One of my mentors, the American entrepreneur and writer Mark Ford, once taught me a simple way to improve problematic headlines using ‘the Four Us’. I’ve written about the idea many times before, but today I thought I’d put it to the test LIVE. Or rather, as I write this article. Why not, eh? Indeed, I’m […]
Tag Archives: COPYWRITING
We’re a funny sort us copywriters… You see, I turned 33 this week. Having spent most of the previous year being 32, I’d been expecting it. But I wasn’t expecting a card from my auntie with my face plastered on Don Draper’s body. (What did we do before Moon Pig, eh?) Of course, it was a […]
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May
May
Where did the 30-day trial period come from? Seriously – if you know, please comment below and tell me. If you’ve written copy for online products or services, no doubt you know the 30-day trial well. Or maybe, if you’ve written for a product or service that’s being sold on Clickbank or some other joint venture website, […]
I recently put together a free copywriting ebook that reveals five easy ways to write better copy. I think it’s a cracking little download and it’s all been very nicely laid out by my @rhinett. But best of all, it is completely and utterly free. HOORAH! It’s aptly titled Five Easy Ways to Write Better Copy, which […]
16
Apr
Apr
For some strange reason, a lot of people seem to think the business world should be a grey, lifeless place that exists between 8.30am and 5pm (if you’re lucky). People assume that you’re not allowed to be interesting, that you have to talk in facts, figures and graphs; the boring stuff, basically. You only need to scroll […]
I’ve been in the cash machine queue half an hour already… But I’m not getting anywhere. Plus, I’m losing the will to live. The drinks queue is equally stupid, and I figure by the time the main act is on, even if I swap queues now, I’ll only have time for one pint anyway. That […]
“Sell, or else,” pronounced legendary ad man, David Ogilvy many a decade ago. And, ever since, this unflinching commandment has been passed down from copywriter to copywriter. It’s the great leveller; the simple reminder that whatever the media, your aim remains the same: you sell, my boy, you sell if it’s the last thing you do. […]
16
Feb
Feb
At last count, it was estimated around 300 billion emails are sent on a daily basis. “Sometimes we have to spend a little time with the numbers.” 300. Billion. A day. That’s a damn lot of emails. So, with so much other email copy competing with yours, it hardly seems worth spending much time on it, right? […]
16
Jan
Jan
Reassurance isn’t a term that’s widely used in copywriting. Have a quick scan through the index pages of Cialdini’s Influence, Daniel H. Pink’s To Sell is Human or even Ogilvy’s On Advertising and you won’t find any special preference given to the word. Even a stop sign needs a little reassurance sometimes. Does that make it redundant? Does the fact […]
Now then… Here’s the third in our series of ‘quotes about copywriting’. Every now and again I post a new snippet of copywriting advice that you’ll hopefully want to share with the world. Best of all, by taking advantage of the design skills of my partner Lin at Rhinett Design, not only are the quotes useful reminders of the fundamentals […]