Getting your writing to sound natural is a challenge that even native English speakers can struggle with, since the vocabulary and tonality we use in writing is often profoundly different from when we are speaking! Perhaps this is due to colloquial English being meant to deliver intent quickly and efficiently (and because we are prone to running out of breath)… whereas we can afford to be a little more long-winded and use more elegant sounding words in writing.

However, if we tried to directly convert how we speak onto paper (or vice versa), the results may not always appear natural. So how do we make writing sound natural without sacrificing on meaning? Join Wordsmith and let’s get editing through the power of sound!

As a person climbs the corporate ladder, their list of responsibilities grow proportionally. These responsibilities often include delivering communications, memos, reports and so forth to clients and colleagues, and possibly even representing the business at large-scale events. If writing reports and memos isn’t a strong suit (or if time constraints prove a problem), ghostwriters are assigned to write on their behalf. Let’s say your boss is head of a department and you need to write their message for the company brochure – how can you craft an easily understood description of your firm’s expertise and accomplishments? Join Wordsmith as we peek behind the curtains in the world of corporate ghostwriting!

Editing can be tedious and unfun. If you’re like us who has to edit multiple documents a day (and often the same set of documents repeatedly with minor changes), editing is equivalent to getting sucked into a vortex of suffering. With how powerful ChatGPT is at generating content, people often rely upon it solely for content creation… but did you know that the AI can make for a surprisingly good partner at editing as well? Not only is ChatGPT fast at cranking out edits and suggestions, it provides a handy objective perspective as well – it all depends on how well you curate your prompt. Interested in making more impactful edits while keeping the process streamlined? Then this article is for you!

Providing updates can be as simple as a casual oral heads-up to your colleagues or as detailed as a multi-page letter for overseas investors. Regardless which type of update you are responsible for, any respectable professional should know how to structure updates through the written word – because an interconnected world and business place means you’re inevitably going to have stakeholders who aren’t in the same room as you. What’s the best approach to take when sharing your latest developments? Join Wordsmith as we give you the lowdown on updates!

With looming economic uncertainties, brands are consistently scrambling to stay relevant and front of mind with consumers – and storytelling is one of the best ways to achieve this goal. Far more than a simple marketing tactic, brand storytelling has the power to connect with audiences, enhance engagement and conversions and even persuade first-time consumers to become loyal brand followers. When used correctly, this strategy can not only help brands survive tumultuous times but thrive in them. In the age of trending TikToks, augmented reality, and the rise in short-form videos, brand popularity can be fickle and fleeting, which is why establishing a solid brand story is more important than ever before. At Wordsmith, we believe storytelling is one of the best ways you can future-proof your brand and capture your ethos, so it can withstand unstable climates, emerging fads and stiff competition. So read on, as we share 5 different ways you can get ahead of the game in brand storytelling this financial year.

The Internet has changed how people apply for jobs and higher education. No longer do we need to submit applications by post or fax, nor do we need to do interviews in person – online applications, LinkedIn profiles and Zoom have dynamically shifted this process… although not necessarily for the better, as certain institutions and businesses have devised grueling gauntlet-style applications to find the “perfect” candidates.

While the Internet has certainly made things more convenient for pursuing new paths, the competition for those positions has also increased greatly. Your qualifications will get you through the initial screening, but it’s your cover letter that ultimately gets you through the door. Before you submit your next application, join Wordsmith as we explore what you should and shouldn’t do when drafting your cover letter!

The recent Olympics Games in Paris were quite the spectacle. Beyond the memes about shooting stances and poor conditions at the Olympic Village, it was still a great showcase of competitive spirit and talent. Trying to capitalise on the hype around the Games, Google released an ad promoting their Gemini AI chatbot featuring American hurdling and sprinting star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (video link below). The ad’s messaging means well, but something about the execution just doesn’t hit right – especially when it’s a company as savvy as Google! Join Wordsmith as we explore how we can patch things up.

Some people ae able to work with the same company for decades and feel perfectly at peace, whereas others seek change within weeks. Regardless which side of the career fence you are on, there is only one certainty: everyone has to resign at some point. Whether due to age or because you’re looking for opportunities elsewhere, the right resignation later will help you bow out while also setting you up for your next endeavours… but the reverse also holds true: the wrong resignation letter can quickly toss out years of good will and potentially jeopardise your future. With summer being a prime season for changing careers, how can we sign off like a pro while also squeezing out the best referrals? Join Wordsmith and let’s find out!

A sales pitch or advertisement is wasted if the call-to-action doesn’t inspire… well, an action. Not only would our clients resent us for sabotaging their content, but to fumble on the CTA is like dousing a cake with soy sauce after spending hours baking and decorating it – a lacklustre finish is a sure-fire way to taint audiences’ experiences and expectations. Join Wordsmith and let’s make those call-to-actions punchy and persuasive!

Creating up-to-date, timely content has its perks. It allows brands to boost audience engagement, maintain relevance in their industry, increase customer satisfaction and it even has the ability to influence conversion rates. However, capitalising on trends alone when creating content is a risky marketing strategy, as trends can come and go in an instant – along with the value of your content. Chasing trends may work for instantaneous engagement and fast clicks, but if you want to build brand loyalty and sustain a consistent online presence, evergreen content provides ongoing value for both new audiences and existing customers, long after the piece has been published. Many industry experts see evergreen content as the backbone of their marketing strategy – and we agree. So, join Wordsmith as we share our go-to guide for creating evergreen content.

Most professionals understand the importance of networking for career success, but many fail to harness the full power of networking social media platform, LinkedIn. If you’re looking to reach out to other professionals in your industry or establish yourself as a thought leader in your field, having a robust LinkedIn content strategy can help propel you into the spotlight.

With over 254 million users in the Asia-Pacific region alone, LinkedIn has transformed itself from a simple digital business card to a professional branding powerhouse tool in the last 20 years. Savvy CEOs, financial coaches, business leaders and authors across the world have gravitated towards this platform, not only to take advantage of its vast networking opportunities and unlimited access to curated business content but also to bolster their own thought leadership – and you can do it too. LinkedIn is a great platform to spark business conversations, showcase your industry knowledge and prove you're an expert. So, join Wordsmith, as we show you how you can become a thought leader on LinkedIn and help you cultivate a loyal audience of dedicated followers.

The perfect headline arouses curiosity while also telling readers just enough to give them an inkling about what’s going on – news sites do it, Buzzfeed does it and so should you on LinkedIn! Much like any news headline (sensational or otherwise), your LinkedIn headline is the first piece of insight that visitors, business connections and/or potential recruiters will learn about you, so you should definitely dress it up to establish yourself as a valuable prospect and/or connection. With summer being a solid time to shake up your career, is your LinkedIn profile up to snuff? Join Wordsmith to find out how!

Everyone knows the suffering that is your word processor crashing before you’ve had a chance to save your work. But the Most Dangerous Writing App takes this experience and dials it up to 11. The page looks innocent enough at first glance and each session is 5 minutes by default (adjustable from 3 to 60 minutes). There’s no prompt, so what you want to write about is entirely up to you… but the moment you type the first letter, you better be able to keep going, otherwise you get the iconic red screen of failure.

We briefly covered this app back in 2019 and although the challenge hasn’t changed much since (apart from a new heinous “hardcore” setting that also blurs everything you’ve written), our capacity to write whilst under pressure (hopefully) has. If you’re tired of the Most Dangerous Writing App bullying your progress, then this article is for you!

We’re halfway through 2024, and for content marketers the drive to stay ahead of the curve is more important than ever. Having your finger on the pulse of emerging trends keeps audiences curious, engaged and willing to invest in your brand. This doesn’t mean you have to implement every single trend going into your content marketing strategy, but it’s essential to embrace trends that align with your brand and audience. Content marketing trends can help you stay ahead of the competition, build brand awareness and enhance brand value and reputation, all of which are crucial to staying fresh and relevant. On the other side of the coin, it’s also equally important to identify strategies that are no longer serving your business’ trajectory and growth. So, read on as Wordsmith covers “what’s in” and “what’s out” in content marketing!  

Brainstorming can be a blast for some, but also a nightmare for others. During such sessions, leaders often declare “every idea is a good idea” to nudge responses from participants – but is this actually effective? We can fantasise about having infinite budgets and complete creative reign over every little detail as much as we want, but let’s be real… clients will (almost) always be penny pinchers and no idea can truly escape rules and restrictions. This creates a bit of a paradox, because how can every idea be a good idea if constraints are unavoidable?

While it’s true that having no restrictions would allow the river of ideas to flow freely, we need some boundaries to keep our ideas grounded – Batman is a really cool superhero, but is he the right face for this brand? Can the client even afford the licensing rights? Even the most novel and suitable ideas become useless if we can’t feasibly put it into action! Can we constructively transform constraints so that they become more than just dampeners to our imaginations? Join Wordsmith and let’s find out!

Those of us working in marketing and copywriting are expected to be able to professionally convey ideas in a presentation style commonly dubbed business writing. Even if you don’t deal with marketing or copywriting regularly, efficient presentation is a skill that benefits anyone. As the old saying goes, “time is money” – every moment spent beating around the bush is a moment your readers could’ve better spent doing (almost) anything else. Although we previously highlighted the basics of business writing, there are plenty more intricacies to cover!

In the early 2000s, the main goal of social media was to connect people, but recently, these platforms have evolved into some of the most powerful digital marketing tools for brands. The social media advertising market in Asia is projected to grow by 4.20% between 2024-2028 to $113.3bn in 2028, and with 76% of social media users saying they’ve purchased something they saw on social media, it stands to reason that these platforms can significantly boost your bottom line. By successfully utilising popular social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, X (née Twitter) and Instagram, you can grow your audiences, build brand awareness, increase visibility, foster your community, instil brand loyalty and even use it as another revenue stream for promoting key products and services. Social media can also help you gain a competitive advantage by establishing your brand as an expert in the field. So, in a world where first impressions increasingly matter, taking the time to cultivate a strong social media presence is a game changer that has the potential to level the playing fields between smaller and bigger brands.

But how do you go about finding your ideal audience? John Edmonds Kozma, CEO of Bang Productions, explains that although it might seem like an arduous task at first, it’s all about collecting data, analysing the data and using your findings to create content that meets the needs of your buyer personas, not the industry as a whole. “Through my experiences in the entertainment business, I met multiple types of people, giving me different insights into their sensibilities and how they live their lives. When I understood the entertainment business model, I was able to reverse-engineer some processes within the industry and started using content, eliminating unconscious bias, which is the juggernaut of the universe.” He continues, “Many industries, have lost sight of who their paying customers are. Instead of prioritising their audience, they focus only on pleasing the industry. I find this approach to be outdated and ineffective in finding or creating the perfect customer or fan. Instead, it's crucial to understand human behaviour.”

There’s always that one person who can seemingly cook up effective strategies like crazy. Across marketing, finances or life in general, the talents of such people always sell like hot cakes… but what about us lesser mortals who struggle to come up with just one solid strategy? Ideas may or may not always flow like water, but how do we determine when an idea is important or just another footnote? More importantly, how can we do this consistently? Join Wordsmith and let’s learn a few neat tricks to boost effective strategising!

Hong Kong summers – marked by suffocatingly warm weather, ridiculously inflated travel costs, an explosive influx of returning students and a slower economy. As an employee, surely this is a terrible time for a career change… right? Perhaps not! This might be because you aren’t employing the right mindsets and cover letter tactics. If you are interested considering a career change now and want to get noticed by even the stingiest summer recruiters, then this article is for you!

Across life and business, some people simply think that swindling is the easiest way to get ahead – and with the advent of AI writing, it’s easier than ever to try and pass off computer-synthesised content as their personal work. AI makes new advancements every day, and soon, we can’t deny that it will be able to perfectly emulate the works and writing styles of even the best writers… but luckily for us, today’s AI is still prone to errors and some have even developed peculiar writing habits. Interested in finding out what these are and how you can become more proficient at spotting AI-generated writing? Then this article is for you!