I’m not one to dwell on the negative aspects of marketing. You could spend all day there. And many people do. I’d rather be creating something better, wouldn’t you? It’s amazing that we have the power to choose exactly what we want our businesses to look and feel like to attract ONLY the people we […]
Creating “escape velocity” Read More »
I recently told you about my first paid copywriting gig. How it came from a copywriting forum called The Copywriting Board (the same one I modeled Copy Chief after) and… … how I beat out other writers for the gig, even though I had ZERO real-world experience writing email copy. Those were the good parts.
5 things you need to land your first copywriting gig Read More »
Everyone remembers their first paid gig. It changes you for good. No matter how big or little the pay, the fact that a person of reasonable intelligence has decided to send you money to perform your money skill for them… Wow. The moment you see that digital dough hit your account is the moment the
First real copywriting gig Read More »
You and I both know that hiring a freelance copywriter is not exactly the same as hiring other types of contractors. That’s because no other contractor will represent a client, their voice, and the quality of their brand to the world with greater impact than a good copywriter. Copy Chief is the only copywriting community
5 ways freelance copywriting is different now Read More »
If your website is taking longer to build than the Taj Mahal, then you’re doing it wrong. Or, your designer’s doing it wrong. All I can tell you is it’s wrong. I know this, cuz I’ve been there. WAAAY overthinking every detail… Like, which colors will position me as more of an expert? How to
The big holdup with your website Read More »
…(as we escaped the law!) Let’s imagine that you and I were thrown together by some random “madcap” movie plotline… Something really zany, like I’ve been falsely accused of a bank heist because I’m a dead ringer for the actual bank robber (played by Bryan Cranston)… who the cops don’t know just escaped through the
Everything I would tell you about copywriting on a long road trip Read More »
… to produce a single gallon of syrup. I was watching an interview with the great documentary filmmaker, Ken Burns, when he cited that fact. Of course, that sent me down a three-hour rabbit hole of research about the syrup making process, or “sugaring” as it’s known in the industry. The big takeaway? Sugaring is
It takes 40 gallons of sap… Read More »
Smack dab in the middle of the most anxious moments (Presidential election coverage) of the most anxious year (uh, this one) on record… where EVERYWHERE you look, EVERYONE is talking a mile a minute and shooting an information firehose straight into the face of America… How would you use 30 seconds of TV airtime to
This genius 5-word ad provides the ultimate “zig” Read More »
What makes the difference between a piece of copywriting that stirs a deeply positive emotional reaction in the reader… and one that has them trashing it immediately. Or worse… forwarding it to a government agency as a potential scam? Very different reactions, clearly. And yes, the stakes really are that high. The difference comes
The “invisible” reason why sales copy thrives or dies 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 »
My recent post about “Entrepreneurial DNA” really struck a chord. I heard from subscribers on both sides, some who consider themselves “gamblers” willing to take “risky action in hopes of achieving a desired result” … … and others who confessed to being “hoarders” who tend to clutch onto things they have out of fear
“I am so scared to take the leap” Read More »
In 1962, a seven-year-old boy named Edward boarded a ship with his family and sailed from the life he knew in Holland to a new life in America. The family had no money. All their belongings stuffed into a single trunk and their piano. Ed’s dad earned their ticket by playing with the ship’s
Finding your voice Read More »
Wanna know what defines an entrepreneur? It isn’t the “billion dollar” ideas… Or the scrappy rebelliousness… Or even the ability to create revenue. Those things are inherent in most entrepreneurs, but also in wantrepreneurs – those who chatter about starting a business but never make the leap. To me, what defines an entrepreneur is
The entrepreneur’s “DNA test” (which type are you?) Read More »
Rather than tell you the answer, I’d like to show you… by sharing this incredible exchange between a member of my community who left nursing to become a freelance copywriter, and a third-generation fireman turned copywriter. The nurse confessed in a post to feeling overwhelmed at the idea of creating a customer avatar. He’d
The #1 instinct of a great copywriter? Read More »
I bought an acoustic guitar from a pawn shop in Louisville, KY. This was around 1994. I was living on the road, touring the comedy circuit, with lots of time to kill between shows. Looking at me back then, you’d naturally assume I played SOME kind of instrument, so maybe it was time to
If writing copy is just not clicking for you… Read More »
It thrills me to meet new copywriters at their enthusiastic best. I love guiding them through to the next levels, helping them avoid the nasty traps that derail progress. Looking back to when I first started, there are a few things I wish I’d figured out earlier. It would have saved me a lot of
5 things I wish I knew when I started writing copy Read More »
Ever done this one? You block a day on your calendar to write sales copy. You’ve pushed off starting a bit perhaps, but you know what you’re doing… there’s still plenty of time to get it done on deadline. You sleep well, you pour a hot beverage, you kill distractions, you open a fresh, blank
(FIRST LOOK) THE ADVANCED COPY CREATION BLUEPRINT Read More »
Back in 1990, I drove almost nonstop from my barely furnished apartment in Clearwater, Florida, up and over to Dothan, Alabama for my first ever road gig as a comic. I was still trying to make it as a comedian back then and the booker called me last minute to cover the show, so I
The brutally honest style of critique I adore… Read More »
That line from Elton John’s “Honky Cat” has been ringing in my head lately. The song is about a guy who grew up on the farm with dreams of moving to the big city… When I look back, boy, I must have been green Bopping in the country, fishing in a stream Looking
ohhhh, change is gonna do ya good Read More »
In This Episode You might be hearing people say their business is booming during the lock-down, but how many of them are telling you HOW they’re doing it? What steps did they take to be in a position of comfort when so many are suffering? Jeff Kimes is having his best month yet as
Ep 175: Insulated From The Impact with Freelancer Jeff Kimes Read More »
