Having Trouble with Your Thesis

You need a thesis sentence. Let's assume you have not paid attention in class or were missing from class. The definition of a thesis sentence: A sentence that describes what you intend to show as valid. A well-done thesis runs 10 words or less. Do not use passive voice. Do not define.

(In case you do not yet understand: a definition by the very definition of the word is a given, much as this sentence is. The reader has two choices: accept or reject, much as I am forcing you to do with my concept of excessive use of defining. It is wrong when used as thesis statement because you are telling the reader what is true rather than persuading her/him what could be true. As a writer, you must persuade. [Did you notice my excessive defining in this paragraph and my lack of even attempting to persuade? Did you not feel a tad annoyed by the tone? That's what defining does.])

Second, you need to find a company or organization that has a strong digital marketing campaign. You may want to write about a company you "like," but actually you probably do not like the company. You like one of its products. Or you want to write about something different, some company never mentioned in class. Fine approaches. If they fall short, try this:

At the end of each blog entry, you will see a "label." Look for one that says "Company's Marketing Campaign Profiled." Click the phrase. The latest 25 entries about companies using digital marketing will appear.

Investigate the company on the Web. Type the following into a search window, including the quotation marks and spacing: "Company name"+"digital marketing". What kind of results do you get?

Read a few of the results. You cannot come up with a helpful thesis unless you know what you are writing. Knowledge--meaning knowing extensively about what you want to write--is a major requirement of writing a report well.