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LinkedInDoc Bottoms’ guide to copywriting with personality
Too many copywriters who learn the craft of selling fall into a rigid 37-reasons-to-buy approach that packs plenty of information but lacks a personal connection to consumers.
Sometimes, you need to loosen up, be creative, and inject a little personality. This Doc Bottoms TV ad is a perfect example. It’s funny, crass, borderline offensive … and terrific. And yes, it’s a real product.
For the record, I think humor is an advertising gamble. But this is a case where humor allows for a level of honesty that a more serious approach may not deliver.
Notice that the script follows the classic DRTV formula: present a problem, offer a solution, demonstrate the product, make an offer. So this isn’t a self-indulgent string of jokes. Plus, direct response TV ads in particular have successfully used humor for years.
Cut research time in half with this copywriting checklist
Good copywriting starts with thorough research. So ideally, you should be able to take as much time as you need to gather background information.
But in reality, copywriting is always done on a deadline. Too often, you barely have enough time to write about a product or service, let alone do extensive research.
The answer? A copywriting research checklist. Below is a generic checklist I’ve used for years. I’ve also developed others for specific industries or project types. You can use a checklist to collect information quickly or as a structured interview guide.
ALWAYS do as much research as you can BEFORE you brainstorm idea or write a single word. Not only will a checklist save you time on research, it can significantly reduce your writing time because you’ll have something relevant to write about.
Sell anything with this universal copywriting formula
If you asked the average person to describe copywriting as a mathematical formula, it might look something like this:
Writing Skill + Creativity = Copywriting
Unfortunately, this is wrong. It may sound like a contradiction, but copywriting isn’t about writing or creativity.
This is one of the most difficult concepts for novice copywriters to understand. There’s no mystery why this is. English teachers talk about writing as wordsmithing. Movie makers show writers as tortured artists. Even when writing is linked to business, it’s usually in the context of creating clever, flashy ad campaigns.
When it comes time to consider copywriting as a career or adding copywriting as a skill set for a corporate job, most people begin with the idea that copywriting is just another kind of creative writing, a fall-back job when dreams of the great American novel start to fade.
Some copywriting is about clever writing, if you work in certain ad agencies. But most copywriting is about selling. Good copywriters are sales people with a word processor.
Whitesmoke to the writer’s rescue
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had it up to here (I’m holding my hand up to my neck now) with the typical spell check and grammar check.
These built-in writing tools catch some of the more obvious things, such as misspelled words, but they’re near useless for grammar and punctuation. And they don’t catch things like missing words.
That’s why I was so thrilled recently when I discovered Whitesmoke. It’s not just a spell checker, it’s a comprehensive proofing and editing system that is a genius compared to what you get with word processing software.
There’s no substitute for a human proofing your copy, but this comes pretty close.
Turn an angry client into a loyal client (with one word)
If you’re a freelance copywriter, it’s like getting struck by lightening.
You’re having a great day and then BLAM! Your client ambushes you at a meeting or starts yelling at you over the phone. Something is terribly wrong and you are in the hot seat.
What do you do?
Don’t panic! You’re human and there’s no way to be totally calm when a client is angry. But you need to keep your head clear. How? By remembering one word: ANGER.
It’s easy to recall, given the situation. Each letter gives you a step for dealing with the problem: Acknowledge — Nod — Guide — Execute — Retreat. I’ll explain each step. Then I’ll tell you how this word can help you turn your angry client into a loyal client for years to come. Read more
30 copywriting blogs that are actually worth reading
There are zillions of copywriting blogs out there. Most fall into one of four categories:
- Blogs used to promote a copywriter’s services.
- Blogs by people who primarily want to sell you money-making stuff related to copywriting.
- Blogs that say they’re about copywriting but seldom provide any usable copywriting advice.
- Blogs on copywriting by people overseas who can’t write in English very well.
I’m not criticizing any of these blogs. They all have their purpose (except maybe the last category). It’s just that it’s harder than you might think to find good blogs with useful copywriting tips.
Here are 30 blogs (in no particular order) that do offer advice on copywriting.
How to type thousands of special “hidden” characters
Have you ever been writing copy and needed to insert a ® (registration mark), © (copyright symbol), or some other special character?
On some word processing programs if you type (c), the program will automatically transform those three characters (left parentheses, the letter c, right parentheses) into the proper one-character symbol. This works for a few other characters as well.
But there are other ways to do this and access thousands of “extended characters” hidden inside the fonts on your computer. One is to look up a list of Alt codes for all the characters, which you can find on the Internet. For example, if you hold down the Alt key and type 0169, you get ©.
Another way is to open a little built-in program called Character Map on Windows and Character Palette on Mac. You just select the typeface you’re using and you can choose from a huge collection of special characters. Personally, I find this a lot easier than memorizing Alt codes. And using the correct symbols gives documents a professional look.
If you need a little help, read more about Character Map or Character Palette.
117 tested advertising headlines that made money
If you want to write great headlines, you need to read great headlines. One of the best sources is Tested Advertising Methods
John Caples is to copywriters what Donald Trump is to entrepreneurs. He was Vice President of the BBDO advertising agency and became famous as the copywriter who rigorously tested headlines and every element of advertising copy to make money for his clients.
In no particular order, here are 119 advertising headlines cited in Tested Advertising Methods
Read more
Why vanity phone numbers can kill your ad copy
Vanity phone numbers give businesses a powerful marketing tool. But despite what you might think, it’s not always a great idea to use them in written copy.
Just to make sure you understand what a vanity number is, here’s an example. Let’s say you run a lawn care business. When you’re setting up your phone line, you could accept the random number the phone company assigns to you, or you could search for a number that “spells” a word or phrase when it’s entered on a phone keypad. Example: 1-800-876-5296 is 1-800-TOP-LAWN.
Great idea, right? Sort of. It’s a great idea if you want people to remember a number. If you’re writing a radio ad, a vanity number will probably increase phone calls because it’s easy to remember. But what if you’re writing a print ad or a brochure?
Trash MS Word and find freedom with OpenOffice.org
If you’ve never heard of OpenOffice.org, it’s time you did. It’s the choice of thousands of smart writers.
“Choice” isn’t a term you associate with Microsoft Word. You use it because it came pre-installed on your computer. Right?
Word is the standard word processing program for the business world, so it’s convenient to have documents in that format. But let’s face it, like so many of Microsoft’s products, Word has grown into a clunky behemoth. You probably don’t use more than 5 or 10 percent of its features.
Worse, with the release of the Vista operating system, Microsoft stopped pre-installing Word and replaced it with Works, a program that went out of vogue years ago. Why? I guess Bill Gates needs a new pair of shoes. He wants you to pay for Word.
But with OpenOffice.org you have a better choice. It’s small, it’s fast, it includes all the features you need as a professional writer, and it’s free.
