Jul 10
29
Are you a natural born copywriter?
How to Tell if You’re a
“Natural Born” Copywriter
Dear Business-Builder,
A personal confession: I don’t just like being a copywriter. I also happen to like copywriters in general. As people, I mean. Why?
Before you accuse me of being too kind to my own, consider.
How many copywriters do you know that seem extra welcoming and easy-going, as well as willing to answer questions and offer advice?
I know more than I can count.
What’s more, speak with them once, and they’ll usually remember what you’ve talked about. Introduce somebody and they’ll be happy to shake hands. In restaurants, they almost never snarl at a waiter. And I don’t know a single one among them who would ever kick a dog.
Every profession demands or at least cultivates certain character traits. Why should the copywriting field be any different?
For instance, I’ve found almost across the board that those colleagues of mine who happen to have those qualities … also seem to do better over the long run as copywriters.
Why? Simply because you need that insight into other people and what they’re thinking about to write all the best kinds of copy.
There’s a dark side to the typical copywriter personality, of course. At least in direct response, everything we do is measured to the penny. It either works or it doesn’t. And everybody notices, either way.
We’re hired, fired, and respected based almost entirely on performance. That can make one more than a little self-conscious. Even defensive and arrogant. In a debate, we can also be stubborn – simply because we spend so many working hours piling up proofs to back our claims.
What else have I noticed about copywriting types?
I’ve yet to meet a good copywriter who doesn’t have a good sense of humor, even though humor is something so rarely used – at least overtly – in direct-response sales writing.
And not just a passion for jokes. “It’s dry,” says my wife. We’re also observant. But sometimes, observant to a fault. That is, we can get caught up in subsets of details … while even bigger trends and events blow right past us, simply because they exist outside of whatever we’re focused on at the time.
Most copywriters I know also read widely. Some read history books, others read blockbusters, still more are sponges for trade journals, news clips, blogs, and popular magazines.
We like movies. And music.
In fact, we’re generally drawn to popular culture, even more than most, because it’s yet another way to soak up what our target markets are talking about.
Strangely, a lot of copywriters I’ve talked to don’t watch much TV, even though that flies in the face of what I’ve just said. Why?
Again, I can’t say for sure. But I can guess. TV eats up time, but gives back little in exchange. It’s also addictive. And that’s something else about copywriters. Like a lot of other writers, we can have slightly addictive or compulsive personalities.
Not necessarily the usual compulsions, either.
For instance, a lot of the copywriters I know are collectors. Of everything from puns and trivia … to chateaus and high-priced automobiles. For me, there was awhile there that I couldn’t help buying cheap used guitars. Until I acquired a few nice ones.
Which is another thing … I don’t know why, but easily 8 out of every 10 copywriters I know seem to play an instrument. And more often than not, that instrument is the guitar.
Not all of us are good, mind you. But we at least appreciate music. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve sat past 2 am, muddling my way through Dylan and Stones covers with fellow writers.
Copywriters are also a curious bunch.
By that I mean, we tend to be especially inquisitive. About everything. Even those things we’ll never write about.
David Ogilvy once said that curiosity was the key trait he looked for when hiring a writer. Be warned, if you don’t like asking questions, this might not be the field for you.
We’re storytellers. In print or conversation, copywriters love to default to the story form. Sometimes, more often than our listeners can stand.
The same goes for analogies.
We make – or should I say test – a lot of them. Analogy lies close to the core of creativity. A good analogy can make a complex idea sound simple. It can make an unfamiliar idea feel like an old friend. That doesn’t mean we always get the analogy right. But you can bet that when we don’t, we’ll try again.
A handful of the copywriters I know are doodlers or artists, yours truly included. That’s not a universal trait in this industry. But common enough to make it worth mentioning.
I think it’s because copywriting demands an especially strong mix of both left and right brain thinking. During the research mode, you’re all strategy and calculation. But then you need to jump to the other side of the divide, where your passion for the rhythm of word-craft resides.
Not everybody can do both.
Copywriters can be extroverted, but most that I know are not. On the other hand, we rarely shy away from a debate. We’ve got deeply felt opinions on everything, including a few things we don’t know much about … yet.
This list could go on.
But you more than get the picture.
There’s plenty about this trade that can be taught. But even the best techniques and tools aren’t worth much unless you’ve got the right kind of knack for this career in the first place. I’d be cheating you if I told you otherwise.
But let’s say you’re not at all like the person I’ve just described, but you still want to find your footing in this profession? No worries. Just like everything else, there’s always the option to simply do your thing and let the market decide.
Contributed by John Forde
Guest Contributor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
Top copywriter John Forde began his career as an understudy of Bill Bonner and Michael Masterson. Since then, he has written countless controls, trained dozens of new copywriters, and has helped generate well over $50 million in sales.
John has also worked three years as a financial journalist and has written books on wealth building and health. And he has taught copywriting in seminars and private training sessions in Paris, London, and Bonn, Chicago, Buenos Aires, Baltimore, and Warsaw. He and his family split the year living and working from Paris, France and locations on the East Coast, U.S.
John has also written well over 250 articles on copywriting for his popular e-zine, The Copywriter’s Roundtable, which currently has several thousand readers in more than two dozen countries worldwide. You can sign up for theCopywriter’s Roundtable here: JackForde.com
This article was first published in The Total Package. To sign-up to receive your own FREE subscription to The Total Package and claim four FREE money making e-books go to www.makepeacetotalpackage.com.
Jul 10
26
Thinking Ahead
Posted in copywriting by .
You need customers. That’s no secret, but how do you attract them and keep them coming back? The best way – which happens to be one of the most powerful copywriting tips – is to write attention-grabbing headlines. As we surf the Internet, we click on the headlines that incite our curiosity the quickest. If your headlines are boring, you’re not going to get people clicking, and they’re going to miss out on the great things you have to say. You might be tempted to think that this is the customer’s problem, because he or she is the one missing out. Unfortunately, it’s actually your problem because you’re the one not making any money. Don’t let this happen to you!
Writing attention-grabbing headlines is quite possible, but like most things in life, it requires a good deal of thought and practice. Among the many powerful copywriting tips out there, one needs to be adhered to at all costs: While the headline should grab the reader’s attention, it should never be misleading. If customers feel cheated because the article has little to do with the headline, they probably won’t be back – and they’ll certainly tell others about their experience. You can lose both customers and profit if you are persistently dishonest. That’s not a fate you want to befall your business. Remember to focus on powerful copywriting tips such as writing attention-grabbing headlines and you’ll be sure to attract a significant customer base.
What are your customers searching for? What interests them? Use their search terms to your advantage and make the headline interesting. If you’re doing it right, they’ll want to know more about the topic after reading your headline, but be sure to incorporate the terms they’re most likely to search for. Even the best headlines won’t be found if none of the common search terms are included. Take your time writing attention-grabbing headlines, just like you would with the actual copy that the headline encapsulates. Both have value, and both can bring your company tons of revenue when you incorporate powerful copywriting tips.
Here then are some powerful copywriting tips for writing attention-grabbing headlines that will grab your readers attention and make them want to gobble up every word.
- Have a Big Idea-Your article has to be about something. Don’t just throw darts at the dictionary and churn out meaningless drivel for SEO purposes. Tell people something they don’t know, and make it valuable. But all of that starts with the Big Idea, which should appear prominently in the headline.
- Use Powerful Words-Words like free, money, happiness, love, (yes, even sex) all tend to draw the eyes of potential readers. Find a good copywriting book and find a list of the powerful words that should appear in every headline.
- Fewer is Better-A wordy headline turns people off. Find a way to say what you want to say using as few of the power words as possible.
- Polish and Perfect-Don’t write the headline and forget about. Keep tweaking it until it’s exactly the way you want it-and so it pulls in readers by the dozens.
Lelia Raynal
#1 CarbonCopyPRO Top Earner Team
Business Coach&Mentor and Internet Marketer
http://LeliaRaynal4YourSuccess.com
http://SucceedWorkAtHome.blogspot.com
Former Scientist for 15 years, burnt out, changing career was a MUST. A great educational and fully integrated internet marketing system gave me the applied knowledge, trained me on the most efficient internet marketing strategies. Now I mentor ordinary people to live an extraordinary life. I transformed my life dramatically. I have time for my family, money to enjoy life.
Dedicated to YOUR success
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lelia_Raynal
8 Proven Ways To
Slap Writer’s Block Silly …
And Get Into The “Flow State”
Dear Web Business–Builder:
Let’s face it, writing all of the kick ass copy you need to grow your business by leaps and bounds is damn hard work. If it weren’t … heck, every Tom, Dick, Jane and Harry would be doing it, right?
But wouldn’t it be great to have a few tricks up your sleeve to blast through those times when the going gets tough?
You know what I’m talking about – the keys to the kingdom are right there, staring you in the face – all you’ve got to do is tickle the ivories on your computer keyboard and your fortune’s sealed. But you’re stuck. BLOCKED!
Doesn’t it frustrate the living daylights out of you?
Well take heart, because today in Web Marketing Advisor we’re going to slap writer’s block silly. We’re going to kick its sorry little heinie right around the block 8 ways to Sunday … and show you how to get into the “flow state” that’ll make you RICH!
Way 1 – Often times when you’re blocked, it just means you haven’t thought through the subject you’re writing about thoroughly enough. You haven’t looked at it from enough angles …
How do you fix this? Simple, you just start filling your subconscious mind with raw material. Follow the Charlie Tremendous Jones method. Read. Think. Share.
Just start reading everything you can find about the subject at hand. Keep doing it for days if you have to. Don’t stop until you have one of those aha moments. What’s an aha moment? It’s that unmistakable feeling that a light bulb just went off in your brain. All of a sudden, you’ll be compelled to write. Why does this happen?
Because as you’ve been reading, your subconscious mind has been making connections. That’s what it does, but it can’t make those connections if there’s nothing to connect. Feed your subconscious with plenty of fuel, and it’s far more likely to slip into that flow state that touches off a writing frenzy.
Way 2 – Imagine for a moment that your monitor is a mirror, and you’re blocked. What kind of an expression is on your face? How is your posture? What kind of self–talk is going on between your ears? Please, really do this. Can you see yourself there? Good.
Now let’s try that again.
This time, think of a time when your tail was waggin’ – you were high as a kite because you’d just had the best writing session of your entire life! One great idea after another just flowed from your fingertips effortlessly onto the page. You were hot! Are you there? How do you look – any different? You bet!
Your whole physiology changed, didn’t it?
Now you have a tactic to use the next time you’re blocked. Simply change your physiology into the hyper–productive speed copywriting demon you really are! The great writing will follow.
Way 3 – This should be obvious, but I’ll include it anyway. Start leafing through your swipe file. Take a few minutes to see how other great copywriters solved a problem.
Take note of how they found a way to enter the conversation that was already taking place in their prospect’s minds, and draw parallels to the project you’re working on.
If you see something you really like, stop for a moment and describe what the writer did. Write your description down. For example, if the copy in your swipe file reads …
In just fifteen minutes, I’ll show how this “curse” of rising gas prices could well be your greatest financial gift ever.
You’ll be laughing all the way to the gas pump – IF you play your cards right … and if you act NOW!
You describe it as …
1 – The prospect is grumbling about something, so the copywriter enters the conversation by reminding him of it … and then surprises the prospect by saying this bad thing he’s grumbling about is actually a good thing, the best thing! A huge opportunity …
2 – Then the copywriter describes how the prospect won’t be grumbling any more if he takes advantage of that opportunity. Quite the opposite in fact, he’ll be laughing.
After you’ve deconstructed the copy, you simply draw a parallel to your prospect and the product you’re selling. If it doesn’t work, keep flipping through your swipe file until you find something that does.
It pays huge dividends to have the biggest swipe file possible. Just make sure it only contains the best of the best for you to model. The Steal These Secrets Swipe File is a must.
Way 4 – This technique is probably the most powerful of all for unlocking your creative ability and getting your copy written fast. It involves giving your subconscious mind explicit instructions to work on your copy while you are AWAY from your computer.
Is it a magic pill? No. But if you use this technique in conjunction with all of the others on this page, it will work wonders for you. The results will astound you.
Here’s how it works. Before you leave your computer, give yourself a very explicit command, such as. “I’m logging off for the night. I’ll be back at this tomorrow morning at 10am. In the meantime, I’m handing the responsibility over to you, Sub, to develop a theme for this promotion.
All of the spadework has been done. I’ve looked at this problem from umpteen different angles. Now it’s your turn. By morning, I expect a powerful theme from you for this promotion.”
I know this sounds a little metaphysical to be sure, but try it. Like anything else, it’s a skill that takes practice, discipline, and faith. Trust me, it is worth it. Be sure to keep a note pad and paper with you when you’re away from your computer. A million dollar idea comes to you in a flash, and it can disappear just as quickly.
Way 5 – You have ideas, they’re just not good ones. How do you strengthen them?
Well, you can turn the literal into the figurative through storytelling and metaphor. You can look for surprising facts and figures to bring your copy to life, giving it form and dimension.
You can add the element of surprise, creating a paradox that will hook your reader and reel him into your copy.
For example, I recently wrote a teaser email for a promotion that essentially said:
“If you’re driving traffic to your website with Google Adwords, your goal should be to pay more for your clicks than anybody else.”
Most people are putzing around with their Adwords accounts trying to reduce their per click costs – not increase them – so they immediately do a double take when they read this. They’re compelled to read on to find out what it’s about, and bingo, they’re engaged.
Another great way to strengthen an idea is to divide it up into parts. Turn it into a list. For some reason people love numbered lists. Don’t ask me why, they just do. Any argument can be presented this way.
Or combine your idea with another idea to make it more interesting, by drawing an analogy. Relate your idea to something that’s very familiar to your prospects, or to something in the news they’re likely to be thinking about.
Turn your writing into a game of free association, and in no time you’ll have something down on the page that will truly inspire you, and you’ll be in flow.
Way 6 – Swiss Cheese it. Poke holes in your writing project to conquer it in multiple sittings.
Each time you sit down, set yourself a goal: A page, a section, a reason, a way, whatever … or at the very least, set a timer and refuse to be uninterrupted for a set period of time. You’d be amazed at how effective this is. Why?
Because each time you come back to a particular piece of copy, you literally see it with fresh eyes. You read it from the top and you get ideas that you would never have had if you had forced yourself to write it all in one sitting.
At any point in time, I’ve got six or seven projects that I’m working on and I just alternate from one to the other, usually in one–hour blocks. Works wonders.
Way 7 – Just let go and have fun. Give yourself permission to suck!
Let your hair down, slay the internal editor – murder the bastard – and allow your creativity to flow. There is no such thing as bad copy. It’s a night at the Improv … one thing leads to another … before you know it, your page is full.
Somewhere in that gibberish is a sign from your unconscious, a clue – a lead that’s trying to point you to the gold! Follow it …
Peter Stone probably said it best. Write fearlessly, edit ruthlessly. After all, nobody has to see what you write. Nobody can criticize it. Think quantity over quality. Just keep writing like a banshee, don’t stop, have fun. Unlock your inner child.
Joe Vitale feels so strongly about this he had a tool developed that makes his monitor go black while he’s writing. He literally can’t see what he’s writing, until he tells the software to let him see it. He calls this unconscious directed writing.
It’s comes free in his Hypnotic Writing Wizard.
Way 8 – Keep your eye on the prize. While you’re writing, keep your mind focused on the reasons why you’re doing it.
If you’re writing a promotion, you’re writing that promotion for a reason. You want to make sales, right? Not just a few, a bunch! More than that, you’re doing it because of the income, the recognition, and the financial freedom those sales bring.
Yet if you’re blocked, I’m willing to bet you’re no longer thinking about those things, are you? Temporarily, you’ve forgotten about them.
Remember them. Take a few moments to visualize how great that promotion is going to make your life when it hits. Imagine yourself taking that elated call from your client and having him tell you how you bludgeoned his control right out of the ring with your challenger copy.
Picture yourself going to the bank to cash that 6–figure royalty check … heading off to buy that brand new car you’re lusting after … and knocking off for the rest of the week!
Get your head on straight, and you’ll find yourself loosening up, and ideas will come to you much more quickly and easily.
Until next time, Good Selling! 
Daniel Levis
Editor, The Web Marketing Advisor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant and direct response copywriter based in Toronto, Canada and publisher of the world famous copywriting anthology, Masters of Copywriting, featuring the selling wisdom of 44 of the “Top Money” marketing minds of all time, including Clayton Makepeace, Dan Kennedy, Joe Sugarman, John Carlton, Joe Vitale, Michel Fortin, Richard Armstrong and dozens more! For a FREE excerpt visithttp://www.SellingtoHumanNature.com
This article was first published in The Total Package. To sign–up to receive your own FREE subscription to The Total Package and claim four FREE money making e–books go to www.makepeacetotalpackage.com.
Posted in copywriting by .
Your success on the internet is decided by how effective you can present your opportunity using words. This is why many top marketers spend a lot of time learning successful copywriting tips, or pay top dollars to get it done for them. The most critical part of this whole process is how you create your headline.
Your headline is the first thing that your visitor will see when they visit your site, and it doesn’t matter how good your product is, or how effective the rest of your sales page is, if your headline don’t grab them they will not see anything else. Now, this can be a challenge, but it can be done if you focus on the three most essential part of the puzzle. It is critical to your business success and every effort should be made to get this right.
Here are three (3) successful copywriting tips that shows you the critical factors you should pay attention to, when crafting your headline:
(1). Identify A Problem – The internet is all about information. People will visit your website because they have a problem and they are looking for a solution to that problem. These might vary from “how to prepare a mouth-watering romantic dinner,” to “how to fix a leaky faucet,” or “how to invest in the stock market.” Almost every problem that people have now-a-days, they will resort to the internet to find a solution.
An effective headline should relate to their problem. It should tell them that you know what the problem is all about, and that you genuinely understand what they are looking for. Demonstrating this genuine concern and understanding will take the pressure off you, as now they see you as someone who really want to help them with what they are looking for, so they will be more inclined to buy from you.
(2). Present A Solution For The Problem – Now that your headline has identified your visitor’s problem, you now have to show them that you can solve it. This can be a tricky part, as you do not want to come across as someone making promises that you cannot keep, so you have to be very specific, without too much hype when presenting your solution.
Tell your visitor that they are about to get the most highly qualified chef to give them step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the best romantic dinner, at the lowest price around. The goal here is to get your visitor to picture in their mind what the end result will be. Remember, to accomplish all this you will have to relate to their emotions with your words, as that is what make people buy.
(3). Focus On The Benefits Of Your Product – Your product will most likely have many benefits, but you will only have space in your headline for one, so make that the strongest and most attractive one. Remember, people do not buy because of the features that your product has, they are more interested in what it can do for them.
Let your visitor know that they will be getting their instructions from someone who has over 20 years experience in preparing romantic dinners for classy clientele and celebrities. Make sure that your claims are legitimate, people can see through them if they are not. Give your visitor the graphic picture of how their date is going to be mesmerized by their attractive, mouth-watering dinner, and what could transpire afterward.
Here are 5 sales-copy headline templates that have been tried and proven over the years, and still continue to do so. They are some of the most successful ones ever written, so pay very close attention to them:
1. Warning: [Blank] -
Example:=> Warning: 89% Of All Businesses Fail Within The First Year – Will Yours Be One Of Them?
2. Do You Make These Same Mistakes [Blank]?
Example:=> Do You Make These Mistakes With Your AdSense Campaigns?
3. How [Blank] Made Me [Blank]
Example:=> How One Simple Copywriting Lesson Made Me $121,377
4. [Blank] Ways To [Blank]
7 Ways To Grow Your Blog Readership
5. If You’re [Blank]
If You’re A Stay-at-Home Mom With A Computer, You Can Make An Extra $250 A Day
Learning successful copywriting tips from professionals who do this for a living to create your headline, can greatly impact your marketing and advertising campaigns. The simple tweaking of an headline has resulted in increased revenues for some people by up to 700%, so do not take this lightly.
As I have said before, your headline is the key to your internet business success, so make sure that you get it right. If you are not a writer and is having difficulties with it, then you should think about getting some help from a professional. Whatever you spend to do this will be well worth, it is that important.
Godfrey Thaxter is a marketing consultant who writes informative articles providing tips and strategies for Home Business Success with your internet marketing business. Click The Link Now To Get Instant Access To The Highest Quality Advertising & Marketing On The Internet – And To See How You Can Explode Your Traffic Generation Using Articles!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Godfrey_Thaxter
Jun 10
2
Why I write this blog.
Today I am posting the reaons this blog exists. I am in the process of learning and becoming a free-lance copywriter. One of the ways you learn is by doing and so I am writing. The writing will consist of articles, videos and posts by myself and others. In the content of the blog will be found technigues I am learning. It will also include information to improve your writing if you are learning or already are a copywriter.
In addition I will post links to sites and tools I find helpful and informative. For your information some of these will be affiliate links which compensate me for sales. This is the way I fund this blog and my own learning. Please be aware that I will only promote reputable and reliable concerns and people. In fact most of my links lead to information from the top writers and marketers on the internet and in direct response copywriting.
I will be posting more information along the way and will start a newsletter if enough people are interested in the subject and what I have to say about it. I will be placing a signup form in the very near future on this blog..
Talk soon.
A good source of information is:
Posted in copywriting learn copywriting by .
May 10
19
Ted Nicholas Tips for Beginners.
May 10
17
Drayton Bird part 3
May 10
15