This Much I Know…

A series of interviews with copywriters

You can recognise great copy because it …
…makes you read on. It should tell you something unexpected – or something you really want to hear.

Bad copy does neither, and loses readers/customers fast.

I know I’ve done a good job when…
…clients re-hire me! Or at an earlier stage: if they have one or two minor objections about the finished draft. That’s always a good sign. Otherwise you’ve done it exactly as they would – and they’re not paying themselves to write copy.

The ideal client is …
…constantly coming up with new ideas. And compelled to hire only copywriters with beards in N19.

My favourite type of work is …

…when my client has a problem I can fix, preferably with measurable results.

People like my copy because …
…I combine proven Direct Response copy tactics with a conversational style that engages people. Plus I try to be easy to work with. Nobody likes a know-it-all. Working relationships are about learning from each other.

Too many people think copywriting is …
…all about committees of Draper-esque suits in shiny agency buildings. There’s a thriving freelance industry out there with copywriters to suit everyone’s budget.

That said, I will happily argue with anyone who says Mad Men isn’t the greatest TV drama ever (over a long lunch if possible, Roger’s paying).

To me, copywriting is all about …
…finding out what the customer’s problem is, then explaining how and where to solve it in the clearest way possible.

The thing that drives me mad is …
…expensive-looking ‘badvertising’.

I saw two TV ads last night that dropped my jaw in horror – First Direct’s ‘kooky platypus’ (what the hell is the message?) and another that went on for an age with zombies in…

I think it was for a phone company but its product reveal was done so badly I can’t recall it. It must have cost a fortune and I imagined a horrified David Ogilvy hurling a scotch at the TV (if I hadn’t worked so hard to buy my TV I’d have hurled my tea at it too).

If I wasn’t a copywriter, I’d be a …
…terrible guest on this blog.

When I was growing up my parents always told me …
“…one day son, you’ll make a terrible guest on Andy Maslen’s blog.”

No, they were very supportive of me, particularly with writing. I loved to write as a kid, and how much trouble can a boy get into, sitting writing in a pad? Smart parents.

I relax by …
…reading, playing music, and record shopping. My flat’s full of records and cds, I’m a huge music fan. Every week I discover something new; somebody inspiring or at least interesting.

Movies too. Lately I’m on a bit of a 70’s classics binge: All The President’s Men, The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon etc. Brown-looking movies with something to say!

My guilty pleasure is …
…erm… EastEnders. My other half and I find its cyclical misery frequently hilarious.

About Peter

Peter Michaels is a London-based copywriter helping start-ups, entrepreneurs, marketers & business-owners communicate & convince.

He specialises in sales pages, website and email copy to engage and convert customers.

www.rockandrollcopy.com