On the quest to make our copy as effective as possible, there’s one tool we can wield that takes our power up a significant degree. You already know about benefits; now meet deep benefits. These can take your headlines to the next level. The first place to start when thinking about creating copy for any product or service—or anything you’re trying to persuade people to do or … [Read more...]
6 Work-From-Home Sanity Killers (And How to Combat Them)
Sometimes, working from home is just as much a curse as a blessing. The distractions are plentiful, and there’s no boss to raise an eyebrow when you’re online shopping. Those built-in boundaries that help keep you focused in an office simply don't exist when you work from home. If you watch a movie at your desk or lay your head down to take a nap, there are no coworkers to … [Read more...]
How To Set Up Customer Surveys
You need to know about your target audience to craft a message that makes sense to them. But what if your client doesn’t know anything about the people to whom they sell? Then it might just be up to you to find out. It’s shocking, but it’s true: There are some companies who have no idea who they’re selling to. Sure, if they’re a cable provider, you can guess that they are … [Read more...]
How to Make Deadlines Work For You
Many copywriters love deadlines since they certainly help us stay on track. But even those who love them often mix in a lot of hate with that adoration. Today, we’re going to talk about taming the deadline devils and making them work for you. Read on… Today’s question comes from Melanie H., who asks, “I have a hard time with deadlines. I set a deadline with a client that seems … [Read more...]
5 Surprising Places to Find Copy Inspiration
When you need to come up with a concept for a project, sometimes it’s easy and sometimes…well, your creativity could use a refill. But where do you refill it? Here we delve into some sources for topping off your font of creativity that might not be what you’d expect. When most copywriters (particularly ad writers) think about finding inspiration for their work, they … [Read more...]
How To Minimize (or Avoid) Typos
You've probably seen a typo in one of our posts or one of our emails. I'm human; I'll admit it. (Though the woman who sent: "No offense, but do you actually even read your emails?" got herself promptly deleted from our newsletter list. Again: Only human.) And though my staff can proofread, the timing of posts or emails doesn't always allow for it. So, what do we do instead … [Read more...]
When Stealing Is a Great Idea
One of your challenges as a copywriter is to be as original as possible. But what if I told you that there are some scenarios in which stealing isn’t only a good idea, it’s the best idea? And that your boss will applaud what you’ve done? Find out exactly when and how you should add stealing to your arsenal of tactics. What Is "Creativity?" There’s a theory that there are … [Read more...]
How to Write Humor for Your Copywriting Clients
Some of the most memorable ads are the funniest ones, but how did the writer (and designer/videographer) get to that point? How did they take a creative brief and turn it into something that makes you smile—if not laugh out loud? Well, that’s exactly what we’re delving into today. First, I want to make an important point. Similar to our previous post about creativity, you … [Read more...]
Top 10 Copywriting Myths and Misconceptions
There’s a lot of information out there about copywriting. The bad news, though, is that a lot of it is wrong. Lots of misinformed people are spouting a lot of useless or, worse, downright bad opinions and misinformation that are discouraging writers and keeping them from succeeding. Let’s try to fix some of that, shall we? These are some of the most alarming, confusing, … [Read more...]
Top 10 Misconceptions About Copywriting—Part 1
There’s a lot of information out there about copywriting. The bad news, though, is that a lot of it is wrong. Lots of misinformed people are spouting a lot of useless or, worse, downright bad opinions and misinformation that are discouraging writers and keeping them from succeeding. Let’s try to fix some of that, shall we? Read on… Today’s article isn’t based on a question … [Read more...]