When one door closes, another door opens. Long time readers will know that I’m not a fan of the $10 (or less) per keyword article copywriting gigs you find on freelance bidding websites, like Elance and Guru. I pity the copywriters that feel forced into these jobs, where they’re paid sweat shop wages to hammer […]
Should B2B Copywriting Be More Conversational?
Arrived here from Google looking for a B2B copywriter? Please visit my B2B copywriting service page to find out how I can help Should you write the way you talk? Many copywriters I follow (Dean Rieck for example) and learn from certainly think so. But persuading the B2B marketing crowd of conversational copywriting’s merits is […]
How to Write Email Subject Lines that Get Your Emails Opened and Devoured
Writing subject lines for email campaigns can be tricky. Their impact can decide whether your emails are ripped open and every word devoured, or dumped nonchalantly in the junk pile. At this time of year there’s even more noise than usual in people’s inboxes. And so your subject line has to be able to demand attention if […]
Struggling to write an opener for your sales letter? Try one of these…
Do you ever find yourself staring at a blank screen, with your head in your hands, desperately trying to think up the perfect line to open your sales letter with? The cursor hasn’t moved for the last 10 minutes and continues to blink at you, taunting your lack of creativity. Sound familiar? Writing an opener […]
How to improve your copywriting’s conversion rate by writing for individuals, rather than groups
What do you think is the the most important element of your copywriting? The headline? The benefits? Or the product itself? Well, this was the topic of Eric Graham’s (aka The Conversion Doctor) recent video – ‘My #1 Conversion Boosting Secret Revealed’ – and I don’t think I’ll be sending any shockwaves by revealing that it’s […]
Should I Market Myself as an Individual or a Brand?
In the freelance writing world it would appear that we’re still struggling with the same sexist attitudes we snort at when watching Mad Men. This has been the experience of James Chartrand, anyway, who revealed on Copyblogger this week that he’s actually a woman, and felt forced to promote herself as a man to attract […]
Asked to write an email campaign? Suggest they use print as well…
There’s no question that email marketing is popular these days. As mentioned in my last post, a survey of small businesses found that 46% were already emailing customers, and another 36% planned to start. Email marketing offers many benefits. But any suggestions it’s going to kill off direct mail are wide of the mark. Email […]
Why You Should Redefine Your Services to Attract More Clients (and Better Pay)
[This week’s post is a familiar theme for regular Crucible readers. But as I seem to have attracted a few new subscribers in the last couple of weeks I thought I’d show them what The Copywriter’s Crucible is all about] With summer behind us it’s time to pack away the sun lounger and get down […]
The Copywriter’s Crucible Scoops an Award
Writing a blog can sometimes be an isolating experience. You hammer out a post each week (well, most weeks anyway) before publishing it and hoping someone somewhere will find it useful. Unlike paid tasks, you don’t get the luxury of an email or phone call letting you know whether you’re on the right track. Instead, comments […]
Fed Up of Churning Out Keyword Articles? Here’s How to Increase Your Copywriting Income…
The freelance copywriting life can sound enticing: choose your own hours, work from wherever you like and do what you enjoy. But the reality can be a lot different when you’re starting out. Many get stuck treading water in the dregs of keyword writing monotony, where $6 per article sounds generous. Some think the answer […]