A confession: I was wrong about copywriters who ‘love words’
I admit it. I’m a sham. Until a week ago, if anyone asked me what I did, I always said I was a copywriter. The end. A tradesman, not an artist. And definitely not a ‘writer’. I was wrong. And I was …
The 7 telltale signs you’re reading “zombie copy”
She stands, screaming. Her feet refuse to move. She is rooted to the spot with terror. Slowly, inevitably, the bloody, walking corpse approaches. Arms outstretched, snarling, it reaches for her. It is hungry. Actually, that’s a metaphor. It’s not going to eat …
Maslen on Marketing June 2013: Why double-amputees can make great copywriters
Many laypeople (and not a few copywriters) imagine the job of a copywriter involves sitting at a computer and typing. Well, that’s true as far as it goes. It does involve typing. But in much the same way as the job of …
Why promises persuade prospects
Do you know why people buy from you? It’s not because of what you provide. It’s because of what you promise. Now, you may not realise you’re promising them something. And if your copy is merely average, there’s a very good chance …
The Six Weapons of Influence
Have you heard of Robert Cialdini? He’s a US psychologist who wrote one of the definitive books on persuasion, called “Influence”. Cialdini is cited all over the place, but particularly in sales circles, for his work on what he called the “six …
A simple but effective way to ask for the order
It’s no secret that to be a good salesperson you have to ask for the order. But to be a great salesperson you have to ask for the order in a way that makes your customer feel good about it. In the …
How to ask for the order
Last month we talked about desire. Get people craving or longing for your product (or, to be more precise, feeling that your product can deliver whatever it is they’re truly longing for or craving) and you’re almost home. But there’s still one …
How to make your headlines work harder
As we all know (we do, don’t we?), headlines are there to draw your reader into your body copy. The most effective way of doing that is to either promise or imply a benefit. Why? Because people act out of self-interest. The …
“Congratulations! Your copy is so good you’re now in charge of marketing”
From a common method of sabotaging in-house writers to a powerful tool for turning features into benefits, Andy Maslen explores 15 ideas that could put the sparkle back into your copy. *** I know you’re busy. So this issue, I won’t burden …
I object
If you’ve ever done any face-to-face selling, you’ll know something a lot of marketeers and business owners don’t. You have to find out not just what will make someone buy from you but what’s stopping them from saying ‘yes’. When you’re planning …
How to write the perfect headline every time: part two
Last month, we took a look at the basics of headline writing. I’m going to continue this month with seven practical tips to help you on your way. 1 When to write your headline Two schools of thought here: write it first …
How to write the perfect headline every time: part one
In previous issues of MoM I have looked at the copy right at the end of the pitch – order forms and calls to action. This month, I thought I’d turn to the beginning. The headline. Now, let me ask you a …
Write your call to action first and get better results
The call to action (CTA) is usually the line or paragraph at the end of an email, brochure or letter inviting the reader to respond. Most often, the desired response is an order of some kind. But it might be signing up …
Testimonials – or, how to get your clients to do your selling for you
Some people are naturally suspicious. They pride themselves on not being swayed by ‘marketing speak’. For them, direct mail or web copy, however well written, is just ‘puff’. So how do you get through to them? After all, they may well be …
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