The Power of the Word - Tips on Writing

Dear Info Marketers,

The weather forecast is calling for winter for a while longer, but the good news is that by Wednesday we are supposed to start seeing some spring-like weather. Not sure if this is true, so I am adopting on the "I'll-believe-it-when-I-see-it" stance.

Actually, I shouldn't complain. Winter can be good. Getting outside for some skiing or skating is fun, and if that doesn't interest you, you can stay inside and do something else. One thing a friend of mine did was stay home and do some writing. He just got a job at an ad agency and is working to better his skills. I went over to see him on Saturday having not seen him for a couple of weeks. He showed me the stacks of paper he had been writing. Suffice to say I was pretty impressed.

I picked his brain for a while and asked him what he had learned about writing for banner ads and web promos, as these skills are completely applicable to information marketing. Here was what he said:

--Keep it simple - In ad writing, less is truly more. Writing simple direct statements are generally what the client wants. Avoiding five and six syllable words and convoluted ideas help immensely to creating better ad copy.

--Practice, practice, practice - Like playing music, the skill of copywriting takes time. You can't be a pro after writing a page. Some copywriters take years to hone their skill. My friend was a bit of a shut in for a good part of this winter, but he readily admits that this after-hours work is making him a more confident writer, and he is already being offered better writing projects at work.

--Don't be cute, be direct - Even if you are promoting children's toys, write like a pro. An example he used was the headline "Stack the deck in your favour!", used for a health product. It was too cute. He later reworked it to "Isn't it time you did what was right?" This question was more direct and wasn't trying to sound comical. Remember: it's the words that sell, so they have to be the best.

--When in doubt, ask the client - If you get stuck on an idea or are unsure what exactly you are trying to write about, give the client a call. Just say: "I'm just calling to confirm...". This can be helpful in finding new words or ideas to finish writing the product copy.

When it comes to writing, I cannot recommend my colleagues Adrian, John, and Mathew enough. These guys all have a ton of experience and write copy extremely well. In fact, Mathew has just put together a great report that can show you how to write moneymaking information products, even if you've never put to pen to paper in your life. Click here to learn more.

If you want to write, write. Fill notebooks and scrap paper with as many lines as you can. Read what ever print you can get to expand your vocabulary. And whatever happens, don't quit. You can only get better with time.

Good luck,

J.


P.S. Ever the teacher, I should point out some good references for all you beginning writers. These books are written by pros and can help you get started:

a. The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman.
b. The Copywriter's Handbook by Robert Bly.
c. Advertising Secrets of the Written Word by Joe Sugarman.