We’ve all seen that heart monitor in hospitals, haven’t we? It spikes up, down, then flat. In stories, these ups, downs and flats seem to show up almost as part of the story. A story by its very nature seems to bob up and down. Not so with articles. In articles, it’s easy to go from […]
How To Create Drama in Article Writing —The Tension and Release Method
How do you start writing a drama? Can you create drama and interest with your story? Do you feel a headache coming on, whenever you make your to-do list? I sure do, because no matter how much I whittle down my list, there’s always a ton of projects that need to be finished. And that’s when […]
Why “Testimonials” Play The Supporting Actor Instead of the Lead Roles
In every movie, there’s the lead role and the supporting actor The lead, as you’d expect, gets the chunkier parts to play in the movie. And the supporting actor, well, supports that lead role. This same scenario plays itself out when it comes to testimonials. With one minor difference: testimonials play both the lead role and the supporting […]
Headline Writing: Three Core Factors That Trigger Off Curiosity
David Ogilvy started up O & M, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. That very same David suggested that headlines were the most important factor in communication. Not by a factor of 2:1 Or 3:1 But a whopping 4:1. He suggested that 80% of your article is dependent on your headline. His […]
When Outlines Behave Like Cats: How To Keep An Outline From Going Off At A Tangent
Good doggie. Nice doggie. Yes, dogs will often do what you say The cat, on the other hand, has a mind of its own. Your outlines are often like cats. You try to rein them in, but they just meow, snarl and go their own way. And it will drive you crazy. But you can […]
Understanding Plots and Sub-Plots When Writing Salesletters
Imagine you’re having a discussion with a hyperactive, talkative teenager. And the conversation goes like this… “We went to the mall, and like, there was this fire in the mall. And we went from there to the cinema, but we didn’t have any money and anyway the popcorn machine was broken, and so we didn’t […]
Are you totally missing out the Heater Syndrome in your copywriting?
Ever walked into a cold room on a chilly night? You know what I mean. On a really cold night, step into a freezing room and turn the heating on full. The heater chugs. It kazooozas. But the room is still brrrrr. And then suddenly, about fifteen-twenty minutes later, thou art toasty (as hell, I […]
Can You Really Create Persuasive Sales Copy out of Thin Air?
“Draw a dog.” Those were the commands of the art teacher to a bunch of five year olds. They didn’t know it just then, but they were part of a psychological experiment. The command reverberated through the room with a varying effect. Some kids furrowed their eyebrows. Some scoured their brains for inspiration. Others chewed […]
How a Single Bullet Can Get a Customer To Buy
I remember going to a workshop in the year 2003 The price of the workshop was $8000. Plus there was overseas travel involved. And yes the usual accommodation and food expenses. In all it was going to cost me almost $12,000 to get to this one workshop. And I made the decision on the basis […]
How To Get Your Copywriting To Do The Lambada!
Words lambada. Words don’t sit out at a party. They get up and they swing. They rock, they shake their hips and they twirl like crazy. Words lambada. You don’t agree with me, do ya? The words in your copy may get up to do a series of embarrassing dance steps, but heck, it ain’t […]
