I first met John Carlton a few decades ago, when I was invited to be on the faculty of Gary Halbert’s infamous seminars in Key West. The sessions invariably culminated in nocturnal revelries through the streets – and, most importantly, the bars – of Key West. I learned a lot from the legendary Gary Halbert. But I may well have learned even more from [...]
I’ve probably read a hundred books on copywriting. And taken dozens of courses on copywriting, persuasion, and anything else I thought could improve my writing. But you know what's the one thing that has helped me the most by far? Talking to, getting coached by, and having my copy reviewed (a nice way to say “torn apart”) by great writers. Like Rutz. Carlton. Halbert. [...]
If you want to find truffles in the forest, it really helps to know what a truffle looks like. Or smells like, if you’re a truffle-hunting pig (aka “truffle hog”). Same with big ideas. You probably won’t find one if you don’t know what one looks (or smells) like. So what do you look for? And how do you know when you find one? [...]
Ever have trouble coming up with an idea... ...for anything from a headline to a great report title? I used to. Then I studied how to systematically come up with ideas and it changed my writing and my life. I'll show you how you can do it, too, in this FREE video sample lesson from my new course, A-List Copywriting Secrets. You'll discover... How to [...]
Copywriters and marketers have been after me for years to put out a copywriting course. And now the time has finally arrived and I'm excited to announce… My brand-new copywriting course: A-List Copywriting Secrets. If you’re looking to write better copy – or get better copy from staff or freelancers – I know you’re going to love it. It’s packed with 14 professionally produced [...]
If you've seen my recent posts, we’ve been talking about ways of adding dimension to copy. And Alessio Cozzolino asked me a very good question on Facebook: "What exactly are the most important dimensions of copy?" Here are some I believe can transform your copy from flat and boring to 3-dimensional and compelling. Emotion – Talk about or evoke love, hate, anger, joy. Emotions [...]
I got a ton of great feedback from my post about making copy more 3-dimensional. One reader even said they were going to print it out and pin it to their wall! (That made my day.) So I wanted to do a short follow-up and tell you about a quick and easy way to instantly add two dimensions at once to your copy: emotion [...]
A writer messaged me the other day in frustration because they were told their copy was “flat.” And they were stumped about how to fix it. I told them not to panic—all they had to do was to add more “dimension” to their presentation of the problem, the solution, and the benefits. Which makes the copy more understandable, more interesting, more impactful, and more [...]
I did an interview recently with David Garfinkel in which we did a deep dive into a long-time fascination of mine: pitchmen. Look, in times like these especially — and I hope you’re doing well and staying safe – you may not want to SOUND like a pitchman. But you do want to THINK like one if you want to write great copy at [...]
If you want to be a better copywriter, watch a good magician at work. See how he shows us a coin in his hands, for example. And suddenly, “before our very eyes”... It vanishes. Although we know there must be a logical explanation, we can’t help but stare in slack-jawed, open-eyed wonder. And that is — or should be — what we do as [...]
