Great writing for print: Alive and well in your holiday catalogues

Many retailers make most of their sales during the holiday shopping season. Their success depends on the success of these catalogues. Organizational editors can learn a lot from them. After all, both holiday catalogues and organizational publications share a common goal: the profitable growth of their sponsoring organizations.

Here are 10 lessons all communicators can learn from what clogs their mailboxes:

1. All I want for Christmas is Me. Try to get the audience, purpose and contents of your publication in the banner and tag-line. Time for Me, with the tag “Dedicated to the art of well-being,” shows us the way. One product from this health and beauty company promises: “Look 10 pounds lighter in 10 seconds.” I’m there.

2. “Bah, humbug!” I guess most people are like me, dreading the consumer stampede that makes it impossible to celebrate the season authentically. Convenience is the main benefit retailers sell in their headlines, and that’s what a headline should do: Sell a benefit. The winner here is Pottery Barn: “We Make Your Holidays Easy!” And that’s on their back cover. What’s on yours?