Fairfax Cone was one of the great 20th Century copywriters. Two others that I’ve included on the masters list so far are Claude Hopkins and David Ogilvy. They mostly came from what we now call “direct response,” that part of advertising that knows to the penny what works and what doesn’t. If » Read More
Tag: Writing Marketing Copy
What’s in it for them?
Great business books, blog posts, articles, and web page help readers make progress. They help the reader solve a problem or answer a question. If your blog post doesn’t deliver a benefit for the reader, it’s just an indulgence. Here’s a partial list of possible benefits in the form of questions about your piece » Read More
Capture the questions
Answer their questions. Whether you’re writing a book or a blog or copy for your web site, questions are where great copy starts. Using questions to create great copy starts with capturing them. When people ask you a question, capture it immediately. You won’t remember later. Write it down or record it. When » Read More
Three Kinds of Testimonials
Direct response writers know that testimonials are powerful. But not all testimonials are powerful in the same way. Here are three kinds of testimonials and how to use them. Celebrity testimonials are when someone who is well known endorses you or your work. Many book jacket blurbs fall into this category. Use them for » Read More
Book Recommendation: POP!: Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything
Author Sam Horn (an old friend) tells you early on that POP!: Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything has two purposes. It will help you quickly capture interest and It will help you “break out, not blend in.” For that to happen, you have to read the book and then use one of many suggestions » Read More