The Copywriter Underground

I’ve repeatedly highlighted the marketing benefits of quality content, and believe engagement marketing gigs (blogs, e-newsletters, etc) offer copywriters a shot at excellent long-term (and profitable) projects.
Next time you’re pitching a content project, don’t forget to roll out this excellent example from a Direct Magazine article by Joe Pulizzi:
Being Girl, sponsored by P&G brands […]

Writing funny copy is a skill — an apparently rare one if my eyes don’t deceive me. Still, if you hire one of the funniest people on the planet, then you’re probably gold. Witness the NXTube.com “spoof” blog which engages with readers via humor — and sells golf balls the backwards way.

New selling technology can deliver a tailored shopping experience online, and these highly “relevant” sales tools are dramatically boosting conversion rates.
Are copywriters keeping up? Is your copy as “relevant” as the overall online shopping environment?
When this post about relevant selling systems from Kim Proctor at How to Create Powerful Customer Experiences popped up on Google […]

Airgun writer Tom Gaylord dominates the airgunning editorial niche, getting paid to write the industry’s most successful blog, numerous paid articles, podcasts and even video. The secret of his success doesn’t revolve around choosing the right adjectives…

It’s not exactly a surprise to the copywriting world, but traditional “interrupt” marketing techniques are losing ground to “softer” engagement marketing techniques, and the switch is picking up steam.
Proof can be found in an excellent New York Times article, which outlines the extent to which marketing giant Nike is already channeling its marketing budget into engagement marketing:

Last year, […]

I just wrote an online marketing plan for a client. Five years ago, half of the plan’s elements didn’t exist in any real marketing sense. And not only have the media channels changed, my client’s goals have too.
With consumers facing a constant barrage of marketing messages — and marketers struggling to make even a wisp […]

Thanks to the Copywriter’s Crucible for alerting us to this one — a short video created by Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions (of all people).
It satirizes the master/slave relationship many advertisers still wish existed — and is a pointed (if symbolic) reminder of the changing role of the copywriter.
Plus it’s fun. Time to engage, baby. Coupons […]

I just posted a short profile of BzzAgent on my Engagement Principles blog, and telling you is my way of saving myself the trouble of copying and pasting the whole thing over here.
Instead, I’ll point out that BzzAgent is a word-of-mouth marketing company who has already dispensed with the “traditional” blog format. What are they […]

My presentation last night went gangbusters. They always do. But I always stress about them.
In this case, the group of small business owners were sharp. And what’s gratifying - given my constant harping on the subject on my Engagement Principles blog - was their quick grasp of the concept of engagement.
Indeed, the Copywriter’s Crucible offers […]

If I convince my readers of anything, it’s that the copywriters who add value beyond the words set themselves apart from the herd.
Part of adding value means staying current, and intelligently applying new marketing developments to your clients’ situation.
For example, John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing posted a note about a hosted “click-to-call” service for […]