Recently, we did some work for a couple of folks with a product marketed to rock fans. Specifically, fans of one particular band. These folks needed a sales page to sell their product, and since James is a ridiculous rock freak, he was falling all over himself to oblige. I came along for the ride. Passive observer here, people. I am just reporting the facts. Usually, in a sales page, you want to make sure the benefits of purchasing this product are obvious to your audience. Your two go-tos are as follows: This product will
> Read MoreArchives for March 2010
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Five Tips Before You Hire a Consultant
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Recently, I discussed how freelancers often hinder themselves by being too tight with their money, trying to bootstrap to get ahead. Sometimes an expense is an investment, and hiring a consultant can flip your business right onto Easy Street. But hang on a second. Don’t run out and hire a consultant just yet. First you’ll need an idea of what you’re looking for – and how to know when you’ve found it. You Need a Good Business Fit First If you’re a freelancer, choosing to work with an expert who has never worked on the
> Read MoreWhy Good Copywriting Goes Bad: You’re Not Stupid. You’re Just Ignorant.
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When I get an email from pro copywriter Dean Rieck, I’m always happy. He’s a nice guy. I’m happier when he attaches a guest post – he’s a great writer full of good stuff to share. I’m happiest when he says nice things like, “It’s fun to write for your readers – I feel like I can let loose in a way I don’t in other places.” Check out how Dean let loose for you guys in this one! One of the worst mistakes copywriters make is to assume their job is about writing. It’s
> Read MoreWhat To Do When Your Client is Boring
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Clients often contact us hoping we can jazz up their current copy. They’re looking for something a little funnier, a little more out-of-the-box, a little less like the next guy. No problem, we say. Why don’t you answer a couple of questions for us about who you really are, and we’ll use that information to make your web copy sound more like you? Because we’re sure you’re a really awesome person with an interesting take on your industry and lots of good reasons your business is way better than the competition’s. We say to our
> Read MoreWhat’s Under the Hood of Your Web Copy?
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We’re used to seeing articles telling us the top ten action words to use if you want to convert readers into customers. You’ll find lots of content out there telling you to use bullet points, short sentences, storytelling. You’ll find those articles right here on Men with Pens, actually. It’s good advice. We use it in our work all the time. That’s just the basics, though. There’s a lot more to writing web copy than that – and you’ll learn it from cars. Inside and Out When you buy a new car, you want the
> Read MoreYou Won’t Want to Miss This Lifestyle Offer
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A few months ago, we asked you guys how you’d like to earn a living writing fiction and fantasy-related work instead of business-related copy. The response was pretty overwhelming. Most of our readership isn’t just into writing for the scads of money to be made while working in your pajamas and holding a beer in one hand (because that’s how freelancing works, right?). Many of you are fascinated by the idea of writing just because you love it. Many of you are creative writers, or role players, or gamers. Many of you have a passion
> Read MoreWhat Would You Do If You Only Had Two Hours?
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I’ve only taken to using Twitter as a regular thing fairly recently, so it’s entirely possible that Dave Navarro (@rockyourday) has been doing this for years and I never knew about it, but I’ve been kind of taken with the way he often starts off a morning: “What would you work on if you only had 2 hours today? Okay, do that first.” Combine that with a T-shirt from Woot.com that I love called Procrastinate. The shirt reads, “Because if the world ends tomorrow, you don’t have to do it.” It’s official, you guys: I
> Read MoreWhy You Need to Work with a Consultant
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You network, you use social media, you’ve done a joint venture, and you work with other freelancers to handle your workload. You’re all set and teamed up with professionals, right? Sorry, no. The professionals who can do you the most good in the shortest period of time aren’t peers – they’re advisors. I’m talking about consultants, the people whose job it is to help you earn more money, save more time, get more clients, stand out from the crowd, push your business, and take it to the next level. Freelancers avoid consultants. They often think
> Read MoreHow to Avoid Wasting Your Blog Client’s Money
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There are people out there that have been readers for a long time – they’re like old friends by now, and I’m always glad to see them. One of those old friends is Rebecca Laffar-Smith, who tossed me a guest post that I think carries a pretty cool message worth thinking about. Enjoy! We’ve all heard the hype that every business must have a blog. And many online copywriters are thrilled to land a new blogging gig – so thrilled they rarely pause to wonder if writing for their client’s blog is really the best
> Read MoreThree Reasons You Need to Convince Newbies They Need a Website
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We recently started a side project working with people who have never had a website, a blog, or anything that requires more than opening an email – and sometimes they can’t even do that. They’re all small business owners. When I spoke with them about their business, they all had one common question: “Why is having a website such a big deal?” Most people asking this question smile and nod when you tell them they really need a website, but most of them are thinking, “This person is trying to sell me something I don’t
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