Advice for Copywriters: How to Win the Freelance Bidding War

Are you a freelance copywriter working from home? If so, you've probably been on the project bidding war sites, like elance.com. You've probably seen ads like this:"Need 50 Articles Ghostwritten. 500-800 Words. Budget: $250-$500. Timeframe: one month.""How insulting!" you think to yourself, and yet sheer curiosity lures you to the... Read More

How To Write Powerful Headlines

I want to tell you how I go about writing headlines. I like to keep swap files of headlines around for future use. And how I go about doing it goes something like this...I'll find a headline I like, wherever it may be, and then I don't copy it word... Read More

Website Advertising: 10 Tactics To Make Your Ad Copy More Impactful

If your ad is not generating a lot of sales, the reason may be because it is not effective.Here are secret website advertising tactics to make it more impactful and therefore generate more orders:1. You could end your ad copy by telling people what will happen if they buy your... Read More

How to Build Benefits from Features Fast and Easy with the Solution Approach

Every salesperson and fledgling copywriter hears the harangue: DON'T SELL the FEATURES of a product ? SELL the BENEFITS those features bring!!!The concept's important but it confuses a lot of people. Many sellers don't understand how to build a benefit from a feature. Back when I was first learning to... Read More

7 Essential Tips for Reviewing and Approving Copy

Nothing can turn strong copy into a 97-pound weakling faster than a flawed review process. The result is severely handicapped marketing efforts and, alas, fewer sales.How can you avoid this dire marketing situation?By having a smart and consistent review process that preserves the selling power of your marketing communications. Following... Read More

The One Word Every Prospect Craves

It's arguably the most important word in the copywriter's arsenal. It ranks right at the top with words like "free," "new" and "savings."I'm talking about "you.""You" is the word that gets your prospect's attention and keeps them involved. As Herschell Gordon Lewis says in "The Art of Writing Copy," "Unless... Read More

How to Get Instant Attention

Most of us have seen a heckler at a baseball game. Sure, he's likely to draw attention, both positive and negative. The louder he hollers, the more attention he gets.But do you and I want that kind of attention? Probably not. What most of us want to do ? especially... Read More

Writing Great Website Sales Copy

Many small businesses fail because their owners don't pay enough attention to marketing and sales. Part of the effectiveness of a marketing effort is directly related to the sales copy you produce. This is especially true on websites. Sales copy is the words you use to convince prospective customers to... Read More

Copywriting for the Web: Do You Have What It Takes?

In the world of web copywriters, many will try, but few will succeed. What category will you be classified as? Hopeless failure, or smashing success?Well, that's a foolish question, right? You want to be successful, of course! You know that you can razzle-dazzle 'em with your knock-'em-out, drag-'em-down copywriting skills.... Read More

Crank Out More Articles More Often With An Article Swipe File

If you write copy you need a swipe file. A good swipe file can save you lot's of work and enable you to crank out more articles more oftenEvery good copywriter has a swipe file. A Swipe file contains Headlines, Articles and Article paragraphs you have previously written. Your Typical... Read More

Your Article Headlines will Make or Break Your Business

Most people with an online presence will have to regularly deal with the issue of coming up with an appropriate headline. The problem is that most people do not take it seriously enough. Many do not realize that the headline is so important that no matter how good the content... Read More

Buy My Book for $27 and Ill Give You Bonuses Worth a Gazillion Dollars!

Subhead..How to bundle for valuable results without devaluing your productI almost clicked. Really, I did.The ad copy was compelling, the content focused. This was exactly what I was looking for. Yes, I was convinced I had found just the eBook I needed to add to my e-library.Credit card in hand,... Read More

Copywriting 101: Exclamation Point, Friend or Foe?

My name is Ann and I'm a grammar geek. There, it's out and I'm relieved. Does this mean my writing is perfect and consistently conforms to grammar rules? Heck, no. It does mean that I spend hours perseverating about serial commas, dangling participles, and feeling guilty if I end a... Read More

10 Tips for Aspiring Freelance Copywriters

Every week I receive a couple of emails from people seeking advice on how to get into freelance copywriting. While there's no simple answer, and no answer which applies to everyone, there are a few tips which I believe will help most people make the move into freelance copywriting, and... Read More

Top 10 Ways For Copywriters To Overcome Writers Block

We all know that words have the power to persuade, compel and most importantly, sell.However, many have likened the process to getting the 'right words' to trying to get blood from a stone.When I first started out, writing copy meant slitting my wrist and 'giving blood'.Of course, I've greatly refined... Read More

The Write Way To Grow Your Business

Hone your writing skills to project a more professional business image.The sales letter you can't put down?the advertising copy that makes you want the product?the resume that prompts you to call the job candidate this second?All these are examples of exceptional business writing. While you certainly know good writing when... Read More

Its Time To Start That Swipe File

Just as great fiction is an art, so is great copywriting. Beneath the art, however, there's a foundation of basic knowledge and skills. The craft that goes into your writing.Craft comes first. Art follows.You learn the craft of writing by educating yourself, by the actual process of writing (the doing),... Read More

Quotations as Expressions in Life

Quotations are expressions, usually in the spoken form or in literature, which are referenced to by others. Usually, quotations are written within quotation marks, as a verbum dicendi, to indicate that it was an expression given by a particular person. Nowadays, quotations are usually referenced from sources such as literature,... Read More

Killer Ad Copy

Not everyone is a writer. Good copy writing is a science and can be learned over time. Great copy writing is an art and should problably remain in the hands of those who can craft it well.Words have power.They can make you laugh, cry experience great joy, provide encouragement or... Read More

How You Can Find Freelance Copy Editing Jobs

Even for those with the skills needed, finding copy editing jobs can seem next to impossible. The simple fact of the matter is, though, that through quality and building relationships, these jobs can be found and employment can lead to a career in the field. For those who are struggling... Read More

Why Your Advertising Copy is not the Most Important Part of Your Ad

If you own a shop in the middle of the desert, and nobody walks past... obviously you're not going to attract many customers.If you own a vegetarian café in the middle of a meat-eating suburb? you could get very skinny... very fast.And if you run ads where either:a) The wrong... Read More

Copywriting FAQs

One of the biggest challenges a copywriter faces is to make future clients feel confident in his or her ability. You know you can deliver, but your clients don't know that... yet! In my own experiences as a freelancer, I've noticed that the most hesitant potential clients often ask the... Read More

7 Steps You MUST Take Before Writing a Word of Copy!

Copywriting ChecklistOkay, you know you have your product (or service) in front of you. Now it's time to get the word out with an attention-grabbing sales letter. But where do you begin? Whether you hire someone to write your copy, pass it off to a staff member or learn to... Read More

Help, Help, Help, Sell

Here's a fundamental difference between copywriting offline and copywriting for the web... - Give or take, my job as a copywriter offline was to sell, sell, sell, sell. - Online, I think, my job is best described as help, help, help, sell. How come? Because web sites are a pain... Read More

Who is Your Customer?

When you want to sell something?anything? you need to first know who is going to buy it. Why? Because your ad copy has to be written to that person.You should actually picture a real person and write to them. It might be someone you know or someone you know about.... Read More

Telegraph.co.uk
Blogs roundup: why I appreciate a shiny pair of jackboots, smiling Expo ...
Telegraph.co.uk
Read more Copywriting in Shanghai, I've come across some pretty appalling slogans... Read more One of the strengths of the programmes based on 3D footage of ...

'Postcard format ideal for direct mail'
Market Scan (blog)
Writing on Marketing Profs, Social media consultant Mack Collier recently advised marketers to maintain excellent copywriting quality on all their marketing ...

and more »

Free eCourse Available: “3 Simple Steps to Getting Free Media Publicity�
PR.com (press release)
Her Tennessee-based firm specializes in providing press release campaigns, professional copywriting and emarketing consulting to companies worldwide. ...

MarketingProfs.com (subscription)
Write From Your Reader's Perspective
MarketingProfs.com (subscription)
It has been said that the most important word in copywriting is "you"—and that is certainly true. When potential customers arrive at your ...

Are you an ideas person? Copywriting may just be the career for you
Economic Times
As Sheldon Sequeira, a junior copywriter at an ad agency cheekily admits, “It's the perfect job for someone who is physically (but not mentally) lazy. ...

Scribe-Media receives DTI copywriting contracts
Bizcommunity.com
We are proud to announce that Scribe-Media has been appointed by associate graphic designing company, Dynamic Designs, to be the sole copywriters for the ...

A Balcony View: 'Tis not the season yet; not here, anyway
Glendale News Press
He is Senior Manager of Communications for DIRECTV and a copywriting professor at Pasadena Art Center College of Design. ...

Vistaprint Helps Small Businesses Improve Their Search Rankings
CNNMoney.com (press release)
... promotional apparel including hats and T-shirts; and marketing services such as websites, copywriting, email marketing, design and postcard mailing. ...

and more »

Best Mobile Apps to Be Named by Web Marketing Association
Earthtimes (press release)
Each mobile app will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium. The IAC Awards provides an opportunity to find ...

and more »

[ Copywriters can no longer solve all brand problems, says Charlie Crowe ]
Marketing Magazine
“The answers to all your communication problems don't sit in a copywriting department,� he said. “Sure, some might, but think broader because your problems ...

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Long Copy versus Short Copy