KiwiWords – Communications, Content and Copy Writing

Communications writing vs Creative writing – why I offer two disciplines for audiences

(and why I keep having to explain that there’s no money in creative writing)

When I tell people that KiwiWords director Michael Botur is an expert in day writing and night writing, what I mean is I deliver professional communications writing by day and unpaid creative writing at night.  

The two disciplines both necessitate a mastery of English, but they have some radical distinctions.

Day time communications writing aka Public relations / Corporate writing

This is a type of writing that’s often about taking on the voice of a body corporate – a business, a trust, a company, a public service… a group, in other words. 

Night time creative writing aka Fiction writing / poetry / prose

Recently, I’ve had some comments indicating confusion about  how I make a living. There is little to no money in creative writing, aside from the occasional prize, or payment for creative seminars which I deliver. 

If I was given a month to live, though, to be honest, I wouldn’t use it on PR/Communications. PR and comms have given me a living, and that’s wonderful – I love my business clients and I work hard for them – but if I was given the opportunity to write fiction for a year, I would hit the Pause button on professional PR/communications writing. 

So is marketing a type of creative writing?

Nah, it’s more like coding – ie Laying out key messages with the intention of making the material easy to consume. You structure your writing to deliver a message in a way which navigates the consumer’s resistance, builds trust and delivers a strong argument for the sale. 

The close sibling of marketing is communications, where the end result isn’t necessarily conversion of a sale – it’s the conversion of an uninformed consumer to the consumer agreeing that he/she has received the intended information. 

I run a business and I think I may need a writer. What can you do for me, Mister KiwiWords?

• Help you structure your sales pitch
• Compose responses to frequently asked questions
• Enhance your reputation by using the most effective English in your written communications
• Create a content calendar so your audience is continuously talked to

 

Mike B, KiwiWords

I wrote a 30-Day de-stress module for a mental health app. 

It was a great test of how I can offer multimedia to clients – video, audio, text, all lain out systematically via slides to help the app developers. 

If you’d like me to work on a similar project for you, let’s talk – Michael Botur is on 021 299 0984 / mike@kiwiwords.co.nz.

Meanwhile, click on through and enjoy the show. 

 

Here are some communications, stories, journalism, media releases and social stuff I was privileged to write for the ecentre innovation incubator at Massey University in March-May 2019.

• A Major Report Took A Close Look At New Zealand Startups. Here’s What It Found.
• Next-Gen Entrepreneurs: Prosthetic Limb Solution Wins Startup Pitch Competition
• Reinventing The Wheel – Electric Motorcycle Designer Wows Innovators At Ecentre
• Ecentre Connects Entrepreneurs With HubSpot For Startups
• Meet The Product Development Pioneers Working At Massey University And Ecentre
• Niesh And Ecentre Kick Off Techweek With ON: Futures In Tech
• Guardian Angel Security’s Solutions For Lone Workers: A Winning Formula
• Innovators Launch Indoor QuadCopter Racing
• Validate Your Business Idea With Starting Blocks – RSVP For April Workshop
• MBIE Releases Report Into Future Of Food And Farming
• Ecentre’s Innovator Wins Hospital Sleep Research Grant

Yo! I’m Michael Botur, Wordsmith, and I want to make wonderful words with you. 

I am moving beyond marketing and sales writing and hoping to find a role involving lots of human interaction.

I want to contribute effective communications to make people’s lives better, perhaps writing around themes of environmentalism, education, recycling, health services or social justice.

The goal: Using words to help people.

 

Résumé 2016 – 2019

Since 2014 I have been assisting organisations with communications writing such as news releases, web pages, blogs, social media and newsletters. Clients utilise my storytelling skills to drive awareness, sales and branding. I operate KiwiWords.co.nz.

KiwiWords (formerly Michael Botur Writing Services, but that name was a mouthful)

Running my own business delivering writing services to clients and some journalism. Clients have included Te Tai Tokerau PHO, Paramount, Northland Inc startup businesses, Conferenz, Wright Communications, Massey University e-centre, Signal Security, Balance Insurance, Headline Publishing, Rentals.co, Property Plus, Alliance Media, Advanced Computers Ltd, Result IT, Property Plus, NZME., The Pond, Intelligent Ink and many SMEs for who I have written news stories, columns, web content, blogs, newsletters, business-to-business communications & social media.

2009-2018

• Communications Writer (independent contractor) – Northland District Health Board News stories, newsletters, media releases, social media, communication campaigns.
• Interviewer / Researcher SHORE Research Centre at Massey University
• Tutor/Programme Coordinator – Agriculture NZ; Literacy Aotearoa; Massey University
• Reporter NZ Herald, NZME. / APNZ News Service (casual / part time 2013-2014)
• Temp Admin and Customer Service– University Admissions Office, AUT University.
• Sales, Customer Service and Data Entry, Auckland Council.
• Web Content Editor, Researcher – Telecom, Uni of Auckland, Auckland Council.

 

Skills to pay the bills

Web content editing; journalism; typing; Microsoft Office, Adobe suite; photography

 

Education & Training

• Graduate Diploma in Journalism – Massey University
• Masters in Creative Writing- AUT University
• Bachelor of Arts – University of Otago
• National Certificate in Adult Literacy & Numeracy Education – VisionWest

Phone 021 299 0984 / email  mike@kiwiwords.co.nz

Communications and copywriting success stories KiwiWords helped with in 2019

Behold, a few of the writing, editing and media success stories KiwiWords achieved in 2019.

Helping Atlantis Park Hotel communicate improvements and updates

When luxurious Canary Islands destination Atlantis Park Hotel approached KiwiWords asking for help writing high quality English text for its new website, the answer was “Hell yes!” It was a privilege writing the 15 or so web pages for Atlantis Park and guiding Atlantis Park’s management through the following:

• Search engine optimisation for the business’s website
• Understanding headings and keywords
• Refining the text so it would translate well into German and Spanish
• Negotiating rounds of edits to the draft text
• Ensuring the structure of each page of text was optimised

Pictured: El Teide, an astonishing volcano in the middle of Tenerife which I couldn’t stop thinking about while writing Atlantis Park Hotel’s words

Working with Creative Northland to write its leader’s outlook, values and vision

Creative Northland has since 2015 had a leader who is well-networked, articulate, approachable, and deeply passionate about Northland’s arts opportunities, especially indigenous music and capitalising on Hundertwasser’s legacy. In December 2019, I worked with Creative Northland’s general manager to clarify her vision and create the following:

• Opinion piece to publish in relevant newspapers and magazines: The artist in architecture – how to make our urban spaces art friendly
• Essay ‘What I learned about connecting Northland to arts worldwide‘
• Structured column about why we need performance spaces balancing commercial and cultural interests
• Content writing for website or newsletter about what WOMEX means for Aotearoa’s place in world music
• A few original photos to make the job of media easier

Letting landlords and tenants know about Quinovic and BlackSalt Property management’s business handover

As Quinovic Whangarei took over the portfolio of BlackSalt Property Management in the summer of 2019-2020, I helped create outgoing written communications from both businesses to tell tenants, landlords and contractors what they needed to know, utilising Google Docs for easy sharing and edits. 

Setting up Kindle and print on demand for the books of Northland author Lauren Roche

Dr Lauren Roche is an inspiration. She’s overcome adversity to achieve a life of contribution to the medical needs of her community while publishing two bestselling memoirs and maintaining a lovely ahua (spirit). It was a pleasure to help Lauren publish her books on Kindle and Kindle Print on Demand (Amazon) in October and November 2019. 

Writing a TV/online advertisement for InstallIT and Global Diamonds

Install IT is going from strength to strength. After creating a reputable brand with a loyal online following around Whangarei, Install IT was commissioned to produce a video advertisement for Global Diamonds. I helped create some of the concepts and advert story structure, utilising my expertise as a master storyteller (author of eight books). I was also honoured to be able to help with a draft script for Install IT’s own video advertisement. 

Web content for ProSpouting

ProSpouting brought a straightforward request to KiwiWords in August 2019: help us write words for our website which are honest, clear, straight-up and easy to read. We achieved the job in a few hours and now ProSpouting’s website helps clients and customers understand what the business can offer. 

Turning a family’s stories and photographs into a hardback book

I was lucky enough to research, record, transcribe, type up, format and lay out the Brereton family’s history and memoirs in December 2018. We returned to the project in 2019 and turned the draft book into a hardback. We didn’t quite make the printery’s Christmas cut-off, but the book remains a gem. 

 

Michael Botur of KiwiWords is here to help with your communications, content and copywriting needs. Phone 021 299 0984 / mike@kiwiwords.co.nz .