DR copywriters and portfolios: peas and carrots, or water and oil? Every now and then, a client or prospect asks me if have a portfolio of work on my site. I don't. Here's why. An important tip for rookie Direct Response copywriters If you're a Direct Response (DR) copywriter, you …
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"There's Just One Thing..."* In the classic Reality In Advertising, copywriting Hall-of-Famer Rosser Reeves re-tells a great story that’s been around for years. It may or may not be true (those are often the best ones.) Here 'tis: Bluster and brimstone Apparently, US …
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I have a confession to make... Today’s post is a little different. It’s about the time I murdered my cousin Jim with my bare hands, when I was just 11 years old. Whaaat? Ok, of course I didn't. I made up that shock confession to demonstrate something called a Pattern …
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It Is Springtime And I Am Blind: The Power Of The Contrast Principle You’ve probably heard a bunch of stories about legendary ad-man Rosser Reeves. Most notably, how he was the inspiration for Mad Men’s Don Draper. (You know, Don: Chief Copywriter/Creative Director at the stylish …
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I just started reading Dan Pink's book To Sell Is Human. It's great. In the book, Pink demonstrates how 'Sales' - that great big ugly, scary, stinky concept - isn't what it used to be. He explains how we're almost all salespeople in one way or another, whether we realise it or not. As an …
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Here’s a great way to inject a little magic into your marketing… It’s a simple, fun tactic for bringing out the personality in your product story – or your personal story – so it resonates with people... And can even transform passive readers into active customers. We’re talking here about …
There are two groups of people you're not converting right now: 1) People who don't want what you're offering... 2) People who DO want what you're offering, but aren't sure how to get it. It could take quite a bit of time and effort to persuade more of the first group to convert. To buy …
A few years back, I had an unusual kind of success. One that almost ruined my career before it had barely begun. As an entrepreneur, you may have experienced this sort of success yourself: When you get a great result, but at the expense of something... Perhaps a relationship, …
