Whenever I’m looking to take on a trainee copywriter, one of the tasks I always set is the same. It’s designed to see if the writer is able to turn features into benefits. On the face of it seems a very simple exercise… And frankly, it is. But it reveals something about a writer that […]
“Where’s my next job coming from?” That’s a question that keeps many copywriters awake at night. Indeed, if you’re a freelancer, one of the biggest challenges you’ll ever face is finding new clients. That’s why successful freelance copywriter, Ryan Healy has put this guide together that shows you how to get more clients for your […]
Nick Usborne is a successful copywriter – who originally hails from Sussex – living and writing in Canada. I’ve seen him speak a couple of times over the years and he always strikes me as a copywriter who’s very comfortable with his work. What exactly do I mean by that – he’s comfortable? Well, I […]
Following my guest post in John Forde’s excellent Copywriter’s Roundtable, I received an email from a fellow copywriter called Tony. He was interested in my idea of fuelling your brain by reading books that aren’t typically associated with copywriting. Don’t get me wrong, each month I make sure I read at least one book that touches […]
I wrote a new article for a fellow copywriter, Alastair Allday, that is currently featured on his website, Allday Creative. You can read the piece here. In it I reveal five things that could help you improve your writing. But these aren’t regular copy tips and it isn’t a list of typical ‘how to’ textbooks. […]
So this is a trick I teach any copywriter or editor I work with… It isn’t difficult. It isn’t time consuming. And it certainly isn’t fancy. In fact, it’s a very simple and purely technical change you make to your word processor each time you’re writing copy that will be read via email. It’s particularly […]
I want to talk about the end… The moment you know the inevitable is upon you. The moment you see everything flash before your eyes and wonder if you’ve done enough. The moment you quietly whisper into the vast, empty abyss and ask… Dear reader, do you actually want to buy this? Yes – I’m […]
I often compare writing a successful direct-response sales letter to passing your driving test… Providing you don’t make any major errors and you manage to keep the minors to a minimum – you should be OK. If figures then that when you start learning about copywriting, you generally tend to focus on avoiding the bigger […]
Once upon a time, direct-response copywriting was considered ‘the Don’ of copywriting… Not the Don Draper. Far from it. You see, Don Draper – the famous fictional copywriter from the TV series Mad Men – is an indirect-response man. He writes copy that’s designed to briefly get your attention and then force the product to linger in your […]
Ideas are irritating. Sometimes they’re right there in your face, shouting at you like an arrogant teenage kid who thinks they know best… Other times they’re nowhere to be seen, like your broke mate Steve who’s always in the toilet when it’s his round at the bar. I’ll tell you what… From now on, let’s […]