Copywriting Insights
I never like the word 'blog' a menu title.
Isn't 'Copywriting Insights' way more appealing?
Here's where you'll find out about -
- how copywriting works
- countless copywriting ideas, hints and tips ... some of which actually work!
- what questions you should be asking before taking on a copywriter
- SEO - how to write to keep Google happy. (Should you write to keep Google happy? Maybe not)
- how to write a compelling Call To Action
- weird word quirks for word nerds
- writing newsletters
- the best books to read on copywriting
- grammar stuff
I could go on ... in fact I do go on and will go on, with more tips, news and info posted almost every day.
Check out the growing list of categories on the right.
Even better - sign up to get it all in one weekly newsletter - The Copywriter's Chronicle
Oh - and when you do sign up, I'll send you a free copy of my 15-point Web Copy checklist.
Is your brand just an empty shell?
Ninety-five percent of large organisations have brand guidelines.
These are filled with pages of information on the correct and incorrect ways to make use of brand components like logos, colour palettes, and photography. There's even direction for the proper spacing of margins and columns. However, not all organisations have guidelines on brand voice.
Has yours? It hasn't? Maybe it should.
Oct 12, 2023
Your LinkedIn profile picture is your first impression - your virtual handshake with potential employers, collaborators, and connections. A picture speaks a thousand words, and your profile photo is no exception. It's the visual representation of your professionalism and approachability. And in case you're wondering ... yes, these LinkedIn profile photos are all, in their own sweet way, crap.
Aug 21, 2023
Your LinkedIn profile is your virtual business card - your professional identity. The banner at the top will always be its most eye-catching and crucial element. This space offers a unique opportunity to make a strong first impression and communicate your personal brand to potential employers, clients, and colleagues. Let's look at your LinkedIn profile banner's key elements – the components that will make you stand out amongst the crowd.
Aug 20, 2023
... and why I'm NOT wishing you a Happy New Year.
or ... why email newsletter subject lines matter SO much
Let's get one thing out of the way first -
Of course I wish you, yours and everyone a utterly lovely and very Happy New Year! (OK - let's exclude global despots, scammers, conspiracy theorists and the rest of the world's ne'er-do-wells - but you get my drift.)
Dec 31, 2022
Calls To Action - we all know how important they are. But how easy are they to write?
Dec 13, 2022
HEADLINES AND SUB-HEADLINES - Why do they matter?
Headlines and sub-headlines are a bit like dating. (As if I would know! It's been 42 years!)
Dec 9, 2022
When I'm deep in discussion with a solo client, and we're working through their website copy , we wrestle with one particular challenge more than any other.
Should we use the pronoun 'I' or 'We'?
Nov 30, 2022
JARGON – DOES IT HAVE ITS PLACE? We all know what a turn-off jargon can be. If you want to disengage your reader with your copywriting , go ahead. Flummox them with the finest jumble of gibberish your industry, sector, trade or profession can summon up.
May 26, 2022
I'm always banging on about the perils of yawn-inducing long sentences and the painful impact on the brain of repetitive short ones. So what's the answer? In our blogs, our web copy, our newsletters, our sales copy ... How long should our sentences be?
May 23, 2022
Oh Mr. Lineker, what have you done?
Did you realise? You committed one of the biggest copywriting sins of all - sarcasm.
May 15, 2022
It's never easy to say 'I'm sorry' - and mean it. We do almost anything to avoid the humiliation. And even when there's no alternative - when we know we just have to kneel before the one we have wronged and admit our shortcoming - we still try to weasel our way out of making a full-on apology. And we often do this by twisting the way we use language.
Nov 9, 2021
Mask-wearing and writing sales copy that works
There is a link. Mask-wearing is very much back in the news. The Leader of the House of Commons tells us that we won't catch the virus, as long as we're amongst friends. That's a relief. Better find myself a friend
Oct 23, 2021
Yesterday, a newsletter nervously poked its head into my inbox. Nothing unusual there. Nothing unusual about the subject matter either. It was the tone that really struck me. Maybe 'struck' is the wrong word. This newsletter assailed my senses with all the force of a soggy haddock. It was a right 'turn-off'. I'd have preferred a pushy, 'salesy' approach.
Sep 6, 2021
Does writer’s block put you off writing a blog?
You might have read that distraction is the best cure - take a walk, cook a meal, phone a friend, bath the dog, cook the dog, bath a friend. Any of these might work … or they might not. Sooner or later, we must drag ourselves back to the PC and get serious about writing.
Jul 26, 2021
We often tend to take our website menu titles for granted. But shouldn't we think more carefully about how we word them?
Jul 22, 2021
... or how to come across as the warm, welcoming business you really are.
How do you want to come across in your business communications? 1. Officious? Stand-off-ish? Remote? or 2. Warm, friendly and approachable? Let me have a wild guess? I'm going for no.2.
Jul 17, 2021
Did you know? The world's longest non-life sentence was imposed on Thai pyramid scheme fraudster Chamoy Thipyaso, who was jailed for 141,078 years in 1989. But, of course, as you've already worked out, this article is about sentence length in your writing - what works and what doesn't.
Jul 16, 2021
Who needs Press Releases? As part of the Newspaper dinosaur family, aren't they pretty much extinct? You might think so, but you’d be wrong. If you have a business, you need Press Releases. Find out why, how to write them ... plus get your Press Release template.
Nov 17, 2020
CASE STUDIES - AUDREY HEPBURN HAD THE RIGHT IDEA Have you noticed how few businesses bother with Case Studies? They seem to think that all that's needed to open the floodgates of customer enquiries is to tell the world how great they are. Sure – promoting your products or services matters. But there's much more you can do to draw in your potential clients - adding Case Studies to your website being a prime example.
Oct 28, 2020
‘Oooh lovely! A Sales Letter … just what I fancy reading!’
When was the last time you responded like this to a Sales Letter that gate-crashed its way onto your doormat? Get ready for a surprise. You might not love them, but the evidence is clear - Direct Mail Sales Letters are more effective than ever before.
Today I’ll show you the proof. Then we’ll look at a few easy tricks to give your sales letter a greater chance of success.
Oct 27, 2020
How's your direct mail program working? How are your response rates? In this two-part article, you’ll pick up a handful of hints and tips that will make all the difference. Say a big ‘hello’ to the most powerful instance of copywriting you’re ever likely to use. The Sales Letter. What? More potent than web copy? Yep – most certainly.
Oct 5, 2020
Did you know? There's a simple trick you can use to double or even treble your website's engagement rate. Zero effort. Zero expense. All it takes is a scintilla of original thinking. I'll leave it to the 13-year-old boy to explain ...
Sep 14, 2020
4 answers to 5 questions
Here are five questions I’ve asked of ‘experts’ in recent months?
How big does my turkey need to be to feed a family of 16?
Why won’t the lawnmower start?
What’s the best way to get moss off my roof?
For how much longer do I have to keep taking this medication which makes me so sleepy all day?
Are you sure it’s my turn to take the bins out? Straightforward questions to which there are straightforward answers - but how about this one?
What is the ideal word count for a web page?
Sep 7, 2020
You? A copywriter? Forget it!
Only the uniquely gifted possess the rarefied talents required to become copywriters. Only the chosen ones can even dream of attaining the almost super-natural skills required to make words do the business for their business.
Right?
Wrong – very wrong.
Aug 24, 2020
“Look – I’m a technician. I haven’t a clue about words. It’s your job to come up with all the flowery language.” These were the words of Bob, my lovely new client from a few years ago.
You'll appreciate I've had to let Bob down gently. I quickly reminded him that, of the many services offered by Copywriter Pro, being the purveyor of ‘flowery language’ isn’t one.
Jun 30, 2020
We often hear about the importance of writing with empathy - of making our readers feel we’re ‘with’ them. All the best writers manage this. No more so than Maya Angelou. She famously wrote about using words to express empathy.
“I’ve learned that - people will forget what you said. people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
So, we all know the value of writing with empathy - but how to do it ... that's another matter. One sure-fire way is to use three common, yet exceptional, words.
Jun 29, 2020
Apparently, I'm awesome. No - really. I must be. Well, at least that's what some clever marketing whizzo thinks.
I've rarely felt so insulted.
Jun 22, 2020
Using empathy to engage your readers.
Remember those heady days when mail merge was first available for PC users? You do? I’m not sure I believe you. No matter. If you truly are that old, you’ll recall the excitement. At last you could write 'personal' emails ... or do I mean 'personalised'? Is there a difference? You bet there is.
Jun 21, 2020
Well - that was a nice weekend. Did you enjoy 'the longest day?' Was that you I spotted dancing naked round a bonfire in your back garden - maintaining social distance at all times of course?
So - from longest days to longest words, sentences and novels.
Jun 21, 2020
This moggy's curiosity may place it in great danger but your curiosity is the one trait that will make or break you as a writer. No - I'm not suggesting you have aspirations to be the next Tolstoy, J.K. Rowling or Jeffrey Archer (Forgive me. I don't know where that last one came from). Rather, I was thinking about your approach as you write your blogs, your newsletters - even your everyday emails.
Jun 14, 2020
A recent survey concluded that the most powerful word in the English language is ...
Jun 14, 2020
Ever heard of a ‘Tom Swifty’? Well, it’s a wonderful pun-loving phenomenon. Tom Swift is a fictional character from a series of books by Edward Statemeyer. The puns are based on adverbs or adverbial phrases … and they look like this –
Jun 9, 2020
'The trouble with you', I was cruelly, but possibly accurately, reminded the other day, 'is that you always have to have the last word' ... which got me thinking. There have been some pretty memorable 'last words'. Here's a handful -
Jun 9, 2020
It had to happen. No lover of words can go for long without stumbling across the wit and no-little-wisdom of the great Groucho Marx.
Jun 9, 2020
Features & benefits
Putting the ‘why’ before the ‘what’.
Yes - it’s that old chestnut - The Tweedledum and Tweedledee of commercial copywriting - features and benefits.
I can hear the collective groan - “Oh not that one! Everyone knows the difference.”
But do they? Some have a funny way of showing it.
Jun 8, 2020
Bite that bullet - One of the easiest and most effective ways to encourage your reader to stick with you
Jun 7, 2020
Hellenomania - a madness for things Greek - and sometimes Roman too. This unfortunate condition most frequently crops up in the world of words.
May 31, 2020
Have you noticed how some businesses cram bucketloads of testimonials on a single web page? It all looks over the top, don’t you think? Be honest – do you ever trudge through them all? I don’t – not ever. My response is usually, ‘OK – I get it. You’re brilliant. Let’s move on’. So - for testimonials to be effective, how should we use them?
May 24, 2020
It was National Limerick Day the other day. I can't resist posting the Copywriter's limerick composed by Monica Sharman -
May 23, 2020
Isn't it great news? At last, you can get rid of that massively overpaid word nerd. You've always known you're a great copywriter. From today, you can prove it once and for all. With uncharacteristically selfless generosity, I'm going revealing to you a wonderful little tool that's available to us all, but is usually tucked away where we can't find it.
Five minutes from now, you'll know how to test everything you write - every blog, every web page, every email, letter, press release, case study or white paper - the lot. You'll be able to check them for readability ... in just seconds.
May 23, 2020
Press Releases - possibly better to call them Media Releases these days, as they're used across all kinds of communication format. Some say these little nuggets are a thing of the past. They're wrong. Look at Press Releases as free advertising - but without the dubious odour of commercialism. They're a great way to communicate a piece of news about your business - expansion - a new appointment - an exciting contract - an acquisition - a major investment. Press Releases are also a vital tool for putting a positive spin on bad news. Whatever the function of your Press Release, you need to follow a pattern.
May 16, 2020
Typos - aren't they shockers? Who occasionally makes these annoying errors? Well, you do for a start. And, as long as you promise to keep this between us, I'll confess - I've been known to commit the odd erratum too. Of course, we all do. Often our little mistakes have little or no consequence. On other occasions, the impact can be somewhat serious. Here's a salutary tale -
May 16, 2020
Back in 1974, American songwriter, Billy Swan, released his only hit. I've a sneaking suspicion that, as he penned the lyrics, the last thing on his mind was pitching for business. Yet, the title of the one-hit-wonder seems to be used by almost every business in almost every marketing pitch. And the song is - I Can Help .
May 12, 2020
Is the client brief the most critical part of a copywriter's work?
Well, there's certainly a case to be made for this being true. Without knowing the client's
- target market - project goals - market conditions - competitors - brand values - USPs - tone of voice how can a copywriter even make a start on the project?
May 11, 2020
Shout it loud. Did you know that Monday of this week is - wait for it - World Ego Day. So - what better opportunity to talk about the worst word in copywriting - I - while at the same time celebrating the finest - You!
Let me tell you about my daughter, Hannah. This young lady would have made a great copywriter. What do you mean, “How do I know?”? It’s in her genes of course! But no - it’s true. She has all the right instincts. And this is how I know ...
May 10, 2020
How much should I pay for copywriting?
What a great question - and oddly enough, one that so many copywriters seem scared to answer. But think about it. We’re talking about your money after all and how you might be choosing to spend it - so it seems pretty reasonable to ask, ‘how much does copywriting cost?’
Imagine you’re standing outside a restaurant, examining the menu, but the menu shows no prices. What’s more likely? That you take a table or that you move on down the street?
Well it’s the same with copywriting. ‘How much?’ is an excellent question.
May 10, 2020
Did you read this yesterday? That fine man, Mr. Barak Oabama - someone I will always look up to for so many reasons - it seems he has a flaw.
Read what he came out with only yesterday -
May 10, 2020
Shops.
Remember them? Their fascias - the signs above the door - were always reckoned to be pretty important. It's just the same with your Home Page banner. Design it with care. Make it attractive. Make it relevant. Remember - your banner serves one single purpose - to persuade your visitors to explore your wonderful website.
May 2, 2020
Last Tuesday's heart attack came as a bit of a shock. In the great scheme of life (and, I guess, death too) - heart attacks are not unusual. They happen. Although, for me, I suppose this was a first. The unhappy event came as a particular surprise. You see, my family basks complacently in a history of hale and healthy hearts. Going back generations, ancestor after ancestor has successfully defied the odds of coronary mortality. My lot simply live a long, long time. A fact freely acknowledged by friends and business associates who forever remark (usually when they think I'm out of earshot) upon my ability to 'go on and on'?
Apr 18, 2020
Here's a little something to help while away those self-isolation hours.
My family have been playing this for years. It's a simple word game.
Well, what do you expect? Words are my life and many would say I'm simple!
You can play this at home but it also works using Zoom or other conferencing platforms.
Mar 31, 2020
Do you care about grammar?
I'd hazard a guess that Catherine Tate's redoubtable character, Lauren, almost certainly doesn't. But when we write copy, should we slavishly follow the rules of grammar? Are you sure?
Mar 23, 2020
Every other Thursday, I enjoy the great pleasure of an hour or two in the company of a man called Martin Beckley. There’s plenty to admire about Martin. Not only is he splendid networking company. Not only is he a terrific graphic designer. Martin also happens to be a speaker worth listening to.
Mar 9, 2020
In recent blogs, we've been looking at writing your own web content. We've already covered - what your website is for - What do you want it to achieve? and - who it's to - Who’s your reader?
In this and the next couple of blogs, let's look at the final pieces in your preparation jigsaw. Your web pages - their structure and how to organise them.
Feb 24, 2020
In the last article, we looked at the importance of preparing your web copy before launching into the creative part. Here, we'll examine a vital, but so often neglected, aspect of effective copywriting - thinking about who your website is for . Who are you trying to attract? Yep, I know. It sounds pretty obvious, but, you'd be astonished how many copywriters give this essential part of their preparation so little thought.
Feb 11, 2020
So. You're thinking of having a crack at writing your own website copy?
Good!
But hold on just one second. As with any craft worthy of the term, preparation is all. Well, maybe not quite all, but it matters more than you may realise. Ask any craftsman - a chef, a DIY expert, a mechanic, an artist, a fisherman or, yes, a copywriter. The reply will be the same. (unapologetic cliché alert)
Fail to prepare. Prepare to fail.
Fail to step back and consider the fundamentals of your website project before you start, and you’ll be wasting your time.
Jan 26, 2020
It's odd (and a source of considerable dismay to professional copywriters) how the value of words in business, and the skill required to craft them effectively, so often goes unappreciated. Yes - we copywriters feel unloved.
Our products (words) and our skill (putting them in the right order) are the sad, neglected, Cinderella of marketing.
Jan 13, 2020
Those witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth sure knew a thing or two about writing great copy - particularly when it came to that all-important Call-To-Action. They knew that, to get someone to do something, it's no good pussyfooting around. Just tell 'em!
Dec 9, 2019
...of being scary. After all - it's Halloween!
It's true. I'm an old grump. But just for once, I'll park my traditional curmudgeon and invoke the nonsense world of spooks and ghouls. Believe me - I don't find this easy. This post is all about scaring your newsletter readers into action. Why? Because it's the best route to newsletter success.
Oct 14, 2019
Fonts - why they really matter
Have you ever visited a website and been totally turned off by the font style? The words may be elegantly and succinctly crafted. The website itself might be the work of a graphic genius. But … if the font makes the reading experience like a trudge through sticky toffee pudding, then – what’s the point?
Oct 13, 2019
“Look – I’m a technician. I haven’t a clue about words. It’s your job is to come up with all the flowery language.” These were the words of Bob, my lovely new client.
Once I’d stopped smiling, I had to let Bob down gently and remind him, that of the many services offered by Copywriter Pro, being the purveyor of ‘flowery language’ definitely isn’t one.
Sep 29, 2019
Ernest Hemingway - now he knew a thing or two about Copywriting
In spite of what you might have heard, Copywriting isn’t easy – not even for an experienced copywriter. But boy it can be tough for a novice!
Sep 22, 2019
When going through one of his demented, delusional, yet piercingly insightful phases, Shakespeare's King Lear, once intoned threateningly, "Nothing will come from nothing!". Was he right?
I guess he probably wasn't referring to the art of effective business writing. But if, by chance, he was, then he was surely way off the mark.
Because, in all kinds of business writing, plenty will definitely come from nothing.
Aug 31, 2019
So many of us start our blogs with unbridled enthusiasm, words tripping gaily from finger-tip to web page. With manic diligence, we regularly dispense morsels of knowledge to our fledgling audience.
Aug 23, 2019
Don't you just hate it? Several years ago, I produced the very first Copywriter Pro leaflet. The design was great - thank you Mark Coster from Pixooma . The print quality was the best (fine work, The Braunston Family from Braunston Print ). OK - enough plugs for these wonderful people. What about the copy? Well, it was, of course, almost perfection itself! Almost - but not quite ...
Jul 24, 2019
Once upon a time, there lived a young, ambitious, politician.
One day he stood up in front his audience and promised,
“When I become Prime Minister my 3 main priorities will be education, education, education.”
His early years as Prime Minister went rather well. It was only towards the end of his term of office that things went somewhat awry for Tony Blair
Jun 15, 2019
"Be yourself - everyone else is taken" This saying is attributed to Oscar Wilde - the chap in the photo. But this blog is really about a gentleman who's nothing like the Victorian man of letters. It's about writing in a natural, conversational way. But first, I'd like to tell you about Sean.
Jun 10, 2019
... small is beautiful
Was it Winnie The Pooh who once said - "It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like 'What about lunch?'"
Imagine the scene - You’re writing a Sales Letter, promoting your latest widget. So – what’s the most important thing? 'Being professional?' Well that's arguable. What do you mean by 'professional'?
Apr 28, 2019
That Usain Bolt - he certainly knows a thing or two about going flat out, but when we're writing, isn’t pace more subtle than that? You’ll have noticed that I’m always banging on about the virtues of keeping things short. Short words, short paragraphs, short sentences … but hang on a minute. Does this always have to be the case?
Apr 26, 2019
It's all about clarity
Some of the biggest brands ignore this one. When you write your domain name, either as your email address or your web address, always capitalise the first letter of each word - like this - www.CopywriterPro.co.uk. It makes it so much easier for the brain to take it in.
Apr 24, 2019
