You are here: Home / Archives for Copywriter
Nov
19

Not so secret weapon of successful entrepreneurs

By | Entrepreneur, Neighborhood Marketing, Success

Leave a Comment

Are you a hermit?

I am.

After 9 years in business, I can honestly say this is one of my biggest weaknesses.

When I started my business, I used to go to networking events, lunch groups, and anything else I found locally that sounded useful for meeting other entrepreneurs.

It was a great thing to do – but I got tired of all the network marketers pitching me on their million dollar ‘chance-of-a-lifetime’ opportunities. Of the 50 mortgage brokers that all sounded identical. Or the realtors that believed that a business card with a head shot was all they needed to stand out from the 5,000 OTHER realtors with a canned business card just like theirs.

So I stopped going.

Then I stopped going to many of the seminars I used to enjoy.

And I worked… lots.

Who needs face-to-face interaction??

Not me! So I thought.

And hibernation mode set it.

Depression right along side it.

Lo and behold – I found a cure… get back outside of the home office, and into the public eye.

Wow – peeeeeople.

Amazing how opportunities that didn’t exist before – were right there in front of me now.

And can be for you too.

FIND a way to get yourself in front of more people. It may not be comfortable for you. You may feel awkward. You may be an introvert. But just do it.

A new year is almost upon us and this is the perfect time to think through all the things you KNOW you should be doing but aren’t.

And networking is one of those things I thought I didn’t miss – but now realize I do.

Try it out – you just never know who you will meet and what amazing insights you will learn.

Troy

Oct
22

Time Tested Tips for Mastering Your Writing

By | advertising, Copywriting, Entrepreneur, Main Content, Marketing on the web, Story Selling

10 Comments

Finding your voice is something that takes time. It isn’t natural to most people (myself included, I eeked out a sub-par passing grade in English both in High School and University – had to take the Writing class twice to get my grades up)

It really comes down to writing every single day.

While you don’t have to post a new blog every day, you do need to write something. Writing every day helps you develop a more natural rhythm to your writing.

The problem with having “rules” for writing is that none of them apply to everyone. One rule that works for me – may not work for you. And something that works for you – may not work for me.

Some writing ‘rules’ that I like and use, try them out and see how they feel:

* Schedule your writing time like you would schedule any profit producing activity

* Schedule in 1-2 hour blocks (and use the Eugene Schwartz technique and write for 33 minutes, 33 seconds – take a 5 min break – then wrote for another 33:33)

* Write during dead time

* Write during busy times

* Use Evernote to track all your writing and keep it organized

* Get used to the fact that your writing is worth money… the more you write, the more you can market, the more you can make

* Write when you are excited

* Write when you are in a funk

* Learn to think in stories – find something every day that happened to you – something you could build into a story – stories are proven to FAR outperform fact based marketing messages… use this fact to your advantage

* Find industry news, trends, or media mentions that you can use in your writing – store them in Evernote for future reference.

* Write even more

* Write stories about your family, your friends, your business associates.

* Write advertisements that tell a story about your business beginnings and the lessons you have learned

* Write stories about your best customers

* Write stories about your pets

…the key is to write.

It isn’t magic.

But it is profitable.

Try it for a week or two and see you you feel.

I dare you!

Every. Single. Day.

Then let me know how you feel.

May
25

Good news for marketers… or is it news?

By | advertising, Copywriting, Direct Mail, Entrepreneur, Leads Generation, Marketing on the web, Success, Wacky marketing ideas

1 Comment

NEWS FLASH: Long copy ads make a comeback.

Or did they actually go anywhere?

One of the longest standing debates online is whether long copy or short copy works better.

Short copy advocates say “no one will read all that text”.

Long copy advocates say “without the text they have nothing to base a decision on”.

As you probably know by now, I am a BIG believer in long copy ads.

So when I saw this article by Marketing Forecast, it wasn’t a big surprise to me.

The summary – short copy ads are increasing prevalent on the net, and increasing difficult to stand out from the crowd with.

Reaaaaally?

Who’d have thunk it?

Imagine that…

…someone interested in weight loss goes online and sees one page with some pretty pictures of people who lost weight – and an order button.

The next page they go to shows the pictures, and actually tells the story about how Joe was 84 pounds overweight, had poor health, his children were worried about him, his boss gave him an ultimatum about dressing properly to be in front of clients, and his wife stopped having sex with him a year ago.

Eureka!

He finds a simple solution… and follows it to the T.

It shows his journal entries… and his weight loss records. Then it explains what his life is like now being 75 pounds lighter, happy kids he can play with, his wife is constantly dragging him back to the bedroom, and his boss gave him a raise thanks to his increased confidence and sales numbers.

What do you think…

…pretty pictures

…or an actual story explaining the pictures

Which will make more money?

Not too hard to figure out.

If the long copy ad is targeted at people who are overweight and experiecing problems liuke Joe was, the long copy ad will SMOKE the short copy ad.

It. Just. Makes. Sense.

But it is news on the internet.

For some reason.

The point is… long copy is (almost) always easier to tell a story with.

Picture ads look nice, but are MUCH more costly to try and get the sales numbers.

And the small business owners and entrepreneurs I work with are wayyyyyy more concerned about their bank account and ability to feed their family, than the beautiful branding campaign that cost them a second mortgage and brought them nothing in bankable revenues.

I LOVE working with entrepreneurs.

Their passion is contagious.

Their drive is irreplacable.

Their ability to see and do things mere mortals can’t is admirable.

And their entrepreneurial spirit is what drives economies back from the brink.

I never left long copy – and if you did – now is the time to get back!

Let me know your thoughts on the long copy vs short debate.

Troy

Jan
20

Marketing Quick-Hit Tips

By | advertising, Affluent buyers, Copywriting, Entrepreneur, Leads Generation, Main Content, Success, Wacky marketing ideas

Leave a Comment

[Read more...]

Sep
01

How to Fast Track Your Copywriting Success

By | Copywriting, Success

Last week I had a very familiar question come across my email inbox I wanted to share.

Mike had told me some of the background of how he had lost his job, wanted to get going online, but was still lost.

Even if you are not out of a job, but just want to get good fast at writing winning sales copy, this is a formula that will work for you too.

Here is the question he asked and my answer that may help you as well…

Mike’s question…

So I guess what I am asking is, where do I start? I’ve gathered together a great deal of information on HOW to write good sales copy. Now I have to sift through it all and make sense of it. Can you help me get started?

My answer…

Hi Mike,  Great to hear from you.

A fairly common question and issue I hear.

One of the biggest and most powerful things you MUST start doing right now

is to take all this copy material you have and start handwriting out the best

ads and letters.  Invest 2 hours a day handwriting out successful ads and letters

and you will become a stellar writer in 6 months (as long as you are also writing

other ads for yourself or for other people).

Read through winning sales letters and advertisements every single day – pay close attention to the formula behind the letter – get that right and it is worth

a fortune in the right hands.

I know it is a tough thing to do, but write down your goals – 6 month, 12
month, 3 and 5 years as well. Be realistic – but push your goals higher than
you ever have before.  Thing BIG.  Then think BIGGER. It is very possible,
with the right plan, the right guidance, and the right pig-headed
determination.  I have been on my own almost 5 years now and it has been the
toughest thing, yet the most enjoyable, that I have ever done in my life.

If I were you, I would start journaling.  Find a way to put at least 120
minutes a day into your writing. Write about anything for now. As you get
going, you will find specific things to write about that you can sell or use
in your business.  I am very grateful I learned about the massive demand out
there for decent business and sales writers… always a market there for
you.

The key for you now?

MASSIVE ACTION.

Start writing for hours a day.

Start talking to other ezine writers – other internet entrepreneurs – other authors

- other blog writers.  Get on the forums – find out what people are needing help

on the writing end with.

Start writing ads for people for free to get some samples and some testimonials.

ACTION is the only way to get from where you are now to where you want to be.

More books on copywriting will help you unless you start writing.

Try that – then email me back and let me know how it’s going.

There is ample work out there for copy – you need to get out there and find it – then

do it!

Hope this helps. Troy

This formula for getting good fast at writing is proven to work every time. So I have a challenge for you over the next week or two.

Take a successful letter, and hand write it out like I mentioned above. Not just once, but hand write it out 5 times over the coming week. If you do not know which letter to use, email me back at Troy White email

See for yourself what a difference this technique makes. In 6 months of doing these 2 hours a day, I probably tripled or quadrupled my writing ability and effectiveness… and it will work for you too.

If you want to start writing money making advertisements, use this formula for the next 7 days. And let me know how it goes.

Have a great week. Troy

Aug
17

Writers block is a bitch… a nasty one

By | Copywriting, Success, Time management and productivity

When your income depends on you writing, being blocked to the point of zero output is deadly to your income.

Combine that with the fact that writers block is really all in the mind, and it gets even more frustrating.

After 7 years of successful growth in my business, I feel stuck… and stuck good at that!

A combination of burnout, summer time, and frustration with one area of my business and it has resulted in this.

Plus, the economy is in the toilet and people are buying less. I don’t sell magic pills that claim to make you millions overnight, but those who are selling the magical solutions are making a killing right now.

Personally, I couldn’t sleep at night selling that crap… but it appears many others don’t have the same values that I do.

So how do I (did I) get out of this?

I wrote.

I wrote when I had inspiration.

When I had a stupid idea.

When I had a brilliant idea.

I wrote when I didn’t feel like it.

And when I did.

I had to shake it through massive action.

I tried on a computer.

I tried pen to paper.

At night.

And in the morning.

Finally it started to come back and flow like it should. But it wasn’t easy.

My point to you is…

…when your life and income depend on it…

find a way to do what you know needs to be done.

It really is that simple to fix. Don’t get me wrong: it may not be easy at all, but you just have to find a way through it. And MASSIVE ACTION is the best and only way I know of to keep moving forward.

So get busy… the path is there… find it and follow it… doing what you need to do along the way.

And if you get blocked on what to write… write about being blocked. Write about being po’d about being clocked. Write about anything and eventually it will come back to you.