Posts tagged: Copywriting

Have You Hugged Your Online Marketing Map Today?

August 24, 2009, by TC 2 comments

Lately, there’s been precious little writing going on here – an odd reality given that you’ll find the word “writer” in this blog’s title.

It’s not sloth.

It’s a slew of new Web projects. A little teaching. A rare fly fishing vacation/road trip. And the happy byproduct of taking my own advice (I know, it amuses me too).

That advice?

The Value-Added Copywriter, Meet the Online Marketing Map

Becoming an indispensable resource for your clients – the “value-added copywriter” concept I’ve plugged ad nauseum on the Underground – is a concept becoming more relevant to marketers, not less.

It’s where you apply knowledge and experience to your client’s problems, thereby transcending simple “word jockey” status.

My reality? Clients are happily paying me to craft their online presence instead of simply writing their copy.

In a purely economic sense, that’s a good thing.

The copywriting industry is not the rose garden it used to be – especially at the middle and low end – and after you’ve done something for a while (hint to social media gurus – a “while” is longer than two months), you might as well get paid for what you’ve learned along the way.

Tapping into a couple decades of marketing experience is how my recent teaching gig – which I expected to be a temporary, short-lived thing – became an ongoing concern. In fact, I just signed to do what amounts to a monthlong, fulltime classroom stint later this year.

I still write – and I’m not here to mourn the passing of my copywriting career. It’s alive and kicking. But it’s changing.

Have you overhauled your online marketing presence lately?

Is my online marketing presence changing along with it?

And more importantly to my gentle readers, is yours changing as your business does?

Now, The Inevitable Online Overhaul

I tell my online marketing students the basics of marketing remain in place, but that all the details are subject to change by the end of our class session.

They laugh, but only because they recognize the grain of truth buried there.

I’m simply recognizing the dynamic nature of our online world, and I mean it when I say marketing has changed more in the last ten years than in the prior 100.

Those that sit still too long risk becoming embarrassing dinosaurs.

That’s not to say you must embrace every new social media fad. Or abandon your current online presence after five minute’s thought. And in fact, if your current system involves sales letters and phone calls – and it’s working – then keep it.

Success trumps faddishness every time.

For example, this Copywriter Underground blog was first launched as an experiment; I didn’t feel right advising clients about blogs without really knowing how they worked.

The response was gratifying, and I quickly ended up on Google’s first page for “Copywriter” – a move which saved me a big chunk of change in Google ad fees.

Still, after 24 months, I realized the leads generated weren’t all that relevant to my changing business. So the Underground simply became a writer’s platform.

Regular readers will know I stopped relying on random leads, and began courting the clients I wanted to work for – often using personalized methods like my lumpy mailer.

The results haven’t been swift, but they have been gratifying.

Is this whole post a long-winded gloat? No (though yes, I’m perfectly capable of gloating).

How long has it been since you sat down and evaluated your online marketing presence? How long has it been since you’ve taken stock of your own marketing – and the media channels you’re using?

Are you working for the clients you want? Are you doing the kind of work you want do do?

The Online Marketing Map

When my small business students emerge from my Online Marketing Boot Camp, they do so with an online marketing map – a guide which directs their online marketing efforts.

It’s both aspirational and realistic; it’s used to define what marketing the business wants to happen (and how, and when), but also provides the kind of reality check needed in an era where already-stretched small business owner is told they need to foolishly commit to five blog posts a week.

Marketing is driven by business goals (not the latest technology), and yet an increasing number of small businesses are letting technology drive their marketing decisions, not their brains.

When the technology tail starts wagging the dog, trouble often follows.

In this case, my own online marketing map has fallen on hard times.

My bare-bones copywriting site hasn’t changed significantly for years. And it doesn’t reflect my new reality.

Time to follow my own advice. Time to craft a new Online Marketing Map.

What time is it for you?

The Harmonic Convergence of Overwork (or, Overload in the Age of Overload)

May 27, 2009, by TC 6 comments

As self-employed gurus (everybody’s a guru nowadays), we’re supposed to embrace the concept of overwork like we do the idea of 24-hour connection.

“At least you’re not starving” is the uncharitable response from friends and colleagues when I mention it’s been busy, but these are the same people I taunt when taking a weekday off to go fly fishing or hiking, so it’s likely I’m simply getting what I deserve.

Still, this is more than a few late nights. I’m facing the Harmonic Convergence of Overwork (Harmonicconvergenceofoverwork.com is available for anyone who wants to start a whine blog). Pretty much every major project I pitched the past couple months sat right on the knife edge of “almost ready.”

Then all started simultaneously.

And yes, I’ve been piteous as of late – until I read this Writer’s Almanac passage about Underground Fave short story writer John Cheever, who struggled with far bigger demons than overwork:

Bailey said: “Cheever’s comfort zone was his imagination, this alternative universe where his fiction came from. When the morning was over, when he had finished his writing, he had to enter the real world. And that was frightening to him. He lived with the terror that he thought his children would discover his sexual life. He felt like an impostor. He despised himself. And it was assuaged only by the next drink.”

In the context of choosing between overwork or abject self-loathing, a little too much work suddenly seems OK (thanks John Cheever, for more than just the words).

The Dangers of Too Much

The danger of a Harmonic Convergence of Overwork is simple; you’ll do an obvious rush job on an important project, or worse, disappoint the hell out of a client.

And while this isn’t meant to be a “how to” post, I will offer this nugget; there are times when you have to suck it up and tell a client their project has to wait three weeks.

If you start their project now, it’s going to finish badly. And besides, projects being what they are, it won’t get done any sooner anyway.

Clients are never happy – and you may lose the project – but I’d rather somebody else did it right for them than have me do it wrong.

Keep writing (as whining won’t help anyway), Tom Chandler.

Eight Great Reasons I'm Still a Freelance Copywriter

April 15, 2009, by TC 6 comments

I used to spontaneously craft lists just for fun, and today seems like the perfect day to revive the practice.

And rather than beat around the bush, let’s just call this list the “Eight Gratifying Moments in the Life of Any Freelance Copywriter or Consultant:”

Reading a short, pithy, “The copy’s perfect” email from a client
Shipping solid draft copy, and checking it off the list
Getting a check
Getting a check before it’s due
Getting a big check
Finding a signed work order – for a prestige project initiated by your lumpy mailer – nestled in your inbox
Discovering the blog/email program you recommended is working exactly as you said it would
Explaining modern Internet marketing to a class of entrepreneurs, and realizing they get it

I’ve experienced all the above in the last 1.5 weeks, and while I’m not threatening to burst into song (Tonight on the Underground: Copywriter Karaoke!), I’m reminded that even after 23+ years in this business, good stuff happens with gratifying regularity.

Keep writing & consulting, Tom Chandler.

In a Recession, Go Where the Budgets Are Growing

January 22, 2009, by TC 5 comments

Some of you may have heard a little something about a recession, and while the Intertubes are awash in strategies for freelance survival during the downturn, I thought a little actual data might be helpful.

After all, my contribution to the freelance survival conversation (and I think freelancesurvivalist.com would be a stunning blog name) amounted to “get as close to the revenue stream as you can.”

Good idea, but vague. Better might be this: In a down economy, the freelancer’s worst enemy is a shrinking budget (his best friend is marketing staff layoffs, but we’re ignoring that grim reality for now).

So where are marketing budgets growing?

That depends on who’s doing the counting.

DMNews published data from an email software provider’s poll; it identified the top three areas marketers expect to raise spending in 2009:

72% E-mail marketing
44% Search marketing
35% Advertising

Content marketing site Junta42 says content marketing spending is accelerating as the economy worsens, while B2B Magazine says only 25% of B2B marketers plan to cut budgets.

That’s hard to reconcile with the Canadian Marketing Association’s contention that 44% of marketers will reduce their marketing spending, but then, most of these surveys aren’t exactly scientifically valid, it’s an apples & oranges comparison, and those Canadians are a pretty shifty lot to begin with.

Back to Basics

My experience during past downturns suggested marketing departments participate in “back to basics” movements, and our current mess is probably not an exception.

In a recession, Return on Investment (ROI) is king, and not surprisingly, accountable media are seeing gains (or at least not reductions). And who is the marketing ROI King? E-mail marketing, a fact which squares nicely with the bullet points above.

You might also expect to see lots of activity in high-ROI direct response media (the really glitzy lumpy mailers to 100,000-name lists are probably out), and as I pointed out above, “content marketing” also looks good, though I wonder if that isn’t mostly an extension of search marketing. (I divide the world into SEO content and engagement content, and where do the two meet?)

One bright spot is the emerging social media marketing, which despite its “experimental” status, is seeing lots of growth (and yes, I lost the link to the stats).

While social media remains a mystery to many organizations – and its effectiveness is often hard to quantify – spending in that area is still growing based simply on the potential for massive ROI, though again, it’s a spotty thing.

Marketers are often seduced by the low initial cost of social media, but when headcount is tight and people already overloaded, the ongoing care and feeding of social media projects becomes a problem (or perhaps an opportunity for the ambitious freelancer).

Where It’s Not Great

It’s probably not a great time to specialize in non-response oriented brand advertising, especially in high-priced media (like broadcast).

In addition, ad pages in consumer magazines are down a whopping 11%, and those numbers will only get worse as they’re updated, which means less print ad work for writers and art directors.

And it’s not surprising to hear that “luxury” projects (like Web site makeovers, corporate print brochures, etc) are toppling under the swinging budget scythe.

Of course, these are gross generalizations (every situation is unique), but then, why write a blog if you can’t make sweeping generalizations?

What To Do

I’m a big proponent of pitching work to the clients you want to work for, and in a recession this strong, that hasn’t really changed, though you better keep a couple points in mind:

A strong value proposition is essential – people aren’t buying into experimental programs or those lacking the promise of real ROI
A package deal often helps – cutbacks usually mean remaining staff are severely overworked, so projects have to be turnkey
Be prepared for disappointment – people are hunkered down, and don’t take it personally

The psychology of what I’ll call “non-abundance” is an endlessly fascinating thing. Some remain optimistic and see opportunity everywhere while most hunker down, happy if they can protect what they’ve got.

A strong value proposition is no guarantee of anything in times like these, but it’s an excellent starting point for a freelancer.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

Wishing Everyone a Prosperous (and Well Written) 2009

December 31, 2008, by TC 3 comments

To all the writers who struggle daily for the right words – whether they’re written in the service of a client, novel or poem – I wish you a very happy, very literate 2009.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

The Biggest Menace Facing Copywriters (So Far This Week): Sleepwriting

December 17, 2008, by TC 4 comments

In my prior post, the concept of writer’s market oversaturation found a little traction, and today, I’m here to discuss the Biggest Menace Facing Copywriters Ever (So Far This Week):

Sleepwriting (or Zzz-mailing if our wacky group of sleep experts are to be believed).

Will you write your best copy with your eyes closed?

The UK Telegraph reports on this sinister new trend, which threatens the very foundations of the copywriting industry should certain mutant genetically gifted writers learn to craft hard-selling sentences in their sleep:

The 44-year-old woman, whose case is reported by researchers from the University of Toledo in the latest edition of medical journal Sleep Medicine, had gone to bed at around 10pm, but got up two hours later and walked to the next room.

She then turned on the computer, connected to the Internet, and logged on by typing her username and password to her email account. She then composed and sent three emails.

Each was in a random mix of upper and lower cases, not well formatted and written in strange language.

One read: “Come tomorrow and sort this hell hole out. Dinner and drinks, 4.pm,. Bring wine and caviar only.”

Another said simply, “What the…….”

The new variation of sleepwalking has been described as “zzz-mailing”.

Imagine competing with a zombie writer who pounds out a white paper and two landing pages while you’re unproductively snoring away, blissfully unaware your clients (and your revenue stream) were finding a new home at the “dreamwriters.com” freelance bidding site.

The implications are clear; it’s not enough to be productive 14 hours a day, scheduling ourselves to the second, generating free content by the bushel and incurring raging carpal tunnel.

No, tomorrow’s competitive copywriter has to text high-conversion-rate landing page copy to clients while sugar plums dance in our heads, and those incapable of “sleepwriting” will be branded slackers, or worse – hopelessly old fashioned .

Simply put, Undergrounders, I’ve seen the future of copywriting, and it’s dark out.

More on this breaking news story – as soon I’ve achieved productive REM sleep.

Keep sleepwriting, Tom Chandler.

The Leaner Copywriter Underground, and One Writer's (Satirical) Approach to Recession

December 10, 2008, by TC 9 comments

Only a minute or two for a little stream-of-consciousness here dear readers, but I wanted to welcome you to the new, pared-down theme surrounding the Copywriter Underground’s content.

Call it an overdue change of hairstyle – a new, minimalist look & feel reflecting my somewhat slimmed-down approach to work.

And yes, I’m suggesting it’s a trend.

After all, the words I generate these days spill out onto the screen of a simple text editor. I’m carefully managing my online time to waste less of it. And looking hard at a significant shift in my target markets.

It’s also a reflection of my admiration for the minimalist approach to copy (a result of “growing up” – at least in the advertising sense – during the Fallon/McElligot era of direct-but-smart print ads).

It might even reflect the difficult times, where those with the resources to engage in conspicuous consumption are finding themselves reticent to do so.

Satirizing the Recession

While I was forming this post in my head, I stumbled across a wonderful Garrison Keillor essay, and admit to having a soft spot for essayists in general.

Essayists and poets might tread the ground closest to copywriters in a purely stylistic sense (an assertion sure to generate disagreement among poets and essayists), but in this case, Keillor launches his work with a satirical poke at corporate bean counting, illuminating the wide gap between what companies do in recessions and what writers do:

I have bad news. In the midst of the worldwide economic meltdown we are experiencing these days, I have taken a hard look at revenue from this column and find that I am earning but a tiny fraction of the $6.5 million I had projected for 2008, which leaves me no choice but to impose aggressive cost reductions, including a 75 percent reduction in writing time and the elimination of editing. I apologize for the inconvenience. And I thank you for your patience.

Enjoy your day (remembering to slice away those parts of it that simply don’t serve you). I’ll be back soon with more from the slimmer, trimmer Underground.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

Happy Thanksgiving, and… You're Fired (More on a Tough Economy)

December 1, 2008, by TC 7 comments

Two days before Thanksgiving I received The Email; one of my retainer projects wasn’t going to be funded in 2009 – a victim, the client said, of the economic upheaval.

No, the timing wasn’t great, but I wasn’t surprised. This was a speculative project – one living far from the organization’s revenue stream. And in tough economic times, being “far from the revenue stream” is more an epitaph than a harbinger of survival.

The point isn’t whether this will happen to you (it will). The real point is this: How will you react?

Walk Away? Or Try Again?

I’m satisfied I did a good job, and the good results reflect that. Still, it was a luxury project, and while I can walk away with my head held high, why would I walk away at all?

The client was happy with my non-revenue producing work – so why not pitch them a revenue-positive project?

I’m working on the pitch now, and approaching the client this week. The concept? They have a gaping hole in their marketing process where they should have a revenue stream.

I’m offering to create that revenue stream, and do so quickly.

To do it, I’m putting together a pitch that’s both persuasive (hopefully) and topical (it draws on recent, well-known fundraising successes to prove my point).

And to help it fly with the spreadsheet zombies, I’m willing to back-load my fees (accept the bulk of payment toward the end of the project so expenses show up after revenues are flowing).

Will it work?

Hard to say. Tough times make for bunker mentalities at a lot of organizations, and new projects – even those with revenue-positive projections – are often relegated without a thought.

Still, why walk away?

The freelance copywriting life includes plenty of rejection and down economies; both can be painful, but both also represent opportunities, especially if you’re looking for them – instead of seeing only doom and gloom.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

My Short, Sweet Thanksgiving Message to the Undergrounders

November 27, 2008, by TC 1 comment

It’s easy to fire up a whole list of things we should be thankful for – our lives are easier by almost any measure than those who came before us – but this is a writing blog, so I’ll stay on topic.

The simple truth is I’m thankful I get to write for a living, and do so from a beautiful place on the side of a mountain – the kind of remote place you couldn’t really make a living from prior to the Internet.

Writing is not the glamorous existence that the media make it out to be, but neither is it digging ditches in 100 degree heat.

I’m lucky to enjoy the support of my wonderful, beautiful wife, who knows I could make more money writing projects that appeal a lot less to me, and wants me to write the good stuff anyway.

To all my readers, commentors and everyone who makes up the online writer’s community, enjoy your Thanksgiving, and revel in what you have.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

Surviving a Bad Economy: Why Businesses Need You More Than Ever

November 18, 2008, by TC 8 comments

In addition to the usual workload, I’ve wiled away my “spare” time developing and teaching classes in online marketing for entrepreneurs.

And yes, answering emails from copywriters wondering what to do about our cratering economy.

A couple of things have become very clear.

First, even non-techie micro-entrepreneurs quickly grasp the competitive power of the Internet. They’re excited by the possibilities. Thrilled by the idea that authenticity might actually become a competitive advantage. And often stymied by the technology.

After all, they’re running businesses, not marketing departments.

What’s also clear is that “piecemeal” doesn’t work. At least not for today’s small businesses, who are facing more choices than ever.

After my recent email marketing class – where I offered an overview of the benefits of blog/eNewsletter integration – every participant asked us to schedule yet another blogging class.

They wanted more.

In simple terms, they wanted the whole enchilada, and they wanted it to work without creating a second career for them.

It’s why the non-profit is making noises about funding an Online Marketing Bootcamp – a multi-class effort that covers the basics and the technology, step-by-step.

By the end of the class, a small business would have a working, functioning online marketing infrastructure – one built atop technologies that empower a small business instead of trapping it.

That involves creating a Web site (preferably via some kind of CMS), email list building, content generation, online PR, blog/eNewsletter integration, social media… you get the picture. It wouldn’t just list technologies, but also delve into specific vendor choices.

As the instructor, I’d be responsible for building that infrastructure, and while it’s clearly less profitable than churning out words for bigger clients, it’s also satisfying stuff.

It’s also a good reminder about the changing role of today’s marketer.

More Choices = More Confusion = More Opportunities

Used to be I wrote for people who were playing in a handful of media channels. It wasn’t complicated, largely because there were so few choices.

Today, even professionals are overwhelmed, and the businesses we serve are even more so. In light of that reality, the young copywriters who email me almost daily about “making it” in a falling economy receive advice which is far from new.

Move beyond the words to offer customers capabilities and (yes, I hate the word, but you know it’s coming) complete solutions to their marketing problems (some of which they didn’t know they had).

There are a lot of writers out there. How many offer potential clients a blog installation and content – all of which is integrated with an eNewsletter, list-building program (including generating the white papers used to draw leads), and “traditional media” repurposing of content?

Not only is that a powerful offering, it’s also one that sets one copywriter/marketer apart from most all the others.

Take it from someone who’s survived more than a few economic craters; in the long run, succeeding in a down economy has never been about cutting prices or seeking work farther down the food chain.

It’s about solving problems, and doing so in a way that offers real value to customers, who are never so interested in “value” as they are now.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

Underground Essay Finds New Life in Book, And One Good Reason Why You Should Buy It Anyway

October 8, 2008, by TC 4 comments

Proving again the world’s gone completely mad, the editors of the New Writer’s Handbook – a collection of essays by writers for writers – asked to include a Copywriter Underground blog piece in their latest collection (Volume 2).

The piece spoke to the power of the parenthetical statement. English teachers largely hate it. Bad writers use it as a crutch. But – used properly – it creates a sense of intimacy with the reader.

In fact, it’s become a favorite tool – not in my “formal” copywriting efforts, but in my engagement marketing projects (which consume more of my time every day).

From my article:

In skilled hands, a parenthetical statement will help bridge the gap between writer and reader, puncturing the invisible barrier between the two. (See what I mean?)

They give you the ability to step out of the copy and into the reader’s space. You can even share what feels like a private joke (just don’t tell anyone else!), transforming your reader from skeptic to confidant.

I also described my five favorite uses of parentheses:

The Reinforcer
The Action Picture
The Humorous Aside
Personal Call to Action
Emphasis

To read more about them, you’ll have to read the post itself.

Or buy the book.

Well, Should You Buy the Book?

I admit to some skepticism when first contacted by the book’s editor. After all, who would buy a collection of essays about writing, most of which can already be found on the Intertubes for free?

After reading the finished product, I’d have to say I’m wrong.

In an age of hyper-specialization – where niches are mercilessly targeted and “content producers” are urged to never set foot outside their Google-driven boundaries – an eclectic collection of essays about writing fires the imagination, and provides a respite from what I’ll cavalierly describe as the 140-character rat race.

From the publishers:

With new contributors, ranging from bestselling “queen of medical thrillers” Tess Gerritsen to Newbery Medal winner Lois Lowry, the strength of Volume 2 lies with its eclecticism: articles move from collaborative advice to teaching writing in elementary schools — and even includes physical stretches for those spending too much time sitting in front of a screen.

The content features a preface by Ted Kooser, US Poet Laureate from 2004-06, and appearances by literary bloggers, independent publishers, agents, journalists and a writer who—believe it or not—received nearly 500 rejection notices before finally striking success.

Here’s a quote from the editor:

The perfect Handbook user is the writer who wants to improve his or her writing skills, in small but practical ways. Not all at once, but in little chunks, with short readings, a couple of pages at a time.

While most is most useful to emerging writers, I picked pieces I thought would be thought-provoking, practical, and entertaining to experienced pros.

As a long-time editor of writing guides, I know that real learning happens in small bits, here and there.

Of course, every book of essays culled from the different sources would necessarily suffer a certain lack of continuity. The Writer’s Handbook is no exception.

And yes – without pointing a finger – I’d say blogging’s tendency to reward speed and quantity over quality sometimes rears its head in the essays found in this book, though most of the essays are excellent.

As someone who believes writing serves a purpose beyond driving SEO traffic, I think the New Writer’s Handbook is excellent nightstand material. Read “Diary of a Novel” by Will Weaver at night, and you’ll wake up the next morning with a stronger appreciation for what novel writers suffer for their craft. (No, I don’t have a financial interest in the book, and I’m not getting paid for this review).

It’s probable that young copywriters have never felt more pressure to produce words than they do today, yet an excessively narrow, nose-to-the-grindstone perspective is not a prescription for long-term survival. Widening our horizons a bit can’t hurt, and reading a book like this is one good way to accomplish that.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

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