HIRING a freelance copywriter is no small responsibility. Make the right choice, and you get great copy that brings in leads, sales, and profits–in bushels. Make the wrong choice, and you end up pouring thousands of dollars down the drain. … Continue reading →

Perhaps the oldest – and most widely embraced – rule for writing direct response copy is, “Stress benefits, not features.”  But even this sacred commandment doesn’t always hold true. “As a direct response copywriter, I do my best to write … Continue reading →

Recently the head of a large public relations agency said to me, “Boy, I don’t envy you being a freelance copywriter. That’s got to be a tough job, writing copy and then having clients make all those changes and revisions.” … Continue reading →

H.G. Wells once said, “There is no human urge greater than the urge to change someone else’s copy.” And Ken Weissman, a colleague who ran a general advertising agency in the 1980s, once told me, “Subjective judgment is the bane … Continue reading →

What are the characteristics that make copy effective? Why does one ad make a lasting impression and sell merchandise, while another falls flat and doesn’t generate enough revenue to pay its own cost? Virtually all persuasive copy contains the eight … Continue reading →

Business-to-business copy persuades readers by giving them useful information about the products being advertised. The more facts you include in your copy, the better. When you have a file full of facts at your fingertips, writing good copy is easy. … Continue reading →

When Writing Your Catalog Copy, Keep in Mind These Six Reasons Why Business Customers Buy From Catalogs   Catalogs are sales tools, designed to generate either leads or direct sales.  But the copy in most business-to-business catalogs doesn’t sell.  It … Continue reading →

Every August and September, there is a spike in Federal spending. This is the annual “use it or lose it” period referred to as “busy season.”   Governments do not spend like corporation. Perhaps it would be better if they … Continue reading →

When asked if he could write an effective direct mail package on a complex electronic control system, a well-known direct response copywriter replied, “No problem.  It doesn’t matter what the product is.  You are selling to people.  And people are … Continue reading →

When asked if he could write an effective direct mail package on a complex electronic control system, a direct response copywriter replied, “No problem–it doesn’t matter what the product is. You’re selling to people. And people are pretty much the … Continue reading →