“What does it take to be a great copywriter?”

Ford responds:

The master copywriters are curious about life. As a rule, they tend to read a great deal, like to travel, and have a variety of interests. They find other people interesting, and they are very good listeners.

The good news is that you probably already have the skills you need to be a master copywriter; they may be hidden, or they may have been “schooled out” of you, but chances are they are still there. Great marketing copywriters understand that they should write like they talk– not in formal, boring, perfect English speech, but in a clear, conversational style.

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A recent e-zine subscriber wrote: “Plenty of people tell us to test but nobody tells us how!”

Ford responds:

In a nut shell, you’re testing all of the time, but you might not know it because you’re not tracking your leads, conversions, sales, responses, clicks or profits.

The purpose of testing is to set a “control” or baseline and then work to improve the results.

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I’m constantly asked for a quick check list for copywriting…so I’ve gathered up a few tips to help you improve your marketing messages.

1) Use general & specific knowledge to craft the concept and message.

2) All the graphic elements are to get the prospect to read the copy.

3) The purpose of the first sentence is to get the reader to the second sentence.

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