How many headlines have I written in my 25-plus years in copywriting? Andy, my partner in mousetraps and cheese, asked me this as we began the second episode of the Content Matters podcast. I couldn’t answer the question. However, he had plenty more questions (as did I) and answering them made for a great 22…
What do I know about writing headlines? Yesterday I was asked to lead a headline writing session at a major marketing conference. I accepted. I’ve done it many times before and enjoy it. An infographic I created about headlines (presented below) is one of my most popular pieces of content. I’ve written several posts featuring…
I spent some serious time messing with the headline above. It’s a good one, but I’ve done better. Keep reading and you’ll understand. First, know this: I want a lot of people to read this blog post. Bloggers generally attach great value to the number of viewers a post earns. And a proven strategy for increasing the…
Noooooo! Not another year-end listicle of greatest hits. Wake me when it’s over. But wait. It’s not quite that simple. Oh sure, one reason I’ve created it is I believe there is a ton of value in these articles and if you missed any, I’m hoping my resurrection of them will help you learn…
“I can’t write.” It’s the resignation declaration of the self-defeated. It’s also a fat slice of baloney. You won’t write? You don’t want to write? I’m willing to buy these statements. But “can’t?” Sorry friend, you can. You’ve been writing your whole life. You write now. You write emails, greeting cards, shopping lists, meeting…
Damn man. That’s kind of a sweet headline. It’s on topic, spells out a benefit, and has potentially two keyword phrases that might just rock the search Gods. Damn ma’am. That headline bites. This is supposed to be an article about the joy of funny headlines and this one’s 100% yuck-free. Ain’t life ironic? I…
What makes successful TOFU content? Journalist and blogger Brianne Carlon shares her headline writing advice here.
COPYCATS: Edition #1 with John Runk He’s one of advertising’s headiest headline writers. Here, he dogs on the formula approach to copywriting. I’m going to call this series “Copycats,” and in each edition, strive to get a pair or more of copywriters on the same page talking about their craft. Though I’ve read the work…
For a copywriter, or any idea professional whose tasks involve coming up with a concept, a form of writer’s block is, well, not being able to come up with a concept. I find this frightening phenomena tends to strike when I’m at my desk, staring at my screen, and torturing myself with the notion that…