Caleb Light – Wills – How and when did you first find out about Tongal?
Chris Tatro – I saw a post about the SlideRocket tagline project on copywriting.com.
CLW – Were you apprehensive, or was it something you understood immediately?
CT – Tongal is super easy to understand. Become a member, participate in projects, and see what happens. I did do a little digging around on the Internet, though, just to make sure it was legitimate. When I saw that Tongal works with major companies like Tyson Foods and LendingTree, I knew it was for real.
CLW – How does it feel to earn $1,000 for a five-word tagline?
CT – Wonderful! It was very validating to have my tagline chosen from hundreds of submissions. During the evaluation process Tongal members have the opportunity to review all of the project submissions; there were a lot of really good ones.
CLW – How long did it take you to get paid?
CT – Three weeks.
CLW – What are you going to spend the money on?
CT – I have lots of options. It could go towards our son’s upcoming wedding, remodeling our bathroom, getting a new printer, or going on a nice weekend getaway with my husband.
CLW – What type of research did you conduct in order to become familiar with SlideRocket and write such an effective Tagline?
CT – I visited their website to learn about their product line and the benefits of using SlideRocket. I also read the testimonials on their website and followed them on Twitter and Facebook to learn what their customers were saying.
CLW – What was your inspiration for “From Boring to Soaring?”
From all the research, I learned that there are many desirable benefits to using SlideRocket—from collaborating online to measuring a presentation’s effectiveness with the software’s analytics feature. But none of the benefits mean a thing if you don’t engage your audience. SlideRocket lets you add exciting audio and video to your slides, which I think is at the core of what sets them apart from boring, static presentations. Once I had the main benefit nailed down I just had to tie it into the SlideRocket name. What do rockets do? They soar. Hence, “From Boring to Soaring.”
CLW – What is your writing process like?
CT – It’s deliberate in that I invest the time to learn as much as I can about the company or product I’m promoting and the intended audience. After that, the ideas just come, anytime of the day or night. It’s not unusual for me to get out of bed to flesh out an idea that woke me up. If I do get stuck on a project I take a walk or do something else to clear my head. Sometimes I get just a few steps away from the computer and the ideas start flowing again.
CLW – Do you have a background in copywriting?
CT – I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. In fact, when I was in elementary school I won an award for one of my poems. I took creative writing classes all through high school, but I actually went to college to be a medical assistant. I kept writing on the side, though, and eventually decided I wanted to make copywriting my career. I took some sales and promotion classes, attended marketing seminars, and read as many copywriting books as I could get my hands on. So, basically, I am self-taught. I landed my first freelance client in 1989; she’s still a client today!
CLW – Can you tell me a little bit about Advance Copy and Creative Group? What kind of work do you do? Are you also a graphic designer?
CT – I write websites, newsletters, brochures, ads, flyers, catalog and packaging copy, point-of-purchase displays—pretty much anything a company needs to sell its products or services. I specialize in copy, but if a project also calls for graphic design, photography, printing and/or Web programming, I call in associates whose work I know and trust. That’s where the “group” comes in. Together we can take a client’s project from initial concept to final production.
CLW – What size clients do you work with?
CT – It really runs the gamut, from major manufacturers with customers worldwide to small hometown businesses serving local clientele. I also work with ad agencies, printers, and graphic designers who need copy for their clients’ projects.
CLW – What’s the best thing about Tongal?
CT – Besides the chance to win cash, I like being able to compare my ideas with those of others. And it’s fun! I can keep an eye on the site for projects that interest me.
This interview was conducted via email on November 2, 2010.
