Investment Writing

Selasa, 26 Mei 2009

What's a good elevator pitch for this blog?

Whether you're marketing your company, job hunting, or just networking, everybody needs an elevator pitch that succinctly conveys how they add value.

Even a blog needs an elevator pitch, says Darren Rowse of ProBlogger in "Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Blog."

Here's my elevator pitch for this blog:
The Investment Writing blog helps investment and wealth management professionals to communicate more effectively with their clients and prospects. The blog provides helpful communications tips and timely articles about industry topics.

How did I do with my elevator pitch? Do you have suggestions on how to improve it?

Also, if you're a blogger, please share your blog's elevator pitch along with a link to your blog..

_________________
Susan B. Weiner, CFA
Check out my website at www.InvestmentWriting.com or sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter.
Copyright 2009 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Selasa, 19 Mei 2009

Your mail has three seconds to grab your reader's attention

"The consumer decides in 3 seconds whether to trash your mail, or take 30 seconds to scan and prioritize your mail, and 3 minutes to actually sit and read it," according to a RR Donnelley Direct Marketing Tip of the Day provided by copywriter Pat Friesen.

That's why it's so important to create a compelling subject line for your emails and a strong opening paragraph for your letters.

Related posts:
* When NOT to personalize your email's subject line
* Boost readership of your enewsletter with powerful subject lines
* "Email Subject Lines: 15 Rules to Write Them Right"

__________________
Susan B. Weiner, CFA
Check out my website at www.InvestmentWriting.com or sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter.
Copyright 2009 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Jumat, 15 Mei 2009

Top three signs you should hire a freelance financial writer

Investment and wealth managers can deepen their relationships with clients, prospects, and referral sources by writing articles and white papers. Some firms do their writing in-house, while others farm it out.

Here are the top three signs you should hire a freelance financial writer for your articles and white papers
1. Articles and white papers don't get written--or take too long to finish--because the experts are too busy.
2. Your publications don't appeal to readers because they are
a. Too focused on features, not benefits
b. Poorly written in terms of style, grammar, and punctuation
3. Writing is a poor use of your employees' investment and wealth management skills

A savvy freelance financial writer can showcase your executives' knowledge without eating up their time and energy.

Related posts:
* Focus on benefits, not features, in your marketing
* "Three Reasons Your White Paper May Fail to Bring in New Business"
* Does your grammar and punctuation affect your credibility?

_________________
Susan B. Weiner, CFA
Check out my website at www.InvestmentWriting.com or sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter.
Copyright 2009 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Rabu, 06 Mei 2009

Fidelity expert: "CMBS Challenges & Opportunity: Are CMBS Securities Mispriced?"

By some measures, commercial mortage-backed securities (CMBS) are in good shape, according to Mark Snyderman, portfolio manager and CMBS group leader, Fidelity Investments, who presented on "CMBS Challenges & Opportunity: Are CMBS Securities Mispriced?" to the Boston Security Analysts Society on May 5. Still, he answered "No" to the big question posed by his title.

Good news: New construction and cash flow growth
Commercial property is not overbuilt, said Snyderman. In fact, in recent years, new construction has lagged the 2% growth rate needed to keep up with population growth and replacement of obsolete buildings. So, commercial property rents and occupancy should fare relatively well.

Commercial property growth has fallen from its peak. But even in 2009, Snyderman expects it will be flat or perhaps down by single digits. So, cash flow isn't much of a problem.

Problem: Lack of debt financing to squeeze mortgage borrowers
CMBS delinquency rates could rise to roughly 20 times their current level, which is below 2%, said Snyderman. Commercial real estate is suffering as debt financing becomes less available for highly leveraged properties purchased at historically high valuations. The disappearance of cheap debt financing and concerns about cash flow growth suggest that CMBS delinquencies will increase dramatically.

Pessimism will create opportunities
Investors must approach CMBS cautiously, said Snyderman. They can't rely on ratings because the ratings agencies haven't adequately reformed themselves. Instead, investors must do old-fashioned, bottom-up credit analysis on a property-by-property basis. It's also helpful to consider the "vintage" of a CMBS deal, even though there are deal-by-deal differences.

Right now, we're in a wave of market optimism, said Snyderman. But, he predicted, a wave of pessimism will bring attractive opportunities in CMBS.

_________________
Susan B. Weiner, CFA
Check out my website at www.InvestmentWriting.com or sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter.
Copyright 2009 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Selasa, 05 Mei 2009

"Starting Your First Blog? 29 Tips, Tutorials and Resources for New Bloggers"

"Starting Your First Blog? 29 Tips, Tutorials and Resources for New Bloggers" by Problogger Darren Rowse is a great resource if you've just started blogging.

His resources are divided into categories including
* Starting a Blog
* Writing Blog Content
* Blog Promotion/Finding Readers
* Making Money from Blogs
* Further Resources and Reading

I'd also like to recommend Blogging Basics 101: Where there are no stupid questions.

Kamis, 30 April 2009

Do your grammar and punctuation affect your credibility?

I believe that bad grammar and punctuation sabotage the credibility of the writer. The same goes for the company that the writer represents.

For me, bad grammar and punctuation suggest a lack of education and attention to detail. I wonder if the writer's professional work displays similar weaknesses. Plus, I'm annoyed if poor writing makes me work harder to grasp the point the writer was trying to convey.

Marketing materials--especially long-lived forms such as websites and brochures--should hit high standards to put the firm's best foot forward.

I'm more forgiving of typos in quickly created, ephemeral communications, such as tweets on Twitter. I'm guilty of typos there and on my blog.

What about you? Does bad grammar and punctuation detract from your opinion of writers and their companies?
Please answer the poll in the right-hand column of my blog. Also, feel free to leave your comment below.

I'll report on the poll results in a future issue of my newsletter. The poll will run until June 2009.

Jan. 20, 2013 note: I updated the title of this post after an anonymous commenter pointed out my grammatical mistake.

Selasa, 28 April 2009

Ways to dream up topics for financial articles

Sometimes you run out of ideas for your financial writing or blogging. Maybe it's time to brainstorm using approaches offered by freelance writer Susan Johnston in "50 Ways for Writers to Find Article Ideas."

I've selected several ideas from her list of 50
"3. Think about seasonal topics like holidays or national awareness months." The April 15 tax deadline is a classic hook for financial articles. But you can branch out. For example, Veteran's Day could inspire an article about benefits for those in the military service.
"7. Take a local story and figure out how to make it relevant to a national audience." The Madoff scandal may have affected only high net worth investors, but it has implications for everybody.
"24. Follow a forum to see what people are buzzing about." For example, AARP's Online Community or the personal finance and wealth management "Answers" section of LinkedIn.
"34. Fill in the blank: '10 Secrets of _______,' '8 Places to ____' or '5 Ways to __________.' " This reminds me of the MadLibs game, but some candidates include "10 Secrets of Saving for Retirement, "Eight Places to Find a Bargain on Insurance," and "Five Ways to Save for College."
"46. Take a myth and turn it on its head." For example, U.S. Treasuries are a safe investment.

Do you have tricks that you use to come up with fresh ideas? Please share them.