Creative Copy...Persuasive Copy

Can Creative Copy Really Squelch Fear?

Think about letting your brain loose on a project. Don’t reign it in…just let it run wild in the wide open spaces and let the wind rush through.

Write down everything you can think of related to your project. And write it down in the order you think it up. Don’t stop yourself. If you’d say it to your friend or a group of friends, write it down. No one’s looking over your shoulder, so don’t worry about “getting it right”.

See It And Say It

Whatever way or style you’d say it out loud…that’s the way you write it down. Nothing to be afraid of here. You’re just letting the waters flow. Your mind becomes a clear, “babbling” (no pun intended) brook. Words flow between quiet banks and bump over rounded rocks. Every so often a duck or goose drops in for a splash and a snack on some minnows.

Now; you jump out of the water, dry yourself off, and run through the meadows so fast your hair starts on fire. As you turn around you see the water’s all dried up, too. Now what do you do? Blazing hair and no water
Hey…it’s your daydream. Put it out with that honey in that maple tree right over there. Duh.

OK…now wake up.

Alright. That was just an exercise in fantasy and make-believe. Your flights of fancy don’t have to go anywhere near that far. Or they can go farther. The point is…let your mind open up and flow. You’ll almost feel the blood cells expand and take in more oxygen. You’ll come back to your (once mundane) writing task with renewed vigor. You’ll let yourself go on the project and get it done. And the best part is…you’ll also have some more original writing to put in your next creative ebook or whatever.

Now, get back to work you word monster. It’s time to write.

Creative copy…can set the (marketing) world on fire…

Tags: don't stop, getting it right, wide open spaces

You can’t be sick and write well…at least not for long.

Oh, you think you can? Think again. You need your health. It’s not just something that’s nice to have around. It’s the core essential to any job you do or any career you have.

Now put down that diet cola and repeat after me…I want to be healthy. ( I want to be healthy) I need to be healthy (are you repeating after me?) If I’m not healthy, I’m no good to anyone. (say it…it’s true) And if I’m healthy, I can overcome obstacles in my mind, body, and work.

OK. Do you believe it?

Well…believe it. Chew on this. You eat fast food everyday. You don’t exercise. You definitely don’t drink enough water, and even when you’re drinking it, it’s mixed with tea or coffee. And you think you can take your little one-a-day so-called vitamins and keep the bad times away.

Wrong.

You gotta stay well. People are depending on you to do your best. And when you’re constantly reaching for a tissue to honk your nose…or running for an umpteenth bathroom break…how much good work are you getting done? Have you seen a recent commercial where the guy doesn’t know how to get dressed or make breakfast or even get in his car? Turns out he gave up smoking, and he’s having to re-learn how to do everything without a cigarette in his hand.

Don’t be like that guy. Stay well. Be well. Start now. Be happy. Grin. It’s good for you. And you’ll keep your mind free to think up all kinds of things to write about.

It just worked for me.

I’m ready to listen,

Tags: be happy, be well, overcome obstacles, write well

I remember way back when…when I was going to school in Pasadena, Texas. Our house was near a paper mill, not far from refineries, and the air and water looked and smelled awful.

I’m putting it mildly.

That was quite some time ago, and we’ve learned a lot about where we should and shouldn’t throw our waste products since then. We still need to improve, but at least we’re aware and working on it. However; something you may not be as aware of is how toxic and polluted your everyday products are…and how toxic and polluted you may be. Sorry…it’s weird but true.

You may be going along day-to-day thinking you’re doing your part for the environment, and yet you don’t realize what you’re doing to yourself. Your soft drinks, water, condiments, cookies, meats, and just about everything else you consume are found in plastic containers nowadays. Research is really starting to show how the pollutants in the plastic are leaching into the products they contain.

And that means they’re getting into you, too.

Do you live in a house with carpet on the floor. More evidence shows carpets contain adhesives which give off toxic emissions. Still want to roll around on the floor?

OK…so you jump up from the floor, and as you’re leaning on the wall eyeing your carpet, think about this. Is your wall covered in paint loaded with high level VOC’s? (volatile organic compounds) Is the paint free from heavy metals? (cadmium or lead) Even if it doesn’t have these substances, it could still have formaldehyde, ammonia, acetone, or odor-masking agents.

Your daily exposure to all these toxins and pollutants can be detrimental. Don’t get me wrong. You may not be at risk, and you may have a great genetic make up which helps keep you immune to the effects of this type of environment. Then again…why just risk it? Why not clean up your personal environment? You won’t be of any good to any environmental issues if you’re too sick to care.

My recommendations are simple. Get back to basics…

• Move around more…in the sunshine and fresh air
• Drink plenty of water…and please, not out of plastic bottles…filtered water (more on that another time)
• Eat sensibly…don’t make this complicated. Remember what your Grandmother told you…start there.
• Use glass; not plastic
• Stay away from aluminum…containers and cookware
• Make your own cleaning products…it’s easy, safer, and they smell great!

That’s enough for now, but remember it like this…

Be Basic…Be Better

I’m ready to listen,

Tags: carpet, heavy metals, plastic containers, toxic emissions, VOC's, waste products

There’s no good reason why direct response, direct marketing, and creative can’t all be great pieces of the same successful pie. Well…maybe one reason is a bias for or against one of these areas. Other than that; it’s a beautiful thing to see companies who “get it” with their marketing…especially online.

I’m always curious why a business doesn’t see the benefit and/or potential of reaching a consumer through the “ear-gate” and the “eye-gate”. Not just one or the other. For example…some of the most memorable ads of the 20th century were jingles. Little tunes that stuck in your head, and the words were easy to remember, too. Talk about building a brand.

The following Podcasts include an interview about this very subject. Click on the one that says:

“DMNews’ executive editor Sharon Goldman chats with G2 creative director Holly Pavlika about the role of creative in DM; the challenges of developing creative based on driving ROI; and how DM is changing.”

Talk to me…I’m ready to listen,

Tags: jingles, marketing, memorable ads

Customers Or Clients Need You And Your Business

So…when you begin the wooing process for new customers and clients, it’s probably best to think of what you’d say if you were trying to win a new friend. You could look at ‘em as another pocketbook, purse, or wallet, and keep asking yourself “What’s in it for me?”. Or you could come at them from another angle. You could work on the relationship with an understanding of the value of their time.

The relationship part comes in extremely handy when competing for customers and clients online. Just think of all the “noise” you have to sift through each day. TV ads, radio ads, billboards, magazine ads, phone calls, emails, and on and on. And then the Internet whizzes by you at light speed with a million more ads. Remember this? “Stop The Insanity”

How You And Your Business Can Be The “Easy Button”

I’m sure you’ve seen the commercial on TV for the big office supply store that promises to make everything easier. And they illustrate this with a big red button labeled “EASY”. They understand how busy and chaotic life is. And how much you want to just be able to push a button and make the hard stuff go away. You need to be like that for the people and businesses who buy from you. How?

• Be yourself.
• Be real.
• Talk about what matters to you.
• Talk about what matters to them. In other words…
• Start a conversation and commit to the relationship. Who knows?

You may win a friend for life.

Let’s get busy,

Tags: be yourself, friend for life, radio ads, TV ads, understanding

Living in America is great. It’s still the best place on earth to live. We still enjoy more freedom than any other place…in spite of government; not because of…but that’s another subject.

And we still have the highest standard of living...which could be making us toxic. It might even be killing us.

That’s a pretty harsh statement. What do I mean? Well…

• Our air is toxic…in major cities you can actually SEE it
• Our water is polluted…even that great bottled water you buy all the time
• Viruses and unhealthy bacteria are almost out of control
• Our typical food lacks nutrients and it gets bombarded with poisonous chemicals and hormones
• Even our hearts and minds often get polluted…mostly from the stress of the other things mentioned

Deaths from heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes, obesity, and other diseases account for more than 85 percent of all deaths. And many times a simple (well basically simple) lifestyle change could make the difference. Don’t be one of those statistics. In an upcoming post, I’ll tell you about some of the changes you can make to give yourself the best shot at great (or at least good) health even in a toxic world.

I write on nutritional and alternative health subjects (as well as others) for a living. You can learn more about that by clicking here.

To your health…

Tags: bacteria, best place on earth, bottled water, polluted, standard of living, toxic, toxic lifestyle, viruses

Hey…what’s a brainstorm, anyway?

Well, just think of your brain as Hurricane Gustav or Hanna. Then think of all that warm Caribbean water being churned up. Those are the ideas. The difference is once we start up a category 5 brainstorm, the ideas don’t tear everything apart…they churn up all the good stuff and bring it to the surface.

Then, we really get busy.

Go over to my Brainstorm page and learn more about my direct response writing. If you’re in business, offline or on the web, and you’re interested in some creative marketing, we should talk.

I’m ready to listen,

Tags: brainstorm

Hi there…Tony here,

When it comes to success in business, internet marketing, offline marketing, or any endeavor where you hope to make money…should you:

A. Write…re-write…and market consistently? or…

B. Create products to sell? or…

C. Both A & B

If you picked A, you’re right. But guess what; if you picked B or C, you’re still right.

Because you need to do all this. And it goes either way. If you’re in the business of selling products, you either have to create them, buy them (to sell them), or endorse and promote somebody else’s. And you need to consistently tell as many people as possible that you have this stuff. So, you need to write your ads, your website content, radio spots, or whatever. And re-write them any time you can make improvements.

On the other hand, if you write for a living (like I do), you should be creating products you sell or will eventually sell. The good news is…anything you write (that works anyway) can be a potential product, so don’t throw anything away. Don’t forget; a series of articles on fitness can be turned into an e-book on the benefits of alternating your fitness regimen. Or a sales page for a client who sells a similar product to yours could turn into a “swiped” direct mail piece for you.

Keep your brain flowing freely. Keep your eyes open to the endless possibilities. Someone’s gotta get paid for good ideas…it might as well be YOU.

See you at the bank,

Tags: radio spots, Tony, tony funderburk, Tony Writes, website content

Hey there…Tony here…

I’m gonna start giving you some audio versions of some of the posts I put here on my site. Yep…they’re just easy going, downloadable MP3’s, and all you have to do is “right click” ‘em, and save ‘em to your computer, and they’re all yours. You can delete ‘em as soon as you’ve listened to ‘em, or you can post them on your own website…or you can feed ‘em to your digital dog.

It’s up to you. I just thought some audio copy for free would be a fun way to add to “the direct response copywriting mix”.

Thanks for reading, listening, and keep moving forward. Oh yeah…the MP3 links are just below…

7 Reasons A Direct Response Copywriter Is Good For Business

Internet Marketing Is Dying

Tags: audio, direct response, mp3

You can’t expect to have any success
if you’re marketing your products, services, and information on the Internet.

How’s that for an opening line on a blog post? You believe me, don’t you?

What’s that? NO?! Incredible. I can’t believe you wouldn’t believe something written on a website. If it’s written on the internet, it’s gotta be true. And if it’s on the internet, it’s gotta be great. And if it’s written on the internet, it’s gotta be relevant and spectacular.

Right?

See…I know you don’t believe this stuff. And I don’t blame you. With all the hogwash circulating on the web these days it’s harder and harder all the time to get good stuff through.

What’s an honest internet marketer to do?

First…stay honest. It’s really worth it. Next; figure out who’s gonna appreciate it (your target market) before you start shooting out tons of information about yourself and your business. Then; don’t ever, never, ever, never, ever give up. If it’s true what “they” say about taking 20 attempts to get a “yes” to your offer, then why in the world would you ever stop at 7 “no’s”? Or 10? Or 15? Or even 19?

Learn from good marketers. Learn from honest and straightforward people. And never stop learning. Then…never stop implementing.

Now; go get busy!

Tags: gotta be true, honest internet marketer, internet, relevant

Hey…I’ve just been technorati-sized. It’s great to be part of the Technorati blogosphere.
Technorati Profile

Here’s to more trips to the bank,

Search Engine Optimization and SEO Tools

Tags: blogosphere, technorati, tony funderburk

If you’re building a business…whether it’s offline (brick and mortar) or online or both…the best tool you can use to increase response and results is good “direct response” copy.

You’ll never have a hard time finding agencies, PR people, and other “creative” types to put together a really cool advertising campaign. They’ve been around as long as business, and they know how to construct slick, polished ads for you. The trouble is, your competitor is probably doing the same thing. If you don’t think this is happening, just watch TV or listen to the radio for a while.

Ad after ad uses humor, or fast talk, or lots of images, or puppies, or cute babies. You get the idea. Anyway…what’s really going to stand out in the mind of your target customer or client? You gotta give your prospective customer or client the product or information they’re looking for, and you just need to talk to them directly.

A professional can do this for you and add some great marketing strategies to make your offer successful. So; here are 7 reasons why a freelance direct response copywriter…not just the creative ad agency copywriter, is good for business (not in order of importance):

1. More up-close-and-personal…one on one business relationship
2. Has a direct stake in your success…your results impact the writer’s success
3. Deeper research…most direct response copywriters love the learning process of product research
4. A “DR” copywriter knows the “lay of the land”…in other words how to layout the words to read better
5. Multiple strategies from one source…you may be gently guided into more than one business action
6. Meeting deadlines…probably only works on a couple of clients at a time in order to be more efficient
7. Writes to sell…I said these wouldn’t be in order of importance, and this one may be most important.

The number one goal of a freelance direct response copywriter is to sell you, your services, your products, and your information. Not win awards for “creative excellence”. There are countless award winning ad campaigns where no one remembers what the ad was for. Don’t be “that guy”.

Now…if you want to increase the results to your marketing efforts, I suggest you hire someone who not only knows how to write, but also actually wants you to succeed. That “hunger” for success will come through in better selling words for your business or website, and you’ll both win.

When you contact a writer, have a real conversation. Find out if there’s really a “fit”. You’ll be glad you did when it gets down to the actual marketing process because then you’ll know they’ve “got your back”.

Here’s to more trips to the bank,

Tags: 7 reasons why, advertising campaign, good for business, seven reasons

Be a winner. As long as you have a choice, why not make it a “winning” choice. I guarantee this one fact…

You will absolutely achieve what you focus on. If you get somewhere unexpected, look back and retrace your steps. You’ll see where your focus was and then you’ll know how you got there. Here’s the thing; don’t settle for mediocre. Get the mindset of a winner. Start your mind in a winning direction, and the body will follow.

Check out this video of Seth Godin, a huge marketing success, and his story of getting beyond mediocrity.

Tags: choice, marketing, mindset, seth godin, success, winning direction

And The Best News Is…

It Takes What You’re Already Doing, And
Combines It With A Strategy That Will Never Die
To Pump Up Your Business

Wouldn’t you love a way to double the response and conversion rates of your website and marketing efforts? After all; you don’t want to spend more on advertising than you make back, and there’s one good reason why this might be happening.

After talking with my clients, business and website owners, and entrepreneurs from many walks of life I’ve noticed some key things in common. I keep hearing…

* “My website doesn’t show up in the search engines.”
* “The “other guy” doesn’t even return my calls.”
* “We’re not even making our advertising money back.”
* “I don’t know anything about internet marketing.”
* “There are so many “gurus”. Who’s right?”

There may just be one key missing ingredient to clear up all these concerns.

Hi, I’m Tony, and I say…

“Get The Attention You Need And Deserve”

I’m no “guru”, but I know you can boost your business if you just work with an honest, genuine copywriter. A writer who can also consult with you on your internet marketing.
And a writer who can make sure your business is seen and heard.

I may be the one you’re looking for. I get a real kick out of seeing others succeed.

When I started my writing career, I had the idea of being another “John-Boy” Walton, and I’ve got dozens of notebooks, journals, and computer files filled with my creative nuggets to prove it.

Then I spent years in live music performance and commercial production writing attention-getting 30 and 60 second commercials for scores of businesses from
automotive clients to casinos to health supplements.

So…I can write the “whole story”, get attention, and still tell the truth. And I think like a marketer. I’ll use the copywriting and internet marketing “secrets” of wildly successful experts because…

I know you want to make more money and build your business.

You can do it. Here’s how…

First…Don’t Stop With Just Words On A Page…

Be visible. Be heard. Especially on the internet. Don’t worry about what the search engines and their little “spiders” are hungry for. Give your human visitors what they’re looking for and the search engines will find you. ‘Cause really…do spiders spend any money? Naaa

I’m not saying to ignore keywords, meta tags, and all that. I’m just saying you need to remember this…your target market is people.

And what do people love?

* WORDS (written and spoken)
* AUDIO (music, books, lessons)
* VIDEO (live, recorded, YouTube, Vimeo)
* Great Products (and different products are great to different people)
* And great “follow through” (without it you’re doomed)

Now, lots of copywriters can write you a sales letter or a web page, but see how many of those copywriters can also produce some personalized media for you.

Maybe a handful.

And how many of those actually have commercial and internet marketing experience. The choices are even fewer. I’m one!

Audio, video, QuickTime, and Flash are all ways to “talk” about your business. Should you use these methods to promote your business? Will they make any difference as long as your copy is great and your sales pages and landing pages tell the story?

Google Bought YouTube…Need I Say More?

So…check this out…I’ll write your copy, consult with you about your internet marketing strategies, and even create personalized media when you’re ready. Then you can:

* Attract attention faster, and
* Build relationships better, and
* Captivate emotions (and buyers) with more success

Even your competitors will be humming your “tune”

Whether my fingers are clicking the keys of my Apple laptop or controlling the console of my digital audio workstation, I’m creating effective, persuasive, and attention-getting marketing messages.

OK…One More Thing

Since people buy from people, and I want you to know I’m a real person, you can call my personal number to set up an appointment: 303-988-6188… You won’t get someone else. You’ll get me.

Remember, it doesn’t cost a dime to find out more. So what do you have to lose, except the hum-drum-usual-normal?

Take action now. Start marketing with rich, memorable information full of YOU.

You’re gonna love what it’ll do for:

• Your business
• Your website
• Your products, services, and information…and even
• YOU

Here’s to more deposits in the bank,

Tags: copywriter, copywriting, entreprenuers, guru, internet marketing, media, personalized, video

Can a direct response copywriter who knows about internet marketing trends be good for business? Does a marketing mindset improve copywriting? Does it matter to you?

Take the short survey, on the left, and let me know. I’ll share the results right here in this column after I’ve received the responses for a week. Thanks and happy commenting…

Tony

Tags: copywriter, direct response, direct response copywriter, marketing mindset, marketing trends

You know what? You should think seriously about becoming debt-free. I’m working on it with short term, medium term, and long term goals in mind. Not having tons of debt will make it easier to invest in your business. You’d be amazed at all the places you may be losing money…when you really should be paying yourself and achieving your goals of financial freedom.

Just for fun; check out this VIDEO

If you think you’d like to drive “free cars”, you’ll want to see this. I love the slogan: “drive free…retire rich”.

When you’re serious about investing in your business, your website, your copywriting, and your marketing, it’s “little tips” like this one that’ll give you so much more income to work with. Don’t be “normal” when it comes to money and business.

And when you need someone on your marketing team who really and truly wants you to “retire rich”, I hope you’ll think of Tony Writes.

Focus And Achieve,
Tony

Tags: copywriting, debt free, financial freedom, income, investing, marketing, retire, retire rich, rich

It’s 10:55 p.m. and I wanted to take the time to post my first installment on the new Tony Writes website. It’s my blogsite, too, and I’m working things out in the design.

This gave me a great idea (even though it’s late at night for me) to pass along to anyone interested in changing the format of your website. I highly recommend going with the Wordpress format and being prepared for the design issues. Don’t worry about it much. Main thing is…get it going so you’re “alive and kicking” on the ever-changing internet.

I’ve gone through the metamorphosis a couple of times, now, with my business website. But I can tell you this is the one that’s going to last. At least for a longer time than static web pages. The blogging format will give you much needed access to your target market, and you’ll have a dynamic way of keeping in touch.

As I get my site going I plan to install some great interactive “tools” so my clients and visitors will be completely up-to-date with what’s going on. In the coming days you’ll see what I mean.

In the meantime…if you need compelling copy + internet marketing (or offline), check out my “who’s Tony” page to learn more about my service. You can get much more from your business when you work with people who actually care and really do want you to succeed. I’m one of those people. But don’t just take my word for it…make me prove it.

Let’s get busy,

Tags: compelling copy, copy, copywriter, internet marketing, marketing, target market