Archive for Uncategorized
The “McLean Formula” for Copywriting Success
Ed Mclean in his book “The Basics of Copy” gives his insight about when you are ready to actually sit down and start writing the copy…
“You know your reader so well you can almost see her. You know your product so throughly you could get up right now and deliver a half hour talk on [...]
Using Disruption to create breakthrough copy
In his book, Disruption, Jean-Marie Dru gives his agencies formula for creating advertising breakthroughs: Find conventions – disrupt them.
Like many direct response copywriters, I’ve thrown more than a few stones at the “creative” coming out of the modern advertising agency. But, I have to give a grudging nod to Dru’s formula. It is very effective [...]
Copywriting paradise
This morning in my email in-box were emails from top copywriters Drayton Bird, Doug D’anna and Clayton Makepeace.
On my hard-drive is a virtual swipefile of hundreds of proven ads and sales letters.
I’ve got a little window on my web browser that opens up 150 years of proven ads and headlines and marketing approaches on almost [...]
Copwriters: Early Brilliance – Later Consistency?
It strikes me odd that two of our greatest copywriters are best known for some of their earliest work.
John Caples best known ad “They Laughed When I Sat Down At the Piano But When I Started to Play!” was written very early in his career.
Ed McLean wrote the famous, “If the list upon which I [...]
Copywriting for Skeptics
Bob Bly recently released a new version of Claude Hopkin’s classic “Tested Advertising”. In it, he includes the Lord & Thomas creed. Creed #38 is on “Skeptics.” The first line reads..
“We are dealing with a world of skeptics.”
My first thought was, “Wow. If they thought people were skeptical in the late 1920’s, you would have [...]
Copywriting: The Power…
I’ve seen a common belief among great writers; whether they be fiction, poets, prose or copywriters.
Each has a core belief in the power of words to influence both the lives and world around them.
For example: I think of novel writer and educator, John Gardner’s, admonition to novelists to be careful what they write [...]
The copywriters creative paradox
Over 20 years ago now, I was in a round table discussion debating the colleges restraints on creativity in regard to skits. There were tight “moral” guidelines and each skit had to be performed and “checked” by a member of the faculty.
One member of the panel was describing what a terrible constraint this was [...]
Hemingway on story telling for copywriters…
“Story selling” seems to be the magic amulet of the moment these days. So, I point you to a “micro story” written by Hemingway.
Example:
“For Sale: Baby shoes. Never Worn.” - Attributed to Ernest Hemingway
There you have it. 6 words.
Could you communicate more emotion about a product in that few words? If not you, like me, [...]
Copywriter’s Simple Secret to Million-Dollar Breakthroughs…
Fact: The most important element of the headline is the core appeal. Second comes the way that appeal is expressed.
Twice now in the last 3 months I’ve worked with my clients to shatter previous results by combining the two highest testing core appeals into a single headline. The result isn’t just (1+1 = 2). [...]
Battle of the Copywriting styles…
“That ad you ran looks like a Mattress ad”
“Our ads look like Kohls’s ads”
“That looks like cheap MLM crap”
“That’s looks like a letter and the last letter we sent didn’t work so this won’t either”
“That looks like a cheesy Dan Kennedy ad.”
“These ads have to look as good as the best looking ads in the [...]
Copywriting Virus!
I’ve seen it again…
The world’s worst headline.
I’ve been seeing this menace rear it’s head now for 18 years. This virus-like headline must have been designed in a top secret, “Black” laboratory to kill the sales of a very specific class of business person: The Local Retailer.
I think that if any business person other [...]
Secret ingredient that creates copywriting breakthroughs
Over the years I’ve seen that there is a hidden, secret ingredient behind many of the greatest copywriting breakthroughs…
Courage.
In fact, without courage most of the breakthrough advertising we admire would never have seen the light of day.
Here’s a fact: If you write copy - good copy - you will be critisized. The better the copy, [...]
Selling “ideas” not products…
Want an unfair advantage over the competitors you are advising against?
Then stop selling your product or discounts and start selling “ideas”.
What does that mean?
I’ve just loaded up a short course examing the ads of Frank Irving Fletcher. Fletcher was earning $200,000 a year as a freelance ad writer in the late 20’s. In this short [...]
The Truth about Great Copywriting…
This bit of truth about what it takes to create great copy is from advertising legend, James R. Adams…
“When the biography of Claude Hopkins was published, a copywriting friend of mine read it and said he would not wish to succeed if it took as much effort as it had cost Mr. Hopkins. I [...]
“I Love Deadlines”
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by.” — Douglas
Adams
I have to admit - I feel the same way.
On the other hand, there is always that burst of adrenalin that kicks in as a deadline approaches and a blank screen with a blinking curser is mocking me. [...]
Baboon dismembers my copy!
Early in my career, I witnessed a Baboon dismember one of my copy children.
It started like any other copy assignment…
Over the course of a week, I had crafted a pretty great lead-gen letter, if I do say so myself. I visited the client’s business the next day to review it with him. To my horror, [...]
“Illumination”
Another pithy gem from Frank Irving Fletcher.
“Illumination through elimination is the task of compression.”
This was written by a man who penned over 50,000 ads that were less than 100 words, yet created breakthrough sales results for his retail clients. In two cases he kept the clients for 20 years. For one he placed an ad [...]
A copywriting gem…
Here’s a copywriting gem from Frank Irving Fletcher…
Copywriting is, “…the menial task of packing sticks of dynamite in ’stickfuls” of prose.”
Since I’m working my way through his autobiography, you can expect more from Fletcher here in the next few posts.
Add Force to your copywriting…
Here are some ways to add persuasive force to your copy…
1. Simplicity.
I read too many ads, sales letters and promotions that clog a readers mind with $10-dollar words. Elsewhere in this blog I gave the following example of this…
“Next generation strategies to employ a single customer definition for improved multi-channel marketingâ€
There are two prime [...]
B-Complex for Copywriters
The following is from Hal Stebbins, one of my favorite copywriters from the past. Though he’s unknown to this generation, his ideas are timeless.
“If I have a ‘B-Complex for Copy Writers it is this: Be human. Be simple. Be sincere. Be specific. Be informative. Be authoritative. Be enthusiastic. Be sure you’re understood. And, above [...]
