If you think interviewing is just sticking a microphone in someone’s face, think again. Like most things in life, preparation is key. But the way you communicate before, during, and after the interview says a lot about your skills as well. Time to dive into what really matters. How do you get someone to open up and share their story, whether it’s for a briefing, a blog, an article, or a testimonial? Spoiler: interviewing isn’t rocket science, but experience has taught us a few handy tricks. We love putting these to work for clients who want testimonials from their own customers, need expert advice on an article, or specific content for a magazine feature. A good interview is the foundation of a strong story.

1.     Don’t be a stalker

Didn’t we just say that preparation is half the battle? While that’s certainly true, too much prep can steer the conversation in a particular direction before it’s even begun. If you cling too tightly to a rigid script (even one generated by AI), you’ll miss subtle details and surprising insights during the interview. Of course it helps to know who you’re talking to and what they do, but why not let them tell you in their own words? That’s always more natural and less forced than a profile plucked from the internet. While a list of questions is definitely helpful, give your discussion partner the freedom to steer the conversation as well. If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that people love sharing their passion and expertise. Your job is to keep the audience in mind while they talk.

2.     Hit record

Every interviewer has their own method and approach. Experienced journalists swear by pen, paper, and a sharp mind to capture the essence of the conversation. Many rookies seem keen to try and break the world record for typing during an interview. Whatever you do, always record your interview. Not as some kind of keepsake, but to help you bring nuance to your writing later on. It’s important to stay as true as possible to your interviewee’s words. And the only way to do that five days after the interview is with a recording. Just make sure to ask your interviewee for permission first. GDPR and all that.

3.     Read the room

Getting your interviewee to open up – or bare their soul – starts with creating the right atmosphere. Try to get a sense of whether the conversation will take a formal tone or a more casual one. How you address someone matters. When interviewing a doctor or a CEO, don’t be overly friendly when discussing serious topics. Your ability to read the room will determine how the conversation unfolds. Don’t be afraid to ask questions: is your interviewee comfortable talking about a sensitive subject? Put the ball in their court. Not only will this show your consideration, it will also help you set the right tone from the start.

4.     Dare to ask – especially when you don’t know the answer

Copywriters and interviewers aren’t supposed to know everything. More often than not, you interview someone to learn more about a specific topic. When your interviewee uses complex words, put your pride aside. Instead of Googling it when you get home, ask them straight-up what they mean. You’ll not only gain a better understanding of the topic, you’ll also get to use the expert’s own words instead of a generic definition from the internet. Ask specific, follow-up and deep questions. Ask for examples and anecdotes. Then build on what they tell you. Even a simple ‘How do you mean?’ can open the door to more details. Plus, that little bit of courage will make your piece stand out from the rest.

5.     Not all silences are awkward

A golden rule for a truly great interview: don’t rush to fill the silence when someone is done talking. Especially if their answer didn’t quite satisfy you. A pause can be the spark you need to get your interviewee to elaborate. It also gives you the chance to dig a little deeper into a topic you want to learn more about. Learning to incorporate intentional pauses takes practice. But once you get past the awkwardness, you’ll be rewarded with fresh material to write about. Writing takes guts! And sometimes that means stepping out of your comfort zone.

The art of the interview takes years to master. I’ve interviewed hundreds of people and still learn something new every day. The more you do it, the more your personal style will evolve and the easier it will be to fine-tune. Or you could just hire a professional wordsmith. Work smarter not harder, right?

Need help with your interviews? We’ve got you covered! From interviewing doctors for JessaLinea magazine to chatting with fascinating retail and business personalities for publications like UNIZO and SuperMAG. We can also conduct in-depth interviews for your JCI or Livia nominations. Send your interview request to dubbel@zinnig.be!

Het bericht The art of the interview verscheen eerst op ZINNIG.

Give them an honest peek behind the scenes

What’s it really like to work at your company? Applicants want you to paint them an honest picture. Not empty words but clear and straightforward language. So be honest. Tell them that celebrating wins with a team dinner is just as important as hitting your quarterly targets. Talk about the incredible coffee beans you get from the local roastery. About the flexible hours. About your meeting style and feedback culture. The more crumbs you sprinkle into your job posting, the more likely the right Hansel or Gretel will come knocking at your door. So don’t sugarcoat anything – honesty is always the best policy.

Use words that pop

Are you a flexible team player with a hands-on attitude who’s eager to work in a dynamic team for a competitive salary? Well, who isn’t? Generic words like these could describe any job and any candidate. Try swapping out these empty phrases for something more meaningful. ‘We offer a competitive salary based on your experience, skills, and situation.’ Or: ‘You’ll work closely every day with a trio of amazing marketeers.’ Does your entire vacancy have to be a creative attempt to avoid cliché’s? Absolutely not. You don’t want it to sound forced, but ditching tired buzzwords will definitely make you stand out in a sea of similar job posts.

Stretch your creativity

In case we haven’t made ourselves clear: you want to stand out when looking for the newest addition to your work family. Use photos, videos, a creative stop-motion movie, and … text. Consider sprinkling in some witty wordplay or clever metaphors when scouting a ‘spot-on project coordinator’ for an industrial laundry service. Or put out feelers for a ‘marcom position that will stop you mid-scroll’. These may seem like minor details, but they’re sure to catch your eye in a long list of boring job titles. Don’t be afraid to go against the current.

Use industry jargon to find the right fit

When it comes to impressing clients, battering them with industry lingo won’t work. But when you’re looking for a marketeer specialising in paid advertising, your candidate better know their pixel tracking from their PPCs. To separate the wheat from the chaff, feel free to use industry-specific terms that are relevant to the role you’re hiring for. Give them a little quiz and see how they do.

Call a spade a spade

Your vacancy text should paint a good picture of the average workday at your company. Be clear and set honest expectations about what they’ll be doing. Does the job involve making lots of phone calls to clients? Say that in your ad instead of ‘responsible for client contact’. This might drive away anxious callers. Do they get to decide when and how long they break for lunch? Are extra days off part of the package? Include this in your vacancy text. Details like these could seal the deal or break it.

The more realistic you are, the better candidates will understand what their day-to-day work and responsibilities will be. And you can both avoid unpleasant surprises during the job interview. Get ready for smooth sailing!

If these tips make sense, but you’re having trouble applying them to your own job ad, ZINNIG has loads of experience crafting clever vacancy texts for clients. Get in touch.

Het bericht Five hooks to make your vacancy stand out verscheen eerst op ZINNIG.

Grab their attention

Today’s web visitors have the attention span of a goldfish, so you’ve got to reel them in right away. How? With a catchy tagline, a clever question, or a targeted message. ‘Looking for green cleaning heroes for your home?’ Anyone on the hunt for eco-friendly cleaning products will feel instantly seen. It’s smart to identify your customers’ needs or tell them how your product or service can benefit them. This will make them more likely to click their way to your contact page.

Some great examples that hit the mark (some of them written by us):

• ‘Marketing in simple terms? You’re in the right place.’
• ‘Your admin is our action.’
• ‘Every drop counts. Your water expert, always nearby.’
• ‘If you can dream it, we can build it.’

Keep it logical and natural

A logical homepage structure is one that makes sense to you. There’s no one-size-fits-all. Do you want your visitors to see your case studies first? Put them at the top. Most homepages start with an ‘about us’ section, then unfold from there as you scroll. Whatever order you choose, make sure it fits your company. A formal homepage might look professional but can also come across as cold and distant. Keep it casual as much as you can, and those phone calls will come flooding in.

Give readers room to roam

A well-written homepage isn’t crammed with text. If readers don’t get a chance to breathe between lines, they’ll feel overwhelmed – and click away. Plenty of white space, clear subheadings, and short, concise paragraphs (2 to 4 lines max) is ideal. Bullet points are great for readability, too. Just don’t let the pendulum swing too far the other way. Stripping things down is fine, but too little information is frustrating.

Skip the jargon

Tempting as it may be to flaunt your knowledge, complex specialist terms don’t belong on your homepage. The average Joe looking to insulate his home isn’t going to know what a lambda value is. And legal jargon like ‘defendant’, ‘writ of summons’, and ‘arbitration panel’ sounds like gibberish to anyone looking for a lawyer. In short: these terms are fine when you’re chatting with colleagues, but have no place on a homepage. If you do have to use a special term, just be sure to explain it clearly.

Don’t drown visitors in CTAs

Your homepage is like an invitation to potential clients. And that’s just the where it starts. After the friendly handshake at the front door, you want to invite them in and get them to take the next step. That’s where your call to action comes in. Our advice? Be clear, not pushy. Don’t overwhelm your reader with a dozen different messages. Guide them to relevant pages on your website or to your contact info and make your call to action short, active, and appealing. ‘I want that e-book’ hits differently than ‘Request your e-book now.’ It’s the little things that make the biggest impact.

The bottom line? Your homepage should hit the mark. It should make people want to stick around and keep scrolling. Above all, it should make them want to reach out and get to know you and your services better.

Feeling stuck? ZINNIG is an expert in homepages and websites. We’d be happy to help!

Het bericht 5 tips for building a rock-solid homepage verscheen eerst op ZINNIG.

*Quick clarification. We do work with freelance copywriters, translators, and editors at ZINNIG, but we prefer to call them zinspelers (meaning-makers) because we’re all too familiar with the negative connotations associated with the word ‘freelancer’.

Free agent?

According to Wikipedia, the term freelance comes from Middle English and means ‘an unbound knight or mercenary’. The word also appeared in the 1918 novel Ivanhoe by Walter Scott, about a medieval mercenary whose lance wasn’t tied to a specific lord. He offered his services to multiple bidders.

Long-term relationships

At ZINNIG, we love working with independent professionals alongside our core team, always prioritising building long-term partnerships. We’re not looking for ‘unbound knights’, but for passionate zinspelers who are connected to us while maintaining their independence. To us, this is a win-win for everyone involved: independent copywriters, translators, and editors have the freedom to work when and where they want, while our clients benefit from their specific expertise and fast turnaround times. Plus, these zinspelers get to work on projects that truly interest them. Because writing about topics you care about is easier and more rewarding.

Payment terms

We pair quick turnaround times with fast payments. We know how frustrating it is to chase down unpaid invoices, which is why we do our best to pay our zinspelers promptly. While many accountants advise against paying invoices before the due date, we happily do just that to show our appreciation for a job well done and on-time delivery.

Always welcome

Our zinspelers choose when and where they work: at home or on a tropical island, from 9 to 5, before dawn or in the dead of night. They’re always welcome to come to the office (during regular office hours, of course!). We’re more than happy to set them up with a spot where they can enjoy our view of Hasselt’s city centre. This makes it easier to brainstorm on big projects and strengthen the bond with our team.

Written with love

Another reason we prefer to work with zinspelers? Because a talent for crafting words and shaping sentences says more than a job title ever could. Those who write, rewrite, edit and translate, who brainstorm with clients and knock out deadlines for the love of language, are a great fit for ZINNIG. Whether you prefer a pay cheque or an invoice doesn’t really matter. If we can make a difference together: mission accomplished.

Think you have the expertise we’re looking for? Interested in joining us as a zinspeler? We’d love to meet you!

Het bericht Why ZINNIG doesn’t work with freelancers* verscheen eerst op ZINNIG.

Crunchy base: literal translation

Some recipes call for a direct interpretation: don’t overcomplicate it, just follow the instructions to the letter. Literal translations work the same way: they’re faithful to the original text, and playing around with the meaning or wording is a big no-no. All the reader wants is clarity. This approach is best for medical leaflets, user manuals, product descriptions, and legal contracts. The goal is to avoid confusion at all costs. The result may not read like a gripping novel, but it does what it’s supposed to do: inform the reader. That’s the whole point.

For example:

 ‘Tien dagen na het openen van deze verpakking dient u het product te verwijderen.’

‘Please dispose of the product ten days after opening the container.’

Tasty middle layer: ZINNIG translation

Do we have a monopoly on loose translations? No, but we sure do love them. At ZINNIG, our motto is: ‘as strict as necessary, as free as possible.’ In other words, stay true to the source text but also to your client. What do they want the end result to look like? And does that work for their target audience? We want to create a text for foreign readers that feels natural, not overly translated. That’s our preferred translation style and the one requested most by our clients. A tasteful balance.

For example:

‘Niemand geloofde dat ze het kon. Maar toen Charlotte ontdekte dat ze talent had voor zowel fotograferen als bakken, gaf ze haar familie een koekje van eigen deeg en begon ze een eigen foodblog.’

‘But the joke was on them. Or rather, the cake was on them. Because as soon as Charlotte discovered her knack for photography as well as baking, she aimed high and set up her own food blog.’

Rich filling: rewriting

Vanilla buttercream is delicious on its own, but adding a teaspoon of coffee will take your cake to the next level. The same is true of rewriting. It’s a creative adaptation of a text from one language into another with subtle – or sometimes substantial – changes along the way. Rewriting can help you take a text from the 1950s, for example, and adapt it so it resonates with modern readers. Or swap out certain words for others that are more fitting. You respect the structure and message of the original, but rewrite it to make it work for a different audience.

For example:

‘By far the most impacted households are those who are faced with exponential increases in retail pricing while their wages are exhausted month after month, causing an increasingly disproportionate society.’

‘De mensen die het meeste last hebben van de hogere prijzen? Gezinnen met inkomens die elke maand ontoereikend zijn. Hierdoor worden de verhoudingen in de maatschappij nog verder scheefgetrokken.’

Tasty topping: transcreation

Sometimes, adapting a text isn’t enough – like when you want to launch a slogan or a tagline abroad. Transcreation means converting the meaning, context, tone of voice, and style of the source text into a new text with the same impact. It may even call for a different structure, fewer words or more words, or a completely different title. Because of the inherent risks involved in transcreation, it should always happen in close consultation with the client. And when a text is written in a different language from a different perspective, there’s a chance the client could miss the original meaning. Also, not all texts are suitable for transcreation, partly due to space limitations. Nevertheless, we at ZINNIG are big fans of this unique art. Perhaps because it perfectly blends our two big loves: translating and copywriting.

Example:

‘Geen zwakke statafels meer? Met een STAFEL sta je stevig.’

‘Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you let down. The bar is raised. It’s STABLE.’

And here you thought translating was a piece of cake! But don’t worry, at ZINNIG, we never bite off more than we can chew. We make sure we understand your expectations from the very start. Then, when everyone’s on the same page, we whip up a flawless result.

Did we whet your appetite? Pull up a chair! We’d love to hear your ideas over a fresh pot of coffee.

Het bericht To translate or to transcreate – that is the question! verscheen eerst op ZINNIG.

Who’s your audience?

Writing a speech may seem like a creative challenge, but the first step is to gather some concrete facts. Ask yourself: who will be in the room? In other words, who is your target audience? This is the key to setting the right tone. If you’re addressing a room full of experts at a business conference, your message and story should fit the context. If those same experts are there to celebrate a successful year together, your style can be a little more relaxed. Tip: think of a few keywords and organise them in a mind map. What key principles or ideas do you want to get across?

Surprise them

A great speech always has an element of surprise. Whether you’re speaking at a charity gala or an internal company meeting, most audiences expect something dull and dry. A personal anecdote works great as an opener. It grabs your listeners’ attention and shows them you have something unique to share. Alternatives are a good joke (be sure to test it on friends and family first!), a clever observation, a movie quote, or a fun fact you touch on again later. Whatever you do, be sure to keep it light. Depending on your audience, a little humour can’t hurt.

Learn from the best

Think back to some of the world’s most powerful speeches. Famous examples include Winston Churchill’s ‘We Shall Fight on the Beaches’, Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’, and various speeches delivered by presidents and Nobel Prize winners. Watch some of them again and think about what these orators can teach you about charisma, wording, intonation and rhythm. Then think about how you can apply these elements to your own speech. It may not be as emotional or epic, but it should make an impact, nonetheless.

The goal justifies the (rhetorical) means

An easy way to add flair to your speech is through rhetorical devices – little tricks that play with language and rhythm. Take alliteration, for example, where several words start with the same letter:

Bold, brilliant and boundary-breaking: that was last year in a nutshell.

Or an anaphora, which involves starting several sentences with the same phrase:

A year has passed. A year has begun. A year is just a year until you do something with it. Then it becomes a milestone.

Or the opposite – an epiphora:

The team rests on your shoulders. The entire company rests on your shoulders. The world rests on your shoulders.

Our famous friend Aristotle explained devices like these in his Ars Rhetorica, a book devoted to persuasive oratory techniques. Drawing on personal credibility (ethos), stirring emotion (pathos), and presenting strong arguments (logos) helps speakers engage with their audience. It’s definitely worth exploring!

Keep your speech short and simple

As inspiring as your message might be, no one wants to sit through an hour-long speech. Yes, we mean it. No one. Our aversion for long speeches makes sense when we consider the average human attention span is only a few minutes! A good speech gets straight to the point. Write your story out in full, then start trimming. We call it ‘killing your darlings’. It’s tough, cutting out bits you think are great, but you’ll end up with a sharp, engaging text that gets right to the heart of it. Always leave them wanting more!

Still feeling jittery about getting started, or stuck in a style rut? At ZINNIG, we’re pros at penning speeches. Send us your speech details by e-mail or give us a call!

Het bericht How to write a killer speech verscheen eerst op ZINNIG.

A blank sheet of paper. A blinking cursor on a white screen. The dreaded creep of writer’s block, to put it in technical terms. Fear of the blank page. It’s the title of a poem by Belgian author Tom Lanoye, and it can happen to the best of us. It’s a feeling that’s hard to explain. A kind of mental fog that settles in your brain and keeps you from putting words to paper. But don’t worry, the blank-page-blues can be beaten. Here’s how.

1. Don’t start at the beginning

You write, delete, rewrite, delete again, and sometimes chuck the whole thing in the bin. Don’t worry, trust the process. One thing you don’t have to do by the book is to start at the beginning. Sure, most texts follow a set structure. An e-mail starts with a greeting, a blog starts with a title and an intro, and most websites have a predictable flow. But that doesn’t mean you have to start there. Begin with writing the part you know the most about. The part you’re most excited about. You can always circle back to the opening paragraph later. It doesn’t matter where you find your flow. Think of it like getting in the car and seeing where the road takes you. You’ll get where you’re going in the end, detours and all.

2. Reverse brainstorm

Have you ever tried flipping your thinking? It’s a surprisingly good way to get out of a rut. Let’s say you’re writing an invite for an event. Ask yourself: why would someone NOT want to come?  Maybe there’s no parking nearby. Maybe there’s no food or drinks. People definitely won’t come if there’s no personal incentive. And voilà: there’s your angle. The same trick works when trying to think of a company name or slogan – list all the terrible ideas first. Bad ideas make great stepping stones. This reverse brainstorm can lead to surprisingly fresh perspectives.

3. Get up and go

Literally. Take a walk. Go for a jog. Wander through the woods. Just step away from that white page for a while. There’s inspiration to be found everywhere. Moving your body is a great way to help unstick your thoughts. Of course, if you’re more of a sit-and-stare-out-the-window type, that’s fine too. But studies have shown that physical activity – as in actual movement – is extremely effective. So head out and get some fresh air!

4. Ease the pressure

Got a nagging voice in your head screaming about deadlines? Welcome to the club. Pressure, deadlines, and stress have a sneaky way of creeping into your day. When writer’s block hits, do something to ease the pressure. Find a quiet spot to think. Maybe you can push the deadline? Or save the nitpicking and polishing for the second draft? Don’t get stuck in the details, just focus on getting your message across. No one’s reading over your shoulder. Take a break and come back with fresh eyes. Sometimes your creativity just needs some room to breathe.

5. Check what others are doing

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are hundreds of texts with tips and tricks on tackling writer’s block – like this one. What have others done to break out of their rut? Maybe there’s a snappy e-mail in your inbox that you can borrow from. Or an invitation you liked. Read it through and think about what makes it fun or interesting. Someone else might do it better, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from the best. We’re not saying you should steal someone else’s work, of course. Plagiarism is a serious offence. But feel free to use what inspires you. Think of it as a breath of fresh air. We copywriters are always learning from others; from their language and turns of phrase. Sometimes all it takes is one good word to open the proverbial floodgates.

Still need help mastering the blank page? ZINNIG is happy to help you get started!

Het bericht Fear of the blank page verscheen eerst op ZINNIG.

English is cool. Right? That’s the impression you get when you switch on the TV, flip through a magazine, or scroll on Instagram. English catchphrases are everywhere. This trend has been popular for a few years now, and plenty of business owners have jumped on the bandwagon, giving their company an English name and ditto tagline. After all, the trendier you are, the more customers you reel in. But before you commit to one language or the other, stop to consider the following.

Define your target group

Before choosing a business name and tagline, think about who you want to attract. Are you selling books to people over 50? Are you opening a hair salon in a small-town shopping street? Then an English name might not be the best fit. In fact, a hard-to-pronounce foreign name may even cause confusion. While most people will know the word ‘cake’, calling your cupcake shop ‘Cutiepie’* could lead to some funny or potentially frustrating conversations. Instead, choose a Dutch word that evokes a feeling of sweetness, cosiness, deliciousness, or luxury. Rediscover the Dutch language and get playful with it! How about calling that same cupcake shop ‘Kruimeltjes’?

Get creative

A creative approach gives you the opportunity to go further and dig deeper than your competition. There are plenty of companies out there with boring, descriptive names like C&R Boekhouding or Dakwerken Emiel. While certainly informative, they’re not exactly exciting. If you were to translate names like these into English, you’d end up with something clunky and easy to misunderstand. For example: a concrete drilling company called Topboring (yep, boring!) or a bakery called Cake House (is the building itself made of cake?). Think carefully about what you do, what you love about it, and what parts you want to highlight. Next, think about what your target audience might want to hear. Then use this information to come up with a shortlist of possible names.

Use meaningful language

This one’s tricky. A name should be creative, but not too out there. As language virtuosos, we love words with weight. Words that are both meaningful and concrete. Still with us? It’s not easy, we know. So let’s walk you through the process.

Felien wants to open a shop. In this shop, customers can order custom name plaques, have wooden figures laser-cut, and buy a selection of pre-made objects made from metal and wood. While her main focus is gifts, she wants to keep her shop identity fairly broad. Felien brainstorms and comes up with the terms cutout, laser, figurine, gift, present, wood, metal, trinket, keepsake, and souvenir. She decides to call her shop Gifts… and More.

What does this tell you about it? You can buy gifts there, which is great. But what does ‘more’ mean? And what kind of gifts does she sell? Plus, the name doesn’t reflect Felien’s true talent: transforming wood and metal into one-of-a-kind treasures. If we dig a little deeper into what her products really mean, we can come up with some more specific words. You give someone a gift to wish them luck, to express love and affection, etc. You’re essentially giving them a piece of yourself, something personal. We can use this to come up with a Dutch and an English name and tagline:

‘Stukje geluk’
Originele cadeaus van hout en metaal

‘Treasure trinket’
Metal & timber, crafted with care

Which do you prefer? And which would resonate most with Felien’s target group?

Watch out for false friends

Most Belgians from Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z have a decent command of English. But you really need to know a language inside and out to spot the potential pitfalls in a business name. All language combos – in this case Dutch-English – have so-called ‘false friends’: words that seem like a direct translation but actually mean something entirely different. A good example is ‘oldtimer’. In Dutch, it means a classic car. In English, it’s slang for an old person. A ‘chef’ is a team leader in Dutch but a professional cook in English. You can imagine the number of unfortunate names and taglines out there. Some words also have double meanings. What do you think ‘Chops by Charlie’ does? Is it a butcher or a barber shop? And does ‘The Nail Shop’ do manicures or sell power tools?

Check, check, and check again

Stick with clear, easy-to-understand words and do your homework. You could also run it past a professional – a native speaker, a copywriter, or a translation agency. Whatever you do, always give your name and tagline a few review rounds before making any decisions. Get to know your target group, check whether the name is already in use (this can affect your SEO), and look at every English word or phrase from different angles.

Need someone to double-check your brand name and tagline? Or are you starting from scratch? Piece of cake! Feel free to get in touch with us.

*Disclaimer: Did we accidentally mention a real business name? Oops! Total coincidence!

Het bericht An English company name: yay or nay? verscheen eerst op ZINNIG.