
6 Headline Secrets That Can DOUBLE Your Response
Content & StrategyIf you want to “ramp up response” from your ad, consider revising the headline. Many business owners don’t realize how critical the headline is to an ad’s success.Over the years, marketers have tested what works and what doesn’t…

Single-Page Vs. Traditional Site: How Many Pages Does Your Website Need?
Content & StrategyEvery website is different. There is no magical cookie-cutter solution to building websites that works for all people and organizations, but no matter which structure you choose, navigation is a priority. While ecommerce sites will naturally…

Using words to sell
AdvertisingMy family has a tradition of eating out on the first day back from holiday. It used to be fish and chips in a steaming hot newspaper cone. Now it’s more likely to be Pizza Express.I’m not fussy about much but I am fussy about tomato.…

WHY EXCLAMATION MARKS ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND
Advertising BrandingI’ll let you in on a little secret. One of the biggest giveaways that a client has written their own copy, without hiring a copywriter, is the over-use of exclamation marks.
The world’s most over-used punctuation mark has a lot to answer…

6 REASONS YOU ALWAYS FALL FOR CLICK-BAIT (AND THE SECRET FORMULAS PUBLISHERS WON’T WANT YOU TO SEE)
Content & StrategySometimes we can’t help ourselves. Even if we have no interest in the subject, we find ourselves clicking irresistible links. But what is it that makes headlines from sites like Buzzfeed so compelling?Unless you spend your whole time online…

Why The Post And Pray Method Doesn’t Work (And What To Do Instead)
Content & StrategyI did a Google Search of “post and pray method” hoping to find some witty definition, but apparently the staffing industry has cornered the market (or at least the search market) on that phrase.
So I’ll have to take a stab at my own (hopefully…

5 Places to Find Photos for Your Spec Ads
AdvertisingWhen you’re creating spec ads, whether on your own or with a design partner (recommended!), you’ll need to find images to use. And, since it’s bad karma to steal other people’s pictures, you’ll need good places to find them. Read on…

How to Explode Your Freelance Writing Income with Copywriting and Copyblogging
Content & Strategy Copywriting SkillsCopywriting and copyblogging are two highly lucrative writing fields yet too many freelance writers continue to "grind it out" at small-time blogs, "mom-and-pop" businesses and non-profits. In some cases, these freelance writers assume that…

Five Tips for Creating Client-Friendly Webcopy
Advertising Content & Strategy Copywriting SkillsUse the 5 tips below to analyze, plan, and make some needed changes to your webcopy.1. The “You” MessageHave a look at your webcopy now. How often do you refer to your prospective clients? How often do you talk about you? Consider…

Copywriting without Emotional Intelligence: welcome aboard the Titanic.
Content & Strategy Copywriting Skills“Good morning, passengers, this is Captain EJ Smith. On behalf of the officers and crew, I’d like to welcome you aboard the RMS Titanic. We hope you have the time of your lives…”Without Emotional Intelligence (EI), you’re sunk.…

Why You Don’t Know Your Audience as Well as You Think
Advertising Content & StrategyBefore I begin writing content, one of the first questions I ask my clients is, “Who is your target audience?”For some reason, it usually stumps them, or the answer I receive is incomplete.I talk all the time about writing for people,…

Public perception – How General Mills Shot Itself in the Foot Over and Over
BrandingThe New York Times broke the news about new General Mills legal terms on April 16. Here’s a portion of the “announcement” from the General Mills website:We’ve updated our privacy policy. Please note we also have new legal terms which…