My five most read articles of 2013. Two on advertising, two on speechwriting, and an article on dealing with difficult journalists.
I started writing this blog a little over seven months ago. I have really enjoyed writing the articles and have many more ideas for next year. But for now, here are the five most read articles of 2013.
1. How to brief your ad agency
This was easily my most read article of the year. In it I show one technique you can use to deliver a better brief and get better advertising in return.
2. Rhetorical devices for speechwriters
I couldn’t find a similar set of index cards to I created these to carry around with me when I’m writing speeches. A few of them have even ended up on the back of my business cards.
3. A good ad should have a single idea
This was a fun article to write. I deconstructed a particularly bad car ad that had at least ten ideas. Then I showed an ad that gets it right with one.
4. Dealing with difficult journalists
Bridging is something that has had its day. Journalists can spot a trained spokesperson a mile away. There’s a better way to deal with tricky questions: reframe them.
5. How to write a victory and a concession speech
I couldn’t find a single article that dealt with both writing victory and concession speeches. So I watched a lot of speeches, reread some books, and wrote this post. Luckily the candidate I was working for delivered the victory speech.
If you have any ideas for articles you’d like me to tackle in 2014 let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to oblige.