The direct mail envelope quandary: plain or bold
The envelope is arguably the most important part of a direct mail package. It’s more than a container for sales materials. It’s the element that determines whether people will spend time with your message or toss it in the trash.
While there are endless variations for envelopes, you can divide most into one of two categories: plain or bold.
Plain envelopes are those that display little or no advertising copy. Some are totally plain, showing nothing but the outgoing and return address. Others add a minimum of copy or graphics to help encourage you to open the envelope, such as the AAA direct mail piece shown here. Read more
Free computer tools for copywriters
They say the best things in life are free. Some of the best things for copywriters sure are.
One of great things about running a copywriting business is that your overhead can be incredibly low. You can work from your house, avoid commuting, dress casually, and take advantage of all the comforts of home.
And when it comes to some of the tools of the trade, some of the very best are totally free of charge.
Here are a few of my favorites:
OpenOffice - I loath Microsoft Word. It used to be a fine piece of software, and the .doc format is a standard most clients will want. But it’s become so loaded down with features, it’s a pain to use. And since millions of others feel the same way, OpenOffice is now available to replace all the core Microsoft Office products. Read more
FTC approves new anti-spam rules
If you thought CAN-SPAM was the end of e-mail spam rules, you’ve been fooling yourself. The Federal Trade Commission recently issued four new rules to tighten CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003). The rules are meant to fine-tune existing rules and best practices.
1. An e-mail recipient cannot be required to pay a fee, provide information other than his or her e-mail address and opt-out preferences, or take any steps other than sending a reply e-mail message or visiting a single Internet Web page to opt out of receiving future e-mail from a sender.
2. The definition of “sender” has been modified to make it easier to determine which of multiple parties advertising in a single e-mail message is responsible for complying with the Act’s opt-out requirements.
3. A “sender” of commercial e-mail can include an accurately-registered post office box or private mailbox established under United States Postal Service regulations to satisfy the Act’s requirement that a commercial e-mail display a “valid physical postal address.”
4. A definition of the term “person” has been added to clarify that CAN-SPAM’s obligations are not limited to natural persons.
Tweaking your way to copywriting hell
About once a week, someone contacts me with a letter or ad they want me to “tweak.”
Definition of tweak: “I read a book on copywriting over the weekend and wrote my own copy. It sucks. I desperately need your help, but I’m too cheap to pay you to write something for me.”
This, my friends, is a no-win situation for a highly paid copywriter.
If you tell the prospect their copy sucks, you’ll insult them. If you quote them your full price, you won’t get the job. If you take the job and do it on the cheap, you’ll have a hard time because a) you’ll have to rewrite the copy without it appearing that you rewrote it or b) you’ll have to start from scratch and get paid a fraction of what the work is worth.
How you handle a tweaker is up to you, but here’s what I do:
I ask to look at the copy before I say anything else. If the copy really isn’t that bad, I play along and agree to a rewrite. If the copy is bad, I say so. I quote my price for new copy and let the chips fall.
Will this result in a loss of business? Yes and no. Yes, because if you charge high fees, any time you give a quote, you’ll lose business from someone not willing to pay what you charge. No, because if someone can’t afford your fees, that’s not a client you want anyway. You really aren’t losing anything by not working for those who do not fit your client description.
What if you’re just starting out and need the money? Take the job. Early on, you need experience more than anything. And you won’t have to deal with the “opportunity cost” of working for less than your standard fees because you probably don’t have work queued up for weeks or months anyway as do many top copywriters.
Takeaway: Beware the tweak. For some copywriters, this means more trouble than it’s worth.
I’m curious, do designers and other freelancers experience the tweak too? Are there similar situations in other businesses?
Interview reveals my mysterious past
Curious about my sordid past? Want to know some of my secret thoughts about freelancing and the copywriting business?
Well, this is your lucky day. I often do interviews with people who are curious about such things and one of them just appeared over at The Web Shop’s Best Practices Blog.
People find it curious that I started out in the weird and wonderful world of television before finding my way (with many twists and turns) into the world of direct mail and direct marketing. But it’s true.
I was a television producer (which sounds more glamorous than it is). My job was to promote syndicated shows on NBC, including The Muppet Show, Dukes of Hazzard, and Laverne & Shirley. Yep, those were real shows, for those of you too young to remember.
I gained some notoriety for driving around in an authentic replica of the “General Lee,” an orange 1969 Dodge Charger, to promote the Dukes of Hazzard. A fellow employee and I whooped and hollered and generally made asses of ourselves, but achieved our objective of getting attention for the show. It was an early lesson in how not to be subtle if you want to achieve an objective.
Other tidbits, if you’re at all curious: Read more
The $64,000 self-promotion letter
Most people who get into the freelance copywriting business do so because they love to write compelling copy. They seldom do it because they want to spend time finding clients.
However, to survive as a freelancer, you DO have to find clients. It’s just part of the profession.
Recently, I ran across a unique resource called “The Freelance Copywriter’s $64,000 Direct Mail Self-Promotion Package.” It’s written by Pete Savage, a copywriter in Canada.
Now I’ve been around a while and have seen all sorts of e-books and reports that promise to give you the “secret” for success in this business. Most, frankly, are full of tripe and nonsense from people who don’t actually earn a living as a copywriter.
Pete’s book is different. For one thing, Pete really does earn a living writing copy. For another, it’s very specific and practical. It’s not just “how-to,” it’s “here’s exactly how-to.” Read more
Freelance success begins with mindset
Henry Ford is quoted as saying, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t - either way you’re right.”
It’s one of those quotes that make you think before you understand what it means. But when you finally get it, it’s one of those “Ah ha!” moments.
What Ford was talking about was “mindset.” It’s the idea that the way you think affects the way you act and, therefore, what you are able to accomplish. This is directly related to being a freelance copywriter or designer.
If you think you can’t make much money as a freelancer, you won’t. If you think no one will believe in your skills, they won’t. If you think you can’t leave your job because you’re just not good enough to make it on your own, then you’ll never even try.
Perception is reality. Read more
Be bossy in your copy!
If you want to improve your copywriting, read this article now.
I’m going to give you one of the most powerful secrets for making your words work harder in any promotion. And it’s about as simple as copywriting tips get. Ready?
Tell people what to do.
That’s it.
I told you it was simple. But it works. You see, for the most part, people do what you tell them to do. You can’t make people do what they don’t want to do, but if the request is reasonable they’ll comply.
Do a little experiment. At the grocery store, walk up to someone and tell them to hand you something off the shelf. “Excuse me, sir. Hand me that box of Cheerios.” You can soften it if you like. “Excuse me, sir. Will you hand me that box of Cheerios?”
Every now and then, you’ll get a cantacerous old fart who will tell you to “buzz off,” but most of the time the person will do what you tell them to do. People respond to commands. Read more
-
Recently Written
- The direct mail envelope quandary: plain or bold
- Free computer tools for copywriters
- FTC approves new anti-spam rules
- Tweaking your way to copywriting hell
- Interview reveals my mysterious past
- The $64,000 self-promotion letter
- Freelance success begins with mindset
- Be bossy in your copy!
- How to add oomph to your offer
- Yogi Berra: Master Copywriter?
-
Categories
-
Monthly Archives
-
Blogroll