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

• Why KiwiWords director Michael Botur delivers professional communications writing by day and unpaid creative writing at night

• Thoughts on where the two disciplines meet and where they depart

• Is marketing writing a type of fiction? Further thoughts on these disciplines

• Clarification for the people out there getting confused between my two distinct writing brands

Hello dear reader. I have to go to some appointments, but I wanted to make a start on this blog post and I will finish it later today.

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. 

 

Communications KiwiWords created for the ecentre innovation incubator 

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 . 

Case study: How a Whangarei property management company utilised KiwiWords to communicate clearly, regularly and effectively

by Michael Botur, KiwiWords Communications, Content and Copywriting

Ever since Rentals.co’s owner-operators sat down with me in winter 2018, I’ve had the privilege of doing the writing while they did the business growth. 

Rentals.co began operating at the end of 2017/start of 2018 with the acquisition of a couple of Northland property management businesses. Today, Rentals.co has a strongly-recognised brand in Northland, an impressive roster of clients, and well-systematised business processes to ensure great delivery of service for tenants. 

I can’t claim KiwiWords was responsible for all of Rentals.co’s successes. Rather, I had the privilege of helping Rentals.co’s directors navigate a range of communications challenges, and it’s helped the rental experts go from success to success. 

Initial communications challenges in 2018 

1. Communicate through electronic newsletters and printed letters to hundreds of tenants to let them know about the change in their property management provider 
2. Express to landlords how and why they should be confident in their property management being handed over to a new operator
3. Set up Rentals.co’s website, which is rentalexperts.co.nz rather than rentals.co. This involved writing a brand plan as to why we needed the public to know they were dealing with rental experts

Developing communications challenges in 2019

1. Write sales text including ebooks, web copy and e-newsletters to encourage new clients to sign up with Rentals.co for their property managment
2. Writing an application tender to take over a large portfolio of Whangarei property management
3. Campaign of media announcements to tell the world each achievement by Rentals.co, including video news stories
4. Regular updates about Rentals.co’s news via blogs on http://www.rentalexperts.co.nz
5. Communications campaign (newsletter, media release, electronic mailout, social media) for a first-of-its-kind Landlords Information Evening at which investors received educational presentations from rental industry experts
6. Writing two original ebooks to appeal to investors 
7. Working with digital solutions designer 1768Degrees.com to set up new website following transfer from old provider

Emerging communications challenges in 2020

Rentals.co spent 2019 perfecting and polishing business process. The Landlords Information Evening was a landmark and cemented the business’s position as a true local expert in property management – not to mention a brand with a lot more soul and approachability than some of the other operators out there. 

It’s onwards and upwards for Rentals.co in 2020 and we can expect to see the business achieve the following in its communications:

• Newsletters polished, sent out in a timely fashion each month, with an established tone which matches the brand
• Building on the successes of social media, in particular promotions and giveaways which were effective in building a Facebook audience
• Utilisation of Rentals.co as an approachable voice for local media to talk to to get perspective on issues affecting landlords and tenants

mike@kiwiwords.co.nz / 021 299 0984 / Kamo, Whangarei, New Zealand

KiwiWords can create the right words for your tourism and travel proposition

In October 2019 I wrote a 1000 word piece about enjoying the Chatham Islands, one of New Zealand’s most remote tourist spots. 

I couldn’t manage to sell the piece, so I gifted it to the Chatham Islands Council and now hopefully they’re using 20-odd photos and a 1000 word story to help remind people of the Chatham Islands’ tourism proposition. 

Here’s how it all works and how you might wish to use a writer to bring attention to your tourism proposition:

• A suitable piece of writing should tell readers, in the first couple of paragraphs, how the reporter got to the destination (ie. “I caught Air Chathams flight 519, a sixty year old Convair 580 with four chunky propeller blades on each engine which gave me the noisiest flight I’ve ever experienced. Everything about the Chatham Islands is extreme, actually: remote, isolated, and under-visited…. .”)
• A good piece of writing should include numbers: how long a visitor might spend at the destination; what it might cost; how many hours/days/kilometres it takes to get there; which flight numbers or ferries might help
• Ideal photos should show a reader something they can’t get in the community they are used to. Sure a lovely piece of snapper on a plate is impressive, but twice as impressive is showing that fish against a sunset with distinctive cliffs, trees and beach, reminding the reader that the destination is one-of-a-kind

Anyway, if you’d like to get Michael Botur of KiwiWords to write up some website text, email content, journalism to let the world know how wonderful your tourism proposition is, let’s talk. Phone 021 299 0984 / mike@kiwiwords.co.nz . 

Without further ado, here’s a travel article to entice you to the Chatham Islands. 

https://writeupnorthconz.wordpress.com/2019/12/19/blown-away-by-the-chatham-islands-travel-writing-by-michael-botur/

 

How KiwiWords worked with Wright Communications to help franchisees win awards

A couple of months ago, all the staff at KiwiWords (er, just Mike) focused on writing compelling entries to the NZ Franchise Awards.
Guess what? Three entries out of six received prizes. That’s a pretty sweet result.

Read about the success of my well-enfranchised clients:

ps – Now it’s all over the news. https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/117315670/timaru-couples-cleaning-business-wins-nz-franchisee-award

Case study: How KiwiWords got inspiring speakers in the room with a great audience

In winter 2019 I worked with Conferenz to create the inaugural Delivering Disability Services Conference which has just taken place in Auckland, October 14-15.

It was an uphill battle, for a bit. Our mission was to create a conference different from the other disability-themed conferences out there, and one in which the speakers needed to have the right mix of expertise, esteem, strong reputation in the disability sector, and capacity to attend.

KiwiWords helped Conferenz write and market a conference which…

• Had presenters with lived experience of disability
• Delivered very high value presentations so every registration dollar was rewarded
• Matched the viewpoints of speakers and allowed each speaker to naturally express his or her views in a safe setting
• Clearly communicated how the conference can improve the lives of disability workers and consumers

With the conference complete, we should now see the younger audience members connecting with inspiring elder experts around achieving employment, empowerment and advocacy. 

KiwiWords helped create this event by

• Completing research interviews with a range of disability services providers and consumers
• Identifying and securing presentations from esteemed experts in the disabilities world
• Writing the agenda and topics
• Handling speakers profiles
• Web content administration
• Marketing text including electronic marketing, brochures, pamphlets, websites and advertisements.

Want me to help you write clear communications?

mike@kiwiwords.co.nz / 021 299 0984

 

 

KiwiWords aka Michael Botur was conference producer for this year’s Māori Legal, Business & Governance Forum in Wellington. Here’s how our clear communications helped…

The Māori Legal, Business & Governance Forum is an annual conference owned by Conferenz. 

Michael Botur at KiwiWords in Northland was lucky enough to be conference producer at this year’s event. 

Conferenz doesn’t have any in-house Māori expertise so I when I was asked to produce the event, I think it was because I bring a foundation of knowledge around the basics of tikanga Māori from my experiences in Whangarei and Tamaki Makaurau. 

I was asked to help with this conference largely because:

• Experience working in a kaupapa Māori organisation (I was on staff at He Waka Matauranga 2009-10, which is part of Literacy Aotearoa)
• Experience networking with Māori health providers (this is part of my experience as a communications contractor for Northland District Health Board 2016-18)
• Basic skills with te reo Māori pronunciation and literacy
• Ability to handle written reo Māori communications, get spellings and macrons and plurals correct and ensure our reo Māori was pronounced correctly
• Human soft skills in welcoming Māori attendees in a way which is culturally appropriate to Māori
• Experience in journalism, PR and communications enabled me to contact speakers and delegates, negotiate the kaupapa (agenda) and what they could speak about with crystal clear communications and excellent record-keeping. 

This year’s Māori Legal, Business & Governance Forum in Te Whanganui a Tara / Poneke was all about…

• Bringing leading edge updates from business, government, iwi, and legal experts. 
• Sharing insight in the mission of getting the best for Māori in a post-settlement governance world. 
• Legal and regulation advice or ideas on a business and innovation
• Expertise shared around law, business and co-governance pertaining to Māori and iwi partnerships, mentorships and business relationships.
• Mingling with leaders in the world of iwi business and PSGE leadership
• Understanding where digital and Māoritanga intersect
• Freshening understanding of what’s possible for your PSGE or Māori business

Māori TV and 1News spread the event through their channels, which was cool. 

Speaker guests we were honoured to have present at the conference included:

• Linda Te Aho, Associate Dean Māori, Te Piringa Faculty of Law, University of Waikato
• Hon. Shane Jones, Regional Economic Development Minister, NZ Government
• Jim Sinner, Coastal and Freshwater Senior Staff Scientist, Cawthron Institute 
• Annette Sykes, Human Rights Lawyer
• Kerri Nuku, Kaiwhakahāere, NZ Nurses Organisation
• Guy Royal, Director, Tuia Group
• Barry Soutar, Executive Director, Te Tira Toi Whakangao (T³W ) the National Māori Tech and Investment Association
• Ben Tairea, Founder, Āhau
• Robyn Rauna, Former Chief Executive, Tāmanuhiri Tūtū Poroporo Trust
• Charlotte Henley, Managing partner, Kensington Swan
• Mihiarangi Piripi, Special counsel, Whaia Legal  / former Senior Associate, Kensington Swan
• Steven Renata, Chief Energy Officer, Kiwa Digital
• Shaun Awatere, Resource Economist, Landcare Research
• Craig Harris, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Land Information New Zealand
• Jamie Forsman, Managing Director, Kaihautu Consulting
• Edward Ashby, Māori heritage expert, Auckland Council
• Francis Milner, Chief Investment Officer, EverEdge Global
• Mali Ahipene, Waikato Regional Council
• Andrew Judd, former New Plymouth District Council mayor
• Eugene Berryman-Kamp, CEO, Te Arawa River Iwi Trust
• Andrew Judd, former New Plymouth District Council mayor
• Toko Kapea, Director, Tuia Group

…and many more. 

https://www.conferenz.co.nz/events/2019-m%C4%81ori-legal-business-and-governance-forum

Need somebody not put off by the challenges of writing English communications for Māori audiences and vice versa?

Michael Botur, KiwiWords – Whangarei, Northland and Auckland. mike@kiwiwords.co.nz / 021 299 0984