I think we’re all getting bored of hearing how times are tight and marketing budgets are getting slashed, so I thought I’d offer some tips to on how to pitch copywriting services to clients. Even in brighter times, it’s always been difficult securing funding for a web project’s written element. Businesses often care more about […]
Persuasive Writing 7 – Editing Your Writing
It’s believed that procrastination and writer’s block are caused by the writer’s desire to achieve perfection. The fear of composing an awkward sentence or weak turn of phrase can be so paralysing that many writers simply can’t face the simple act of typing words into their keyboard. But it’s also believed that writer’s block is […]
Persuasive Writing 6 – Using Metaphors to Spark Imagination
“Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space.” – Orson Scott Card Whether in Homer’s Iliad, Shakespeare’s plays or Rowling’s Harry Potter, fictional writing is packed with metaphors because they’re so effective at stimulating a reader’s imagination. Metaphors are powerful because by transferring the qualities of one object onto another […]
Persuasive Writing 5 – Writing Headlines that Reel in Readers
“On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy. It follows that, unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money.†– David Ogilvy You might be a copywriting genius, and composed a sales letter that can sell carpets to Egyptians. But if […]
Persuasive Writing 4 – Structure
In earlier chapters you identified how to appeal to your target audience and compiled a list of your product’s benefits. Now you need to plan how to structure your writing so it leads your reader along a logical path of thought towards taking action. Just like how a seasoned debater or lawyer prepares to argue […]
Writing Persuasively 3 – Features Tell, Benefits Sell
“In our factory, we make lipstick. In our advertising, we sell hope.” – Charles Revson Whenever someone reads your website’s landing page or sales letter they’re not thinking about how clever the wordplay is but ‘what’s in it for me?’ They want to know how your product can solve their problem and benefit them personally, […]
Writing Persuasively 2 – Planning Why You Are Writing, Who To And What Action You Want Them To Take
“The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be.†– David Ogilvy As any lawyer knows, it’s not the strength of your words but the strength of your arguments that wins. The same rule applies to persuasive writing. Dazzling the reader with your use of a thesaurus or adopting a pushy tone isn’t […]
Writing Persuasively 1 – Do You Want to Communicate or Confuse?
“Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon.” – David Ogilvy Words are an undervalued asset in the business world. Whether clouded in technical jargon, marketing buzz words or hype filled corporate claptrap, writing fails to communicate when it’s trying too hard to sound clever or impressive. This misguided […]
Copywriter, PR Writer or Brand Journalist? You Decide
If you’ve arrived here looking for a PR writer please browse through my portfolio of press releases, case studies and brochures. You can also email me for a prompt response matt@copywriterscrucible.com Matthew Stibbe of bad language fame recently blogged about the difficulty of defining what he does at dinner parties. Should he say he’s a […]
One-to-one marketing and its implications for copywriters
In recent weeks, I’ve discussed why you need to adjust your copywriting’s personality to appeal to different audiences. It just comes with the territory. Well, the rise of one-to-one marketing means the ability to mould your language and style to match your target market could soon be in greater demand. What is one-to-one marketing? With […]