Preamble: I wrote this article back in 2003 and I rewrote it in early 2005. Back then, it was meant primarily for a copywriting audience. Now that I specialize in SEO, and seeing how the concept of “funnels” is gaining popularity, I took the liberty to slightly update it. One problem in SEO, copywriting, content, […]
In 1992, I wrote power positioning as a way to help attract clients in my early career as a marketing consultant without the need for cold-calling or selling.
The most important part of your copy is not your headline, not your offer, and certainly not your benefits. The most important part is your customer. Sounds obvious, right? But I’ve critiqued some pretty good copy. Very well-written and compelling, too. But if the conversion rate is low (hence, the reason why I was hired […]
A lot of people ask me how I write copy. I don’t mean the actual writing process (such as how I come up with headlines, bullets, offers, etc), but how I tackle the actual task of composing a new sales piece from scratch. Everyone is different. My writing process is one developed over many years, […]
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 […]
The greater portion of my career has been in copywriting, selling, and direct marketing. And one of the common denominators I’ve found in any successful piece of sales copy is the power of risk reversal. That is, taking a larger risk from the sale than the purchaser of your product. Risk reversal is a powerful […]
A member of my coaching program asked a question about the legality of using a pseudonym or alias when writing marketing communications. In other words, can he use a pen name? Stated differently, is it legal to write the copy in the voice of a fictitious character? Or telling the story of, say, a fictitious […]
What’s the single, most important element in copywriting? Let me say it another way. You’ve done your research. You found a starving market. Your product fills a need. And your sales copy shines with benefits. If everything is so perfect, then why is your product still not selling? Is it the price? The offer? The […]
As part of my coaching program, students can ask me unlimited questions via email. One common question I seem to get is, “I’m new to copywriting, where do I start?” Since my coaching students also get access to any of my digital programs, they also get access to my private website, where I share over […]