The Copywriter Underground

Good news for writers. Especially the value-added sort (that’s us).
The Online Publishers Association conducted a survey which confirms that original, branded content generates more customers - and more revenue per customer - than generic stuff.
Simply put, the relevant, targeted, quality copy we write means higher sales for branded sites (wedding.com, etc) as opposed to user-generated [...]

The outdoor clothing market is crowded and competitive. How does a new company build a space for itself in a very tough market?
Welcome nau. Enter the Engagement Principles.
A key tenet of The Engagement Principles stipulate that true engagement occurs when customers and organizations share values and passions. Nau (Maori for welcome) is a brand-new outdoor [...]

After 20+ years in this business, few comments really rattle me.
“The client wants a writer with XXX copywriting experience” is one of them.
It’s that dreaded moment when a client says they don’t care how well you write - they only want you if you’ve written to a specific market.
I wish I could simply lay out [...]

After all the business meetings I’ve been in, you’d think that nothing would frighten me.
But something does. I’m talking about Red Flag Phrases - the simple declarative sentences uttered by clients that foreshadow doomed projects, skyrocketing blood pressure, and haunted dreams.
I’ve listed a couple below. And hope that the Undergrounders will add a few of [...]

I’d love to sit and blog more today, but the skies are clouding over, rain is coming, and it’s a perfect day to go fishing.
So I’m going fishing. But I’ll leave you with this…
In the wake of the YouTube acquisition, the thoughtful-but-wordy Communities Dominate Brands (CDB) blog wrestles with the concept of building an online [...]