
How to Write Copy That Sells – Use Benefits
Content & Strategy Copywriting SkillsAs copywriters we’ve all read that the best way to write copy that sells is to use benefits. But what these articles don’t tell us is how to identify and communicate the benefits that are truly going to compel your readers to reach for their…

Copywriting Pet Peeve Numero Uno
Content & Strategy Copywriting SkillsThere are a lot of things that annoy me. People who chew so loudly I can hear them on the other side of the restaurant. Arrogance in any style or form. Air conditioning blasting through the vents so hard that it makes you put a sweater…

This experience taught me some important freelance copywriter lessons
Content & Strategy FreelancingA couple of years ago I was contacted by the communications manager of a high profile organisation. It was 3.05pm on a busy Wednesday afternoon. It was the kind of phone call freelance copywriters only dream about. Getting straight down…

Active Observation: Before and After Copywriting in Action
Content & Strategy Copywriting SkillsStudy leads to more knowledge, but observation leads to wisdom. This was the opening hook line by my current RMIT Copywriting students for their Group Project calling for less feasibility studies and more action on Solar Thermal Energy. I…

From Socratic Dialogue to Communication Brief
Advertising BrandingAs many of you who’ve done Copywriting in Action will know from experience, the Communication Brief is a remarkably effective and reliable vehicle for getting the mind focused and the thinking clear. But harvesting knowledge and insight from…

5 Quick Copywriting Rules for Blogs
Content & StrategyAccording to Salary.com, the average copywriter salary is $44,000 a year with the highest paid copywriters bringing in six figures annually. You can imagine, that a lot of training and specific skills go into writing copy that sales and that…

5 Travel Brands With Super-Sticky Content
Content & Strategy(And What We Can Learn From Them) These are the online travel brands that pop. They’re the ones that lure swarms of qualified traffic and keep their audiences salivating for more. In other words, these brands are ‘sticky’. What…

Advice on Being a Freelance Copywriter – 10 Things I’ve Learnt
Content & Strategy Copywriting Skills FreelancingI’ve been self employed since 1996 and running my marketing, copywriting and training business since 2008. Time, I thought, to reflect on what I’ve learnt. Behind the scenes what have I learnt about keeping sane and solvent? 1. Like your…

Back and neck pain relief for desk people
Copywriting SkillsToo much computer time giving you neck or back pain? Try this … Today I’m straying from my normal topics of marketing and copywriting to help your business increase sales, and letting you in on a different tip. If you’ve ever experienced…

John the copywriter’s recipe for becoming a copywriter.
Copywriting Skills FreelancingI’m often asked “What is a copywriter?” It seems like people are extremely curious because one of the most asked questions on Google is “How to be a copywriter?” I think the term copywriter is very confusing for people. They mix…

Expectations: the great creative hurdle
Content & Strategy Copywriting SkillsA friend of mine (a poet at heart) recently told me he was trying to write a poem, but hadn’t drafted anything he considered worthwhile. Or anything at all, really. His reason? He had his heart set on writing a 30-line sonnet. And he hadn’t…

Short Vs. Long Copy: 5 Guidelines to Help You Decide
Content & StrategyIt’s easy to find advice on how long copy should be. It’s hard to find specific advice on how long copy should be. You’ll see things like: It’s OK for it to be long, but not too long. The more expensive the product, the…
