Let me begin by saying print ads used to be the industry standard—“Going to advertise? Great, let’s run a print ad!” But it occurred to me the other day while I was explaining my creative approach to a client, that emails have become the new print ad. Don’t get me wrong, I love coming up […] Continue Reading →
Email details worth paying attention to.
The best email marketing out there treats every element of the email with care and importance, realizing its function as well as its role in the overall impression it’s making in the context of your brand. Below you’ll find a little pre-blast checklist of some things to consider before you launch your next lead generation email, […] Continue Reading →
How to keep the feedback loop from spiraling out of control.
It used to drive me crazy when clients would tell me, “I showed your ideas to my spouse, and…” Or “Let me get back to you, I just want to show the ideas around and see what people think.” I’ve kind of come to grips with the fact that a lot of clients are going […] Continue Reading →
Whether you call it “discovery” or “research” – consider it an essential part of the copywriting process.
A few months ago I attended the AdAge B2B conference in NYC. One of the attendees, a marketing director at a small or midsized company, asked a question that befuddled the panel of agency luminaries. She asked why every agency she came in contact with insisted on going through a lengthy discovery process of uncovering […] Continue Reading →
Give your website’s About Us page a big guy look.
Make a great big impression with an About Us page that tells a story. When you’re 5’7” or so, it sometimes helps to know a few tricks for making yourself seem more imposing than your height allows you. Years ago, my friend Scott came up with a simple solution for when he was driving in […] Continue Reading →
Crank out ideas by the bucket.
My time-tested approach for coming up with lots of ideas in a short time frame. You know, there as a time not too long ago, when clients would actually give you two weeks to come up with concepts for an ad. Yup. One ad, two weeks. These days, you’re lucky if you get two days […] Continue Reading →
Why won’t you let me read my copy to you?
It’s important for copywriters and designers to present their work in person (or over the phone anyway.) I encounter almost universal resistance to presenting my work to clients. And just so you know, when I say, “present” I mean read my copy aloud to you over the phone as opposed to just emailing. I think […] Continue Reading →
World’s Best Subject Line – Part 1
Learn to write email subject lines that readers can’t resist. If you’re like me, you probably strain over what to put in the subject line of your e-blasts. You ask yourself: “What will compel people to open it and not delete it?” “How do I make sure my email passes safely through spam filters?” “Is there […] Continue Reading →
World’s Best Subject Line – the Exciting Conclusion
How to write subject lines that draw readers in deeper. Hope you had a relaxing Memorial Day – and didn’t check your emails too much. Okay, maybe just the ones with the really great subject lines. Speaking of which, here is the follow-up to Part I of my list of tips for writing subject lines […] Continue Reading →
The Truth about Drinking and Writing
Will drinking help your writing, or will it just make people think you’re drunk? You ever wonder whether there’s any truth to all that Hemingway, Bukowski lore about liquor somehow lubricating the creative process and making you write beyond your potential? Well, I have a few “valuable insights” gleaned from my experiences writing, drinking, and […] Continue Reading →
-
Nine Steps to Great Naming: Part II
-
The Nine Steps to Great Naming: Part I
- The Beaucoup Benefits of Working with a Professional Copywriter
- Write a Newsletter: 10-1/2 Reasons Why
- 2023 TMSA ELEVATE Conference Raises Top Issues in Transportation Sales and Marketing
- Sell Sheets: Meet the Diamond in the Rough of Marketing Materials