How Well Do You Know Your Market?

When selling via the written word, it’s critical to know what your market is thinking. You need to know their hopes and fears… what products they may have purchased in the past… what their daily life is like… and so on. It’s also important to understand your market’s state of awareness. How aware are they […]

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David Ogilvy’s Creative Process for Writing Sales Copy

A few days ago, Sean B. Alger sent me the following tweet. It was a bit cryptic. I thought he’d written a post in which he’d described himself as a lousy copywriter. Turns out, he had linked to an old David Ogilvy letter in which Ogilvy had described himself as a lousy copywriter.

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The Effect of Signs & Incentives on Littering

I hate littering. It’s inconsiderate. And it’s a form of laziness I just can’t stand. There are the intentional litterers: the gum chewers who spit their gum on the sidewalk, the smokers who flick their cigarette butts out their windows, the dog owners who leave their dogs’ feces on the sidewalk or in a neighbor’s […]

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The Advice I Gave to a Young Copywriter

Last night I spoke with a young copywriter about a project he’s considering accepting. Naturally, he was excited about the project. He’s still getting experience and learning the craft, so just about any opportunity is exciting. But as he explained the details of the project to me, I spotted a few red flags. For example, […]

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Gary Halbert’s Newsletters in Chronological Order

TheGaryHalbertLetter.com contains a wealth of information for copywriters and direct marketers. But if you’ve ever tried to read through the archive of newsletters in chronological order, you know it’s much easier said than done. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a fellow marketer had taken the time to create an “online index” […]

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