In This Episode Here’s ONE thing everyone in the copywriting industry can agree on (probably the only one)… The best copywriters in the world write in the financial niche. I could list a dozen reasons why that is, but you likely know them already. It really comes down to the fact that… Financial is […]
EP 292: The secret side-door into financial copywriting w/ Joshua Lee Henry Read More »
In This Episode Here’s something it took me far too long to figure out as a freelancer… How to “wow” my clients through the whole project? As copywriters, we work on different schedules than most people, and it’s easy to get lost in our creative bubbles. Little things we can do for our clients,
EP 290: New Breed: Ben McLellan on “Wowing” Your Clients Read More »
In This Episode If you’re a freelancer, or biz owner hiring freelance copywriters, this is a MUST listen because you will learn, from a client’s point of view, what matters most when hiring a full-time copywriter. In this episode we cover… For Freelancers: How to tell a great opportunity from a potential hell gig…
EP 283: Freelancer’s Journey: How to instantly become the #1 choice for a great client Read More »
In This Episode Brian McCarthy was burned out on writing copy for clients. It figured it must be a mindset issue, so he did a lot of work with personal development coaches to get to the root of it. What he discovered was that what he really loved was helping other people get over
EP 282: New Breed: Brian McCarthy on ending procrastination Read More »
In This Episode Ryan Schwartz is one of the most unconventional copywriters I’ve ever met. From cubicle hell (and praying to get laid off), to optioning screenplays, to writing a book on the challenges and revelations of breadwinning, relationships, and fatherhood (dropping in May ‘23)… and many impressive traditional copy projects along the way…
EP 281: Freelancer’s Journey: Ryan Schwartz on the magic of acting on instinct Read More »
In This Episode Carolynn Ananian did a lot of “bouncing around” as a freelance copywriter before falling in love with financial copywriting and landing her current “Dream Job” at Stansberry Research. Carolynn started out (as most of us do) as a “Path 1”, doing all the jobs to run and grow a freelance copywriting
EP 280: Freelancer’s Journey: Carolynn Ananian – Adventures of a “Path 2” copywriter Read More »
In This Episode The robots have arrived! I’ve been saying this for two years now, but most people shrugged it off as a “someday” problem. Now, “SOMEDAY” IS HERE. Of course, all the overnight experts are parachuting from the sky dressed up in their “special forces” costumes to save the day and cash in
In This Episode Ever freak out over giving a prospect your price? There’s more to it than “nerves”. It’s likely some deep-rooted societal programming from your childhood. Sounds kinda worse than you thought when I put it that way – lol. But, it’s actually good news, because when you recognize what’s at the root
EP 275: New Breed: Patty Lennon – Receiving What You’re Worth Read More »
In This Episode When Tania Yeo was 18 years old she wanted to become a teacher. She found a company that would pay to send her to school overseas, and place her with a company teaching Art and English Literature. “It was a ten-year contract that dictated every step of my life,” she explains
In This Episode Despite becoming a Direct Response millionaire in his 30s, Justin Goff considers himself a slow learner. He spent the first few years online pinballing around from “thing to thing” trying to figure out how to make real money. His parents were convinced he was throwing away his education. His friends thought
EP 268: Wisdom Tree – Justin Goff’s Millionaire Blueprint Read More »
In This Episode One of the fastest ways to build a strong reputation for yourself as a freelancer is to create Authority Content by simply teaching what you’re learning. Csaba Borzasi (CH-aba Bor-za-SHE) has done an amazing job of this with his recent public challenge to break down 100 Legendary Sales Letters in 100
EP 231: Freelancer’s Journey: Csaba Borzasi – Growing Your Business By Showing Your Work Read More »
In This Episode Freelance copywriting changed in some significant ways in 2020, and if you’re prepared, those changes play perfectly into your hands. Today, in an intimate “Coffee with Kev” episode, I’m detailing how businesses are working differently with freelancers in 2021. We’ve seen 5 major shifts in the marketplace, all spurned by the
EP 211: Coffe With Kev – The New Reality of Freelance Copywriting in 2021 Read More »
In This Episode David Deutsch is an A-List Copywriter in the truest sense… he started at Ogilvy and Mather (when Ogilvy was still leading the troops), pioneered the “magalog” style of direct mail sales letters, and has written for or consulted just about every major player in the industry for the over three decades.
EP 204: CCR Wisdom Tree – A conversation with David Deutsch Read More »
In This Episode Carline’s new book, My Life As A 50+ Year-Old White Male is a rollicking ride through her life as a Haitian immigrant in the U.S., a colorful childhood with a tough love twist, becoming an A-List copywriter known as “queen of the control”, and raising children to understand the power of
EP 201: CCR Wisdom Tree – Carline Anglade-Cole – The Copy Control Queen Read More »
A few years ago the direct response copywriting industry had a SERIOUS PROBLEM… There was only one place online for copywriters to connect with clients, and to put it bluntly, the place was a cesspool. It was overrun with bullies and trolls and loudmouths with no actual experience writing copy. REAL copywriters and marketers
The future of copywriting (happening now!) Read More »
In This Episode Content is an overlooked part of our job as direct response copywriters. Whether you’re using it for client research, creating it along with the copy, or guiding it through consultation, you SHOULD have a hand in your clients’ content to make sure all the messages match. It will boost the results
Ep 114: Content Marketing Gone Wild with Daniel Daines-Hutt Read More »
In This Episode Our ever-decreasing attention span (currently clocking at 8 seconds) means it’s critical that we’re able to move prospects from “unaware” to “aware and ready to buy”. In order to do that, we’re borrowing something newspapers used to use and adopting it for the Internet… It’s called an Advertorial. (Different industries call
Ep 104: How To Heat Up Cold Traffic Using Story-Based Landing Pages with Rachel Mazza Read More »
In This Episode Ever wonder what it’s like to work with a direct response team that’s producing over $226 million in revenue? We’re taking you inside the walls of Agora Financial this week… My guest today is Jimmy Parent, a Copy Chief member and copywriter over at Agora Financial. Jimmy’s first shot at a
Ep 102: Inside Agora Financial with Jimmy Parent Read More »
In This Episode This man needs no introduction. Bond Halbert is the son of the great Gary Halbert, a man who left a giant thumbprint on the direct response industry… If Gary’s name doesn’t sound familiar, he probably the copywriter you started studying when you were starting out. In fact, Gary Halbert was one
Ep 154: Bond Halbert – Copy Secrets From A Legend In Direct Response Read More »
Now Christmas is a distant memory, how sad does winter look without the pretty lights and decoration? At the height of the holidays, you barely notice the inclement weather. Now, without the festive cheer masking the reality, we yearn for the return of those ornaments that stir our excitement and lift our mood. You crave
[Story Sells] Boring Story? Play This Silly Kid’s Game Read More »
In This Episode What does it take to break Agora’s single-day record for sales? Not just by a little, either. We’re talking old record: $5 million, and you kick out a TWELVE MILLION DOLLAR DAY. The answer surprised me and I think it will surprise you, too. Especially considering the cut-throat nature of
Ep 145: Aaron DeHoog – The Invisible Force Behind A 12MM Sales Day Read More »
J.R.R. Tolkien had a big problem. He loved the ancient, epic tales. He began writing his own (see The Silmarillion). But he quickly discovered that these ancient worlds of honor and vengeance, with black and white heroes with little characterization, were almost totally inaccessible to a modern audience. All that oath-swearing. And listing of lineage.
[Story Sells] “Ice-Breakers” in Ads: How To Gradually Introduce a Radical Idea Read More »
In Blake Snyder’s useful screenwriting how-to book, Save The Cat, he talks about two scenes you must have in your movie. An opening image. And a closing image. And one more thing: They should be OPPOSITES of each other. Why? To show how the character has changed and grown. This journey is the character’s “Arc.”.
[Story Sells] Beef Up Before and After Testimonials with this Story Technique Read More »
You know the game is on when B.A. grabs the welding torch. I’m talking about the scene late in an A-TEAM episode when the gang needs to build something superfast to save the day. Usually involves armoring a beater car with junk metal. Or devising a wicked booby trap. (But don’t worry kids, no one
[Story Sells] How Factoid Copy Can Be Fun, A-TEAM Style Read More »
Han Solo. Gilderoy Lockhart. Benjamin Grimm. These names of fictional characters are easy to remember. Why? For one thing, they are all examples of “sympathetic naming”. That’s where you name a character after a trait they possess. So Han faces life pretty much “solo,” a lone-wolf. (Except for Chewbacca, who’s kind of like a dog.)
[Story Sells] How to Name Your Products So They Stick Read More »
In This Episode The most important thing in marketing today is emotion. If you don’t stir enough emotion in your prospect, your message is as good as dead. One of the most powerful ways to hit the emotional hot buttons of your buyers is coming up with fresh, new, even dangerous ideas worth testing.
If you only sell to people who know the value of your product or service you’ll quickly run out of new customers, doomed to forever be a small fish flopping around in a shallow pool of revenue. To expand your market and increase sales you must indoctrinate new prospects. The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of indoctrination
If you had to tell me your story right this second, would you be able to do it … or would you choke? You’d think it’s easy explaining who you are and why people should care. But if this were true, nobody would need copywriters. Bad storytelling means we risk confusing or boring people …
How to tell your story like Tolkien (and stop losing prospects to your competitors) Read More »
In This Episode “We talk a lot about entering the conversation already going on in your prospect’s head… but what does that really mean?” Roy said during our interview. My guest today is top copywriter Roy Furr. He has written control-busting copy for the likes of Bill Bonner and Mark Ford at Agora. Roy
Ep 118: Roy Furr – The PAISA Framework For Writing Rock-Solid Financial Controls Read More »
When I feel stressed out at the end of the day, and I need to relax, I’ve got something better than single malt scotch. I tune in to an artist with a big ‘fro named Bob Ross, and step in his world of Happy Little Trees, in the Joy of Painting Series. (How’d he get
June 2017 marks 50 years since David Bowie released his first album. The title of this landmark record? Somewhat unimaginatively, it was called: David Bowie. Ironic, because nothing else in Bowie’s extraordinary life was ever that predictable again… The Ultimate Artist-as-Entrepreneur As a long-time fan, I was recently struck by just how well some of
David Bowie: The Ultimate Artist-As-Entrepreneur? Read More »
Got a “productivity hack” for you today. Especially for all you procrastinators out there, as you sit down in consternation at your vintage Corona-Smith typewriter. (If you’re a hipster or an oldster, that is.) If you don’t know how to start your story, use a trick from Harry Potter-author J.K. Rowling. To explain: You remember
[Story Sells] The Harry Potter trick to easier storytelling Read More »
Before I became a copywriter, I spent 29 years working with brands. The power of those brands allowed me to create multi-million dollar businesses around the globe. That’s a nice piece of change. It worked because each brand had a clear identity that resonated with certain consumers. In fact, the product itself was often secondary.
How Eugene Schwartz’s Branding Secret Ignites Direct Response Sales Read More »
Can you establish credibility while lying your ass off? Yep. Novelists and other storytellers do it all the time. And when you tell true stories as a marketer, you can copy their technique to build trust. (Bonus: when you pull from real life, you don’t have to work as hard as professional liars.) Here’s
[Story Sells] Establish Authority by Copying This Novelist Trick Read More »
I loved watching SNL as a kid. My favorite player? Dana Carvey. You might remember some of his best characters … The very special Church Lady. The dependable Garth. And, of course, the fake George Herbert Walker Bush. Carvey’s impression of President Bush became so widespread, that the former president himself once did a
[Story Sells] How Bush beats Obama in your sales stories Read More »
I’ve been watching this for a while and wondering if others have noticed it too. The modern-day consumer is more aware and conscious than ever before. For us as marketers, copywriters and business owners, we need to be more aware of what we do when we sell to them. You may be thinking… “what
The Conscious Consumer: Who they are and why you need to know about them Read More »
How do you measure whether your voice is a success? Here’s a quick test. Try reading this out loud: It’s impossible not to read it in Liam Neeson’s voice. If you’ve nailed voice, that’s exactly what you should be looking for when someone reads your copy. They need to hear you. On Copy Chief, we’ve
The Voice Mistakes That Are Costing You Money (And How To Fix Them) Read More »
You will lose sales unless you hook your customer’s attention with the very first sentence. But what do you say? Well, to figure that out, let’s look at what not to do. And then just do the opposite. Captain Hook and his pals at Jake and the Neverland Pirates hold the treasure we seek. If
[Story Sells] How to Capture Drifting Attention with the Captain “Hook” Rule Read More »
It’s one of the most notorious openings to any novel… Shocking, gruesome… …and so very, very vivid. From Stephen King’s epic 1986 tale, IT: “A small boy in a yellow slicker and red galoshes ran cheerfully along beside the newspaper boat. The rain had not stopped, but it was finally slackening. It tapped on the
Stephen King’s IT And The Secret To Creating Emotion-Driven Copy That Converts Read More »
Sell on emotion, justify with logic? Yes, but … Stories teach us that emotions have a logic of their own. We may be irrational, unknowable creatures … But at least in stories, emotions must make sense. If they don’t, then we the audience won’t believe what’s happening in the story. Like when characters do dumb
[Story Sells] The “Mother Rule” for Keeping Faith with your Prospect Read More »
I remember when I first deadlifted a barbell. Before that moment, I hesitated to pick up the 12.5lb dumbbells at bootcamp classes. So when I heard the barbell is 20kg (44.4 pounds) without plates on it, you can imagine how terrified I was. As I walked up to the platform, bullets of sweat were rolling
4 Things You Should Be Testing But Probably Aren’t Read More »
So the other day I was reading a book to my 4-year-old and I realized something strange: I want to know how this story ends. The storyteller had sunk his hook into me. So when it came time to pick a story to read the next day, I practically begged my child to return to
[Story Sells] Use this Screenwriter Secret to Hold Your Audience’s Attention Read More »
In This Episode Today you’re in for a treat. My guest is Marcella Allison and she’s the perfect guest to follow two epic episodes with Parris Lampropoulos. Why? Because she is one of the few writers that top-of-the-heap A-Listers including Parris, and David Deutsch look to team with first when it’s time to beat
Ep 103: Marcella Allison – The Truth About Speaking Your Customer’s Language Read More »
In This Episode If you missed Part 1 of the rare interview with Parris Lampropoulos listen to that first for the full context of the interview and to get the backstory about the bullets (edited by Parris) that accompany these episodes. Enjoy Pt 2 right here. Can’t Miss Moments: 4:30 – Why most people
Ep 102: Parris Lampropoulos – Next-Level Persuasive Copywriting Pt. 2 Read More »
As an entrepreneur in the self-improvement world, you’re pouring a ton of blood, sweat and tears into your business on a daily basis… You’re creating life-changing products and services and putting beaming smiles on people’s faces without them needing to gorge on an entire chocolate cake. You’d figure your work is done right there, and
The #1 Way You’re Accidentally Killing Your Own Sales… And How To Fix It Read More »
Many blockbuster campaigns are built on the shoulders of the “Big Idea”. But before your customer will buy your product, she has to buy into that idea. How do you win her belief? You don’t want to bore her with lots of explanation. Or worse – raise skepticism by trying to shove it down her
[Story Sells] How to Win Your Customer’s Belief in 3 Seconds Read More »
In this short article, I am going to show you how to use a few basic principles from the opening scene of The Lion King, “The Circle Of Life”, to create a VSL that influences and converts your audience. In case you’re unfamiliar with the success of The Lion King, upon its release in 1994, the movie brought in
How To Turn Your Sales Page Into A Blockbuster VSL Read More »
“I think it was a dud man, nothing is happening,” said Brett. Brett is the founder of Territory Run Co., an online retail company in the running/outdoor space. We had just pressed GO on his latest product launch – an email launch sequence that I wrote – and… …nothing was happening. Heart dropping into my
The 5 Elements Of A High Converting Retail Brand Launch Read More »
My nephew recently asked me how The Flash got his super-speed powers. My answer: “Barry Allen was struck by lightning while standing in front of a shelf of chemicals. The combination of the chemicals and the lightning gave him super speed. Lightning is very fast, after all.”* This story made sense my nephew. Lightning is fast,
[Story Sells] Sell On Emotion, Justify With This … Read More »
“You’ve got to stop buying into your own bullshit.” With that line, he built a deeper connection and showed he could help me. I was on the phone with a productivity coach. We were talking about my goals for the year — stop overworking, build a side business, and have a social life again. When
How to create deep, instant connection with your audience Read More »
A few years back I followed my buddy to a multilevel marketing event for a health supplements company. It was a big event, designed to bring curious seekers into the fold. Presenters talked up the company and the products … but what I remember most were the testimonials. And when I say testimonials, I mean ‘testimonial’ in
You can ramp up the intensity of the stories you tell when you insert one basic theme. My friend Michael Hauge revealed this to me recently. According to him, nearly all stories in the world revolve around this central dilemma. And, so too, do our lives. When you put this theme into your stories –
[Story Sells] How to harness the power of “Authenticity” for your sales story Read More »
Walt Disney failed for years. Until he overcome a fatal weakness. First, he tried desperately to draw comic strips for newspapers. Rejected. Then he attempted to bluff his way into a job on a Hollywood set. Denied. Finally, he got close to success. He began making animated movies himself. He created a popular character called
[Story Sells] The Hero’s Fatal Flaw Read More »
There I am innocently perusing Facebook and then… woah! Good copy alert. Yes, I’m a nerd, buuuuuut… Check it: So I did what completely normal people do (right?)… and broke this down quick by asking 4 questions: What are they saying? Who are they speaking to? What is the voice? Does it work? 1. Why are
Conterintuitive Copy – Why this company reveals how to make their product on your own Read More »
The 60 Second Sales Hook can ignite a timid prospect into action. Or it can freeze ‘em faster than the Ice Bucket Challenge – if you’re telling the wrong story. In a sec, I’ll give you a simple rule on how to chose which story to tell. First, a brief refresher of the Hook by way of
[Story Sells] Exposing the 60 Second Sales Hook: When Your Story Sucks Read More »
In his book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, author Greg McKeown recalls his days as a first year law student in England. On a trip to the U.S., an executive mentioned casually, “If you decide to stay in America, you should come and join us on a consulting committee.” It wasn’t the offer that
Stop being a pushover Read More »
