Master Copywriter
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RDB Resources 23 Years of Professional Excellence -Copywriting & Marketing
How Building Your Observation Skills will fill your wallet with Cash.
By: Rich Boyd
You ever wander about people … of course you have. I am an avid observer of people and their habits. Have you ever considered that this observation is information …Information you can use …?
What people like and dislike, the types of groups that gather for various reasons, such as work, social, and religious, all interest me.
I am in customer service, sales, marketing, and communications. I am a copywriter and use these techniques and skills of observation in my sales and marketing copy, every day. I have found this very helpful in understand human nature, to observe people, listen to what people say, and how people act. You can too!
What got me to think about this observing is my cat Callie; she is a calico that observes me while I am working and writing. I discovered I do the same thing. I began to consciously notice what was going on around me and to summarize what the motivations and emotions driving the actions of people. I learned, most of the time it was just what it appeared to be however the deeper meanings were even more interesting.
You ever wonder why fads in the marketplace like the Cabbage patch dolls, or the Tickle me Elmo were so popular. I know what you thinking and you are saying it was a masterful marketing promotion. A Marketing plan that created the buzz and got the consumer namely parents of small children in the frenzy to get the doll for their kids.
Well you would be partially right. That is obvious answer however; it was even deeper than that it was the emotional element. The marketing feed on not only the parent’s emotional connection to their kids it focused on the emotional connection the doll would have on the kids themselves.
Here we had two emotional forces to buy a single item, the parents and the kids.
I’ll say that again… “two emotional forces to buy”
Wouldn’t this be a great thing to two people wanting the same item. What about two emotional triggers in one person and by observing the world around you… you too can develop your copywriting skills and fill your pockets with cash.
The possibilities are greater, to inspire your creativity and imagination although that is another post … for now use the information around you to increase your productivity and strengthen your copy.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Doom & Gloom ... Not a Chance!
Yes, the markets are going down, people everywhere are loosing their jobs, their savings and their homes. Face it we are in for some tough times ahead and it may seem that we will never see prosperity again. However, when you thank about all of the lost wealth ask yourself this question:
"Where did the Money go?"
Sure, Values of homes have dropped and stock prices fall, yet the money is still in the economy. I believe the money or value is still out there, it is in the savings accounts of business and million's of Americans. This in and of itself boasts of Opportunity. Here's how:
Tight Money in the hands of business and consumers makes for the perfect storm for marketers and sales representatives. Consumers will be wanting to get the very best deal ...the most bang for their buck. Business will have lean budgets for the goods and services they need to continue operations. Savvy managers will bargain shop for the best quality at the bottom basement prices. Consumers will not stay with their traditional stores and grocery's and prices will fall.
Competition
When the prices fall basic economics take over. The professional who can provide the highest quality product and service at the lowest passable price will get the business every time. You want Proof...? OK
Why, are you reading this, ...better still, what are you looking for, and what brought you to this Blog? You see, everyone wants to make more money, including ME ! Whether its as executive seeking out a freelance copywriter to write an ad that will increase sales or a person, maybe like you, looking for ways to make more money.
"Yes, Rich but what about the consumer just looking for a bargain?"
That's a great question, the consumer is wanting to save money for something else they want to buy and by saving money they are wanting indirectly to make more money by saving. The trick is finding out what is the next product or service they want. Great marketer's will know what that is and be able to provide an avenue for the costumer to continue doing business. Ebay is a perfect example.
Easily, you can focus on the benefits and advantages of your product or service but the key is to find the emotional trigger that causes a potential client to take action and buy. That's what I do!
Success in one Ad is all it takes ...You can turn your bad luck all around today and get back to no worries.
My Copywriting service is for hire. My copywriting in the most affordable and the highest quality available. I have decided to extend my currant base rate to anyone needing sales numbers to improve. Until furtherer notice all copy for the web and direct mail will be at the base rate of $1250 but considering the current economic down turn I am discounting it $275. That will make the new base fee for my copywriting services:
$975 Here's what you get
The Opportunity Door
Sounds good but wait it gets better, I am talking about a fixed rate for my copywriting talent with a percentage rate on the back end return. This contracted agreement could be something as simple as a monthly, quarterly, or annual.
You can start today for as little as $975 for the first control.
Please Read on to learn more about Me.... RDB Resources and my 2009 Copywriting Services.
Thank you ... and great Selling!!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
5 ways to Stop them cold, Improve your copy and Increase your confidence.
By: Richard D. Boyd
I was thinking the other day about a copywriting manual I had read and I thought of all of the ideas and knowledge I have learned over the past 20 years. So, there I was driving down the freeway without a pad and paper….I hate it when that happens!
I. We all know the Headline is the very first part of all successful ad copy pieces the prospects will see; therefore you must get the reader to stop and read. Any good headline will have an element of the Promise but it will also provide a benefit that connects directly to the prospects desire. Keep this in mind when you are working on a headline. TIP: I sometimes put off writing the head line to the end of my writing process and let the overall piece help me with the headline.
II. Cue Cards - can be used in many ways; I use them to group key concepts together. One example is “P.P.P.U.C.” For each concept I place like concepts together, like A.I.D.A. the Promise- Picture- Proof- Unique Selling Position- Close. And I team up with Action, and the AIDA method. I put them on cue cards and keep by my computer for quick reference. You can also use them for you research and facts on the service or product you are working. Have you ever heard the story about the American tourist lost in New York City, where the guy asked a man on the street “How do you get to Carnage Hall?” and the gentleman on the street replied, Practice…Practice…Practice”… A cute joke from the old vaudeville days, but there is great wisdom and truth to be gained here.
III. My favorite way to improve my copywriting skills is to Practice; choose a product that you have yourself. Something you bought, and research the product, learn as much about it as you can then sit down and write an ad letter, as if you were getting paid. Study it when you are finished, I am certain you will learn something you didn’t know about yourself. Next, fine a product or service you don’t have but really want, I mean something you really deeply desire and do the same with this product. This exercise is fun doing the research because you are writing it for yourself. Now, for the advanced copywriter and after you do your desire piece 20, 30, or 50...times on different products. Now choose a product, a real product something good, I don’t know, you decide, but here is the challenge that will make you a great master copywriter, choose a product you would never buy, something you don’t want at any price. Now, that’s a thought and doing it will help you train your brain to think outside the box. The advantage of this technique is that it will force you to pay closer attention to your research, at the same time develop the mentality it takes to picture a clear target prospect in your mind. This is called, “Thinking” like a copywriter. Remember, like body builders, exercise and lift weights, copywriters must practice copywriting to become master copywriters.
IV. Comparative Selling – this is one of the most debated topics in copywriting circles and the views are as wide and diverse as the Grand Canyon, but I fall on the conservative side and never intentionally compare products or services in my advertizing. What I do is compare similar but different products. Ok, it’s like apples to oranges, here is one example; I have a health food supplement I am working on and it is a vitamin that helps the libido what I would do is to compare it to the doctors presubscription and emphasize the all natural vitamin pill vs. the synthetic expensive pharmaceutical pill and I would point to the cost of a doctor’s office visit. Here you can see the comparison but not the same product.
V. Break it down – when I am stuck, I stop and break the copy into the various elements of a great ad copy. Here is what I mean; all great copywriting has the Promise, picture, proof the unique selling position, and the close or action. Take your research and what you have written and pile up each idea and piece of information into piles for each one of these elements. Then write everything you can about each pile. Then once you have completed this you can put each separate piece together like a jug-saw puzzle. People often question this technique of mine and ask if my copy gets too long. This depends on your client. Remember, if you’re connecting with the prospect the results will show and the client will not mind. You must tell the entire story, leaving nothing out. Think of your ad copy as a friendly debate, you must bring up all of the objections and then rebut them to the point it will persuade the prospect to take action NOW. Doing these 5 techniques will certainly help your copywriting skills; it will also take….
A Commitment to Excellence and Improvement!
I want you to now think about what it would mean to you if you really implemented these ideas and techniques into you copywriting endeavors. Just imagine the strength and confidence you will have when you meet with new clients, knowing your copywriting will produce the kind of positive results they want. Soon they will be calling on you, not because you have read this article but because you have done your homework. You have developed great Headlines the eye catching, prospect stopping, desire provoking headline’s that win every time. You have made cue cards for all of the elements of great copywriting and now have an index of cue cards of facts and figures at your fingertips. Powerful thought nonetheless, an index of all of the information you have researched on cue cards, imagine that! You have practiced and practiced a lot! Don’t you think this would be beneficial, in your copywriting career? Of course it will!
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