Copywriting tip 30: Feed the brain
Tip no. 30: a quote from Picasso - 'Good artists copy, great artists steal'. No, not about plagiarism, but feeding the brain
28 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 29: Never be satisfied
Tip no. 29: your copy is never finished. Your ideas are never good enough. You always want more time
28 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 28: It’s not personal
Tip no. 28: feedback - don't take it personally. Difficult when you've poured so much of yourself into the copy
25 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 27: The overnight test
Tip no. 27: once written or created, don't present your copy or ideas straight away. Give them the overnight test
25 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 26: Deadlines
Tip no. 26: Deadlines. Love 'em or hate 'em. But without them, we'd never get anything produced
24 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 25: Get out of the office
Tip no. 25: If you want fresh thinking, get a different view. Literally. Get away from your usual work space
21 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 24: Synchrographics
Tip no. 24: synchrographics, the timing of your messages. It can have a huge impact. Just ask Israeli parolees ...
21 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 23: WTF – the F shape
Tip no. 23: writing for the web, email or mobile? Make sure you WTF: Write for The F shape
19 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 22: Grammar
Tip no. 22: 'Grammar is a piano I play by ear.' said Joan Didion. How do we deal with grammar in copywriting? We don't
18 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 21: Proofreading
Tip no. 21: it's the writer's responsibility to get the spelling right. No-one else's. Here are five easy tips to help you
15 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 20: The copy loop
Tip no. 20: we know how to start our copy. What to do in the middle. But how do you end or close your copy?
15 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 19: The call to action
Tip no. 19: as a copywriter, I'm trying to get people to react. Buy something, try something, consider it
11 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 18: Start in the reader’s world
Tip no. 18: how to start your copy? Well, don't start in your world: start in the reader's. Engage the Socratic Method
11 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 17: Short sentences
Tip no. 17: deleted and shortened your words? Now look at the sentences. Short and punchy is the way to go
11 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 16: Hippopotomonstro sesquippedaliophobia
Tip no. 16: having deleted as many words as possible, look at the ones left. Any longer than one syllable? Chop it down
08 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 15: Chip at the marble
Tip no. 15: having poured your heart out, time to start editing. As Michelangelo said, chip at the marble to set the angel free
07 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 14: Verbal diarrhoea
Tip no. 14: how do you start the writing process? Just pour your heart out. Don't stop, don't edit as you go
06 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 13: It’s nothing to do with budget
Tip no. 13: Good ideas have nothing to do with budget. Don't think it takes a lot of money to get cut-through
05 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 12: Fishing versus trawling
Tip no. 12: Fishing versus trawling. There's no such thing as one idea. Come up with lots - throw the net out wide
04 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 11: Get passionate
Tip no. 11: Get passionate. You're never going to ignite interest in others without discovering the passion yourself
01 May, 2020
Copywriting tip 10: Shiny new thing syndrome
Tip no. 10: shiny new thing syndrome. Avoid going for the latest new, shiny thing - just because it's new
30 April, 2020
Copywriting tip 9: Learn when not to write
Tip no. 9: learn when not to write. The hardest lesson for any copywriter to learn is when not to write
29 April, 2020
Don’t pivot. Don’t panic. Just react.
Everyone's telling you to pivot. Change direction, rethink your business or career. I'm saying 'don't'
29 April, 2020
Copywriting tip 8: Be invisible
Tip no. 8: be invisible. Unlike other types of writing (novels, films, journalism), we copywriters need to be invisible
28 April, 2020
Copywriting tip 7: Brand or bland
Tip no. 7: brand or bland. Is your message unique to the brand? Or is it generic, and bland?
27 April, 2020
Copywriting tip 6: Where – the medium is the message
Tip no. 6: every medium has strengths and weaknesses. Choose the one that will enhance your message
24 April, 2020
Copywriting tip 5: Why – the proposition
Tip no. 5: the proposition. once you've learned about the audience (Who) and topic (What), you're ready for the 'Why'
23 April, 2020
Copywriting tip 4: What – your topic
Tips from '30 copywriting tips in 40 minutes'. No. 4: the homework. Learn 'what' you are writing about
22 April, 2020
Copywriting tip 3: Who – your audience
Tips from '30 copywriting tips in 40 minutes'. No. 3: the homework. Explore 'who', your audience
21 April, 2020
Copywriting tip 2: Do your homework
Tips from my recent webinar: 30 copywriting tips in 40 minutes. Don't start by writing: start with the homework
20 April, 2020
Copywriting tip 1: Get it in writing
Tips from my recent webinar: 30 copywriting tips in 40 minutes. Tip 1: get a brief, and get it in writing
18 April, 2020
How the virus killed marketing
March 2020. As I write this, there are over 245,000 cases of coronavirus and 10,000 deaths. And one casualty no-one’s talking about. Mark
20 March, 2020
What Gordon Ramsay taught me about copywriting
I love cooking. I find it very therapeutic. Producing something that gets immediate feedback (usually positive). Very different from my day job… I’ve
19 February, 2019
Why I swapped my MX5 for a station wagon
I loved my MX5. Bright red. Bose speakers in the headrest. One of the first mobile phones in Australia to be installed into a convertible. Separate ha
10 February, 2019
My life as a removalist (sorry: copywriter)
I moved house recently. Those of you who know me will be slightly shocked. For seven years, I’ve lived on an island. A very small, scruffy, no-shops,
04 February, 2019
Don’t start your writing by writing: the homework
Here’s a strange piece of advice. When you have to start writing, the last thing you need to do is write. By which I mean the last part of the writing
04 February, 2019
Instant ideas: 30 concepts in 30 minutes
This is something I do in my workshops. Just before lunch, when everyone’s tired. ‘C’mon,’ I say, looking at their bleary, wary eyes. ‘Let’s come up w
25 January, 2019
Speed bumps, traffic lights and punctuation
Punctuation. It’s a passion of mine. It has the power to completely change the sense. Take this well-known example: ‘Let’s eat grandma’. Now, that’s a
19 January, 2019
Sell vs tell. Two powerful structures for your copy.
I’ve shared tips on the copywriting process in several other articles. About the all-important preparation. Or the craft of writing. Even how importan
13 January, 2019
10 quick tips for powerful copy
According to research, 10 is the magic number. Yep. As reported on OK Dork, BuzzSumo analysed 100 million articles, looking for what content gets shar
06 January, 2019
How to (kick)start your freelance copywriting career
I’ve been running copywriting workshops for over 25 years now. There are two common follow-up questions. One: ‘can you send me examples of briefing te
29 December, 2018
Hippopotomonstro sesquippedaliophobia
Ah. I remember school. Quite fondly, actually. My school was unusual. Founded in 1552, with a uniform that dates back over 450 years (and still worn t
26 November, 2018
Find the angel in the marble
Michelangelo was once asked how he went about the sculpting process. His answer? ‘I saw the angel in the marble, and carved until I set him free’. How
26 November, 2018
You’re naked without briefs
I’ve been a so-called ‘creative’ for over 30 years. I say ‘so-called’ because I think people misunderstand what we mean by creativity, in a marketing
04 November, 2018
Pssst: 5 secrets professional copywriters won’t tell you
I’m going to let you in on a secret. Actually, five. Why? Well, five seems like a nice round number. No, seriously. I want to share some secrets to he
01 November, 2018
