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October 2004 In this issue: >> Intro: From
What We do, to How Much We Earn
Greetings, With the last issue's survey I wanted to get an idea of where our ambitions for the future lay. In other words, what was it we saw ourselves doing more of over the next year or so. More SEO writing? More content writing? And so on. Based on the few responses I received, it's hard to draw any firm conclusions. The one thing that is apparent is that offline writers see themselves doing more online writing. This week, the question in the survey is very simple: how much do you earn? If you can find a moment to complete and return the survey, that would be great. The greater the number of responses, the more significant and useful the results, for everyone. And be sure to read the '...you're not my buddy" article in this issue. Until next time. Nick Nick Usborne >> Feedback: mailto:nick@excessvoice.com =============================================== REVIEW: More On 'Monthly Copywriting Genius' This is the first time I have added some additional thoughts to a previous review. As you may recall, a couple of issues back I recommended AWAI’s Monthly Copywriting Genius subscription service. (Each month they send you an interview with a successful copywriter, and analyze one of that writer’s most successful direct marketing pieces.) Well, I signed up myself and really liked the first issue. I’m writing about this again now, because I recently received the second issue, and I like it a LOT! It’s an interview with Larry Crane. He is a millionaire who made his money by being the first person to offer record sets on TV. You know the ads I mean: a boxed set of rock and roll albums, the best of Elvis Presley, favorite Country artists, and so on. Larry was the guy behind those commercials. He came up with the business idea, but was also the copywriter. This issue of Monthly Copywriting Genius includes a great interview with him, and also shows in detail one of his top direct mail packages. I found it fascinating to follow a great copywriter's thinking process - from how he thinks about a business opportunity, to how he executes on his ideas with strong copy. Like I said before, if you want to learn how to write great copy that generates results, one of the best ways is to study the work of people who have succeeded in a very big way. This is the kind of learning you can get with Monthly Copywriting Genius. Highly recommended. For my review, click
here:
I have written often about the value of writing online in a personal voice. In particular, emails and newsletters lend themselves to a genuine, personal tone. From time to time I find examples where companies have got it right. But all too often I see pages and receive emails where the tone is decidedly off-key. Here’s what happens. The writer decides that the way to get up close and personal is to be the reader’s ‘buddy’. Here is an example from an order acknowledgement email, forwarded to me a while back by an Excess Voice subscriber: >> Well, hello darlin'! We're happy to see you found somethin' to your liking. Your order number is 111165.Use this number to track the progress of your order online, in our order tracking system. Or give my "Luckygirl" helpers a call in customer service, they love to talk almost as much as I do! << I am her “darling”? No, I’m not. Nor do I want to give a “Luckygirl” helper a call. Can you guess what kind of site this came from? A casino maybe? No. An adult site? Nope. It came from luckybrandjeans.com. Yes, they simply sell jeans. The point being that they are trying to get close to me by assuming a level and kind of relationship that simply doesn’t exist. If I buy something online, I expect an order acknowledgement email. It is reassuring to know that my order went through. I also like to feel there are real people there at the site. Here is an example that gets a lot closer. This is a follow-up email from Web CEO: >> This is Marina Savenkova with Web CEO. Today I feel a little out of my depth because I have to do some sleazy selling under the mask of a Support Angel - don't say I haven't warned you :). Seriously, I am authorized to get you the best deal on Web CEO ever - just keep reading. << I find this to be right on the edge. It is certainly personal, but still goes too far in assuming a relationship that doesn’t exist. Whether it’s when we are talking to a waiter in a restaurant, a flight attendant or a store clerk, we don’t all feel comfortable when people talk to us like we are best buddies. Something a lot simpler would have done the job just fine. >> Hi, my name is Marina Savenkova with Web CEO. Normally you would hear from me only when you have a question about our services. But today I have been asked to let you know about a special Web CEO upgrade deal. << You don’t need to go further than that. How far is far enough? You simply have to write in a way that indicates the email was written by a person, not a ‘department’. And you need to write in a way that recognizes and respects the fact that the reader is also an individual. Being personal is about writing from one individual to another. It’s not about trying to make the reader your best buddy. He or she is not. ** If you found value in the article, please forward this newsletter to colleagues and friends who might be interested. ** The archives of
all previous ExcessVoice articles can be found here: >> Feedback: mailto:nick@excessvoice.com =============================================== READERS WRITE BACK: What We Want to Do "Direct response copywriters should know how to do both online and offline copy well." Bob Bly -- "I actually enjoy all of types of copywriting, but I'd like to continue to learn and do more online marketing and incorporating this into search engine optimization strategies."" Susan Young -- "I'd like more opportunities to influence content delivery strategies as a website is being developed, rather than being called into a "fill in the blanks" scenario after the fact. Web design is about more than pretty pictures and pithy content. The where and when of how things appear on a page is just as important. Consulting with a content specialist at the beginning of the design phase assures that ideas are being presented in the right way, at the right time and in the right places." Hélène Beaulieu Any thoughts or comments to share? Send them in now... >> Feedback: mailto:nick@excessvoice.com =============================================== SURVEY: How Much Do You Earn? It might be useful for us to see the range of earning power among all the subscribers to Excess Voice. As for privacy, have no fear...I will simply aggregate the figures, and won't disclose anyone's individual earnings in any way, ever. (In US dollars. Do a quick conversion if you are outside the US.) [ ] 0 - 40k ======================================================
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