The Copywriter Underground

Great design is a lot like great copy. Done properly, both will take your breath away, even as they recede into the background – a perfect match of form, function, and inspiration.

Done properly, the call to action – whether it’s to “click here” or to simply pick up a tool and use it – is apparent.

The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards are holding The People’s Design Awards – which plain old everyday Internet geeks (that’s us) are allowed to nominate and vote for some of the year’s best designs.

They range from products to vehicles to tools to movies to logos. And everything in between.

Hustle over and vote today – the competition closes October 21.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

peoples design awards, design, national design awards

It’s Friday, which means copywriters all over the planet are struggling to meet deadlines, but since it’s the end of a long, long week, we’re mostly brain dead. Frankly, our copy reflects it.

How do we stop ourselves from shipping something… well… stupid?

Why, I use the Internet StupidFilter:

The concept behind the StupidFilter Project originated during a conversation between Gabriel Ortiz and Paul Starr. StupidFilter was conceived out of necessity. Too long have we suffered in silence under the tyranny of idiocy.

In the beginning, the Internet was a place where one could communicate intelligently with similarly erudite people. Then, Eternal September hit and we were lost in the noise. The advent of user-driven web content has compounded the matter yet further, straining our tolerance to the breaking point. It’s time to fight back.

The solution we’re creating is simple: an open-source filter software that can detect rampant stupidity in written English.

I want one. Now.

For a good laugh, visit the StupidFilter Web site: StupidFilter :: Main / About

You can even stop by their “view random YouTube stupidity” page. (Like what — you’ve got something better to do?)

Keep writing (smartly), Tom Chandler

[tags]writing, copywriting, stupidfilter[/tags]

Writing billboards is tough. You’re delivering a sales message at freeway speeds, and you absolutely, positively must cut through the barrage of information coming at your reader — who’s trying to keep a ton of steel nicely centered between the lines.

Billboards: An Example of KISS

New copywriters are barraged with formulas for writing great copy, but in this case, KISS might be the most critical (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

Still, billboards require a bit more. So I’m introducing “KISSAM” — Keep It Simple, Stupid (And Memorable).

At freeway speeds, no one has time to puzzle out your clever little pun. Or unravel layers of meaning. But they need to remember your billboard for more than the second it takes to look at the next one.

You need to hit them right between the eyes — but do so in a way that amuses, entertains, or delivers a big, big benefit.

That’s a tall order. To do it, you need three things.

1. A lot of ideas. Pages of them.
2. Knowledge of billboard locations
3. A constant reminder about what you’re doing

Ideas. Heaps of ‘em.

Like any marketing project, you can’t arrive at the finish without first knowing the destination. You must be very, very clear about what you’re selling. And I’m not talking about the product — I’m talking about the product message.

Years ago I wrote a few billboards for a casino. Of course, we weren’t selling the casino. Our creative theme that year was “fun.”

If your client hasn’t settled on a creative theme, then make one of your own (and align it with their project/business goals).

Then sit down with a pad of paper and a favorite pen, pencil or crayon. And scratch out as many ideas as you can.

Then let them sit for a couple hours, and edit the hell out of them.

Then let them sit overnight.

The next day, ruthlessly edit away all the crap (saving the great-but-off-message ideas for another time).

What’s left should:

• Hit the reader with a benefit
• Be aligned with your creative theme
• Stick in the reader’s memory more than a millisecond

If not, repeat. Really.

Billboard Location

You can write successful billboards without knowing their location. But you’ll write better ones if you do.

Remember the “fun” billboards I mentioned above? Our most distant billboard was 80 miles from the casino. The highway between was famously flat, straight, and boring. I don’t think anyone enjoyed the drive.

If I hadn’t known, I never could have written “You’d Enjoy the Next 80 Miles If You Were Headed Someplace Fun.”

It risked becoming an inside joke, but those who got it (and hopefully laughed) suddenly had a destination — a “fun” target to ponder for the next 70 minutes.

It told drivers we understood their predicament. And that we offered a way out.

The good news? It was mentioned more than a few times by casino patrons.

So know your locations. And if you don’t know, don’t make assumptions. I once saw a roadside billboard urging a driver to “Exit Right” for great food.

Problem is, the restaurant was on the left. There was no exit on the right.

A Constant Reminder

Tape “KISSAM” at the top of your computer monitor, and never forget your creative theme — or the idea that your concept and visual are getting read at 70 mph by drivers with a couple of screaming kids in the back seat.

What are you giving them that’s memorable?

By the way — KISSAM applies to visuals too. Keep them clean, and bounce them off the headlines to add meaning.

In fact — in what is the Underground’s first public policy proposal — I suggest we levy a tax on all the too-complex, wildly confusing billboards peppering the planet.

We’d have enough money to establish the Old Copywriter’s Retirement Home. Or take everyone to Hawaii for a week.

Remember — vote for me.

Here’s Something to Shoot For

One of the most successful billboards I ever saw was located right in the heart of the Silicon Valley — a “geek traffic corridor” of the highest order.

The billboard? A very leggy woman in a short-skirted business suit supported by this brilliant headline:

“While You’re Watching Me, Who’s Watching Your Network?”

Sex, a fear appeal, and product identification — in one very funny, “caught you staring” headline/image combo. I wish I’d written it.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

[tags]billboards, billboard writing, copywriter, freelance copywriter, freelance copywriting, marketing, how to write billboards[/tags]

Someone once said screenwriters were “only the first drafts of human beings.” That’s funny, but it underscores the problems faced by Hollywood screenwriters, who aren’t getting their fair share of the emerging digital market.

Still, why should you — a copywriter — even care about the Hollywood writer’s strike?

Simple.

Hollywood’s writers face many of the same issues you face. Namely, how do you get paid for everything you do? Are you truly compensated for the value you deliver? Is your copy working harder for your client, but making you less money than it did five years ago?

From the New York Times:

Ultimately, the two sides gridlocked over the writers’ insistence on a sharp increase in their residuals payments for the re-use of movies and shows on DVDs and on new payments for the distribution of such works on the Internet, over cell phones and elsewhere. Producers refused to boost the DVD payments and rebuffed demands related to electronic distribution, arguing that industry economics and still-shifting technology made accommodation impossible.

Today’s Hard-Working Copy

The simple case study I wrote 15 years ago became a printed piece, perhaps finding a comfortable second home as a press release.

Today, that same case study will be printed, distributed as a .pdf file, posted on the company Web site, mentioned on the company blog, touted in the company e-newsletter, featured in the company’s multimedia sales presentation, and then forced down the corporate RSS feed.

Given a little PR massage, it could also appear on a dozen different online PR sites — or texted to select prospects by the sales force.

Wait a few months, and I might see it in a trade journal, posted on the trade journal’s Web site, mentioned on the trade journal’s blog, and fired into the marketplace by the trade journal’s e-newsletter.

The basis for a video? A podcast? Flash presentation? Could be.

Your Copy Everywhere

Yes, I’m exaggerating. But only just a little.

And yes, you want your clients to market intelligently, and leveraging content across multiple media channels certainly qualifies.

But you also want to be fully compensated for the work you do (and the value you deliver). So how does that happen? How do you get paid for the full value of your work?

First, don’t fight it. The growth in media channels is happening, and the smart freelancer leverages change instead of fighting it. That’s today’s lesson:

Don’t be afraid of the growing number of media channels. Instead, leverage them to create higher revenues.

The easiest path? Offer to produce the copy variations your clients need, and then simply charge for the extra time.

After all, if your case study is also destined to find a home on the company blog, why not pitch an optimized version right up front?

Why not sell your client a shortened, hard-hitting summary that creates a much higher clickthough rate (to the longer story) for the company e-newsletter? (Remember, you create value where other copywriters create words.)

Good clients see value in those proposals (assuming they’re marketing in those channels). And simply asking the question “trains” them to start thinking in your mental frame — that all those ancillary uses of your copy should be paid for.

It’s not exactly a new tactic, but it can be a profitable one.

An example? “This is going to be a great case study — why don’t we revise it for distribution here and here? I’ll add those line items to the estimate for you.”

There. That wasn’t hard.

But it could be profitable.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler

[tags]copy, copywriter, business of copywriting, freelance copywriter, marketing, freelance writer, writer, marketing writer, screenwriter strike[/tags]

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, Nike spent just 33 percent of its $678 million United States advertising budget on ads with television networks and other traditional media companies. That’s down from 55 percent 10 years ago, according to the trade publication Advertising Age.

”We’re not in the business of keeping the media companies alive,” Mr. Edwards says he tells many media executives. ”We’re in the business of connecting with consumers.” (emphasis added)

If you’re in advertising sales, you wince at that last paragraph.

Nike’s “Nike+” running site is a social network for runners. No Michael Jordan ads here.

Nike — the 800-pound interrupt marketing gorilla in the sports world — is increasingly betting on social media, branded content and engagement marketing (where brands engage with the passions and values of their customers).

For example, many of Nike’s video efforts aren’t even broadcast; they’re simply released as viral videos. Plus, Nike’s investing in social networks sites (like the Nike+ running site shown above) — and all this at the expense of their traditional advertising budget.

Nike’s not alone; from the same New York Times article:

Add it up, and the money flowing out of the traditional media is huge — even at a time when ad budgets in general are growing, advertising research shows. The 25 companies that spent the most on advertising over the last five years cut their spending last year in traditional media by about $767 million, according to Advertising Age and TNS Media Intelligence.

And in the first half of this year, those companies decreased their media spending an additional 3 percent, or $446 million, to $14.53 billion, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

I discussed the implications in greater depth on my Engagement Principles blog. And I believe the New York Times article should be mandatory reading for any copywriter more than a few months away from retirement.

What’s this mean to you? In truth, copywriters have always wanted to engage their readers — it’s just that we lacked the technology to do so affordably.

It’s likely that copywriters will be writing more branded/engagement copy (and fewer ads) in the future. It’s also likely long-running programs will take the place of one-off projects, a change which bodes well for revenues.

How Can the Modern Copywriter Benefit?

First, learn about concepts like “customer lifetime value” and RFM (recency, frequency and money). After all, we’re marketers, not word jockeys.

Second, it’s helpful to test-fly engagement technologies before you tell a client you understand them (and find yourself under a tight deadline). Looking foolish is bad.

Third, bookmark the New York Times article, and use the most compelling figures in your own client pitches. For example, someone asks you to bid on an e-newsletter. Every other writer simply responds with a price.

You respond with a price, and justify it with background, trends data, compelling statistics — maybe even a project ROI analysis.

Now tell me — who’s going to get the job?

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

[tags]copywriter, copywriting, engagement marketing, marketing, nike, nike+, nikeplus.com, relationship marketing[/tags]

I’m getting calls from a lot of prospective clients. That’s good.

Less good is this — a growing number seem interested in heavily leveraging my least-profitable service: free advice.

Lately, I’ve heard from a surprising number of prospects expecting me to do all their marketing legwork for them — for nothing more than the price of a few words.

Three in the last six months requested written marketing plans – one even asking for a list of vendors, costs, brand messaging, project outlines, competitive research, blog theme, blog sample content, and more.

And they wanted them for free.

Another wanted art direction — layouts and graphics ideas for his site and landing pages – before he agreed to pay for a single word of copy.

No deal.

I’m not against offering marketing consulting. After all, I preach the concept of the value-added copywriter.

But you shouldn’t add all that value for free — whether for a client who wants more than they’re willing to pay, or one who isn’t really serious about the project in the first place.

How serious is that client who just contacted you? Are they really looking for a copywriter? Or are they just on a fishing expedition in the hopes of getting their questions answered for free?

Here are four “red flag” tests I’ve trotted out in the past — questions you can use to determine if a client’s a player or pretender.

Test #1: Ask them about their project budget. Chances are — if a prospective client is serious about a new Web site, or blog, or online marketing plan – they’ll have a budget. Few will lay the whole number out for you, but if they become unduly evasive or — worse — start tossing out unrealistically low numbers – you’re probably in trouble.

Test #2: Ask them if they’re talking to other copywriters or marketing agencies. If they’re ”evaluating” more than a couple writers or marketing folks, ask if there’s a formal review process underway, and how vendors are being evaluated.

If it simply looks like they’re pumping a dozen people for information without a signed work order in site, then proceed with caution.

Test #3: When is the project starting? A mushy, indeterminate answer doesn’t bode well. If they don’t value a project enough to schedule it, do they value it enough to really pay for it?

Test #4: Who are your partner vendors? This can be a huge wake-up call; a client who contacts you about a new Web site also needs a Web developer, designer, host, etc. If they’re not talking to those vendors, they may expect you to find vendors and manage site development for them. You can offer those services, but you should damn well never offer them for free.

Remember – every pitch involves a little back and forth, and throwing in some free advice is a marvelous way to demonstrate your value as a marketer.

But if someone asks for a lot of information, yet is unwilling to offer any in return, then you should probably heed that uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. 

Of course, these are just a few of my “dodgy client” detectors. I’d love to hear yours.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

[tags]copywriting, copywriter, freelance copywriter, freelance copywriting, marketing, marketing consulting, freelance marketing consultant[/tags]

Moving is stressful. It’s a lot of backbreaking work (and I noticed none of you offered to help).

 
The Writer’s Office doesn’t look like this. So what does it look like?

The good news? A new home office space is in my future. (New. That’s an exciting word).

Because I started down copywriting’s path when most copy was still being written on typewriters, I’m afraid my concept of the copywriter’s office might be a little dated.

Indeed, — in the era of powerful laptops and wi-fi — is the home office even an office? Or is it simply the whole home?

So I’m turning to you for ideas.

Where do you work? What’s your dream office look like? And what clever little ideas have you found to make your home office more workable?

Has anyone tried to go truly paperless?

My future is in your hands. (Sort of.)

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

[tags]writing, home office[/tags]

It’s 5am on Saturday morning, and I’m stealing a few minutes to update my readers — and to reassure you there’s more to come.

These last few months have been chaotic; work is off the charts, and my lovely & talented wife and I are in the process of selling two houses and some property. In fact, we’re packing today for next weekend’s move into our new house.

I was a bit skeptical about the move, but my wife — a much better salesperson than I am — cleverly dangled the potential for my own garage in front of me.

Wow.

My bikes hanging from the wall. My float tubes and pontoon boat an arm’s length away on the ceiling. A special rack for fly rods — even a wader drying station.

The mind reels. The heart beats faster. The deal is done.

It’s a lesson even a dense copywriter can’t ignore; once you know what turns your audience on, selling is easy. Easy.

That’s today’s lesson. Or, rather, the first of them.

Work. Work. Work.

While we’ve been playing land baron, my work hasn’t stood still. At least I’ve been consistent with my readers; I foist the concept of the “Value-Added Copywriter” on you damn near every post, and I’ve been living that concept.

Here’s a sterling example; in the “good ole days” I would get a call from a client, who typically chose from a short menu: “Write us an ad (or brochure, or direct mailer, or Web site)” they’d say.

I’d write it. Ship it. Rewrite it. And collect the check.

A happy ending was had by all.

Today, things are different.

I’m not writing brochures or ads. I’m writing marketing plans. Or online marketing plans. Or mapping strategies. Or some combination thereof.

My clients are sailing out of the print harbor and into the digital ocean, and they’re typically doing so without a navigator.

For many, I’ve become that navigator, but the demands on my time have multiplied (I’m writing the plans and the content mind you).

Education, it turns out, is a time consuming thing.

How to charge for this huge time investment? How to make sure there’s still time for “creative” work? (I’m writing 30 billboard concepts as we speak).

I’m figuring it out.

Some days I figure it out better than others.

Then There’s This Other Blog…

Because life wasn’t interesting enough, my Trout Underground fly fishing blog recently became #1 in the category (sure, the former #1 decided his blog was a Web site, but in the online world, you take every victory you can get).

Realizing the potential for advertising revenue, I’m immersing myself in the one aspect of marketing I’ve learned almost nothing about the past two decades.

Media.

Think PPC and SEO are dark arts?

Try writing your own media kit, and then selling the concept of online advertising to a marketing person with little knowledge of the discipline (and even less interest).

Progress is being made, though my own shortcomings as salesperson are surfacing (uncomfortably so).

Still — like anything new in life — you apply your learning process to the subject at hand, keep chipping away, and eventually it falls before you. Or maybe it simply becomes less opaque (we fear those things we don’t understand).

Whatever.

It’s happening for me, but it’s not happening without a lot of late nights and early mornings.

So What’s Happening on the Copywriter Underground?

I’ll do better about posting here. There is even some work in progress that’s worth featuring — once it’s no longer in progress.

Sure, the headline promised to show you how to sell anything to anyone, and I only half-delivered with my house-buying story.

The other half? The digital age is upon us, and you can’t sell anything to anyone unless you’re talking to them where they’re willing to listen.

That’s why the old copywriter’s menu (ad, brochure, direct mail, Web) has grown so much longer.

You’ve got to know what turns people on. And you’ve got to pitch that to them where they’re willing to hear it.

Both clauses require constant learning.

Which — in your case — means you can’t ever stop learning, and if you wake up one morning and find you’ve been sitting in the same place long enough to realize it, you might already be in trouble.

Keep writing, Tom Chandler.

[tags]copywriting, writing, marketing, marketing consultant, value added copywriter, life[/tags]

Sometimes the weight of a couple deadlines, too much coffee, and a late night can have a mildly hallucinagenic effect on a copywriter — especially when you’re trying to pop out a half dozen “brilliant” ads.

And yes, there were times when I was reasonably sure my typewriter/computer/fingers/brain were conspiring against me. And if anyone else were to see my ad concept doodle notebooks from a decade ago, they’d be tempted to check me into rehab — despite the fact I’ve never touched any of the truly interesting drugs.

Today I’m headed out the door for yet another new client meeting (they’re coming thick and fast right now), so while I’m driving, enjoy this little bit of writer humor, courtesy some other copywriter.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=kvtcmdvsY-A[/youtube]

[tags]copywriting, writing[/tags]

No freelancer likes to get sick. It’s not as if we get sick days from the HR department. And there’s little worse than missing deadlines because you’re too busy driving the porcelain bus.

Yet it happens. It’s been happening to me all week.

I’ll be back at work next week. Preferably without the headaches, nausea, fever — and all the other messy symptoms you don’t want to read about.

Keep writing. And stay well.

[tags]copywriting, diseased copywriter[/tags]