As I mentioned in The Secret Weapon of Conversational Copywriting, ambiguity was the issue I resolved most when I...
The Secret Weapon of Conversational Copywriting
We can identify the single best tool in the toolbox of conversational copywriting... and it's something you already...
Two Annoyingly Good Sets of Writing Tips
We have reason to be annoyed with them (and we'll get to that), but both of these infographics won their mentions on...
Seven Phrases to Make You Sound More Powerful
Fast Company is at it again! Articles like today's are the epitome of "light pop-psych content," but they do serve a...
The Four Dimensions of Copywriting Tone
It’s easy to find good copywriting advice online, but it’s hard to find great copywriting advice online. The main...
Get to the Punctuation
Henry Ford famously said that "nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs." That’s just as true for...
88 Words and Phrases that Convert
We absolutely adore this infographic featured in Social Media Today. We also hate it a little bit because this...
Words Can Light Fires
Pay attention to what your brain just did. You just imagined a fire being lit, didn't you? "Sure," you think. "But you...
The Contrarian’s Guide to Copywriting
By the time we're waist-deep in our careers, we don't worry what our high-school teachers would think. Or so we tell...
How to Read Your Audience’s Mind
When you're reading good copy, it might seem to read your mind. Sometimes it'll call the exact thought you're thinking...
How to Find and Use Free Fonts
In this three-part free-font expedition, we'll be covering... Terminology and Guiding Questions Where to Find Good...
Short Rules for Long-Form Content
Someone once asked Honest Abe: "Mr. Lincoln, how long do you think a man's legs should be?" Lincoln replied: "Long...
The Problem with Word Count
This article frustrates us. First of all, this subject has been a pain in our copywriting and content-marketing asses...
What does ‘above the fold’ mean in marketing? (And why should I care?)
Back in the newspaper days (are those still a thing?), a story or ad that ran above the fold of the paper on the front...
Swipe These Persuasive Copy Hooks
Whether you're writing an email, an ad, a video script, or anything else meant to persuade, you can employ one or more...
Navigation for Copywriters: Roadmapping and Signposting
Reading other people's copy is like driving in an unfamiliar city: maybe you know where you're trying to go, but you...
How to communicate speed-to-results in your copy
We're wrapping up a 3-part series on the benefits of speed-to-results in your marketing. On Monday, we discussed using...
How to sell more products and services with speed
In 1927 the Southland Ice Company opened the first chain convenience store in the U.S. It would later be renamed...
How to generate leads with speed
All things being equal, we would rather have our espresso now, than wait even 2 minutes for it. (Bougie, but true.) In...
On raising and overcoming objections
In Friday's issue of theCLIKK we made this rather obvious statement: "People will predictably do what you want them to...