How to Unlink Your Twitter and Facebook Accounts

Have any of you grown annoyed by having your Facebook account linked to your Twitter account? I sure did. It's annoying clicking on a link on Twitter, only to be redirected to the person's Facebook page whee you then had to click on another link to actually get somewhere of interest. (note: if you're trying to get your tweets to stop appearing on your Facebook profile, click here.

I hated myself for subjecting my followers to that, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to unlink my Facebook and Twitter accounts. I later found out that lots of my friends were having the same problem.

So here's the solution:

First of all, log into your Twitter account (at twitter.com), NOT your Facebook account. Next, click on Settings, then Connections. Where you see the Facebook icon, simply click on "revoke access."

Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

My apologies to all my followers on Twitter for months of annoying Facebook tweets!



To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

There's still time to find love this weekend in the Comox Valley!

Valentine’s Day will soon be here, and lovers everywhere are tingling with anticipation. But what if you haven’t yet met that special someone? Or the romance has vanished from your relationship amidst the chaos of daily life?

Local hypnotherapist and life coach Jeannie Spencer, founder of Invision Your Life, has the answer, and she’ll share her insights at two special “Invision Your Love” workshops this weekend. But there are only a few spots remaining!

The first, a full-day couples hypnotherapy workshop this Saturday, is designed to help busy couples, especially those with children, rediscover their lost passion, release and built-up resentment and embark upon a new, loving path.

Then, on Sunday, a special Valentine’s Day workshop for singles will help 10 participants discover what they truly want in a partner, build their confidence and attract their ideal mate in another half-day workshop.

“The mind is an incredibly powerful tool,” says Spencer. “It contains everything you need to achieve your potential and start living your ideal life – whether that means falling in love or falling back in love.”

To register, or for more information, call 1-888-556-8411 or click on either of these links:

Couples Workshop

Singles Workshop


To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Use your mind to... Lose Weight, Rekindle Your Relationship, Find Love & Birth With Ease

For many of us, February is the time that we finally give up on our well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions. But for those who promised to lose weight, find new love or rekindle lost romance, this month could be different.

Local hypnotherapist and coach Jeannie Spencer, founder of Invision Your Life, has chosen the month of February to kick off a comprehensive series of personal development workshops in the Comox Valley.

The series begins with Spencer’s hypnosis weight loss program, which promises to help participants lose weight using the power of their minds.

"Anyone who has ever attempted to lose weight knows that it takes more than diet and exercise,” says Spencer. “People dealing with weight problems generally have emotional triggers that set unhealthy habits into motion. Once these triggers are identified and dealt with, weight loss and maintenance become easier.”
The 12-week program, beginning February 16 (she swears it’s a coincidence that the workshop begins on “Fat Tuesday”), is preceded by a private two-hour hypnotherapy session and continues with 11 weekly group classes.

The series continues on February 13 with a full-day couples' hypnosis workshop limited to only five couples. Entitled “Invision Your Love,” the workshop is designed to help busy couples – especially those with children – rediscover their lost passion, release resentment and embark upon a new loving path.

“Couples continually tell me there’s just no time or energy left in the day for each other,” says Spencer. “When they finally do find the time, all the pressure of romance takes hold and they end up disappointed. This workshop is about elevating your love life and reigniting the passion you’d all but forgotten.”

For those still searching for a significant other, a special Valentine’s Day workshop for singles may help guide Cupid’s arrow. On February 14, Spencer will help 10 participants discover what they truly want in a partner, build their confidence and attract their ideal mate in this half-day workshop.

Rounding out February’s line-up is Spencer’s highly acclaimed “Invision Your Birth” workshop on February 25. This unique, three-hour workshop adds a new spin to Spencer’s previous teachings as a Hypnobirthing practitioner and is open to expectant mothers and their birthing partners.

Invision Your Birth will show participants how to use hypnotherapy to reduce anxiety and achieve relaxation and control during the birthing process. Participants of the workshop, which has been endorsed by Comox Valley Midwifery, will also receive a CD of their personalized birthing script to help them achieve a natural and relaxed childbirth.

“The mind is an incredibly powerful tool,” says Spencer. “It contains everything you need to achieve clarity and realize your true potential; all that’s missing is the instruction booklet. These workshops will help you unlock the power of your mind and start living your ideal life.”

To register for any Invision Your Life workshop, or for more information, call 1-888-556-8411 or visit www.InvisionYourLife.com.




To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

It's official: I'm BC's new Regional Director of PWAC

To all of you who have been anxiously awaiting the verdict on my quest to become regional director for British Columbia of the Professional Writers' Association of Canada (PWAC), wait no longer - It's official.

I'm now undertaking the task of bringing myself up to speed with an organization of which I've been a member but not necessarily an active one for two years. My first real task will be to attend a weekend-long board meeting in Montreal later this month, after which I hope to have a better grasp on what's going on and what my role will be.

As an aside, I've also fallen into the role of communications co-chair, which comes ith its own set of requirements that I'll have to wade through at some point.

So yes, I am the PWAC's BC RD (for all you acronym fans) and will be so at least until the AGM in June (one more acronym for you!).

So thank you to the Academy, to God and to all my supporters. And in case none of you actually exist, then thank-you Mom!



To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

4 Tips for Money-Making Direct Mail

Writing for direct mail isn’t the same as blogging, or writing the great Canadian novel. Direct mail has a specific purpose – usually convincing the reader to hand over his or her hard-earned cash for your product or service – and there are proven techniques for making it work.

It would be impossible to explain all the intricacies of writing a winning direct mail piece, but here are a few tips to help steer you in the right direction:



1. Begin your writing on the envelope. A brief “teaser” on the envelope can go a long way toward persuading the reader to open it. Because remember, zero per cent of all mailings that don’t get opened result in sales.

2. Write about the reader, not about your company or product. Sure, you do have to mention what it is you’re selling at some point, but do it in a way that emphasizes benefits rather than features. For example, you’re not selling a shoe with an air-cushion sole; you’re selling relief from aching feet.

3. Offer something for free. “Order now and get my free report!” “Let’s meet for coffee – on us!” “Call now for a free trial!”

4. Include a postscript (P.S.) where you re-state your offer. Studies have shown that when people read letters, they read the salutation first and the postscript second. So state your main benefit, your call to action and, if possible, some sort of guarantee.



To learn more about how you can use direct mail to turbo-charge your marketing, or if you'd like help with any of your marketing materials, please call 250.702.1103 for a free consultation.




To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

How to Boost Your Profits With Direct Mail

January to March is the most profitable time of the year to launch a direct mail marketing campaign, according to Jay Conrad Levinson, best-selling author of Guerilla Marketing. So what are you waiting for?

Here's why direct mail is one of the most valuable tools at your disposal:

1. It's easy to track, meaning that you can see very clearly the response rate to a particular campaign.
2. You can target any specific market and personalize your message like crazy.
3. It's cheap as borscht, costing as little as 13 cents per prospect.
4. Done properly, you can achieve some of the highest response rates of any form of marketing.

To help you get started, I've compiled five tips to creating a successful direct mail campaign and 3 valuable tools to get you started.




5 tips for making the most of your direct mail campaign:


1. Ensure that you’re targeting the right audience. If you don’t know your target market, it’s time to give it some serious thought. Remember, if you try to speak to everyone you usually end up speaking to no one.

2. Send a letter along with your rack card or promo piece. Mailings with letters are more personal, and they almost always outpull mailings without letters.

3. Make your envelope (or subject line on an email) interesting. Zero per cent of mailings that don’t get opened result in sales.

4. Success in direct mail comes with the cumulative effect of repeat mailings. Make each mailing distinct, but always drive home your key message or branding.

5. Always, always ALWAYS tell the recipient what to do next. “Call now,” “Visit our Web Site” or “Download our free guide” are examples of what’s known as the “call to action.” It seems obvious, but too many advertisers forget this crucial ingredient.


And now a few tools to get you started:

1. CanadaPost.com – Your friends at Canada Post will help you hone in on your target market, make your mailing stand out from the rest, and give you detailed pricing information.

2. Me! I’m a professional marketing copywriter, and I can help you craft your marketing letter or direct mail pieces so that they speak directly to your target market in language that will compel them to buy, Buy, BUY! Call me at 250.702.1103 for a free 30-minute consultation.

3. If you decide to do it yourself, check out "4 Tips for Writing Money-Making Direct Mail."


To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

I'd Like to be BC's Regional Director of the Professional Writers' Association of Canada (PWAC)

The BC Regional Director position with the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) has become vacant, and I've decided to throw my hat in the ring.

Why? Because I think I can help provide a fresh perspective on the issues surrounding PWAC.

I'm always following the discussions that go back and forth on the PWAC business listserve, and the thing that keeps coming up again and again is the need for writers to gain recognition as respected professionals, and to be treated as such. What's needed in a lot of ways is a change in perspective, as contractors need to recognize the value of professional writing and aspiring writers need to recognize the value of their own talents.

There are too many bad contracts (see badwritingcontracts.ca), too many disrespectful editors, too many rights-hungry publishers and too many starving writers wiling to prostitute themselves for a byline.

Although I've spent time as a freelance journalist, I now run a full-time copywriting business. As a marketer, I think I may be able to provide some insight on how PWAC could better promote the respect of professional writers. And hey, if I'm able to contribute in other ways, that would be icing on the cake!

I'm not saying that I could necessarily do a better job than other PWACers who may be considering the posting. I'd just like the opportunity to try. I don't have a lot of board experience, but I have worked with a board of directors as marketing coordinator with Comox Valley Tourism and I did sit in on several Tourism Vancouver Island board meetings. I also started up a nationally incorporated charity several years back.

I'm excited about the opportunity to become more involved with PWAC and I really think this could be a great opportunity to give back.

I'm currently seeking nomination by two PWAC members, and I'll keep you posted on my progress.




To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.