Why is it that we’re full of ideas on promoting our clients’ businesses but shrivel up and look for somewhere to hide when it comes to selling our own? Many of us chose this road because we’re happier tapping keyboards than greasing palms. But if you want to thrive, and not just survive, an ongoing […]
Copywriting is Easy
I’m about to share some information that could destroy my business. What I’m about to tell you could cause sales of my new eBook to plummet, shakes of the head from peers and derision throughout the industry. I could even be banned from future conferences and subjected to a writ forbidding me from speaking of […]
How to Protect the Copyright of Your Copywriting, and Get Juicy Backlinks on Autopilot
Content thieves. They’re everywhere these days. You could say the term ‘copy writing’ has never been more apt. It’s not just the copy sweatshops and unscrupulous business owners guilty of lifting other people’s content and claiming it as their own. Even professional journalists are at it. The Independent’s Johann Hari had to hand back his George Orwell […]
Six Ways of Writing Red Hot Openers that Get Readers Eager for More
“A good headline gets your foot in the door of the reader’s mind. An unfortunate lead paragraph can cause you to lose a couple of toes.†– Howard Newton, J.M. Mathes, Inc. Where to start? Knowing how to starta sales letter is always a challenge. And so it should, because a weak opening can cost […]
Which Marketing Channel is the Most Trusted? Our Survey Says…
Getting people to trust you has always been a cornerstone of effective copywriting. It’s a simple principle: if people believe what you say, they’re more likely to buy. A key factor in building trust, that’s often ignored, is the channel you use. An advertorial, for example, in a well respected broadsheet is likely to have […]
Three ways of creating a mobile version of your website
Do you own a smartphone? I bet, being the sophisticated reader that you are, you do. You only need to do a quick scan of people on trains, in supermarket queues and around the office to know that smartphones are absorbing more and more of people’s attention. And there are plenty of stats to prove […]
The Copywriter’s Crucible Puts Clichéd Copywriting on Trial
Sooo, the new website is up and running, after a few minor technical hitches. On the home page you’ll see I’ve followed through with the idea/threat of switching to promoting myself as an agency. Along with the elevated sense of self importance, I’m hoping it will push me up higher into the big leagues as […]
Behavioural Economics – Mind Tricks You Can Use in Your Copywriting
Why do people buy things? Sounds a simple question. In the copywriting world, you’re taught to use a combination of aspiration, emotion and logic to secure a purchase. But there can also be subconscious irrational reasons at play. Over the last decade ‘behavioural economics’ has grown in popularity as a way of identifying the irrational […]
Why Facebook’s popularity is great news for copywriters, and bad news for article writing sweatshops
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 […]
Why Complex Copywriting Can Give Your Product the WOW Factor
After reading this headline, I can imagine many of you are shaking your heads thinking ‘Gheeze Matt, what planet are you on? Don’t you know you should keep it short and simple?’ Allow me to explain. Yes, it’s true – generally speaking you should keep copywriting simple. Unless you’re writing for a highly educated niche, […]