On Copywriting

Bloggers Are Connectors

Bloggers are connectors.

This finally hit me when I observed Terry Dean linking out to some of his favorite blog posts every now and then. He mostly writes his own blog posts. But he periodically refers his readers elsewhere.

I like this approach. It connects people. I've found some great blogs I wouldn't have known about otherwise.

And so you'll see I've adopted the same practice with this blog. When I read a great post about copywriting or marketing, I make a mental note or bookmark the page. When I collect three or more of these posts, I write little blurbs to tell you about them.

For example, here are two recent posts in which I listed some excellent blog posts:

• Three Must-Read Blog Posts by My Colleagues
• Inspiration, Negotiation & Writing Well

I think this is a good blogging habit to adopt. It's good for you and it's good for the blogs I link to. After all, creating a conversation and connecting people is what blogging is really about.

Why Freelance Copywriters Go Hungry

This past week I wrote an article for publication on Michel Fortin's blog. He just published it this morning. I think you'll find it worth reading. Here's the link...

==> Why Freelance Copywriters Go Hungry

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment!

Takeaway "Selling" in the Gospel of Mark

I read the Gospel of Mark a few days ago. In chapter one, there is a story of a man with leprosy whom Jesus healed.

After Jesus healed the man, he asked the man to keep quiet...

Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. (Mark 1:43-45)

Anytime you tell somebody not to do something, they feel compelled to do it. The clearest example can be seen with children. You tell a child to eat his dinner, and he refuses. You tell the same child not to eat his dinner, and he shovels food into his mouth.

Keep this in mind when you write copy. Suggesting that your reader abstain from taking action will produce a corresponding desire in him to act.

Inspiration, Negotiation, and Writing Well

Here are three articles from my fellow bloggers that are well-worth reading.

1. "Why Copywriting Shouldn't Be Rushed... or Cheap"
by Matt Ambrose

Good copywriting takes time. And inspiration doesn't always come on schedule. So says Matt Ambrose of The Copywriter's Crucible. Click the link to discover why William Wordsworth often walked up to 20 miles a day.

2. "Ernest Hemingway's Top 5 Tips for Writing Well"
by Brian Clark

I've not read a lot of Hemingway's work (The Old Man and the Sea, as well as The Sun Also Rises), but I've read enough to understand his style. Brian Clark boils it down into a single concise blog post. See especially Tip #5.

3. "How to Negotiate Copywriting Fees in 9 Short Steps"
by Tom Chandler

I imagine most copywriters could use help when it comes to negotiating fees. Turns out, Tom Chandler needed help, too, when he was getting started. So he picked the brain of a top salesman. This is what Tom learned.

Give Me a Chisel...

A lot of folks want success overnight. They want it fast and easy. Almost like snapping their fingers.

I don't want that. At least, not anymore.

At one point I did. But I discovered that the faster I wanted things to happen, the less anything happened at all.

So I adopted a different mindset. Just do a little bit everyday. You see, I'd rather have a chisel and a hammer to chip away at success. Over time, it's surprisingly effective.

Some day, I imagine somebody will say, "Ryan was lucky. He's an overnight success."

But they won't know all the struggles and failures I've faced. They won't know that I woke up every single day at 5 a.m. for three years straight to work on entrepreneurial ideas before I drove to work. They won't know that I sacrificed some weekends to pursue my dreams.

Here's the bottom line:

You can't scale Everest in a day. Going for the "big break" is a sure way to fail. Choose the slower path of daily action instead. Putting one foot in front of the other, you'll actually get somewhere.

Getting the Right Kind of Attention

Getting attention for the sake of attention is a waste of time. Yet that is exactly what much advertising seeks to do. The most ubiquitous example I can think of has been used tens of thousands of times in everything from classified ads to larger media. It goes something like this...

"SEX! Okay, now that I have your attention, let me proceed to sell you this [fill in the blank]..."

The first time you see this, you might chuckle. After that, it becomes annoying.

Let's look at some real numbers from press releases I have written. If you put out a press release, and you were judging it based on total headline impressions, which one would you choose as the winner?

Press Release #1: 124,881 headline impressions
Press Release #2: 73,088 headline impressions

Most folks would rather have the results from Press Release #1. After all, it received 71% more attention. But here's where it gets interesting. Let's look at how many times each press release was read.

Press Release #1: 2,022 total reads
Press Release #2: 3,450 total reads

Now that we have a fuller picture, we can see that Press Release #2 produced nearly 50% more reads despite attracting far less attention.

How many people actually read your press release is what really matters. Your headline can be plastered on every web site on the Internet, but if you fail to attract readers, you haven't accomplished anything.

As you can see, getting widespread attention doesn't automatically translate to results. Therefore, you should focus on attracting the attention of your target audience and nobody else. Claude Hopkins writes in Scientific Advertising...

"Don't, to gain general and useless attention, sacrifice the attention that you want." p. 261

This is critical to remember, no matter if you're writing press releases or advertisements.

Guilty of False Advertising?

Yesterday I received my first refund for "How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less." I am not so worried I got a refund; that is to be expected whenever you sell a product. I am more concerned about the person's reason for requesting a refund. Here is what the person wrote:

I would like a refund. I purchased the report based on information stating there would be adequate pricing help. The pricing help was very brief, too brief based on advertising. Thank you!

I went back and reviewed my sales letter. There is only one place I mentioned "pricing help." It was in the form of a bullet. I reproduce it here for your benefit:

What to charge. How to quote fees without worry or stress.

This is the full extent to which I advertised "pricing help." After all, my report is not about how to price copywriting projects. It's about how to get your first copywriting client in 14 days or less.

After re-reading my sales letter, I then went back through the report. I found two pages of information about quoting fees. I believe the information merits the bullet I wrote. There is no failure to deliver the information I promised.

Based on all of this, I concluded the person simply wanted a refund and had to invent some kind of justification for the request. I have no problem if somebody wants a refund. I do have a problem being accused of false advertising. What's your take?

By the way, if you have not read the sales page for yourself, and you are interested in reading it, you will find it here.

Three Must-Read Blog Posts by My Colleagues

For today, I thought I would refer you to some recent blog posts I have found particularly interesting and helpful. Each is related to marketing, persuasion, or copywriting. All of which are beneficial to copywriters and online marketers.

1. How to Influence Others

Terry Dean summarizes the six primary forces of influence as documented in Persuasion: The Psychology of Influence by Robert Cialdini. This is a great introduction to the book in fewer than a thousand words. Caution: After reading Terry's post, you may be persuaded to buy and read the book.

2. Check Out How My Brother Got Me 3 Clients

Rebecca Dean, sister of copywriter Stephen Dean, explains exactly how she was able to acquire three new clients simply by using a well-crafted forum signature. She not only shares the wording of the signature, but the forum she used to acquire the clients.

3. Social Proof, The Secret to Selling More And Being More Attractive to Women

Paul Hancox reveals the surprising results of a study designed to learn more about how we think... and how we are influenced by the opinions of others. I highly recommend you read this post if you are interested in understanding more about psychology. Once you learn the principle, you can discover the techniques and use them in your marketing.

The Myth About Goal-Setting

If you've ever delved into self-improvement, then chances are you've heard of the study about the 1953 graduating class at Yale. Supposedly, 3% of this graduating class had written down specific goals. After 20 years, the 3% who had written goals earned more than the other 97% combined.

This story is a favorite anecdote of motivational speakers. It's been told many times by Amway "Diamonds" and MLM leaders. It has even been featured in multiple best-selling books.

Here's the problem. The study never happened. It's an urban legend. Stephen Kraus, Ph.D. shares a more complete analysis in his article "Yale Study of Goals: A Self-Improvement Urban Legend." I encourage you to read it.

Naturally, the question arises: "Should I continue to write down my goals?"

My feeling is that you should continue to do so. Writing helps you to clarify what you want. It also helps to cement your intentions.

Obviously, writing down goals does not guarantee you will achieve them. But I believe written goals increase the probability of you achieving them. It certainly cannot hurt.

So continue to write down your goals, but don't put too much stock in them. Action alone will trump written goals any day of the week.

What to Do with "Bad" Headlines

When I begin a new copywriting project, I might write 20 or 30 or more headlines. Some are simply multiple variations on a single theme. Others are wholly original and separate from the rest.

At the conclusion of my brainstorming, I will choose one headline to use in the letter. But I don't throw away all the B-level material. I save all of it. Here's why...

Leftover Headlines
Make Great Subheads!

Often, I will come up with three or four compelling headline ideas. I hate to choose one and throw the rest away. So I will keep the "losers" and use them as subheads. This is a time saver... and it strengthens the copy.

I have also found that I will come up with great subheads while I'm writing headlines. I immediately identify these by writing "subhead" in parentheses next to the copy I intend to use as a subhead.

To sum up:

1. Never throw away "bad" headlines. They can still be profitably used as subheads.

2. Pay attention to subheads that may pop into your mind while brainstorming. Note them as such for easy reference.

If you do both of these things, it will take you less time to write and you will write stronger copy. Try it out and see for yourself how well these techniques work.