Now … it would be easy to take these answers at face value and address them in an ‘intranet re-vamp’ project that will deliver a better intranet; an intranet more fit for purpose.

But if we dig deeper, there’s often something else lurking below the surface. Something that many users will struggle to put into words. Something that may seem almost too trivial to mention, but that stops them identifying with their intranet.
That thing is … however good or bad you may think their intranet is, it’s just not them!

We heard these voices recently when we were re-designing an intranet for a global confectionary brand. What the users were saying to us is that none of their deeply held brand values of commitment, innovation and fun were coming through in the intranet experience.
The moral of the story? It’s time to stop seeing intranets merely as spaces where staff go to find and share information. It’s time to see them as venues where people choose to meet and work together (and sometimes find and share information).

In the corporate communications world, web design is becoming more stripped back all the time as designers and their clients appreciate that usability is far more important than the way things look, feel, move and sound. It’s nice to have it all, but if you could choose just one thing you’d go for usability every time.

So … why would you want to incorporate something that’s slow to load, difficult to optimise for search engines and delivers uneven accessibility? The answer has to be engagement – creating a branded piece of digital experience that adds sufficient value to justify the compromise.

OK, we’re hanging on in there, but then jQuery comes along, offering to do much of what Flash does but with speed and accessibility. So now, if you want to create a funky image selection you can do it without Flash – http://demo.marcofolio.net/polaroid_photo_viewer/ (dig the sunglasses!) – or if it’s an image carousel you’re after – http://demo.marcofolio.net/polaroid_photo_viewer/ - jQuery will create some nice transitions for you. While it doesn’t have the 3D capabilities of Flash, there is subtlety of screen refresh in this switch display example – http://www.sohtanaka.com/web-design/examples/display-switch/

And then we hear that iPad doesn’t support Flash … and then there’s HTML5’s video capabilities … Oh dear. Adobe must be feeling the chill winds.

01.  Throw in something controversial

Having a strong opinion is good – stimulating debate is also good. You want people to be talking about you, arguing about what you’ve said, linking to your blog posts.

While being controversial is good, being outrageous is probably not so good, although, if you know who you’re writing for then you know the people you DON’T want to offend (and those you can get away with offending).

It’s my belief, for example, that written content is the single most important factor in any Internet marketing campaign – way more important than web design. I don’t go around shouting about that because web designers NEED words for the sites they design and generally they’re really, really nice people who look kindly on copywriters – it’s an age-old partnership, and that shouldn’t be forgotten in these times of outsourcing and remote working.

I don’t have any such qualms about TV advertising – it’s a total waste of time and money.

02.  Use metaphor

Metaphor is a magic potion to a copywriter, turning him or her into an invincible warrior. Analogy is to a copywriter as Obelix is to Asterix. And simile is like a friendly druid, infusing every post with wit and wisdom. These are powerful weapons in any writer’s arsenal. Don’t get me started on neologism, the copycrats won’t like it.

03.  Respond to other people’s posts

How often have we been told that the Internet is a conversation? Blogs aren’t just a forum for spouting off about your own stuff, they’re about engaging in a dialogue. Responding to other posts in your sector not only allows you to express an opinion on a pertinent issue, thereby demonstrating your expertise (and the fact that you’re paying attention) but can also stimulate further debate. Don’t be afraid to share your opinions – if you have something interesting to say then post comments on other blogs and publicise your responses through social media.

04.  Keep something back for the next blog

When I really get into writing a blog post or article I often go off at a tangent. Rather than pursue too many points in one go, I chop off the tangent and there’s the starter for my next blog. It’s like making sour dough bread and will keep you in freshly baked blogs in perpetuity.

Maybe it’s better to think of your list article like a hydra – cut one head off and two more grow in its place. Each point on your list can generate individual blog posts, or other lists. I’ve already got at least 10 potential blog titles out of this list. For example:

1. Six ways to create an unmissable article title
2. Why lists ALWAYS pull in readers
3. How to use your keywords to build your blog posts
4. Why genuine insight always wins over opinion in article writing
5. The Asterix and Obelix guide to copywriting

05.  Don’t be afraid to recycle

As I said in my last post, blogs have a cumulative effect on both readers and search engines. Success is about the consistent delivery of relevant content over time PLUS dogged promotion of that content through social media, commenting, guest blogs, email marketing and other channels.

Recycling is OK as long as what you’re recycling has value – rework ideas, repackage content – there are new readers out there who never saw your original post, there are old readers that want to be reminded of your insights. Feel free to rewrite old articles with a new spin, use new stats to rekindle old debates. It’s all grist to the mill.

06.  Don’t be afraid to over-deliver

If you have something interesting to say, get it out there. Share your knowledge but remember to deliver real value. There are too many blogs out there holding back on real insight and expertise because they are trying to protect their knowledge. As a copywriter with over 15 years experience, I’m confident that I can share any of my expertise without jeopardising my chances of winning a new customer or losing an existing one.

Those who genuinely value that expertise will recognise its worth and will employ me to improve their content. Those who wish to do it themselves are welcome to what I have to offer – experience and insight don’t come overnight and we still have training courses and products to sell.

01. Use a punchy headline that works and promises content in a list format.

Also, make sure your headline includes a promise or a series of promises that the reader will receive information that will be of benefit to them. You wanted to read this article because I promised you several things:

• That I would show you how to do something you don’t already know how to do but that would be useful to you if you learned it
• That you would be able to learn this thing in a very short space of time
• That, on finishing the article, you wouldn’t just be able to do it in an average way, you would be able to excel at it
• That I would impart some secret information that you don’t already possess
• That I am an expert, so increasing your desire to read what I have to say because what I say must therefore have more value than if written by some average Joe
• That the content would not be challenging but easy to read because it’s a list

02. Provide your content in a list format.

People love lists. They’re easily digestible with information in bite-sized chunks. They’re also easy to write because your content is clearly defined by the topic of the list. For example, if I told you to write a blog about why Twin Peaks is one of the greatest TV shows of the last thirty years you may struggle. If I asked you to list the five greatest things about Twin Peaks you would be able to rattle them off (provided you’re aged at least 30 or a serious TV nerd) There are endless types of list you can create. Here are a few

• Reasons why each of your USPs is so important (for example, “Seven reasons why you need to focus on consistency in your [insert business] service,” “The top 10 reasons why reliability is important to [insert product]”)
• Top ten things about your sector (with one being directly related to your product or service)
• Top ten mistakes people make when shopping for your product or service
• Ten best, ten worst
• Ten most influential people in your sector (in your city, in your country, in the world)

03. Act like a good SEO copywriter and get your keywords in there

As Robert McKee is so fond of pointing out, story is structure – use your keywords to provide the structure for your article, the scaffolding around which you build your content. You already have the list to work with, so when you create the headline for each point, use your keywords as a starting point. Like here – I wrote down “SEO copywriter” as the title for point 4 then fleshed it out. Get your main keyword in the title and your main and secondary keywords scattered around the blog or article, especially in places like sub-headers. If it’s a blog post then you can use these keywords as the anchor text for links back to the relevant pages on your main site. If it’s an article, don’t go overboard on the keywords – some article sites reject articles with too many keywords. They will also reject articles that are overtly promotional or with too many links to your site. Check each article site’s guidelines for their submission criteria.

04. Make sure you give out at least one genuinely useful thing

Even if your content is largely off the top of your head, make sure you give out at least one genuine insight that you know as an expert in your field. Readers want valuable information that they can take with them although in my experience, blogs have a cumulative effect on both readers and search engines. Success is about the consistent delivery of relevant content over time PLUS dogged promotion of that content through social media, commenting, guest blogs, email marketing and other channels. An individual blog post has to give just enough to get each reader to sign up and stay with you.

05. Split your blog post into two parts

Ten points are an awful lot to do in one go – how about making a two-parter or even a series of blogs on the same topic? Make sure that you make some big promises in the first part to get people coming back for more. End of part one. Next time:

• One major tip on how you can create a never-ending stream of content,
• A template for INSTANT article generation,
• Why controversy works
• Why TV advertising is a total waste of time and money.