As shocking as it might be to some writers, not everybody reads regularly. In fact, most stop reading books after they’ve left school. It’s questionable whether some even started. Many would suggest that TV and other modern distractions are causing literacy levels to drop. If reading levels are falling, will writing standards have to as […]
Content Marketing: Interruption’s Smarter Replacement
Advertisers are struggling with the level of resistance, and stubborn refusal, of people to respond to their ads. People are fed up with being bombarded with messages that have nothing of value to offer them. Cynicism of advertising is now a badge of pride worn to show you won’t be duped by clever wordplay. It’s […]
Has Your Business Learnt that Teaching Sells?
Brian Clark released his ‘Teaching Sells’ report last week on the internet’s potential as a training medium and as a call up for freelance copywriters to think about creating and charging for educational content. No doubt the report will have got entrepreneurial brains racing on how they can build businesses around creating interactive learning environments, […]
Copyblogger Releases ‘Teaching Sells’ Report
Ever since I started learning about the rapidly evolving world of internet copywriting, Brian Clark’s Copyblogger has always been at the top of my reading list. He has finger on the pulse more than most and always gives the impression that he knows more than what he reveals, encouraging you to eagerly await every post […]
What Word Defines the 21st Century?
Languages are constantly evolving as new words are created or take on a new meaning to reflect the issues of the day. Suzie Dent of ‘Countdown‘ fame (a UK quiz show which splices the word game ‘Boggle’ with mental arithmetic, and is almost required viewing for many a university student, myself included) is now accepting […]
The Pendulum Swings towards Well Written Words
Regular readers of the Copywriter’s Crucible will be aware of my ongoing theme: businesses need to invest in well written, informative and useful content if they want to convert browsers into buyers. In an ad averse culture, marketing is no longer about carpet bombing sales messages. But about building trust and confidence with content of […]
10 Ways To Become A More Confident Writer
If you’ve arrived here from Google looking for advice on how to become a more confident writer, why not download my eBook ‘Using Words to Convince, Compel and Sell’. It’s packed with advice on how to write headlines that reel in readers, how to structure a sales letter, the mistakes many B2B copywriters make […]
10 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block
Have your fingers frozen over the keyboard waiting for your brain to warm them up with the right words? Do you have stage fright at the thought of thousands of people getting lost in your muddled sentences and meandering paragraphs? Writer’s block is a common symptom that afflicts every writer at some stage. There’s a […]
Why Creativity and Good Copywriting Comes in Waves
In continuation of last week’s post on why copywriting shouldn’t be rushed, I’m going to don my psychologist’s hat to assess the reason why. Why do our eureka moments occur when relaxing in the bath, going for a walk or lying in bed? Why can’t we find inspiration at will? Well, it’s all to do […]
Why Copywriting Shouldn’t be Rushed…or Cheap
William Wordsworth would often walk up to 20 miles a day. Usually for no other reason than to give him time to think and gain inspiration for his poetry. Whilst exploring the hills and wide open fields of England’s Lake District, he would compose his lines, repeating and adjusting them over and over again, until […]