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There’s no doubt about it. Subject lines do much of the heavy lifting in getting your promotional emails opened. Recently, I was involved in a split test where one subject line beat the other by just over 200%. However, the subject line doesn’t go it entirely alone....

There isn’t a copywriter or marketer on the planet who doesn’t face the blank page monster from time-to-time. Here’s the typical scenario… You have to write an ad, email or landing page. You need to get that done today. Yet, try as you might, you just can’t string any...

I teach a lot of virtual classes and training sessions, which requires me to be on camera. Obviously, I want to look good. At least, to the extent my frustratingly non-photogenic mug will allow. The trouble is, I’ve never been able to come up with a set-up that makes...

I admit I have a love-hate relationship with copywriting formulas. On the one hand, they capture the best practices of writing sales copy in a way that’s easy to remember and apply. On the other, I don’t like the “paint by numbers” aspect because that can limit...

When you’re writing a web page, ad, or email, you need to do some thinking before you begin writing. You need to figure out, roughly, what you’re going to say to persuade prospects to click or buy. In my copywriting courses, I call this Making Good “Starter” Notes....

I have a confession to make… When I write sales copy I give it all I’ve got, as many copywriters do. I lean in and apply all I know about conversational writing, persuasion psychology, and good old-fashioned selling. So, when I finish a draft, I sometimes give myself...

I was speaking with a marketing consultant recently who rattled off ideas for generating more leads and sales from a company blog. She touted linking strategies, SEO tactics, social media apps, coding tricks, to name a few. All great ideas. But there’s one thing she...

Most of us have fond memories of the children’s classic, “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.” (There’s a fun karaoke version here.) If I were to rewrite that tune for copywriters, I’d change “happy” to “different”. Why? Because emphasizing differences...

A friend of mine contacted me last week. She was in a near-frantic state. Her new webinar was about to be promoted — that morning! — and she had yet to decide on a title. She had a good reason to feel anxious. After all, the title of your webinar plays a huge role in...

Years ago, while at a conference, I attended a breakout session on personal selling skills. The speaker, a well-known sales trainer, was terrific. He walked us through several helpful tips and strategies. I took copious notes. During the Q&A section, someone asked...

Next month, August 3rd, I'll be celebrating 25 years as a self-employed copywriter (slash consultant, slash trainer, slash other vocations I've tried!) So, I thought it would be interesting to list all I've learned about being a successful freelancer and share that...

When I was 21, I jumped out of a plane. It was the main event of a weekend program I took at a local parachute club, which culminated in me voluntarily falling thousands of feet to the ground. Our instructor's job, as he saw it, was not only to train us, but also to...

I consult and write for a client (let's call him "Jim") who produces direct mail newsletters for professionals. You know, the kind you might be receiving regularly from your dentist or investment advisor. Jim is admirably proactive. He insists on getting the...

Last week, my friends at AWAI (www.awaionline.com) asked me to record a "Day in the Life" video of a freelance B2B copywriter. Me! I'm sure there are some differences in how I spend my day compared to other copywriters. (Anyone else do a Starbucks run at 10am?) But...