Making effective presentations
Agency LifeThey come in all shapes and sizes: informal presentations to the account exec or your creative director (just to see how things are going); more formal internal presentations when a creative proposal is being finalized; and, of course, formal…
Turn that frown upside down: how to make unhappy fans happy customers
Agency Life FreelancingAlex Bateman has a successful business. His business took off after a few years of struggle. His peers and contemporaries often asked him, what’s the secret of his success, he told them, “Customer is king”. What really worked for Alex…
A Millennial Millieu
Agency Life Work HabitsBrian, the trusty account exec rushed into the room with an “I forgot my pants” look on his face. “Client wants a series of web banners on their new chocolate bunny line … by Thursday.”The open space echoed with a collective gasp. Heads…
Agency Copywriting Versus Low-Cost Freelance Websites
Agency Life FreelancingOn sites such as freelance.com and upwork.com, you’ll find countless writers of good English happy to write your copy for as little as .10/word. Some who write from countries in South Asia or elsewhere will work for even less. Many are native…
6 Lessons From A Copywriter Intern’s First 6 Days
Agency Life Work HabitsHey there! I’m an intern at Victors & Spoils, an advertising agency in Boulder, Colorado. Welcome to ad life, a world of sweat, tears and iced coffee. Expect bad puns by the boatload.As a self-taught creative hailing from biz school,…
What never to say on a client phone call
Agency LifeIt’s the moment of truth. Your lead magnet did its job – it generated a lead. (You do have a lead magnet, right?)
You’ve scheduled a phone call with the prospective client. Now what?
Well, first you’re going to do the proper research.…
Why orchestras are run better than ad agencies
Agency Life Work HabitsI once had the pleasure of working at Abbey Road Studios. I could write this post about how cool it is to walk in there, knowing that the crowd of Japanese tourists must think you’re some kind of rock star. (Quite an old, fat one admittedly,…
Three places that want your creativity when your ad agency doesn’t
Agency Life Work HabitsCongrats! You’ve made it! Your business card finally reads “Copywriter” underneath your name. That’s great! Because starting now, you can immerse yourself in the thing you do best – creativity – AND get paid for it. What more could…
Advertising: Past, present and future
Advertising Agency LifeHere's a really interesting slide show called Advertising:Past, present and future.It does what it says on the tin really. There are some great examples of classic ads and it gives a new perspective on how things have changed - and continue…
A different world: How advertising has changed
Advertising Agency LifeAs society evolves, so must the advertising used to persuade consumers to make purchases. The very first advertisement reportedly appears in England in 1472, taking the form of an announcement from the Catholic Church that prayer books are for…
How to have some fun as a copywriter
Agency Life Content & Strategy Work HabitsAs any copywriter will tell you, writing advertising and corporate copy is an unremittingly joyless occupation. But sometimes it’s possible to have a little fun by playing a few games with the copy, headlines, and even the concepts.
Here's…
Going it alone: Five differences between ad agency copywriters and freelance copywriters.
Agency Life Freelancing Work HabitsAd agency copywriters and freelance copywriters do much the same job but enjoy very different lifestyles.
So, which is best? Here are five big differences... but tell us what you think in the comments box below.
1. Work security
Probably…