• Copywriting Dilemma – Who is Your Reader?

    Wouldn’t your life be much simpler if you knew exactly who you were writing for? You’d know their likes and dislikes and could tailor your sales message to be directly relevant to them. But life’s not meant to be that simple. Do you remember the Tom Hanks film Forest Gump? There was a great scene […]

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  • Write to Sell

    Isn’t that a wonderful sight? An out-stretched hand waving a credit card in your direction. Wouldn’t it be amazing if your copywriting (sales writing) made everyone do that? Products would simply fly off your shelves. People are more likely to buy from you if they trust you. Therefore your sales writing has to build a […]

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  • B2B and B2C Copywriting

    Is there a difference between when writing to a business audience and writing to a (personal) customer audience? That is a question that frequently causes arguments amongst freelance copywriters – or at least heated discussions. Before I begin, this is my own opinion on this particular conundrum, and one that has stood me in good […]

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  • The Copywriter Strut

    Copywriting has a lot in common with the fashion industry. No, really, it has! Come on, give me a chance – let me explain. We’ve all seen images of fashion models. They strut their stuff up and down the catwalk, pouting and scowling at the assembled press. Most of them are so skinny the latest […]

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  • Basic Copywriting – Understand What Your Customers Want

    One of tricks of successful copywriting is understanding what your customers want. You might think that is obvious – it’s what they ask for. Well, it’s not always that straightforward. There is really only one way you can determine exactly what your customers are looking for and that’s through research. How to research As a […]

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  • Using Twitter to Help Your Business

    Everyone’s using Twitter these days, aren’t they? Whether you love it or hate it, if you’re not already using it to help your business, you really should think about it. As a copywriter I have been using Twitter for a while now. It helps to promote my blogs and articles, I can talk about my […]

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  • Direct Mail Sales Letters

    For many companies, sales letters (direct mail) are the main thrust of their marketing. But no matter how much you rely on them, you need to know how to write them effectively. The humble sales letter has been used for many years so I’m not going to reinvent the wheel with this post. What I […]

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  • The Various Guises of Copywriting

    Practically anything can be sold – products, services, information – so you would probably assume there is a vast range of different types of copy. Well, if you look deeper you’ll discover there are three types of copy that fulfil just about every possible use: Copy that sells to your reader Copy  that attracts customers […]

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  • Offering a Human Touch

    As I was growing up, I was constantly reminded to use the ‘magic’ word. Back then it was ‘please’. Today, as a copywriter, the magic word is ‘you’. You might wonder what’s so magical about the word ‘you’ – well, I’ll tell you. It is a word that helps you build relationships and rapport with […]

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  • Copywriters Are Plain and Simple

    I think I probably need to clarify the title of this post before I receive a barrage of complaints and insults from fellow copywriters. By saying we are ‘plain and simple’ is not a reference to looks or intelligence. Rather that we are adept in the subtle art of plain speaking. When people discover I […]

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