Thank you for all your comments and feedback and, especially, thank you for all the support. So much has happened since starting my a.k.a writer blog: my freelance copywriting business was born and then grew (like crazy), I moved to Denver, I began attending writing retreats and I finished my memoir.

So why close out this blog? I’ve shared what I have to share about freelancing and copywriting. Don’t get me wrong, I still love being a freelance copywriter and I have no intention of quitting. However, I consider a.k.a writer my business: it’s my logo and my official business name.

However, as a blog, a.k.a writer can’t (and shouldn’t) fit everything I want to write and share. After wrestling with this, I decided that this site should be a “calling card,” a jumping off spot to connect with me in a variety of ways, whether it’s professionally or casually. On my new(ish) blog A Written Life, I’m sharing more of my writing (and my story) as well as book reviews and little “finds,” from the literary to the humorous. I hope you’ll join me there.

Thank you again for being a part of this blog and for your friendship the last four years. It’s been an incredible journey.

And there’s more to come, so stay in touch.

The San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center contracted me to help them refine and refresh the brand voice as well as carry that through new marketing materials. We created new brochures for the SFWMPAC venues (War Memorial Opera House, Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, Herbst Theatre, The Green Room and Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall) and a new overview brochure. The links here go directly to the posted brochures. The main audience for the brochures was a professional event planner and/or community leader (or group) seeking information to plan and book an event in one of the venues. However, they were also written with an ear for the patron or history buff wanting to know more about the SFWMPAC. A new website design, including new copy including the center’s history, is still in development.

A re-branding and voice-development project. This piece the cornerstone of the B2B marketing campaign to enroll new businesses in a unique advertising opportunity through local “cash back” deal programs. Click on the image above to read the full two-page pdf brochure. All rights reserved.

The San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center contracted me to help them refine and refresh the brand voice as well as carry that through new marketing materials. We created new brochures for the SFWMPAC venues (War Memorial Opera House, Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, Herbst Theatre, The Green Room and Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall) and a new overview brochure (shown above). The links here go directly to the posted brochures. The main audience for the brochures was a professional event planner and/or community leader (or group) seeking information to plan and book an event in one of the venues. However, they were also written with an ear for the patron or history buff wanting to know more about the SFWMPAC. A new website design, including new copy including the center’s history, is still in development.

Full Postcard View

This recruiting ad served as the basis for a rebranding campaign for a boutique recruiting company. It was used for print advertisements, direct mailing pieces and a website.

Please click on either image above to see it in large, full size. All rights reserved.

This home page was the main building block for the rebranding of Rainbow Rewards, a local company offering a free cash back program to members. I was contracted to develop brand messaging into copy across all platforms and across all audiences. An additional page with longer copy is available here.

Please click on the image to see it full size. All rights reserved.

Postcard copy (on the back):

In today’s economy, recruiters like you are juggling ten jobs. We can take one off your plate: relocation. We can create an initial package, track your budget and get Jane packed and moved. Most importantly, we are real, caring people on the other side of the computer and phone.

When you call us, Jane won’t have to call you. One to One Relocation.

My role with One to One Relocation has been helping them develop a new brand, which included renaming the company (formerly Blackstar Relocation) and creating the company voice. This copy example is printed on all business cards:  You hire Jane. She’s moving from Vermont. Meet me. I’ll make sure Jane has a place to stay, a home to call her own, an expert to pack her up and someone to lean on.

Please click on the image to see it full size. For additional copy, please click here. All rights reserved.

My role with White Plate Creative has included collaborating in the development of the company voice and tagline as well as writing web copy. Sample copy: A small, boutique agency specializing in marketing communications for the B2B food ingredients industry, White Plate Creative gives you that fresh twist so you stand out. Like the perfect chocolate croissant: memorable, irresistible.

Three days after declaring I was going to delete my Pinterest account, I had an epiphany: portfolio showcase. Since Pinterest is such a visual social network, it’s the perfect place to highlight my copywriting work.

I already have an online portfolio, so why add it to Pinterest? It’s one more way to get my work in front of potential clients. It also shows current and potential clients that I know how to use the third most popular social network in the U.S. In her fantastic Copyblogger post, Beth Hayden shared some persuasive numbers: In January 2012, Pinterest drove greater traffic to websites than LinkedIn, Google Plus, Reddit, and Youtube—combined.

Beth convinced me. Now that I’ve figured out how to showcase my copywriting on Pinterest, I’m sharing what I learned with you.
Five tips for publicizing your portfolio on Pinterest

1. Most important: each portfolio “pin” should link back to your website (or your main online portfolio). If you simply post (“pin”) an image from your computer hard drive, you might lose track of where that image goes if it’s “re-pinned” and shared by others.
2. Add the “Pin It” Button to your browser, which is available at Pinterest Goodies. This little browser button will make it extremely easy to create a portfolio. (see #3)
3. Once you have the button, click on an image or post you’d like to add to Pinterest. Then click your “Pin It” button. All you have to do then is follow the prompts.
4. Match tone. Since Pinterest is a social network, keep descriptions of your work short. Save the longer, in-depth explanations or related case studies for your website. The pieces I highlight are upbeat, so I kept my Pinterest descriptions light, yet smart.
5. Link back to your Pinterest portfolio. I added it to my LinkedIn profile as a second “see my work” option and I’ve added it to other professional profiles sites.

How have you used Pinterest to highlight your copywriting?