Blogging | The Copywriter Underground

What I Learned After 90 Minutes With Five Top Copywriters

March 26th, 2007 § 10

Talking to other copywriters is a treat — especially when they’re all good at what they do.

Sunday evening’s BlogTalkRadio “Nuts & Blogbolts” discussion left me with a page of scribbled notes, a brain buzzing with ideas, and a deeper appreciation for the vision of my fellow copywriters.

It’s not every day you get to sit down and talk copy with the likes of Michel Fortin, Ryan Healy, and Roberta Rosenberg (not to mention hosts Mike Sansone and Wayne Hurlbert), and if you don’t take something meaningful away from that discussion, it’s probably because you forget to turn the sound on.

You can still listen; click the button below:

I was struck by our similar focus; we were a diverse group of writers — with widely varying specialties — yet we connected with each other’s comments.

There was discussion relevant to newer copywriters, but most interesting to me was the talk about the changes occuring in our craft. Interesting stuff indeed.

Don’t miss it.

The Comforts of Copywriters

Blogging is popular among freelancers for many reasons, one of which is the sense of community it creates.

I wanted badly to live in a remote, thinly populated part of Northern California, but one of the downsides is a stunning lack of copywriters to call for lunch.

I imagine there isn’t one within an hour’s drive in any direction, so talking to a handful of real pros was an refreshing exercise.

In truth, good copywriting is often about connecting with your readers, and I’m thankful there’s no rule barring a connection with my fellow copywriters.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

[tags]copywriting, copywriter, blogtalkradio[/tags]

A Little Sleepy Lately at the Underground? That’s Changing…

March 17th, 2007 Comments Off

Photo by Daniel Deak Bardos.

Things have been a little sleepy around the Underground lately. I’m swamped with work, and I’ve been making some long-overdue improvements to the other facets of my marketing process.

Still, I haven’t forgotten my readers.

I’ve written a mini-case study featuring pair of fun ads, and have another post ready for final editing.

They’ll both “go photonic” early next week. They’re worth the wait. See you in a day.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

[tags]blogging[/tags]

Atlantic Media Looking for "300 smartest human beings" to Write Essays for the Atlantic Web Sites

March 13th, 2007 § 2

One media outlet “gets it.”

That’s my conclusion about David Bradley (Atlantic Media owner), who is looking to revitalize the “Atlantic” media brand, and he’s looking to online talent to do it for him.

From Poynter Online – Romenesko :

Atlantic Media owner David G. Bradley wants to recruit a group of uber-experts to form what he calls the Atlantic Society, “where we will find 300 of the smartest human beings across the main intellectual terrains we’re likely to cover and to go out and ask them, would they be essayists for the Atlantic [websites]?” He tells Thomas Heath: “I love the process of creating a culture of great talent. That’s what I do for a living.”

Most traditional media are looking to incorporate online media as adjuncts to their existing properties–about the same way you’d set up a “kid’s table” next to the grownups at holidays.

Bradley (whether from desperation or vision) is looking for online talent to sit at the very core of Atlantic Media, and–in an interesting turn–he’s using his online brand (the cerebral Atlantic magazine) to attract it:

He aims to expand the media company by using Atlantic’s brand for serious journalism as a magnet for online talent.

“Success here is going to turn on our ability to spot and attract talent,” Bradley said. “I’ve always thought that my personal gift is I’m good at spotting gifts in other people. I can see when people are really gifted, and I want to be part of making this a great talent destination.”

Many of my clients suffer from a form of temporal tunnel vision; they don’t see online media channels as the emerging core of their marketing efforts, but a runny-nosed adjunct to their existing efforts.

Where will those clients be five years from now? Ten?

And where will Atlantic Media be five years from now? Recovered from unprofitability and sitting atop the media world?

The new online version of the Algonquin Roundtable?

[tags]romenesko, atlantic media[/tags]

Michel Fortin Wants More Comments on His Blog, Giving Backlinks to Get Them

February 16th, 2007 § 13

We can safely say that my strength as a blogger doesn’t lie with my knowledge of the technology. Hell, I’m still trying to get the damned MyBlogLog pictures to appear in the sidebar.

That’s why posts like: How to Get More Comments, Less Spam from Michel Fortin’s blog are candy to me; they help me build a more successful blog without toiling any harder at the keyboard (the toiling part’s been happening a lot lately).

(Knowledge like this also plays nicely into my vision of the copywriter as marketer; the more you know about marketing technology, the more value you bring to the table.)

Nofollow Settings

Mike’s current post covers “nofollow” settings – a topic that resurfaces frequently. From Fortin:

With the WordPress default package, links within comments apply a “no-follow” attribution, which was initially meant to curb spam. (Many spammers have exploited this in the past, for the sole purpose of gaining linkback popularity and pagerank when search engines index blogs.)
As we now know, this is not true. At least, not any longer.
Spam is almost always automated (spammers use software that “blasts” blog comments all over the â€˜Net). And they donâ€™t care. If spammers can get blog viewers and authors to visit their sites, gaining extra backlinks is but a mere bonus for their despicable efforts.
The problem is, just like email anti-spam filtering can kill innocent bystanders (such as legitimate, double opt-in marketers), no-follow penalizes my blogâ€™s commentators in the process.

Essentially, “nofollow” means those who post comments on a blog don’t receive “credit” for a link back to their own blog from the search engines.

Turning off “nofollow” provides an incentive for commentary, though it might also provide an incentive for a lot of meaningless, one-line commentary.

Still, I’ve turned off “nofollow” using this neat plugin:

But rather than being forced to tweak the code, my friend Denis de Bernardy, author of the Semiologic Package of plugins, which I highly recommend, offers a Do Follow plugin that reverses the default no-follow attribution.

This morning I noticed a similar WordPress plug-in which turns off “nofollow” for anyone posting ten comments. Amusingly called Link Love, you can download it at the AllPassionMarketing site.

Philosophically speaking, I want to reward those who take the time to comment, yet I’d love to do so without rewarding spammers and those who add nothing to the conversation.

Tagged by the "Why Do I Blog?" Meme. Here Are My Top Four Reasons:

February 15th, 2007 § 4

A new meme is in the air; this one focused squarely on “Why I blog.”

I was tagged by the redoubtable Michel Fortin, and in only twenty-two words we’ve already stumbled on my first reason for blogging.

Reason #1: Other Bloggers.

When you’re blogging about copywriting, you’re doing so alongside an intriguing group of new, experienced and often successful writers.

It’s not exactly the Algonquin Roundtable, or even a direct substitute for the writer’s group I left behind when moving to the mountains of Northern California, but blogging offers me a little peek into the lives of other writers.

For those brief moments of surprise, recognition, horror and solidarity, I thank all of you.

Reason #2: I Get Smarter.

I read, I learn, I get smarter. Handy trick, that.

In fact, I just finished a conference call (this is not some cheap writer’s trick – it really happened) where I scored massive client points for a conversion tactic I learned only yesterday… while reading another blog.

With hero worship being high on my list of good things, I played it cool – like I invented the technique years ago, and was in fact bored by it all – but still wanted to say “thanks, blogging.”

Some writers simply sell their words, working their whole career without realizing the better practitioners of the craft are packaging ideas instead of vowels and consonants.

And there is no shortage of interesting ideas within the copywriting blogosphere.

Reason #3: Bloggers Write a Lot.

All the “10 Ways to Write Better Than Hemingway in Three Weeks” articles aside, better writers are built two ways.

First, you become a better reader. And second, you write a lot.

Blogging forces me to do both. I’ve been a copywriter for 20+ years, and I’ve never written as much – or across so many different topics – as I have since I started blogging.

Most copywriters will cop to a having business angle to their blog, and though most of my work doesn’t come from online sources, I suppose that’s true for me too. (Naturally, my fly fishing blog has generated more work than my copywriting or engagement marketing blogs).

Reason #4: Teaching the Concept of Value.

Michel Fortin writes that he enjoys the teaching aspect of his blog, and I’d like to cop to that too.

I have few illusions about my place among copywriting’s leading lights, but I have made a living for the last 21 years, making pretty much every conceivable mistake along the way.

A key “aha” moment was when I realized writers are a dime a dozen, and that gaining a client’s loyalty had less to do with the words than it did with the wisdom I brought to the table.

I’m guilty of flogging the “Value Added Copywriter” concept to death, but if there’s one idea that separates those who make a comfortable living from those who struggle, that’s it.

On my blog, I can say exactly that, and while my readers are free to reject “value added” as pure organic bullshit, at least it’s out there.

Of course, you can’t teach something without inevitably learning about it more deeply than you thought possible, so in that sense, my altruism has been exposed as pure self interest. Sorry.

Who’s Next?

I’m going to avoid many of the usual suspects and try some new names: Lisa Gates at Intrinsic Life Design, the Copywriting Maven, Inklings, and (something new) Armand Frasco at Moleskinerie, and book dealer/fly fisher/pipe smoker Richard Lee Merritt.

Kids, why do you blog?

[tags]writing, why do I blog, meme, copywriting, blog, blogger, blogging[/tags]

The PR Industry Loves Blogs. But They Aren’t Blogging. Is This the Online Writer’s Next Great Market?

January 24th, 2007 § 3

The Deep Jive Interests blog references an interesting study – one that exposes a certain amount of hypocrisy in the Public Relations industry (yes, we’re shocked too). According to Deep Jive:

Yes, you can file this under â€œtalking a good gameâ€, because the results show that while most PR executives believe in the blogging as an effective tool to share information quickly and broadly (UK 70%, US 80%), and have a role in influencing public opinion and decision making (UK 60, US 70%), the majority do not have a blogging policy (UK 82%, US 88%), and only around a third blog for their own company or clients (UK36%, US 37%).

What’s the problem? And are there opportunities for writers in this?

First, the problems. The original “Bulldog Reporter” article cites “fear” as the #1 reason why the PR industry is lagging in digital marketing, and there’s a ring of truth to that.

Blogs are an unknown, and PR firms are hugely risk averse. Fear is a critical factor. But I wonder if it’s the only one.

Content’s Not Free

From a business standpoint, blogs require content, and I’m not sure how blog content fits into your average PR agency’s pricing structure.

Agencies charge dearly for even simple projects like press releases. If the client can’t commit to content creation – or simply lacks the writing skills – how do four ghostwritten posts per week fit into a bloated agency pricing structure?

Leadership. What’s That Cost?

Pushing that scenario a little further, how does a PR agency find and retain writers capable of ghostwriting a blog into a “thought leadership” position?

It requires knowledge of an industry (and a passion for it) that isn’t easy to find. Nor does it typically come cheap.

Will PR agencies find a way through the thicket? As blogging matures into a critical media channel, they’ll have to – or let a competing vendor wedge themselves into that crack.

PR agencies don’t like cracks.

Is this the perfect opportunity for editorial writers to pump up revenues without wholly enslaving themselves to uninteresting business writing projects?

It’s a reasonable thought.

Writers of any kind could prosper in what looks to be an emerging market. But it seems like a great opportunity for editorial writers.

Blogs place an emphasis on education, entertainment and research – the sweet spot of editorial writing.

PR firms can’t ignore blogging much longer. A firm that serves healthcare clients will need to write healthcare blogs. That’s a great opportunity for healthcare specialist.

A writer looking to cash in on steady commercial work should already have a blogging pitch packet assembled. A little research would pinpoint PR firms working in your fields of specialty.

Contact them. Send them your packet. Pitch them.

They may not need you right away. But in the weeks and months to come, they will.

[tags]blog, blogging, pr, public relations, writer, copywriter, business writing, engagement, engagement marketing[/tags]

Content Done Better Blog Resurrected

January 24th, 2007 Comments Off

No doubt many of you winced when you read my “Carson deletes Content Done Better blog by accident” post. It included a long letter from Carson detailing the moments before and after he accidentally wiped his blog – and the hundreds of posts it contained - from the face of the planet.

Ouch. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I read it because that’s the kind of thing I’d do.

Still, you can’t keep a good blogger down, and Carson just unveiled his new blog.

Shiny new software and look. Same great content.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

[tags]blog, blogging, content done better[/tags]

Anna Quindlen Says Time to Write for Your Life. Did She Mean "Blog For Your Life?"

January 18th, 2007 § 3

Newsweek columnist Anna Quindlen pens a review of the movie “Freedom Writers,” but also touches upon the value and role of writing in today’s society.

Jan. 22, 2007 issue – The new movie “Freedom Writers” isn’t entirely about the themes the trailers suggest. It isn’t only about gang warfare and racial tensions and tolerance. It isn’t only about the difference one good teacher can make in the life of one messed-up kid. “Freedom Writers” is about the power of writing in the lives of ordinary people.

For a time, the written word’s ability to shape our society was diminished, seemingly supplanted by televisions and telephones (presumably). Now – between e-mail, blogs, message boards and other interactive online technology – is writing gaining ground?

Quindlen thinks so.

How is it, at a time when clarity and strength go begging, that we have moved so far from everyday prose? Social critics might trace this back to the demise of letter writing. The details of housekeeping and child rearing, the rigors of war and work, advice to friends and family: none was slated for publication. They were communications that gave shape to life by describing it for others.

The age of technology has both revived the use of writing and provided ever more reasons for its spiritual solace. E-mails are letters, after all, more lasting than phone calls, even if many of them r 2 cursory 4 u. And the physical isolation they and other arms-length cyber-advances create makes talking to yourself more important than ever. That’s also what writing is: not just a legacy, but therapy.

It’s an interesting (and heartwarming) thought. Certainly, few ignore the fact that the blogs in our corner of the blogging universe are marketing tools, though that hardly explains the range of topics covered or the depth of expression.

A majority of my 20+ years of a copywriter have been spent outside the auspices of advertising agencies, and while I’m clearly suited to working alone, the ability to trot out my latest thinking for peer consumption (and comment) is clearly an attraction.

Copywriter Therapy? I don’t know. But it begs the question: what is blogging’s place in the writing world?

More permanent than a cell phone, but certainly less intimate than handwritten letter, it’s an odd mix, and Quindlen unfortunately ignores some of the new realities facing writers.

For example, you don’t get to comment in a book in realtime, yet online writers enjoy exactly that kind of feedback. Is blogging (electronic publishing on the Internet might be better) the future of the written word?

And is the act of “writing for your life” enhanced by the interactivity and public nature of blogging, or is it deadened?

If you truly had a choice (without economic considerations), where would you write?

Source: Quindlen: Write for Your Life – Newsweek Anna Quindlen – MSNBC.com

[tags]writing, writer, copywriter, anna quindlen, newsweek, freedom writers, blog[/tags]

A Shiny New "Top 150" Marketing Blogs List. Does it Matter?

January 13th, 2007 § 7

Have we truly witnessed the birth of the “Power 150″ top marketing blogs list? And given the long tail, does it even matter?

A quick scan suggests only one pure copywriting blog (The Copywriting Maven), and that copywriting’s heavy hitters (Copyblogger, Writing White Papers, Fortin, etc) seem strangely absent.

Of course, marketing is a much bigger sandbox than writing, and these rankings reflect that reality.

Continuing the the “Power 150″ idea, here’s how Todd And (there’s a name destined to confuse) ranked the marketing blogs:

Today, I am unveiling the Power 150, a ranking of the top marketing blogs in America and my attempt to add a sliver of value within the massive marketing blogosphere. As the author of my own marketing blog, Iâ€™ve developed a great appreciation for my fellow marketing bloggers and their content. As a PR guy, I understand the perceived value of lists and rankings. The Power 150 provides a stable, unbiased ranking foundation with a pinch of subjective measure for creativity.

Interestingly, I just compiled a similar list in a much smaller market (for a client). The results lined up as expected – with the exception of a few blogs that clearly didn’t belong near the top.

It’s difficult to quantify intangibles like reach, authority and credibility. But given humanity’s fascination with lists, it probably doesn’t matter.

Of course, the savvy copywriter already knows that – and leverages that fascination every working day.

Enjoy the list (I found a few I hadn’t visited). And let us know if the long tail hasn’t obsoleted lists like this.

Source: Todd And – The Power To Connect

[tags]power 150, marketing, marketing blog, long tail[/tags]

What’s a Meme? 101 Reasons They’re a Good Thing.

January 3rd, 2007 § 8

There’s a meme going around, and unlike a virus, this one’s OK to catch. It’s a list of “Z-list” blogs, and I’m supposed to post the list after adding a few more names to it.

The idea, of course, is to create a tidal wave of links for the lesser-trafficked marketing blogs, and I admit that I did visit a couple on this list whose name caught my eye.

Still, I wonder if the whole enterprise wouldn’t be more useful if we all added just one blog to the list – and included some explanation why.

Given my love of Engagement Marketing, I’m adding engagement blogs to the list. Enjoy!

Creative Think

8 Wishes

Movie Marketing Madness