What makes people want to create art, design brochures, or study feng shui? I think we are compelled to recreate nature, because we’re part of it.

People find great beauty, peace, drama, and connection in nature. Everything on the earth is interconnected, literally by the earth itself, and it’s organized, just like our bodies are composed of organized, interconnected cells. The world and our bodies are full of form, color, pattern, and purpose. We recreate these qualities in music, on fabric, in poetry, and in writing, and we search for patterns to understand more about the world through science and astronomy.

Today feels pretty warm, and I might go outside in DDA’s back yard to sit on a bench and eat my lunch. It would be great if the wall to my office could slide open on a nice sunny day, or if I took more breaks to walk.

In some ways much of my home and work environment is artificial in the sense that it is man-made, but in a very real way, as I sit in my office at a computer creating brochures, I also feel connected to nature.

It’s a Thursday, which for me means wrap-up day. All of the tasks that we have been working on for the week, or proposals that need to be sent out, inquiry e-mails that have follow-up questions, or any other general loose ends that need some tying have to be complete, addressed, or otherwise handled.

As a writer at DDA, a large portion of my job is in communicating with clients, prospective or existing, as I know I have mentioned so many times before. This holds true in project coordination, New Business Development, or in my writing tasks. What this ultimately means is that it is my responsibility, as it is for the three other degreed writers on-staff, to make sure that each client is fully aware of what’s going with his or her project or inquiry at all times.

We take this very seriously. We try not to have too much time lapse between an e-mail or phone call sent and our response. This often means running (in my case sometimes literally) around to get the answers I need from those assigned to the project — animators, videographers, graphic designers, programmers, etc. That’s one of the coolest things about this company — the fact that we are full service and do offer everything needed for a marketing and advertising campaign under roof, so oftentimes there are multiple people involved one project, bridging the gap between departments — programming, design, video, websites, search engine marketing and optimization.

It’s not always keeping track of everyone and everything. People make fun of my handwritten list which I tape to my monitor. It might look a little archaic in this age of spreadsheets, software to keep you organized, and Blackberrys. But it works for me.

Like right now I am looking at the list of nearly 20 items, with only four crossed out, and I am thinking it’s time to get a move on on wrapping it all up.

It is hard for me to find the words or topic I would like to write about. Luckily for me I am not a copywriter here at DDA, nor do I fit the mold. That is what makes DDA such a great place to work! The fact that each person here possesses a talent or ability that is above average is truly amazing. Thankfully our coprwriters are gifted and have no problem when it comes to writing content for a brochure, website, trade show display, direct mail piece, etc. or perform any other task for which they are needed.

This morning we have a kick-off meeting for a website we will be developing. It will be a highly-optimized site, with 35 pages of new content developed by DDA’s writers, specifically crafted to reach top rankings on search engines like Google.

It’s a common affair here at DDA — not just website development, or developing optimized copy, but a kick-off meeting.

For nearly every project we undertake, the first step is a meeting with the client to determine their goals and the direction of the project. It’s the first taste of a what will be a long string of client involvement.

Regardless if it’s a video, website, animation, brochure, or trade show booth, we are developing the product for our clients, which means their opinion and feedback is vital. We don’t move forward during any stage of development without approval.

This approach is indicative of so much of what DDA is and does — the fact that we were created with the needs of the marketing or advertising executive in mind; that each project is customized specifically to that client no matter how many times we have developed something in that medium; that we have a strong sense of pride in the work we create.

The other week we had a conference call with an existing client. Before finding DDA, this client had signed on with another company to do website development. We had undertaken a completely separate project for this client, but during the course of working together, it was apparent on both sides that there was a strong working relationship. As it turns out, the company this client signed up with for website development, did not treat them well, or more like not at all. After the initial meeting, this client barely heard a word again and had no clue as to what stage the project was on.

While we of course were more than happy to take on the website project, it was bitter sweet. They should have never had to go through that in the first place. There are so many companies out there that care little about the work they produce or their clients.

I am glad I work for a company that respects its clients and values their business. And as for my kick-off meeting this morning, I know that it’s just the start of what will be a long relationship.

My younger cousin e-mailed the other day to ask if I ever had to do public speaking. It was for a college class project. She was referring primarily to my days in journalism, but after mulling over the question, I realized how important verbal communication is in my position as a writer — nearly just as vital as my writing skills.

A large part of what I do is interacting with existing and prospective clients. This runs the spectrum from phone calls to check up on progress, to troubleshooting any technical issues, to conference calls to discuss new projects.

I am always conscious that how I present myself is directly representative of Dynamic Digital Advertising (DDA).

We do great work. From the programmers, to the designers, to web developers,  videographers and everyone in between, we have a very talented group who can get things done well and on time. But there’s another aspect to what we do as well, which is client relations.

That genuine concern for a client’s project, their feedback, and the end product, is like adding just the right topping to a project that already combines some of the most innovative and cutting-edge technologies.

A large part of juggling multiple tasks and making sure nothing splatters on the floor is always being as efficient as possible.

I am a thinker, so for me whether it’s Project Coordination duties, New Business Development or Copywriting,  I try to map out what I am going to do, formulate some sort of plan before tackling the job. This works especially well with my writing. The first sentence has always been the toughest for me. If I don’t have that perfect intro then I am unable to continue. So plotting out what I’d like to say before I begin writing speeds up the process exponentially.

There is a fine line between being efficient and rushing the job, so it’s really important to be as relaxed and calm as possible, regardless of the task at hand, kind of like the hurry up but take your time theory.

It’s a bit of trick learning how to continuously keep time on your mind but at the same not letting it bog you down with added anxiety or stress. Once you get it down, however, you can sail a lot smoother through all of the obstacles ahead, rather than rocking back forth against the jarring waves.

Regardless of the profession or skill level, the ability to write well is a necessity. Whether you realize it or not, people make judgment calls based on writing skills, not only in grammar and spelling, but in your ability to use words correctly and to effectively get your point across.

It never ceases to amaze me how many well-educated people pay so little attention to their writing. In a world of e-mail and digital technology, a lot of times it’s the written words that are making the first impression for you. A misspelled word may not seem like a big deal, because you are confident in your overall ability, but consider the fact that this person has never met you, and that misspelled word is the only thing they have to go on.

For many corporations and medical institutions,  it’s the website that introduces potential customers or patients to them.

If your website is full of poorly written content that is either difficult for the reader to interpret or is riddled with grammatical errors, you are making a statement to the visitor. Regardless of how well-known or accredited your business or practice may be, you lose professional ground and credibility.
At  DDA, the five full-time writers are well-versed at writing copy for all types of fields within the corporate and medical industries, and for a wide range of audiences. We know what it takes, whether it’s for a marketing or advertising campaign, or simply to disseminate information, to effectively engage visitors, while maintaining a professional tone that is appropriate to your audience.

When you work for a full-service advertising and marketing agency, balance is everything.

While my official title may be copywriter, my actual duties extend much farther, and with so many projects in so many different areas, like animation, photography, programming, website design and development, search engine marketing, and graphic design, making sure your time and attention is evenly dispersed is a constant challenge.

When you are juggling between providing copywriting services, coordinating projects from print design to video production and flash animation, and working in new business development, the first thing you have to do is realize that not everything will have your attention 100% at all times.

That realization is key because without it you can feel like your climbing backwards up a mountain without ever really getting anywhere. It allows you to focus and zoom in, prioritize, and put your attention on the most pressing and important matter, slowly working your way through your list until everything has been accomplished.

This is not to say that any one area of my job, whether it’s working with the graphic designers, videographers, programmers, or fellow copywriters to complete projects, or preparing proposals for new work coming in, is any more or less important over the other. They all take their own precedence at times, but it’s the knowing which one needs it the most at any particular time that is critical.

My current workload at the moment is focused more on new business development work, but I still have many projects, which vary greatly, including several website developments, logo design work, animation, and illustration, that are currently in the process of completion. I also know looking ahead that my plate will become even more diverse and full with prospective work that includes trade show graphics, corporate and medical videos, and billboard design.

While it may at times feel a bit daunting, staying focused and maintaining a balance between all that I do, keeps me forging ahead, moving forward and not backwards.