Careerbuilder.com kicks other advertisements' butts

Advertisements are not a writing style per se, but they can contain writing and employ general guidelines that determine an eye-catching advertisement from a poor one. An advertisement I found from careerbuilder.com does an excellent job at catching the readers attention and promoting their job search services.

For starters, the image draws your attention and peaks the viewer's interest. Following the image, there is a headline that reads, "Maybe it's time to move on." The headline is clear, simple and gets the point of the advertisement across. If the viewer were to stop reading at that point, then he or she would have a general idea of what the advertisement was trying to say.

The advertisement continues; it provides a small blurb of copy that describes in more detail the services and calls the viewer to action if he or she is in need of a profession change.

Lastly, the viewer can see the logo of the company and its tagline in the bottom right hand corner to further promote the brand.

This advertisement puts a humorous spin on a stressful situation of changing careers, but it is clear what this business has to offer. The advertisement is coherent, concise and sticks out amongst the rest. 

Featuring Oklahoma Today

I enjoy a great short story as much as a camel in the desert enjoys a drink of water. I like short stories for the main reason that I lose patience with a book or longer stories. A feature story is just that, a short story that spotlights a non newsworthy event or happening.

The feature story that I will examine is, "Oklahoma Weird & Wonderful," published by Oklahoma Today. I discovered a list of  criteria online that combine the qualifications of a feature story and the qualities that good feature stories have.

For starters, it needs to be short and readable in one sitting. Despite the article being in three pieces, I read the full article in less than 15 minutes. Second, a feature story does not fall under the category of a news story and can be categorized as a human interest. This story discusses unique places to visit throughout Oklahoma, so it does not classify as a news story.

Lastly, the story needs to be well written, which the writer not only kept my interest, but also had me wanting to know more about the quirky adventures one can have in Oklahoma. 

This feature story had it all; the story was short and easy to read, but still kept my attention and told me about some great adventure opportunities that would normally have been overlooked in the news.

The basics of media kits from solopreneur life

A combination of organization, creativity and information create a beautiful piece of art known as the media kit. A well put together media kit can help push a story or product over the edge and create intrigue.

The example of a media kit that will be examined this week is from Larry Keltto who is promoting his book, The Solopreneur Life.  After downloading the digital media kit from thesolopreneurlife.com, it was clear what was lacking and also the good qualities exhibited.

Starting with the positive, the kit has good information that is clearly labeled and organized; it contains a bio of the author also known as a backgrounder. It also contains a press release, commonly asked interview questions and answers, the book summary, and a few photos. This information is helpful, and if I were to put together a story, I would have enough information to write a basic story.

However, the creativity of this media kit leaves the reader something to desire. The information is good, but everything is plain. It doesn't catch my eye, and I doubt it catches the eye of others. In addition, it would be helpful to have more information. The basics are covered, but a fact sheet would have been great, and a poster, ad or flyer image could have gone a long way as well.

This media kit accomplishes the basics, but could use some flare. The point is to pass information from the source to outside consumers in a way to create buzz and interest. The information is sent, but doesn't keep me interested.