Digital Marketing Specialist
OK, this post has been a long time coming. For over a decade, people keep asking me, “So, what is it: Michel? Michael? Mike? Or what?” (I prefer “Master Overlord,” but I digress. Oh, and here’s a little-known fact: a nickname high school kids gave me was “Spike.” Long story.) My name is “Michel,” formally …
Copywriting is often labelled as “wordsmithing.” A wordsmith is someone who uses words to sell a product, a service, or an idea. But, is copy only about words? Copywriting comes down to two fundamental tasks: knowing what to say and then how to say it. The first part is the most crucial. After all, the …
If you’re a new or aspiring copywriter, here’s one important tip: don’t be cheap. Too many beginning copywriters believe that offering cheap rates will get them more business. I’m not saying that it doesn’t. Of course, offering low rates and discounts is one way to increase your portfolio. But there are other ways around this …
I often talk about the need for long copy often depends on your market. Borrowed from Eugene Schwartz’ magnum opus Breakthrough Advertising, it’s based on the market’s stage of sophistication for the product. The newer the product is, the less sophisticated the market will be. The less sophisticated the market is, the more copy is …
An immensely powerful strategy in copywriting is to use words and phrases that help to paint vivid pictures in the mind. When people can visualize the process of doing what you want them to do, including the enjoyment of the benefits of your offer, you also drive their actions. I call them UPWORDS: “Universal Picture …
I took a professional speaking course where the instructor told us of a specific tactic I later realized I often used in copywriting. He called it the “Triple-Tell” formula. When you’re making an important point in the copy that you want the reader to grasp and remember, and to which they’ll assign greater value, construct …
With every claim you make in your copy, you need to back it up. “We’re #1,” “rated top in the industry,” or “highest quality” appear spurious if left as is. By whose standards? In which publication? For which market? Justify the claim to give it meaning. But even justified claims are not enough. You need …
Imagine earning $40+ for each website visitor, even if it were only once in a while when your biz needs a quick cash infusion. You just gear down and pour on the juice. Or how about even a tenth of that, day in and day out, like Old Faithful, chugging along under the hood and …
So Profitable It’s Almost Embarrassing (Free Training) Read More »
People like numbers and really love lists, especially bulleted lists. Numbers promise bite-sized, easier-to-digest chunks of information. Lists are short and sweet, and cluster similar ideas for greater impact. Headlines that list a number make a concrete and credible promise. Lists are specific and quantifiable, which convey greater authority. Bullets are easier to scan but …
Testimonials are important in copywriting. Problem is, they’re so overused and sugar-coated that they seem as if they’re made up by a marketer. Sure, testimonials are fantastic. But to readers, fantastic testimonials are fantasy. Rather than grouping testimonials together in your copy and using flowery prose that sounds like a tween raving about last night’s …