Entries by Ajay Govind

I do agree with the previous blog that the problem is not actually with Powerpoint but with the way that it is used. I notice that from content writers to web designers, anyone who is putting up a presentation here needs to do it with Powerpoint. And there is, of course, absolutely nothing wrong with it, though I do believe that Powerpoint shouldn’t be a substitute for creativity. Yes, the program adds color and life to your presentation but it’s a sad day when all we do is hide behind the proficiency of the application and not use our own creativity at the same time.

I believe I work in a team full of creative people and I know this because I have personally seen them work. But the point is that creativity has different meanings for different people and what I think is a great way of presenting might be completely different for someone else.

So in a way, a tool like Powerpoint becomes a middle path of sorts. Almost everyone knows how to use Powerpoint and knows that making a visual presentation by using that application will also be understood by their audience. So I can understand the tendency for many of us to turn to Powerpoint and use it in what might be seen as a “typical” way.

So, what I am trying to say is: yes, Powerpoint might be ‘overused’ for presentations but one reason for that is also because it is something that most audiences can identify with and can grasp easily.

To many of us, it seems like Email has been around since ever and I am definitely one of those who cannot really remember how things worked before Email happened to us. But apparently that is not the way everyone works. In fact there are many who think that Email is just an extra bit of technology that can be done away with if needed.  I tend to disagree on that front, though.

The problem comes in because of the perception that some people have that Email is an informal method of communication.  That is not entirely true because how you use the form of communication has a lot to do with how the message is perceived by the recipient.

Especially when it comes to business communication I hold that Email is definitely one of the best tools we have.  A client recently asked “why Email?” and I immediately responded saying that there isn’t just one or two reasons why Email is such a blessing.

Apart from the obvious cost factors, Email does have power over building awareness and maintaining long term relationships with your clients. In fact, email can be used to convert prospective clients into buyers and later emails can be used to ensure that the buyer has a good post purchase experience.

The point is that Email doesn’t just play one role and that is the best thing about it.  Email can adapt to the situation and be used according to the kind of communication that is required at that point in time.

Hello, again. If you logged on to the blog page just now, saw my post and thought, “oh it’s him again” I won’t really blame you.  I do realize that there are a few of us who blog a lot and others not as much.  And I’d like to know why that is happening.  As Internet marketing professionals I think this is perhaps the best way that we can communicate in an informal way.

During lunch when I brought up the same topic someone told me that there’s not always something to write about.  Of course, that is true.  But I guess that is because those of us who do blog as much as we do realize that it is just about passing around information and there’s nothing official about it.  You definitely do not have to be content writers to write down what you want to in a blog. And what is more, we would love to hear what you have to say. 

If I remember right, we started the team meetings and the town hall meetings for this very reason.  We have a lot of us who always have something to talk about and others who don’t speak up as much. Actually when I first started, I didn’t have much to write about myself but I found that once I got used to sharing information on the blog, I started really liking it.  Now every time something comes up, I immediately want to share it with you guys on this blog.

So those of you who have not tried it out yet should give it a shot because I am sure you will find that it is quite a fun thing to do.  So let’s make this a formal invitation from someone who blogs a Lot to those who don’t appear here as much.

While reading up on an article about CMG (or Consumer Generated Media), I was, once again, thinking about the power of blogging.  Rather, I should say, I was questioning the power of blogging.  Of course, there is no denial, especially amongst Internet marketing professionals, that the blogosphere is a very influential medium, but then do we ever overestimate the importance that we give this sort of writing? 

I know that if the person sitting next to me tells me something then I might believe him or her (depending on who that person is, of course).   Can we really deny that, when online, more often than not, we are speaking to or interacting with strangers?  And can we really interact with these “strangers” in the same way that we speak to a ‘real’ person sitting in front of us? I think not.  I still feel that when we are talking about person-to-person, face-to-face communication the communication is much more influential and convincing.

The word that I keep coming across is credibility.  I do also agree that credibility increases in a source like a blog, as compared to say, when the message has to do with Internet marketing, or it has any other kind of promotional tilt to it.   But, my question is: to what extent is these blogs believable when we do not really “know” who are writing these messages?  Have we got so used to the Internet, that we are willing to overlook anonymity?

The whole deal with fraud on the Internet is becoming quite a concern with clients. A number of clients who I have been working with have various questions about how we can ensure that their presence on the Internet will not be touched by fraud. I would not say that their fears are entirely baseless. After all, I am aware that they are investing money and security would be a big concern.  In fact, anyone related to internet marketing should be concerned about fraud. 

It got me wondering about what is actually being done by search engines about click fraud.  There are some internet marketing professionals who believe that click fraud is a major hindrance to Pay Per Click sites and other online advertising. And then there are others who believe that the Pay Per Click industry is booming so much that nothing can really hurt it.  Both sides might have a point, but what I am wondering is: Is there a solution to click fraud?

I do believe that search engines can help.  Search engines are already doing quite a bit to ensure that the clicks on a link are genuine by doing different sort of filtering activity.  There are softwares that search engines use to determine the authenticity of clicks.  From the looks of it, it seems to me that search engines can probably do the best job at determining and eliminating click fraud. Of course, there are problems search engines will face with privacy issues when it comes to click fraud.  Perhaps having clicking information out in the open would make it easier for us to deal with click fraud. But I can see lots of people opposing the idea, just because many like to keep this kind of information private.

It might not seem like such a big deal now, but bringing an end to the problem of click fraud at the earliest would work out for the better of all of us on the Internet in the long run.

I wonder if it seemed a little haughty of me to not write about the Film Appreciation workshops I had conducted. I was just genuinely caught up with the work.

First of all, I must say the experience was excellent. And to be honest, much better than I had expected. This is the second time that I am holding such workshops in a Corporate setup. But the very first time when my audiences were primarily web designers and web developers.

The reason I say ‘better than expected’ is because I was a little apprehensive about my assessment of my audience. Had I picked movies clips that they will enjoy? Was the subject matter really going to be interesting to them? Am I getting into unnecessary depths vis a vis some topics.

But all my apprehensions were set aside, the moment the session began. A two-hour session which went by, leaving everyone (including me) wanting more.

I think what worked was the fact that it was a great novelty to them. None of them had seen or heard about any of the films I had shown. It is no easy task to get access to foreign language cinema. And particularly those films that don’t fit into the mainstream mould.

And most importantly, like Vinod had written in his blog, the craze and thirst for films in this country is endless. And I am guessing, that in itself fuelled a lot of enthusiasm.

So, yes, it was indeed a variety of factors that made the Film Appreciation workshop successful. And for me, the fact that there has already been a follow-up session, and I am being asked to do another, is in itself the best possible appreciation. Unfortunately, stringent project deadlines meant that the session meant for content writers was postponed. But tentatively, its going to happen on the 8th of this month. Fingers crossed!

Ironic that so far, none of us has written a blog on blogging. Considering am the copywriter, it makes sense that I take up that responsibility. So even though it has come a little late in the day – here’s my little tribute to the growing blogging culture!

I realized, in my last blog I got a bit melodramatic about the state of copywriting on the internet. But only after I’d written the blog, did I realize that I had completely undermined the revolutions it’s brought about.

And blogging is nothing less than a revolution. The internet is all about sharing information, and blogging is the by far the most personal way of sharing information with absolutely strangers – both clients and colleagues.

And I know there are people within our own company – web designers and developers, have expressed their apprehensions about writing through blogs. And in that process, they have overcome those very apprehensions. And now they are regular contributors on this site.

And that’s the power of blogging. There are no rules. There are no expectations. As long as you have something valuable to say, no one will judge you for the way you write. And while in my previous blog, I had spoken of the negatives that are born by this system; the big positive is, for lack of a better word -- its democratic nature.

Everyone has the right to communicate, and express their opinion. And on the internet, thanks to blogging in particular, everyone can do the same. And what’s more, blogging allows for an exchange for ideas.

On many occasions, reading blogs has been an insightful experience for me. Every now and then you come across what I call, “that blog”. A blog that stands out and makes you think. Somewhat equivalent of those thought-provoking famous quotes by great leaders. Yes, that’s the range it can cover – everything from stray thoughts to innovative ideas. Blogging is just a simple platform for it all. Write anything you want to write, and get people's opinion of it.

Well, as you can very well see right here …

Maybe I am overreacting. Or being judgmental, or maybe even unfair.

But reading some blogs and articles on the web makes me wonder, why people write them. And I am saying this more from a language perspective, than the content perspective. Or actually, the language is such that the content becomes meaningless.

Basic sentence constructions are faulty; words are used out of context, keywords are overused, and the net result is that a 300-word blog ends up conveying nothing.

As a copywriting professional, this trend disturbs me. In order for the internet to become a resourceful space, certain standards must be maintained. I think the primary responsibility lies with companies that engage in blogging. Why encourage mediocrity?

It is one thing to mould language to meet the needs of a website, and another thing to abuse it. And most people on the internet who seem to be ignoring basic rules of grammar, are doing it out of ignorance. Should we create legitimate space for ignorance on the web?

Blogs are a means of personal communication. But if the basic purpose of communication is not being achieved, then what is the point of the blogs?

The problem, as I see it, is that people try to say too much in restricted spaces. And they end up complicating the simplest of messages.

As a general thumb rule, let me just say, bloggers should focus on one thought. And keep the writing simple. And remember on the internet, you have to always think like the user!

From being a freelance content writer who works leisurely from home to one who works seven days from office. This is my second Sunday at work.

Quite a leap? Yes, quite a considerable for someone who’s only done freelance work for two years.

This is my second blog from work since the change in location. I remember I wrote about the difficulties of working for home. But I hardly mentioned what made it fun working from office.

Firstly, there is the opportunity to interact with colleagues. But more importantly, there is a lot of learning about the work itself. Just two weeks in the office (yes, including the Sundays) and I understand the work much better than I have in the past year of working from home.

The difference is purely of focus. I now have a better grasp of organic optimization, web development, and a plethora of such concepts that were mere words earlier. And the icing on the cake? I get to work with real internet marketing professionals.

When you enjoy what you do, Sundays and Mondays mean nothing. Every day is another day filled with fun and learning.

Some of you might have seen a new face around and wondered who I am.  For about a year I have been working from home and that is why a lot of you might not have known who I am. I am going to be here in the office for two weeks.  I have completed one week here at the office and I am having quite a good time.  This is also why I am writing this blog from here.  I realized that writing from home is a totally different thing. Writing from office has its own charm.

I believe that content writers have a good amount of freedom with their work.  I say that because this is not the first time I am working in an office environment.  I have previously worked as a writer and back then I was not working from home.  Both, of course, have their own ups and downs. Because of the nature of internet marketing in the world today, the way work is being done has changed a lot. A few years ago I was not aware that working from home was an option.  Now I know that most of the work that I am doing from office can be done from home also.  I guess the same would go for all kinds of internet marketing professionals.

Working from home can be a tricky deal; it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.  I think the best thing about working from an office is that you are working with people who are much like you.  The environment at office cannot be matched at home.

My week here so far has really been great.  I actually got to see some of the people I have been dealing with for the past few months, which was quite nice.  I am really glad I took up this opportunity and decided to spend these two weeks here with all of you.