Still reading?
Very few people will make it even this far into today's newsletter.
It's that time of year.
So, why do I bother writing it? Most of the newsletters I get have said 'see you in January'.
Well.
There's a café round the corner from me, called Jozo. When lockdown hit in March, most cafés and shops shut.
Not Jozo.
As everyone struggled through March, April and May, they sold stuff out the front.
One time, it was soap. Another, fresh coconuts. Then flowers.
They did whatever they could to stay afloat.
Before lockdown, I'd barely been in. Now, I'm there most weekends.
The point is, they earned my trust and respect. They didn't just give up, they fought through.
Same with a newsletter. You don't just write it when it suits you. You make a commitment, and stick to it.
It doesn't matter if no-one reads this (although you are - thanks!). Most people will see it in their inbox. And simply know I was here.
Today, I look back at the most popular links from the past 12 months.
In three sections: pre COVID. Then the lockdown period. Then the second half of the year.
Catch you in 2021.
Pre COVID
Interesting to read back through the January, February and early March newsletters.
What a different world.
In January, the most popular link was a ZDNet article about must-have tech gadgets to start 2020.
Rechargeable batteries and Tile, they reckoned. Missed Zoom completely ...
In February, it was 20 incredibly useful things you didn’t know Google Maps could do.
Didn't need maps as much as we used to, once COVID hit.
On March 16, the most popular article was about ... Coronavirus.
Pointing towards a section on eMarketer that I described as a 'sober, unemotional and fact-based resource'.
March to July
The lockdown period, I call this.
All my travel cancelled. Most of my work canned.
Then a slow build up.
Most popular articles and links?
One from me in late March called 'How the virus killed marketing'.
One for those who were missing work: you could choose an area of an office and the number of colleagues to recreate the sounds of a busy office.
This one was interesting: from Psychology Today, 'Getting the laundry done might be good enough'. Remember all those skills you were meant to pick up in lockdown? This article suggested just getting through might be enough.
And then two articles on copywriting - both from Business 2 Community.
5 Tried-and-True Formulas to Take Your Copywriting to the Next Level.
Second half
In August, the most popular link was to a very funny video from BBC One.
With everyone shopping from home, this looked at what shopping in person would be like if it mirrored our online experience. Great.
In September, it was a test (no longer available) to see whether you were a night owl or early bird.
In October: 'Pause before you post: A lesson for leaders, not just teens' from Smart Brief.
November: the Merriam-Webster Time Traveller site. You can enter a date to see the words first recorded that year.
Finally, this month, it was an award-winning copywriter reviewing some toilet roll ads.
Kind of mirrors our/my year.
Over it in August, so needing a bit of humour.
Working harder than we thought by September. So trying to work out more efficient ways of doing things.
October: we're all writing so much more by remote, we're missing body-language clues - and perhaps being a bit harsh in our tone.
November: can this year just end? Give me something interesting.
Same with December.
That's it for 2020. Here's to a new year, a new start.
Webinars
Remote learning: copywriting courses, by remote. Got an internet connection? You can learn. Pick your topic, then contact me Nice idea, Jon ... >
QotW
Quote of the week:
'What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't even happened yet.' Anne Frank
Next workshops
• Maximum Copy: online and in-house
• Copy Ninja: the craft via Zoom, Webex, Teams, GoTo
• Writing for Digital: about the web, over the web
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