Author: Neil Wheatley

Copywriter since 2008, specialist in IT, software and video game marketing, dad to Wolfie and Rock.

Should you mention MailChimp in your website privacy policy?

Update 21 May 2018 – This post hasn’t been refreshed for GDPR and may be outdated. If you’re looking for copywriting services, please visit our home page.

Along with our new website, we recently wrote a new privacy policy. Regarding sharing user data with third parties, our policy originally said:

We will not share your personal information with or sell it to third parties unless we have your permission or the law requires us to.

But since we use MailChimp to process our email newsletter subscribers, that isn’t 100% accurate. MailChimp is a third party and they process data from customers who send us work enquiries or sign up to our email list. Maybe it’s a similar story at your website. Continue reading “Should you mention MailChimp in your website privacy policy?”

A week with Mobike smart bikes

I’m lucky enough to live 20 minutes’ walk from my office. Until very recently, it was the only regular exercise I got. It also saves me a lot of money on transport.

So, when I started noticing Mobikes lying around Salford Quays a few months ago, I ignored them.

— Just another over-engineered tech solution nobody needs!

— Probably a rip-off!

— One smart device too many!

I didn’t really say any of these, but they sum up how I felt about these so-called smart bikes.

Then, last Friday, I ended up trying — and liking — Mobike. Continue reading “A week with Mobike smart bikes”

Is it better to publish on Medium, Linkedin or your own blog?

I was recently asked by a client to write and publish a couple of articles not on their blog, but in my own name on Linkedin and Medium.

It was my first time writing on either of those platforms, and I found some pleasant surprises. I would definitely consider publishing on both sites again, but which is best? Here’s what I found this time. Continue reading “Is it better to publish on Medium, Linkedin or your own blog?”

Ideas for your new indie game’s press release

It’s a couple of years since I helped out with press releases for a small indie game called Apple Jack 2. But I’m still amazed by what we achieved, and I’ve been meaning to write it up to help other developers ever since. Better late than never.

Apple Jack 2 is a genuine independent game, made by one talented fellow from the South of England. None of this Kickstarter stuff! Developer Tim Sycamore at one time tagged his company “the zero-budget game developer,” and it’s a fitting slogan. The game’s few external contributors worked for no money up-front, but shared in pretty good profits afterwards.

So how, with such limited resources, did AJ2 wind up on the front pages of massive gaming sites like IGN and Eurogamer? If you’re a game developer, the answers to this question could maybe help you do the same. Continue reading “Ideas for your new indie game’s press release”

4 bits of free software that can save small businesses loads of time

This isn’t really a tech blog, but copywriting involves a lot of time on the computer. And computers can be a time-consuming pain in the arse.

That’s why I’m always on the lookout for cheap online services that can make me more ‘productive’, to use the current lingo. Here are four free ones that really have saved me a lot of time and effort, and can probably do the same for you. Continue reading “4 bits of free software that can save small businesses loads of time”

5 posts that prove David Beckham is a social media genius

David Beckham’s always seemed alright to me. There was the adultery thing. But even when he was at Manchester United, back when my team Newcastle were good enough to be their rivals, he just seemed like a decent guy. Maybe that’s not difficult when you’re standing next to Roy Keane and Gary Neville. But I digress.

Beckham is also a born winner. He’s got a magic about him that turns everything he touches to gold. And, as I discovered when I visited his Facebook page, that includes social media. Continue reading “5 posts that prove David Beckham is a social media genius”