A Sad Tale About a Failed Copywriter. Direct Response Copywriter Talks About an Old Friend. Email Archive April 2017 3.

April 2017 3

From the desk of Scott Martin, direct response copywriter, Aspen, Colorado.

A Sad Event ... And One You Can Avoid ...

Last week, I visited my former home town. I moved a year ago and I had a few loose ends to tidy up, including clearing out a storage unit. Oh joy.

I had some items to box up so I went into the hardware store to buy packing tape.

Nothing too exciting there EXCEPT … I ran into another copywriter. To protect this person, I’ll use the name Cooper.

When I moved to my former home town, Cooper was the top copywriter. Cooper won all the awards and wrote for the top agency in town. You could see Cooper’s copy in the prestigious publications like Communication Arts.

But Cooper bounced around agencies and companies, which can be normal in advertising, before becoming a freelancer.

The freelancing life, despite whopping opportunities, never worked out so Cooper had to work for a “big box” retailer. When I saw Cooper in the hardware store just last weekend, Cooper was working in the store as a sales associate.

I really looked up to Cooper when I was a young copywriter. What happened to Cooper? Cooper no longer writes copy even though Cooper is an outstanding copywriter.

So what happened?

Pay close attention to the answer because it will impact your career.

Cooper was, and is, a branding copywriter, never really embracing direct response copy because it’s not clever or witty. If Cooper had become a direct response copywriter then Cooper would not be working in a hardware store, even though it’s a wonderful hardware store and there’s nothing wrong with working in a hardware store.

A friend who hired Cooper was impressed with Cooper’s copy but not Cooper’s professionalism. Missed deadlines, poor communication, etc.

Did Cooper ever make an effort to market Cooper’s copywriting services? You know the answer to this question. What about Cooper’s website? Ummm … no such thing.

I'm not sure Cooper really ever liked copywriting. I love copywriting and to keep my fire stoked, I read books about direct marketing and direct response copywriting. I watch videos. I listen to podcasts. Did Cooper ever read about copy?

Cooper is at or near retirement age. But if Cooper reached out to me, I would help get Cooper’s career going again, provided Cooper wanted to enter the direct marketing world. Cooper helped me when I was starting out and I would help Cooper today.

This leads to a decision you have to make.

Are you going to be like Cooper, helping people find hammers, fertilizer, packing tape, and related items in a hardware store?

OR …

Are you going to be a super-successful copywriter taking advantage of all the massive opportunities in direct marketing?

I hope you make the right decision.

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

Bad Ways to Find Clients. Direct Response Copywriter Reveals All. Email Archive April 2017 2.

April 2017

From the desk of Scott Martin, direct response copywriter, Aspen, Colorado.

Other Really Bad Ways to Find Clients

In the last email, I wrote about my general disdain for the commodity sites where writers bid on projects. In this email, I'm going to write about some other ways to find clients … and why I generally don’t like these ways.

Let’s look at some of these other methods. Every day, I get an email with links to writing jobs. To be frank, I have no idea who sends this to me. It might be some type of Google robot. The sender doesn’t matter. Most of the links are to Craigslist ads.

You’ll find, and I’m not making this up, people who want a full-on landing page for $75. I once replied to an ad with the question, “what sort of quality do you expect for $75?” I did not receive a reply. You will also find jobs and gigs posted on social media. Enter "direct response copywriter" on Twitter and you'll be surprised to find some gigs. Again … the vast majority of these clients are poor prospects.

What about the major job sites like Monster? You’ll find a lot of full-time jobs and these may be good options if you’re looking for this type of opportunity. You’ll have to move somewhere. But part of the joy of freelancing is living exactly where you want to live. Right? But, to be fair, a full-time copywriting job will give you a ton of excellent experience.

You’ll find some potential opportunities on marketing forums. One of them is the well-known Warrior Forum which is a general meeting place for Internet marketers. Some copywriters post on Warrior regularly. I had a really horrible client contact me through Warrior.

Maybe I should spend more time on Warrior and similar sites. But if you genuinely want to spend some time in the modern equivalent of The Wild Wild West, then go to Warrior right now.

There’s an easier and better way to find clients: select the ones you want and consistently contact them.

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

Should You Operate on the Commodity Sites Like Upwork? The Answer from a Direct Response Copywriter. Email archive April 2017 1.

From the Desk of Scott Martin. Direct response copywriter, Aspen, Colorado.

Should You Bid on the "Commodity" Sites?

First, I have an admission. I haven’t spent any time on the commodity sites in the past six years. In fact, someone had to tell me that elance no longer exists and has since become Upwork.

Does Fiverr even exist? I hope not. And if you’re one of the copywriters on this total disaster of a website, then leave there now.

What’s happening here is the commoditization of copywriting. People who need copy visit the sites I just mentioned and look for the lowest price. You know the drill. But they get awful work and wonder why it doesn't convert.

The upside is there are thousands of people looking for copy. The downside? You can write a ton of copy for the price of a sandwich … and not much of a sandwich at that. A cheese sandwich, perhaps, but not a turkey and bacon sandwich.

I used to bid on work on elance and I got a few gigs but the work was “one and done” and usually for people working from a kitchen table, trying to build some type of Internet business. All this nonsense can, and should be, avoided.

Many copywriters use Upwork and the commodity sites to build a portfolio. There’s an easier way to build that portfolio and I’ll reveal this in the next email.

I will also discuss the other places find work.

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

Playing Hard to Get. Advice from a Direct Response Copywriter. Email archive March 2017.

March 2017

From the desk of Scott Martin, direct response copywriter. Aspen, Colorado.

Dear :

Should You Play Hard to Get? The Answer Will Surprise You.

I keep a close eye on my competitors. I like (almost) all of them a great deal and consider them to be colleagues and not the competition.

Many copywriters are open and friendly and always willing to speak with potential clients.

However, some copywriters play “hard to get” by saying things like “I’ll see if I can fit you on my schedule” and “I’m really not speaking with potential clients right now.”

If I get to the point in my career where I’m genuinely booked for the next several years then maybe I will say things like “I'm genuinely booked for the next several years.”

I know a copywriter who is … genuinely booked for the next several years! But on his website, he says he has room for one client. Is he lying? Not really … I’m sure he will have room if the current client decides to work with another copywriter. Maybe he would create bandwidth to speak with a mega client.

Some copywriters believe that, by saying they’re booked, they will make themselves more desirable to potential clients. I’m not one of these copywriters. And other copywriters set fees artificially high in order to give the impression they are one of the top copywriters.

Setting fees is a subject for another time but the whole “let me see if I can fit you in” is a bit much.

I was just speaking with a potential client the other day. I was interested at first in writing for him but then had second thoughts … for a variety of reasons. Was this playing “hard to get” hoping he will come back with more money? No. It’s not totally about the money.

Look at my website and you’ll see that I’m available to speak and always open to a conversation with potential clients. Does this say “I’m desperate for work?” Absolutely not.

I also have a page on my website that asks the question, “are we a good fit?” On that page, I simply seek to attract top-quality direct marketing clients who are likely to be a good match. I also seek to keep poor potential clients from contacting me in the first place. It’s a tried and tested direct marketing tactic and I get very few bad potential clients contacting me.

I’ve even had people say to me … “don’t ever return phone calls or emails right away as this will make it seem like you’re desperate.” I don’t understand this logic. I return calls and emails promptly.

Should you play hard to get? With poor potential clients … ABSOLUTELY! But with good potential clients, I’m always open to a conversation.

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

Working With the Right Clients. Advice from a Direct Response Copywriter. Email archive February 2017.

A Somewhat Different Approach to Working with a Potential Client

A few years ago, I started to work with a company in the health space. They are based in Los Angeles. Everything went well during the introductory phase. I was living in North Carolina at the time. I had two long conversations with the marketing director and the CEO.

We agreed on a fee and the deliverables.

They invited me to visit them in Los Angeles and paid for my flight and travel expenses.

We had a day-long initial "kick off" meeting and everything went well. I liked the CEO a lot. The marketing director was direct but OK ... at least in person.

However, once I started to work on the project, the marketing director turned into a total jerk. He accused me, among other things, of blatantly stealing copy from another site, which is something I never do. He was also extremely "picky" about the copy, going through every word and harshly criticizing my work.

After three weeks of this nonsense, I wrote an email to the CEO saying "I'm moving on. Thanks for the opportunity."

It was a difficult decision as the monthly retainer was substantial. But I could not work with someone who was so totally horrible.

I didn't have the guts to tell the truth to the CEO: your marketing director is a ... INSERT EXPLETIVE HERE.

But the CEO put two and two together. The marketing director was gone in a few months.

I have a fairly long list of criteria for potential clients. One of these? The client has to be professional and generally pleasant. There's no need to work for rude, arrogant, and undesirable clients.

Scott Martin

Direct Response Copywriter

Good News for Copywriters ... And Bad News ... From a Direct Response Copywriter. Email archive February 2017 1.

Some Bad News for Copywriters … and Some Good News …

It’s important for copywriters to understand what’s happening in the world of copywriting. So here’s what I currently see in the “copywriting market.”

There are more people who call themselves “copywriters” than ever. This number increases every day.

The number of copywriters who can actually write copy that makes money for a client is extremely small and is not really increasing. I will reveal the exact reason in a minute.

The need for copy increases almost exponentially every day. As one famous copywriter once said to a group of copywriters … “there’s an ocean of work out there and you’re a thimble.”

Thousands of people who need copy, most of them with ‘kitchen table’ IM businesses, think of copywriting as a commodity and head to the ‘commodity’ sites like Upwork to find the lowest possible price, only to discover they have received poor work. You get what you pay for.

Many of the “old guard” of so-called “A-List” copywriters don’t write copy. This means it’s easier for experienced copywriters to find great work. These copywriters mainly train other copywriters.

The need for copywriters, especially direct response copywriters, will increase as more and more companies go direct to consumer … and test.

The biggest money for copywriters? It’s in health, financial, and consumer products ... maybe information marketing as well.

It’s important to be “cross-platform” which is silly jargon for being able to write for display ads, sales pages, advertorials, emails, etc ... the whole she-bang.

Overall, it’s a great time to be a copywriter … as always ... provided you go after the clients you want.

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

Is Word of Mouth Advertising The Best? The Surprising Answer from a Direct Response Copywriter. Email Archive Jan 2017 3.

Welcome to Notes from the Copywriter's Journey.

More copywriters have joined this us over the last week. WELCOME!

There’s an old saying in business and I’m sure you’ve heard it.

“The best form of advertising is word of mouth.”

I tell my friends it’s actually the WORST form of advertising ... and they're shocked.

OK … OK … maybe it’s not the WORST … and its power, of lack thereof, varies from industry to industry.

In residential real estate, it might be useful. And I will often ask a friend or acquaintance for advice about where to buy or get something. The resulting advice is “word of mouth” advertising. This might result in business for a ski shop or wine shop.

I understand all this. And I’m forced to rely on word of mouth as I build a new part-time career as a ski instructor. I hate this. I spent a chunk of time yesterday afternoon handing out business cards in ski shops and in hotels. My hope is that people in these spots will recommend me to clients and guests. It’s the best I can do while I try to figure out how to get a database of prospects. I hope. Direct marketing is NOT about 'hope.'

However, I don’t know a single serious direct marketer who relies on word of mouth. Why? It’s passive … and passive marketing is unreliable PLUS there’s no way to measure its effectiveness. You can’t test word of mouth advertising. It’s HOPING to get business.

Right now, I’m relying on my website and my high SEO ranking to get me the leads that lead to business. It’s powerful and effective.

But there’s an even better way. I’m going to send a newsletter to top direct marketers. That’s a form of direct marketing.

I can’t think of a single referral I’ve received over the last seven years that’s been worth anything. I don’t rely on word of mouth and nor should you. I once had an argument with a famous and accomplished direct response copywriter who disagreed with my notion that word of mouth advertising is unreliable. “Referrals have been great for me,” he said.

But this copywriter is part of a small “inner circle” of super-accomplished direct response copywriters and direct marketers. It’s an elite club and, until I get the invitation to join or I stumble in, I’m not relying on word of mouth.

In fact, I’m even a member of a marketing mastermind group led and organized by a member of this “elite” club. I was hoping I might get some referrals from him. I haven’t received any yet. And I’m not holding my breath. I’m moving on with my direct plan.

I have to admit I like my website ranking and the way my website turns readers into leads. But I can’t rely on a high SEO ranking forever. It’s one reason I’m being more aggressive with my personal marketing … even though I’m not taking on clients right now.

All the best ...

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

Should You Be a Copy Cub? Direct Response Copywriter Email Archive January 2017 2

In the past week, a relatively young copywriter passed away. He was not super-famous in direct marketing circles but he was well known to many copywriters. He was a "copy cub" of Gary Halbert. This brings up an interesting question.

Should you become a "copy cub" or hire an accomplished copywriter to train you? Remember, you can't learn direct marketing or direct response copywriting at any university or college ... unless I'm totally missing something ... which is very possible!

Let me answer the question by going through personal experience.

An excellent direct marketer and copywriter hired me to write copy for his marketing agency in 2002. He taught me to write direct response copy and, perhaps more importantly, he told me which books to read. I also wrote copy for an agency that provided tons of training videos.

I've learned to write copy that converts four ways. Reading all the books by all the successful direct response copywriters. Going to seminars and joining a mastermind group. Trial and error. Training videos. In full disclosure, I DON'T provide mentoring and coaching services.

A few years ago, I took some instruction from a super-famous copywriter ... for a whopping fee.

PROS I landed an excellent client through the copywriter. The name of the teacher resonates with potential clients. CONS It was demeaning ... I got yelled at a lot ... even though my copy has generated more than $250 million in sales for various clients. I know what I'm doing. I didn't learn anything. I was told my copy was worthless. There was no constructive advice. It was expensive. Gary Halbert, based on what I've heard directly from his copy cubs, was especially demeaning to nascent copywriters he was training. I don't understand this type of "boot camp" mentality. Why be rude?

Look at how the great direct response copywriters learned how to write copy. There are many ways to learn. Follow the plan that works best for how you learn.

All the best ...

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

WHAT ARE THEY SELLING? Direct Response Copywriter Email Archive January 2017 1

Welcome to notes from the copywriter's journey.

WHAT ARE THEY SELLING?

My website has generated more than 550 leads in the last five years. Some of these leads have directly led to major amounts of work. Many have generated some valuable project work. But the majority have been from people who don’t have a serious budget and/or are trying to sell something that people don’t want ... and will never want.

Sometimes it’s extremely difficult to turn down project work. I’ve been there. But with a longer term engagement, there’s an important question you have to ask.

"What are they selling?"

Some people have crazy ideas about products and services. They seem to believe everyone will want what they’re selling.

I’m especially careful to take an extremely close look at what a potential client is selling and the potential market.

If the product is excellent and there’s a big market, even with stiff competition, then I’m interested. But if there’s craziness going on, I’m not interested. What's craziness? Products that nobody will ever want.

Am I a snob? No. There’s only one of me. Why am I going to take on clients with no chance of succeeding?

David Ogilvy was extremely careful about choosing his clients. You must be too.

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter

Direct Response Copywriter Email November 2016. The Core Principle of Finding Copywriting Clients

From the desk of Scott Martin, direct response copywriter.

Welcome to notes from the copywriter's journey.

THE CORE PRINCIPLE

I’m always a little bit surprised when I hear a copywriter say, “I’m a little slow right now.”

Famous direct marketer Gary Halbert allegedly said to a group of copywriters, “there’s an ocean of work out there … and you’re a thimble.”

I agree … especially with a huge but silent change taking place in the world of direct marketing.

The change?

Huge retailing chains are losing “brick and mortar” sales to their online presence or other online retailers. I just tried to buy something from LL Bean and their servers currently can't handle the load.

But I digress.

These ‘old school’ retailers are measuring their results. And they’re discovering that, get this, direct response tactics work. This means they have to hire direct response copywriters.

This brings me back to a core marketing principle. You cannot wait for opportunities to come your way. You have to GO OUT AND GET THE WORK YOU WANT. It's out there.

I can only think of a very few copywriters who aggressively market themselves, specifically going after the clients they really want. This presents a huge opportunity to the copywriters who make the effort to land their ideal clients.

In the next email, I’ll discuss the type of clients who will have the most opportunities over the next few years.

If you have any questions, just reply to this email.

To your success!

Scott Martin Direct Response Copywriter