. If any of the "pals" you've made along the way know you're single, live alone, an...


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About Me


Wendy Wells I am a professional wordsmith and a Marketing and Brand generations strategist with experience composing Public Relations and Marketing creative copy including: web sites, blogs, print, press releases, catalog copy, and email marketing campaigns. Read my blogs regularly and you'll find I'm passionate about writing - always have been. Since I first heard the story of "Peter Pan and Wendy," I became a lover of stories. As soon as I could hold a book and understand the alphabet, I grew to be an avid reader. Once I was able to hold a pencil and put sentences together, I knew I was a writer.