What links Darwin, road deaths, cold bugs and long copy?
How do you feel about people who say they don’t believe in evolution? What about folk who claim wearing a seatbelt causes road deaths? Or the ones who want antibiotics for their colds? There’s no evidence for their beliefs. And mountains of it proving …
Long copy ad for Rolex – 1971
Luxury goods don’t need long copy? Pah! Check out this ad from 1971. CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE. …
Annals of really crap email marketing #21,875
Oh, Lordy, where shall we start with this one? The hopeless headline? The passive voice? The grammar meltdown? The exclamation mark? For me it’s not even the two different misspellings of special. Or the use of Comic Sans. Can you spot it? …
Copywriting genius Bill Bernbach picks a lemon
This is one of the ads that made me want to be a copywriter. It’s written by Bill Bernbach of Doyle Dane Bernbach. He took David Ogilvy’s classic three-column layout and used it for VW. It was a pretty successful …
The scariest blog post you will read this year
What are your goals as a freelancer? Higher sales? More free time? More respect from clients? A reputation as the go-to-guy or go-to-girl in your town, industry or profession? And how are you going about achieving them? Well, here’s the bad news. …
Seven reasons why copywriters shouldn’t blog
Yesterday I read a great blog post from my friend Tom Albrighton. Its title is 7 reasons copywriters should blog. Tom is one of the more thoughtful copywriting bloggers out there and doesn’t clutter the Internet with statements of the bleeding obvious …
Ten people I want to thank for teaching me what matters in writing
1 My Mum For showing me that the best way to get a company to recompense you for poor service isn’t blowing your stack at the till assistant, but by writing a calm, measured and detailed letter to the CEO, itemising just …
When car salesmen attack – a very funny video
Why you should never cross your star salesman … This is an ad from the days when everything was broadcast live. Oh, and listen out for the camera crew laughing at the end. Thanks to my friend and guru Drayton Bird for …
5 rules for getting your pricing pitch-perfect
Many if not most freelancers share this problem. They’re good or even great at what they do… … but they can’t figure out, or are to shy to ask for, what they’re really worth. Here are my five rules for setting your …
Jacqueline Morrison – Mission Copywriting
This much I know… A series of interviews with copywriters You can recognise great copy because … I part with cash for something I didn’t know I wanted or end up thinking about a topic I wasn’t previously interested in. I know …
7 Warning Signs You’re About To Waste Your Money on a Worthless Copywriting Training Course
So you want to become a copywriter? Excellent! I’ve been a copywriter since 1986 and it’s a great way to make a living. A good living, if you can do it right. And you’re researching the market for training courses. Another tick for …
7 Sure-Fire Recession-Busting Tips for Staying Healthy, Wealthy and Wise
I don’t know what business conditions are like where you are, but round our way, it’s been tough going for most of 2013. I want to share seven techniques I have used over the years to win new clients, keep my fees …
The true meaning of “Baby on Board”
What is it with those little yellow squares new parents stick to their rear windscreens? Baby on board. Cute little person on board. Cheeky monkey on board. At a copywriter’s gathering this morning we got to discussing this twinky little sign. Clearly …
Three warning signs you’re running a ‘cheap’ business
One of the prerequisites for growing your business is thinking big. Here are three warning signs that you’re thinking small – and looking cheap. Advertising the fact that you can work with clients anywhere, “thanks to Skype” Of course managing your costs …
A sales blunder so huge it still makes me sweat 25 years later
I was 26, a fledgling marketeer with a research publisher. And I was about to commit a sales crime so horrible my clients would have left the building immediately if they’d known what was coming. Frankfurt Messe is the big exhibition space …
Why I’m speaking at the PCN 2013 conference
Something unusual is happening later this year. A conference for copywriters. I’ve been in the business for 27 years and never even heard of such an event in the UK. The organisers are Tom Albrighton and Ben Locker, the guys behind the …
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