How to convey passion and excitement in a case study
I’ve been wondering this for years, because as I explained to a client recently, while I think case studies are valuable, I think the case study format is tired. And I see a lot of tired writing plugged into case studies. I like Jack Price‘s answer to this question on Quora. He writes: “A common [...]
Landing pages: your secret conversion weapon
I’m glad Duct Tape Marketing wrote about this because it saved me the trouble. I was just having a conversation today about the very topic of landing pages, how they affect conversion, and how important (and easy!) it is to at least do A/B testing to see what works. By way of example, I have [...]
5 disturbing characteristics of a DM copywriter
Copywriters beware. If you’re reading this thinking you’re going to get lessons on copywriting, you won’t. See my earlier post about why this copywriter won’t write about copywriting. Instead, I’m going to give you a quick peek into the (potentially alarming) psyche of your DM copywriter: We study you. Constantly. Always. Looking for what makes [...]
And if Only 1% of Those People…
And if only 1% of those people… | Derek Sivers. When expectation regarding circulation and conversion greatly exceed one’s brand, as it were. (tags: engagement, direct_marketing, advertising)
5 steps to going viral on Twitter
This is a fascinating article by Copyblogger writer Dan Zarella on going viral on Twitter. In it, he susses out some particulars such as best time of day to retweet, why the word “please” is important, etc. As a copywriter, I’m pleased that some of it is good old fashioned direct marketing, such as the [...]
How to get people to buy from you, right now
I’m going to tell you one of the Great Marketing Strategy Secrets to Still Making Sales, Even in This Crazy Economy. It’s not copywriting. Or art direction. Or social media, video, or SEO strategy. (Although all those things can help.) Ready? It’s the offer. Offer something of value to your customers, something they really want, [...]
Apple Rethink Direct Marketing
I know talking about working on Apple is like breaking the first rule of Fight Club, but so what. Here’s an example of direct marketing copy writing I did for Apple Education.
eBay Direct Marketing Catalog Concept
eBay asked us to rethink their direct marketing catalog, to create something that showed the true spirit of the eBay experience. Our concept—a series of postcard packs that put you in the moment of discovery. I was copywriter and conceptual developer.
Jimmy Wales on direct marketing vs. branding
The rathole of direct marketing, according to Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, via John Battelle, in an interview with AdRants. Quick copywriter synopsis: Wales says, because everything online is very measurable, we measure everything. Impressions, click-through rates, conversions. But traditional brand advertising has to be measurable in other more traditional ways, like consumer awareness. Because [...]
Lead generation and Loch Ness
Leviathan. The Loch Ness Monster. The Kraken. The Devil Fish. What do these infamous sea monsters have in common with leads? For one, there’s certainly a lot of mythology about them. After all, do these creatures really exist? The answer is yes, some of them do. Leviathan may have been a blue whale. The Kraken [...]