Twins (Paul and Pauline) were born in May but their birthday is in June. How's this possible?
‪#‎WittyWednesday‬

Some organisations are confused about reasons their online marketing campaign is not working. You can tell when you hear a statement like this:

‘What do you want to tell us? We have tried online marketing before and it’s not working. In fact, we have an IT team in-house, but we are not getting return on our investment (ROI), which is the reason we have chosen to abandon it.’

Are you familiar with this or is this what you are going through? As a digital marketing consultant, I have heard this over and over again but the good news is that individuals and organisations that have said this to me have had to swallow their words because digital marketing works.

I met with a prospect who complained, ‘I have tried direct marketing and it’s not working. I sent direct marketing mails to about one thousand prospects and only got two responses.’

I have got response from my direct marketing mails, which have led to major business projects.

So, what is the difference? I will discuss simple reasons your marketing campaign is not working and what you need to do:

1. No time to strategise: Some people or organisations do not strategise before they start their marketing campaign. They just throw themselves into it. You have to understand that marketing campaigns differ for different organisations; so you must understand what you do and the marketing campaign you need.

Strategy helps you to understand what is needed, the channels you need to deploy, the cost implication and you target audience.

The marketing campaign for an online store cannot be the same with the marketing campaign of an organisation that renders service to clients.

They both need different strategies. In as much as they both need a marketing campaign, they need to deploy different strategies. The online store might decide to spend huge amount of money to remain relevant, to be in the consciousness of people and to drive traffic to its site, while the service company can decide to have a low budget that is targeted in pushing a marketing campaign that depends on content.

For every campaign you choose to run, you can start by asking the following questions which will determine your strategy:

Who are my target audience
Where can I get them in clusters
How do I reach them
Which platforms are best to reach them
How much will it cost me
How do I get the message across the entire platform
Do I need to employ the help of Mavins – influencers for the campaign?
When you answer these questions, they help define the strategy you need for your campaign.

2. Get the right content: As regards the client who said he had sent about one thousand direct mails to clients and only got two responses, I told him that the success of his direct emailing was dependent on the quality of his content.

In the world of content development, a content developer or creator knows that you can say the same thing in five different ways and they will all generate different responses.

For instance if you want to sell a service like writing a book, to someone who has got to a place of self-actualisation, I mean the rich and wealthy in the society, you cannot just send a general message about writing a book. You need to develop an emotional content that will appeal to them. You can be sure of response to your mail against a general mail that wouldn’t have made any meaning to them.

If you discover that you have tried and it is not working, you should employ the services of a professional to help you send the right content to your audience.

3. Get the target audience: The right audience will definitely respond to the right content. It’s like someone who has been searching for the solution to a challenge seeing a solution presented before him or her, you can be sure of a response. What usually happens is that organisations get paid email directories and they send direct mail to these directories without knowing if they are their target audience.

What you need to do to solve this challenge is to grow an organic email list that requires what you have to offer. And if that is taking too long, you can employ the services of digital experts to help you out. This is the reason we are in business, TRW Consult gives you time and option to do more. Let us help you reach your target audience.

4. Your IT staff lack the skills: Online marketing campaign just like offline marketing campaign requires skilled personnel. Today, many claim to be marketing experts; they get employed based on their claims, only for employers to discover in the long run that they do not have the required skills.

If you are a business owner, you can find out if your IT staffs are not skilled – they will keep getting the same result with little or no returns on the amount spent for campaign

For organisations that face this kind of challenge, they can send their IT department for training to acquire the required skills to market online and generate massive leads that will lead to sales.

We can help you make your marketing work. At TRW Consult, we can make your marketing highly effective, helping you to spread the message of your business and making your products and services prominent on the online space.

http://trwconsult.com/4-reasons-your-online-marketing-is-not-working/

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results - Wade Boggs.
‪#‎MotivationalMonday‬

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. #MotivationalMonday

A businessman knows when it's Friday. #FunFriday

‪#‎FunFriday‬
I fear my neighbor may be stalking me, she's been googling my name last night on her computer. I saw it clearly through my binoculars.
Source: Short Funny

The only way to Thrive is to innovate. It's that simple - Alex Tabamok

How witty are you? Test your wittiness by providing the answer to the number of squares in this diagram. Tag a witty friend of yours. ‪#‎WittyWednesday‬

From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.
- Winston Churchill

I wrote a few children's books. Not on purpose.
- Steven Wright

I get a lot of letters from people. They say: "I want to be a writer. What should I do?" I tell them to stop writing to me and get on with it.
- Ruth Rendell

If writers were good businessmen, they’d have too much sense to be writers.
- Irvin S. Cobb

If Moses were alive today he’d come down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments and spend the next five years trying to get them published.
- Anonymous

1. Words have lifespans that can range from fewer than 1,000 years up to 20,000 years.


2. It is estimated that a new word is created every 98 minutes.


3. “You” is the 18th most common word in English, while “me” is number 50 on the list.


4. There are over 50 countries around the world that use English as an official language, including Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan, and the Philippines.


5. The dot above a lowercase “i” or “j” is called a “tittle.”


6. The longest word in English with all its letters in alphabetical order is “aegilops.”


7. The longest one syllable word is the ten-letter “scraunched,” found in a 1620 translation of Don Quixote.


8. The longest word containing no repeating letters, including every vowel, is “uncopyrightable,” at 15 letters.


9. Although most people believe the word “orange” to have no perfect rhyme, it actually does - “sporange.”


10. There are nine words in English that contain two “u”s in a row.

Credit: BuzzFeed

There are plenty of folks happy to tell you how to write better, just as any doctor will tell you to “eat right and exercise.” But changing your writing (or eating) habits only happens when you understand why you do what you do. I can help you with that.

That proposal or email you wrote must now compete for attention with Facebook and the Huffington Post. Here’s how to compete more effectively, and why you’re not doing it already. (The wall chart for these is at the bottom of the post.)

1 Write shorter.

Why it matters. Readers are impatient and will give up on your blog post, email, or document before you’ve made your point. Every extra word makes readers antsy.
How to fix it. Edit. Delete your “warming up” text and start with the main point. Cull extraneous detail and repetition. Work as if each word you eventually publish or send will cost you $10.


2 Shorten your sentences.

Why it matters. Long sentences make readers work too hard to figure out your meaning.

How to fix it. Break sentences down into bite-size ideas. Then delete what you don’t need. Think Hemingway, not Dickens.

3 Rewrite passive voice.

Why it matters. Passive voice sentences conceal who is acting and create uneasiness.

How to fix it. Figure out who the actor in the sentence is and make it the subject.
4 Eliminate weasel words.

Why it matters. Words like “generally” and “most” make your writing sound weak and equivocal.

How to fix it. Delete the weasel words, then read the resulting statement. If it’s too bold, write the strongest, clearest statement you can to take its place. (If no bold statement applies, you have nothing to say, so delete the sentence.)

5 Replace jargon with clarity.

Why it matters. Jargon makes your reader feel stupid. Unless they’re an insider, they can’t figure out your meaning.

How to fix it. Imagine you’re talking to your mom (unless your mom is an expert in your subject; if so, imagine you’re talking to your high school history teacher). Explain what you mean in plain English. If using a technical term would actually make things clearer or shorter, define it first.

6 Cite numbers effectively.

Why it matters. Used properly, statistics can back up your point.

How to fix it. When citing a statistic, include the context (compared to what?). And statistics shorn of sources are meaningless; “It is estimated that” might as well say “I made this number up.” Here’s a proper way to use a statistic: “Forrester Research estimates that by 2017, 2.4 billion people will own smartphones, or around one third of the world’s population.”

7 Use “I,” “we,” and “you.”

Why it matters. Taken together, these pronouns create a relationship between the writer (“I”), his organization (“we”), and the reader (“you.”)

How to fix it. Imagine the reader. Then rewrite using the word “you.”


8 Move key insights up.

Why it matters. You only have a few sentences to get the reader’s attention. If you boldly state your key point at or near the top, they’ll stick around to see if you can prove it.


How to fix it. Force yourself to start with a bold statement. If you just can’t get in this habit, write whatever you need to warm up to stating your thesis, then delete the warmup.


9 Cite examples.

Why it matters. Text without examples is dull and not credible. Text with examples comes alive.

How to fix it. For a piece of any length, plan to spend half the writing time doing research first.

10 Give us some signposts.

Why it matters. If you’re writing anything longer than a page, people want to know what they’re in for.


How to fix it. After you’ve stated your main thesis, write this: “Here’s how I’ll explain this.” Then include a few short sentences or a numbered list. It’s that easy!

Josh Bernoff

Words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings are called homophones, and especially for kids who are just learning to spell, they can cause trouble every time. There are some rules to help budding writers remember the trickiest homophones, but in many cases it’s just a matter of memory. There, their . . . they’ll get them in time.

Its and It’s

This pair is tough because apostrophes are often used to denote possessives—but not in this case. It’s is short for it is. So, “The dog wags its tail because it’s time to eat.”

Your and You’re

Kids (and even some grown-ups) get caught on this pair a lot, and it drives grammar-loving parents nuts. Your is possessive, while you’re is short for you are. “You have to know your rights,” but “I know, you’re right.”

There, they’re, their

The first of this trio is the easiest to remember: Just start here, then go over there by adding a T. They’re is short for they are. The last one, their, is possessive and you just have to remember that you add an I in the middle: “They got their ball and went home.”

Close and Clothes

You could clean up the clothes from the floor, or just be lazy and close the door. Reminding kids that clothes means clothing can help them keep this pair straight.

So and Sew and Sow

Only in The Sound of Music is sol(silent L) “a needle pulling thread.” The right way to spell what you’re doing when you stitch on a button or fix a seam is sew. If you’re outside spreading seeds or planting, you’re sowing. So, you’ll just have to commit these to memory.

Complement and compliment

This one is more challenging than some other examples here. You use complement when talking about things that go well together, like “That shirt complements your skin tone.” It can also be a noun, referring to a complete set. A compliment, on the other hand, is a nice thing to say. To remember the difference, think “I paid you a compliment.”

Through and Threw

“He threw the ball through the window.” Remind yourself that threw is the past tense of throw, and they only vary by one letter. If you’re walking through a tunnel, or something is flying through a window, it is traveling—and the longer word fits.

Affect and Effect

These words are similar in usage and meaning, so are extra tricky. But in most cases, one is a noun and the other a verb. Think the effect to remember that effect is the noun form.

Of course, you add an extra wrinkle when affect is a noun (She has a false affect) and effect is a verb (We are working to effect a change), but those usages are less common, especially in kids’ writing.

Accept and Except

To accept something is to agree to it. To except is to rule something out. “I accept that you’re a better speller than I am.” “I love all of my classes, except gym.” Think ex for things you want to get rid of.

Knew and New

“You knew these already, but to kids, they’re all brand new.” Early writers commonly misspell knew, because of that pesky silent k. But once they remember that it’s the past tense of know (which is different from no) they won’t mess it up again.

Credit: Grammarly

This list is in no way complete without adding TRW Consult. What we do is more than just Digital Marketing...we deliver fully integrated marketing communications services to individuals, corporates and government agencies. With TRW Consult, it's more than just fancy graphics and colourful images, we deliver ROI in tangibles.

www.trwconsult.com
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@trwconsult

Today, a myriad of choices are available to marketers more than ever regarding how and where to promote or advertise products and services. In addition to traditional methods, such as print advertising, radio and television commercials, there is also direct marketing, email marketing, Web-based advertising and multiple social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as mobile marketing.
And as many businesses have learned the hard way, what works in, say, traditional print marketing, does not work as well (or at all) on the Web or social media sties -- and vice versa.
While there isn’t a sure formula to creating a successful integrated marketing campaign, there are steps that businesses and marketers can take to maximize viewership.
One: Have a clear understanding of who your target audience is.

Two: Pick your channels

Three: Have a consistent look.

Four: Create clear, consistent content that can easily be adapted or repurposed to suit different media or channels.

Five: Ensure that your messaging is integrated. Make sure each element of your marketing campaign "is set up to drive traffic to your ultimate target.

Six: Make sure your marketing teams are working in sync.

Seven: Don't forget to track your campaigns -- and coupons.

Source: CIO

TRW Consult runs a full Integrated Marketing agency and is poised to meet all your marketing needs, giving you the needed advantage to gain an enviable market share. Call us today on 08188708026 or send mail to mail@trwconsult.com

A simple way to express yourself more clearly and be more successful is to improve your vocabulary. If you’re a writer, learning and using new vocabulary will improve the dynamism of your work. Choosing which words to learn from the over one million words in English, however, can be a daunting task. We’ve done the legwork for you and selected five truly stunning words that will add vigour to your speech and writing.

1 Ephemeral
adjective
Lasting for a very short time
My feelings about him were ephemeral; they left as quickly as they arrived.

2 Imbroglio
noun (plural: imbroglios)
An extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation
When the fully booked hotel allowed someone else with the same name to check into our room, it took several hours for us to maneuver the imbroglio.

3 Mellifluous
adjective
(Of a sound) pleasingly smooth and musical to hear
Adele’s voice is mellifluous.

4 Nefarious
adjective
Flagrantly wicked or impious: evil
Alan Rickman was famous among younger audiences for playing the nefarious Snape; older audiences will remember him as Hans Gruber from Die Hard.

5 Propinquity
noun
Nearness of blood: kinship
Nearness in place or time: proximity
Despite our propinquity, my sister and I don’t know each other very well.

When you use these new words with people who don’t know them, turn the exchange into a mini–vocabulary lesson and show them the value of learning new words.

Credit: Grammarly

6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know
Whether you like it or not, foreign expressions represent an integral part of the English language (and of many other languages, too). Knowing the meaning and usage of the most used ones is very important. First of all because it will enable you to understand pieces of text that include them. Secondly, because you might also need to use those expressions on particular situations (avoid using them just to sound smart though). Below you will find 6 foreign expressions commonly used in English, enjoy!

1. De Facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means “actual” (if used as an adjective) or “in practice” (if used as an adverb). In legal terms, de facto is commonly used in contrast to de jure, which means “by law.” Something, therefore, can emerge either de facto (by practice) or de jure (by law).
Example: “And what of the plastic red bench, which has served as his de facto home for the last 15 years and must by now be a collector’s item?” (NY Times)

2. Vis-à-Vis
The literal meaning of this French expression is “face to face” (used as an adverb). It is used more widely as a preposition though, meaning “compared with” or “in relation to.”
Example: “It’s going to be a huge catalyst in moving the whole process forward and it really strengthens the U.S. position vis-a-vis our trading partners.” (Yahoo! News)

3. Status quo
This famous Latin expression means “the current or existing state of affairs.” If something changes the status quo, it is changing the way things presently are.
Example: “Bush believes that the status quo — the presence in a sovereign country of a militant group with missiles capable of hitting a U.S. ally — is unacceptable.” (Washington Post)

4. Cul-de-sac
This expression was originated in England by French-speaking aristocrats. Literally it means “bottom of a sack,” but generally it refers to a dead-end street. Cul-de-sac can also be used metaphorically to express an action that leads to nowhere or an impasse.
Example: “But the code of omerta was in effect for two carloads of fans circling the cul-de-sac to have a look at the house.” (Reuters.com)
“A cul-de-sac of poverty.” (The Economist)

5. Per se
Per se is a Latin expression that means “by itself” or “intrinsically.”
Example: “The mistake it made with the Xbox is that there is no game console market per se; there are PlayStation, GameCube, and Xbox markets.” (PCMag.com)

6. Ad hoc
Ad hoc, borrowed from the Latin, can be used both as an adjective, where it means “formed or created with a specific purpose,” and as an adverb, where it means “for the specific purpose or situation.”
Example: “The World Bank’s board on Friday ordered an ad hoc group to discuss the fate of President Paul Wolfowitz.” (CNN)

Credit: DWT

Have a great week!

Did you know the most commonly used letter in the alphabet is E

Did you know dreamt is the only word that ends in mt

Did you know the first letters of the months July through to November spell JASON

Did you know there are only 4 words in the English language which end in 'dous' (they are: hazardous, horrendous, stupendous and tremendous)

Did you know the oldest word in the English language is 'town'

Did you know 'Bookkeeper' and 'bookkeeping' are the only 2 words in the English language with three consecutive double letters

Did you know the word 'Strengths' is the longest word in the English language with just one vowel

Did you know the dot on top of the letter 'i' is called a tittle

Did you know the past tense for the English word 'dare' is 'durst'

Did you know the word 'testify' derived from a time when men were required to swear on their testicles

Did you know The first English dictionary was written in 1755

Did you know the word old English word 'juke' meaning dancing lends its name to the juke box
Did you know 1 out of every 8 letters written is an e

Did you know the longest one syllable word in the English language is 'screeched'

Did you know all pilots on international flights identify themselves in English regardless of their country of origin

Did you know the expression to 'knuckle down' originated from playing marbles (players used to put their knuckles to the ground for their best shots)

Did you know the word 'almost' is the longest in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order

Did you know the most commonly used word in English conversation is 'I'

Let's move beyond merely surviving to thriving...together we ThriVe!

Let's face it; social media has come to stay.

These days, almost everyone and every organisation has a presence on the social media, particularly the popular ones such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest. In 2015, there were 1.415 billion active users on Facebook, and 288 million monthly active users on Twitter. With the explosive youth population in Nigeria, you can imagine what chunk of those statistics we boast as a nation.

However, most corporate presence and iconic presence (prominent individuals) on the social media are a mere presence with no marked focus, strategy, or intent to engage the teeming online public/market. This conundrum is largely to due to not knowing what it takes to maintain a vibrant online-cum-social media presence.

There are 4 basics to maintaining a successful online and social media presence. They are:

1. Contents: Content is the backbone of social media. Unless you publish fresh, relevant information on a regular basis for your audience to consume, your online and social media platforms will not command traffic. Social media accounts that don't churn out fresh contents are considered dead.

2. Engagement: the second nitty-gritty for running a successful online/social media campaign is audience engagement. Organisations and individuals who engage their online audience are generally seen as friendly and responsive plus many other positive perceptions, all of which translate into sales, patronage, goodwill, brand affiliation, loyalty and an army of brand ambassadors who will go to any length to promote/defend your name, brand, product, service or cause.

3. Skills: There are potpourri related skills required to drive a vibrant social media presence ranging from graphics, research, designs, backend management, analytics, optimisation, monitoring, etc. Not knowing which to deploy, when and how to deploy it or utilising them wrongly is a sure road to virtual comatose or disaster.

4. Consistence: Knowing what to do to have a winning social media presence and how to do it does not guarantee success unless such knowledge is backed by painstaking efforts and commitment to doing it day in, day out. Lack of consistence accounts mostly for the online failure of multinationals, institutions and public figures, who have all it takes as well as the budget to be vibrant and visible online, but whose activities there are a whimper.

The good news is that TRW Consult, a Content Development and Marketing Communications Agency, has all the expertise, drive, as well as foreign and local partnerships to run an online/social media campaign that will give you or your organisation an unbeatable brand presence. We are presently the largest content producers in West Africa and have successfully executed online projects across all horizons from global to national, organisational, iconic, and then cottage projects. Some achievements in our portfolio include World Economic Forum, National Conference 2014, FanMilk, and cottage businesses with low budget.

What this means is that NOW, you need not worry anymore about what you are losing by not being visible and vibrant online.

Our promise remains... Offering You More Options + Time to do More…

At first glance, readers unfamiliar with the word fatuous might assume that it has something to do with obesity. The term, however, derives from the Latin word fatuus, meaning “silly” or “stupid.” It may stem ultimately from a word meaning “of speech,” with the implication that a fatuous person is one notorious for saying silly or stupid things.

The adjective’s other parts-of-speech forms are the adverb fatuously and the nouns fatuity and fatuousness.

Interestingly, many synonyms for fatuous are variations of compounds ending with the root -headed: Some, like airheaded, suggest a lack of brains; others, like lunkheaded, imply that a fatuous person’s head is solid or thick. An etymologically unrelated but synonymous word that nearly rhymes with fatuous is vacuous, associated with the first class of words ending in -headed; the word is related to vacuum, suggesting a void within a person’s skull.

Source: DWT

Quintessence is defined as the most important features of something; it could also be referred to as the essence of something. It also means the perfect example of something.

The origin of the word can be traced back to the ancient Greek philosophers who claimed that there were five elements which include earth, wind, air, fire and a fifth substance that made up objects in the Heavens. This idea soon became widely accepted and then passed down through several generations to Latin-speaking scholars who decided to name the fifth element quintessence- originally from the Latin words quintus, meaning ‘fifth’, and essentia meaning ‘being’.

Overtime, the meaning of the word has evolved into the modern definition of ‘essence’ or ‘something of utmost importance’. The fifth element was believed to be a lot more superior compared to the others; therefore ‘quintessential’ has come to mean something that is superior or most important.

Below are some examples
- The teacher’s new topic on evolution contains the quintessence of Darwinism
- Few artists have succeeded in aligning their music with life experiences which is the quintessence of true sold music
- Most teachers do not inculcate the habit of personal learning into their teaching methods aside academics which is the quintessence of education
- Some couples hardly create time for bonding and friendship after marriage which is the quintessence of a good relationship
- A lot of CEO’s are so preoccupied with work-related matters that they hardly read to broaden their horizon which is the quintessence of leadership.

As we established in an earlier post, not all the words in the English language are originally English. Quite a number have been borrowed from around the world. Today, we continue a review of some popular words in English which originated from Hindi, a language in India. This dates back to the 19th century.
1. Jungle – this is an area of tropical forest where trees and plants grow very thickly. It could also mean an unfriendly or dangerous place or situation especially one where it is very difficult to be successful or to trust anyone. It is derived from the Hindi word jangal which means a forest. It began to be used in English in the 18th century.

2. Bungalow – this is a house built all on one level, without stairs. It is derived from the Hindi word bangla which means the style of or belonging to Bengal. It dates back to the 17th century when it was used to refer to a type of cottage built in Bengal for early British settlers.


3. Cot – a cot is a small bed with high sides for a baby or young child, it could also mean a camp bed depending on the context in which it is used. It is derived from the Hindi word khat which means a bedstead or hammock. Its entry into the English language can be traced back to the 17th century.

4. Cheetah – a Cheetah is a wild animal of the cat family with black spots that runs very fast. It is known to be the fastest land animal on earth. It is derived from the Hindi word cita which means speckled or variegated which gives a clue to its black spots.


5. Juggernaut – this is a very large lorry or truck. It can also be referred to as a large and powerful force or institution that cannot be controlled sweeping aside or destroying everything along its path. It is derived from a Hindu deity Vishnu called jagannath which gained entry into English language in the 19th century

6. Chutney - chutney is a cold thick sauce made from fruit, sugar, spices and vinegar, eaten with cold meat, cheese etc. It is derived from the Hindi word chatni which means about the same thing English language has given it. It dates back to the 19th century.


7. Guru – Guru is originally a Hindu or Sikh religious teacher or leader. It could also mean a person who is expert on a particular subject or who is very good at doing something. The original word in the Hindu and Sanskrit coincidentally also guru means venerable

Credit: Daily Writing Tips

TRW Consult has openings for the following positions:

1. Accountant: Candidate must have an entrepreneurial mindset, sound knowledge of accounting practices, relevant professional certifications, proficiency in written and spoken English, proficiency in the use of excel, good analytical, organizational and planning capacity as well as good interpersonal communication skills.

2. Copyeditor: Candidate must have an uncanny ability to spot grammatical errors, mechanical slips and problematic constructions. She must have the ability to work under pressure and with strict deadlines. He must also possess exceptional reporting and editorial skills, be result oriented; be able to add value and drive change.

3. Graphics Artist: Candidate must be a highly creative individual with proficiency in the use of CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and proficiency in the use of InDesign and other packaging software. Candidate must also possess skills in of book layout, page planning, cover designs, infographs, digital production, video production, among others.

4. Content Trainees: Candidates must be creative and inquisitive. Must possess excellent grammar and writing skills; must be able to deliver within tight deadlines; must be able to write on a wide range of subjects and with a variety of professionals. They must also possess cognitive research, storytelling and script writing skills.

5. Marketers: Candidates be able to work with little or no supervision, be self-motivated and resilient, doesn’t take No for an answer, possess good interpersonal relationship and communication skills with ability to convince people. They must also be good self-starters with entrepreneurial and competitive drive.


Interested applicants should send in application and cv to jobs@trwconsult.com

Applicants for the positions of Content Trainee and Editor must send their cv in prose/story telling format.

All applications must come in by 6pm on Friday, December 18, 2015

All the words in English Language are not originally English. Most are borrowed from different cultures across the world. Below is a list of some English words which were originally Hindi or Sandskrit languages which are spoken in India, Pakistan and other countries. The entry of these words into English language dates back to when India was occupied by the British.
1. Shampoo – this is a liquid soap that is used for washing the hair or cleaning carpet (though different). It is derived from the Hindi word champoo which means to squeeze, knead or massage.

2. Loot – this means to steal things from shops, stores or buildings after a riot or fire. It could also mean money or valuable items that have been stolen by thieves. It is both a noun and a verb. It is derived from the Hindi verb lut which means to plunder or steal.


3. Thug- this means a violent person or a criminal which is derived from the Hindi word thag meaning a thief or a cheat. It entered the English language in the 19th century.

4. Pyjamas/pajamas- this is a loose set of clothing worn in bed to sleep. It is derived from the Hindi word payjamah meaning leg (pay) and clothing (jamah).


5. Yoga – this is a Hindu philosophy that teaches you how to control your body and mind in the belief that you can become united with the spirit of the universe in this way. It is also a system of exercises for your body and for controlling your breathing, using by people who want to become fitter or to relax which is how the word came to have the sense of a system of physical exercise.
6. Bangle – this is a piece of jewellery in the form of a large ring of gold, silver, etc. worn loosely around the wrist. It is derived from the Hindi word bangri meaning a glass ring or bracelet.

7. Avatar – Originally a Hindu word avatara meaning descent, avatar is defined as a god appearing in a physical form or a picture of a person or an animal which represents a person on a computer screen, especially in a computer game.


Credit: Daily Writing Tips

As local and international media are agog with the news of the Ooni of Ife’s coronation, we take time out to take a look at one of the most used words today; “Coronated”.

By implication, this word is supposed to be the past tense form of the word, “coronate”.

English experts however say that a person is crowned, not coronated.

“Coronate” is improperly derived from “coronation,” but “crown” is the original and still the standard form of the verb.

But don’t be in too big a hurry to declare that there is “no such word”: “coronate” means “crown-shaped,” and also has various uses in biology.

Acceptable words to use at this time are;
CORONATION: Ceremony of crowning: the ceremony or act of crowning a monarch
CROWN: To make a person a monarch, or place a crown on a person's head to symbolise monarchy

It has been observed that people wrongly use the term ‘fare’ in context that are not appropriate making the term lose its relevance in the sentence. As a noun, the Advanced Oxford Learners Dictionary defines it as ‘the money you pay to travel by bus, plane, or taxi’ while as a verb it is defined as ‘to be successful or unsuccessful in a particular situation’.

However, in modern usage, it is used to mean ‘to get along’ with somebody or something.

Below are some examples:
- The Rwandans fared so poorly after the genocide that claimed millions of its citizens
- The shy teenagers would have fared better if their mum had not travelled
- How would Nigeria have fared without the support of IMF, World Bank and other international donor organizations?
- The Kenyan boys who travelled to UK for their college education fared well inspite of the fears of their parents.

The most common error observed from writers is to spell ‘fare’ as ‘fair’. What they meant was ‘fare’ but spelling it as ‘fair’ makes the sentence redundant.

Below are some examples with their corrections.
Incorrect: South-West voters questioned the choice of NPJ’s Presidential candidate wondering how he will fair if he won the 2016 election since he is advanced in age
Correct: South-West voters questioned the choice of NPJ’s Presidential candidate wondering how he will fare if he won the 2016 election since he is advanced in age
Incorrect: Scientific study has revealed that pregnant women who feed well on a variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts faired better than those who didn’t.
Correct: Scientific study has revealed that pregnant women who feed well on a variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts fared better than those who didn’t.
Incorrect: Russians and Germans fair better in war than the British and Americans.
Correct: Russians and Germans fare better in war than the British and Americans.
Incorrect: President Obama faired better in this current administration than he did in the previous one.
Correct: President Obama fared better in this current administration than he did in the previous one.
Incorrect: The judges stated that it will be difficult to predict how the contestants will fair in the competition
Correct: The judges stated that it will be difficult to predict how the contestants will fare in the competition.

Endeavour to review your writings before publishing them to avoid some of these errors. This makes your work more professional and appealing.

Credit: Daily Writing Tips

Wether, weather and whether are all homophones, that is, they sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.
Wether is a male ram or sheep that is castrated at a young age. They are kept with their female counterparts however the uncastrated ones are kept separately. It is an old English word that spell checks may not be able to capture. Often, it is farmers who knows what the term ‘wether’ is. For example:
- The wether is twice as strong as the ewe
- The vet. Doctor said the wether will require some additional tests

On the other hand, weather is defined as the condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and times such as the temperature, and if there is wind, rain or sun. For example:
- How is the weather over there in Oregon?
- John loves the weather in Autumn.
- Are we going for dinner at the beach? It depends on the weather, Ken said.

Whether is defined as a word used to express a doubt or choice between two possibilities. It indicates a conditional conjunction which indicates a choice. For example:
- Whether or not the result is excellent, Mary did her best.
- John dropped by to see whether Victor was back from school
- Katherine wasn’t sure whether to buy Jane a gift or bake her a cake


Weather could serve as a noun or verb depending on the context in which it is used. As a noun, it means the atmosphere in terms of temperature and precipitation, while as a verb, it can mean to withstand or endure. It could also mean to erode. For example:
- Michael is not in school today because the weather is cold (weather as a noun)
- Corrie weathered the storm at the Nazi concentration and thankfully came out alive (weather as a verb meaning to endure)
- The rain will weather the painting in less than two days. (weather as a verb meaning to erode)

Credit: DWT

Readership—that’s perhaps one of the most important concerns of any writer today, online or otherwise. Blogs have been heralded as one of the best advancements in publishing technology. They’ve made it much easier for a writer’s voice to be heard—so easy that the problem has shifted from being published to being read.

If you’re looking to monetize your blog, the problem of readership is all the more pressing. So, what is that one thing that will keep your readers coming back for more? Well, there’s actually more than one thing you’ll have to do, because yes, maintaining a good blog takes effort; but no, it’s not an impossible feat.

Here are five ways to make your blog a preferred choice among readers.

1 Write about things you know, or better yet, things you love

Writing on a subject you’re passionate about will make your blog more enjoyable for your readers. It’ll also be more fun for you. If you’re an expert on the topic, blogging makes for a good opportunity to share your knowledge and establish your credibility.

When you share insightful content through your blog, you’ll see that you appeal to your readers more strongly. Doing in-depth posts is advisable from an SEO point of view. In fact, writing lengthy posts (1,500-2,000 words) is a sure-fire way of improving your placement on Google’s SERPs. So, picking familiar topics to write about will let you delve into detail with more ease.

2 Get guest contributors to add flavour to your blog

Contributions to your blog by guest authors add a fresh perspective on the topics you discuss and help you build relationships with other bloggers and experts. Publishing guest blogs will also help you take a break from writing every once in a while.

However, since some people started using guest blog posts as a tactic to build more backward links; Google modified its algorithms to implement more stringent quality requirements. This means that accepting low quality or irrelevant content could harm your search ranking. So you should only accept posts from authors who are sure to deliver high quality content. Contributions from authors who already enjoy a good following will also help you attract new readers to your blog.

3 Create a content plan and post consistently

If building engagement is important to you, you’re going to have to think about your blog in more strategic terms. You need to understand what your audience likes to read and why. Building a content plan will help you align your content with audience preferences. It will give you better focus and make you more productive when you actually sit down to write a post.

If you’re blogging about a time-sensitive topic, planning for it in advance will make sure that your post is published well in time, when interest in the topic is still high. Having a well-documented plan also ensures that there isn’t any repetition in the topics you cover.

4 Share your posts on social media to amplify reach

Social media has become an important influence on content consumption patterns. It is also a powerful platform that can help you break through all the noise on the web. With more and more blogs cropping up every day, writing great content is no longer good enough. As a blogger, you need to do everything in your power to amplify your reach with a great distribution strategy.

Popular social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter will help you get the word out about your blog. But these platforms are so fast paced that getting any traction out of them takes effort. To maximize exposure and attract new followers to your blog through social media, you’ll have to share each post multiple times. Using content curation and scheduling tools like DrumUp can help you build a good following on social platforms. As a result, you’ll soon see a spike in traffic to your blog as well.

5 Nurture a sense of community to grow your following

Creating a sense of belonging among your readers will make sure that they keep returning to your blog. Track comments on your posts, answer promptly and encourage conversations. If you leverage the comments section of your blog effectively, it will quickly turn into an active forum for discussions. Encouraging comments on your blog will improve engagement and also give you an opportunity to learn from others’ experiences.

Ending your blog posts by raising a question is a good way to persuade readers to leave a comment. But remember, nothing kills engagement like unanswered comments. Whether a person is appreciating your content, seeking clarification, adding a suggestion, or expressing disagreement, you should never ignore a comment on your blog, unless of course it’s just spammy.


By Vasudha Veeranna

Creative writing is defined as any writing that involves the use of skill and the imagination to produce something new or a work of art. It expresses thoughts, feelings and emotions as opposed to just conveying information as in journalistic writing.

Don DeLiloo defines creative writing as a form of writing that allows for personal freedom. That is, it frees us from the mass identity we see all around us. In the end, writers will not be outlaw heroes of some under culture but mainly save themselves, to survive as individuals.

Creative writing could sometimes be tasking considering the many things calling for attention. However, its rewards are immense owing to the huge satisfaction you derive from a completed work and also knowing that someone somewhere will be inspired by your work. This satisfaction makes the stress and hard work pale into insignificance as you enjoy the rewards and fun that comes with it.

Getting Started.
1. Start small. Be willing to take baby steps rather than beginning with something you have not acquired relevant skills for. For example, writing a family series that spans four generations, or an adventure. Begin with as little as a poem, then gradually move to an article, then an essay, short story etc. Do not worry about the quality of your output when you set out, just concentrate on expressing yourself in an easy-to-flow manner. When you are done, if you are not satisfied, give it to another writer to review it for you. Whatever be the case, don’t quit.

2. Stretch your writing muscles. Some people feel writing and thinking are the most difficult exercises to do compared to laundry or shopping. But this is not often the case. Cultivating the habit of writing for a number of minutes or hours per day will help activate the writing mode in you. Once this habit is formed, you would see how easily your thoughts are translated to letters.

3. Not to worry if you get stuck at some point, just relax and think. Before long, ideas will begin to flood your mind. All writers feel stuck at one point or the other, so it is not peculiar to you. It is also advised to write your observations as you go out. Sometimes, this is what you need to spur up your creative juices.

4. Find out what time is most convenient for you. Most writers do their writings early in the mornings before being caught in a web of activities while some others write at late at night after their families have long fallen asleep. You need to find out what time works best for you.

5. Have fun. We all feel bored at one point or the other. When we see writing as a chore, we may not enjoy the process of writing as such, our creative juices may not flow as easily as it would if we enjoyed it. Inject fun into your work. Play and let go the seriousness. You need to be a child at heart sometimes. Enjoying what you do not only makes you a better person, but it also makes you more creative. Don’t be too hard on yourself, relax and have fun.



Credit: DWT