Blogfeeder - The Copywriting and Marketing Blog from Wordfeeder.com

A Copy Editor Remembers.

I don't know why, but I woke up this morning thinking about high school memories. I don't think much about high school. Suffice it to say, I had a MUCH better time in college. ;) (Hey, I was a late bloomer, okay?)

Anyway, my "first" copywriting gig took place in high school. I was a copy editor for the senior yearbook. I took all the piecemeal student boosters and senior quotes, articles and captions, and turned them from "so-so" or good, to great. I had my own feature - a lighthearted piece about the school cafeteria, and I interviewed some students who procured funny quotes for the occasion. I remember one of the more off-beat personalities of our class wrote, "Sometimes the meat moves and the chicken cackles, but as high school students we're used to the raw life."

Mr. Dowling, the teacher who coordinated the whole effort, wrote in my yearbook at the end of the year, "Dina, You were the hardest worker we had." It meant a lot to me then and I guess it still does. And I worked hard because, I really loved what I did and still do now. There was never a question that I WASN'T going to be a copywriter - I just always knew that advertising and writing were my bag. And here we are. But, there was something else about my experience as the yearbook copy editor, that made it a little unusual.

A young man in our school - Jimmy R. - died suddenly that year. He and a girl from the senior class (our class) were driving in bad weather and he skidded on ice and veered into oncoming traffic. The girl survived the crash with some injuries, but Jimmy died on the spot. So, tragedy and sorrow struck our school in the middle of what should have been the happiest, most carefree time of our lives.

I wasn't good friends with Jimmy, or his group of friends. They were the football players and cheerleaders, the kids who partied and drank every weekend - and I hung with the band geeks and drama club kids. And I guess from my perspective at the time, popular kids seemed like a big cliche, a ball of social pretense. I guess you could say that to nerdy kids like me, those people didn't seem real and didn't seem like they had much depth or substance to them. I'm not saying that was the case, I'm just saying that was my perspective. (Is it me or is this starting to sound like a John Hughes film?)

However, because I was the copy editor of the yearbook, and because I took what I did very seriously, I came to know my classmates on a much deeper level that year. In the last leg of yearbook production, about 80% of the students retracted their "senior quotes" (you know, lyrics to Free Bird and all the typical stuff kids include next to their senior photo) - and replaced them with heartfelt goodbyes and last words to their deceased classmate and friend, Jimmy R. I have never seen so many lyrics pulled from songs about death and loss. I had never before seen so much revealed about the friendships and bonds shared by the students at my school.

So, despite the deadlines working against me, I took each and every person's pain-filled words, scrawled on little pieces of ripped out notebook paper that they had stuffed into a submission box or slipped into a fellow yearbook editor's in the hallway, and quietly typed them into what would now be the yearbook dedicated to a young student who lost his life.

To this day, the sad songs stay fresh in my mind, and the last words to Jimmy linger on in my memory.  "Butterflies are free to fly... high away... fly away... bye bye."

I don't know if anyone realized that I was the one who saw and felt their pain and transcribed it into a permanent memory. But I did. And because I was too young, stupid, and socially inept at the time to say anything, I think I'll say it now:

To all those in my high school who had to say goodbye to their friend Jimmy when we were just 17 years old, I am so sorry for your loss.

Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing

When it comes to the copy... listen to your heart.

The other day I was on my way to Staples to pick up a printer cartridge for my all-in-one, when the remake of that old hit, Listen to Your Heart came on the radio. Now, I would typically flip the channel in favor of something less sappy, but instead I got to pondering and "took a listen."

I began to wonder, will anyone ever play the original, sang by that one-hit wonder band, Roxette, again? Who on earth is singing? Is this someone who recently hit it big after being discovered on American Idol? Why do I find this version of the song so much less powerful than the old version?

So then I began to really listen, and imagine the vocalist, whoever it was. I listened to her take her breaths between paces, I listened to the slight rasp in her voice, the way she pronounces everything very clearly and plainly, never once wavering or deviating, not even during the more "intense" parts. And then it hit me. Too much CONTROL in this song for it to be powerful and passionate.  

It was like the person who did the remake was trying so hard to do the first artist justice, that she left no room to be herself and show her own emotions, in the new rendition.

Come on, you know it's true. When you hear Roxette doing this song, you picture some woman who just had her soul ripped out and run through a meat grinder. Some ugliness went down, and it didn't end well. She's regretful, she didn't pay attention to her gut feeling and she lost the dude because of it. But when this 2007 chippie sings it, well, I don't know, you kinda feel like telling her to go back to the playpen and come back when she gets some real life experience and can give it to us raw.

Maybe that's it? I wanted it raw but she's dishing it overdone? When it comes to the radio, don't we all want it raw? Raw, meaning real, not contrived, not copied. Authentic. Spontaneous. Natural. Genuine.

And what's this got to do with your copy, eh? (You knew it would eventually come down to this right? I can only yap about Roxette for so long until we're back to my old tune, the one about the copywriting and marketing).

I want to tell you to stop worrying so much about what those other marketers are doing. You hear someone else "singing their song," and it sounds good to you? So you think you can sing the same song but spin it for your own audience?

Well, you can't. Because my dear, that song's already been sung, and you won't come close to touching what someone else already did, so don't even try. THIS IS YOUR MARKETING, and as your copywriting and marketing guide and mentor, I will NOT let you be a raindrop in somebody else's thunderstorm. I don't care how high they're flying at this point in time and how much you admire them. Tomorrow they will be "yesterday's marketer" and if you follow their lead instead of carving your own path, your marketing will be deader than dead.

Be yourself, practice what you preach. You're free, remember? This is your chance at freedom of expression! Don't waste it worrying about what others are doing.

(Can you tell that four people in this past month have in some way or another tried to get me to make their copy and marketing "more like so-and-so's"? No!! Be YOU. When you learn to just be yourself and let it flow, that's when people will begin to see the real beauty inside.)

"So much to mention, but you can't find the words?" Of course you can. When it comes to the copywriting and marketing, listen to your heart. Or listen to your copywriter.

Be a groundbreaker, that's what I'm trying to tell you. You've heard all the remakes... you know that the original is ALWAYS better. Even if the remake was "pretty decent..." it still doesn't come close to the original.

Be original! Do something nobody else has dared attempt before. Just do it!

This has been a rather tacky, pop-culture-based lecture from Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing

The Copywriting Geniuses at Old Navy

Do you happen to write copy for Old Navy? Well, let me shake your hand. Aside from the fact that most Old Navy clothes fit me (small miracle in itself which actually has nothing to do with copywriting), your branding is spot-on.

In particular, I'd like to discuss the Perfect Fit V-neck tee. Whatever copywriter came up with this name deserves some commendation and perhaps a pay raise. I bought two of the tees yesterday, which, to my chagrin, are not even remotely the "perfect fit." But still... I bought them, and I wonder who else "fell for" your clever copywriting trick! Score 1 for the Old Navy copywriter, you have my respect and admiration.

Allow me to describe the customer experience for you, so that you may know the events that took place in my psyche which resulted in said pointless purchase.

1.  Load up with armfuls of corduroy pants in various sizes and colors, head to dressing room.
2. Emerge from dressing room empty-handed, beeline out of store for nearest restroom.
3. Return to Old Navy, repeat Steps 1 and 2 with exception of trip to bathroom.
4. Spy counter full of tee shirts in every color - "Dina's Standard Uniform" - must purchase immediately.
5. Read label, size M and it's called the "Perfect Fit" tee shirt.
6. Subconsciously reason that "Perfect Fit" means I don't have to try it on, grab sweater also without trying on (perhaps to make up for pant debacle?), head to register, whip out credit card, pay, leave.
7. Get home, remove purchases from bag, snap tags off. Try on "perfect fit" tee shirts, realize they don't fit.

(Interested in a Size M "Perfect Fit" T-shirt from Old Navy? I'll Fedex you two of them.)

So - somehow, dear excellent Old Navy copywriter, you convinced me with your two little magic words, Perfect Fit, that I had finally found the shirt of my dreams, the one that I could purchase by the armload, one in every color, to match my old corduroy pants, without ever doing a test drive in the dressing room.

And I guess by "Perfect Fit," you meant, "Perfect fit if the last round of tee shirts we imported from El Salvadore were too snug for you, so we made these a little bigger so that short girls like Dina could try them on when they get home and find that the "V-Neck" hits their belly button, which may be a sexy look for some, but not this copywriter who has been eating too much Halloween candy.

Next on my Old Navy copywriting discussion list: "Skinny" Cords. Am I worthy of even attempting to get my left foot into these buggers? Or shall I just turn my head and pass quickly by the rack? Ahh, but one never knows the psychological reaction that the copy will have on the consumer.

What's your copywriting and marketing saying to YOUR target customer? Dina at Wordfeeder.com would like to know.

There Really is a Rick Butts, and He's Cloning Things

About a month ago I posted regarding the mystery of Rick Butts. Who was this guy, and why wasn't he answering my emails answering his emails?

As it turns out, Rick Butt is *not* the Planet's Most Diligent Spammer, as I'd previously thought. ;)

I finally made direct contact with Rick by emailing him from my Yahoo account instead of my usual domain server. Which is rather disconcerting, because that tells me that maybe I'm on an email blacklist somewhere? Best case scenario, Rick's domain is set to greylisting and my emails are being flushed. It's actually happened to me before using Powweb. Gah.

Technical difficulties aside, I come to learn that Rick is not only a real guy, but he's got some wild stuff going on. Rick Butts is a motivational speaker, and the mastermind behind Press Release Monkey. Also, he's some kind of anti-spam vigilante I think... but it will honestly take me more research to confirm that.

But if you have any inclination to explore the internet life and times of Rick Butts (as you well should), I urge you to skip all those other links I just listed and go straight to his WordPress Cloner.

Granted, I do not have a Wordpress blog, but if I did and then suddenly decided to transfer it elsewhere, you can be sure that I'd want Dolly the WordPress Cloning Sheep helping me make a quick and smooth transition. Don't ask me what I mean by that. Just go look at what Rick Butts is doing to find out the answer.

Rick Butts

So about a month ago, I got a work-related email from someone named Rick Butts. I replied immediately, and got nothing else in response. This happens all the time... people are rude enough to just NOT finish your email conversations with them, for whatever reason.

The next time I sent out my newsletter, I get another email from Rick Butts, acting like he never sent the first one. Asking for the same exact thing. So, I did what any normal consultant would do. I replied to the email.

Again... nothing back.

Now I have another email, dated today at a little after 2 a.m., from the same guy, asking me why I don't return HIS emails.

So, what's going on here? Aggressive spam filter?

How can someone receive my newsletter with no problem, but claim to not receive a regular email from me?

Is Rick Butts drunk when he reads his email?

Have you ever had anything like this happen? Everyone else seems to be getting my email (although if they weren't getting them, how would I know? Maybe I'm just sitting here fuming that people don't return my emails, when in reality they never made it to the person in the first place!)

In his most recent email to me, Rick Butts asks:

"Are you not getting my emails - or not replying?"

Funny, Rick, I've been meaning to ask you the same question!

A very odd situation here, very ODD indeed.

**Follow-up to this post** - I made contact with Rick Butts! As I said to him in our email communique:

"Get this, Rick: after I didn't hear back from you the second time, I thought you were just this crazy guy who writes really convincing spam as a way to ensure that his link gets clicked. I thought, wow, that's a spammer who does it right!"

Turns out Rick Butts isn't the World's Best Spammer after all. Click here to find out who this mystery man is, and what he can do for you.

Copywriters, and Why Left-Brained Geeks Desperately Need Them

Yesterday I received a rather unusual email from a stranger. The title of the email read, "your site and services" which of course would prompt any normal person to open it and expect to read a quote request.

The email contained no such request, but instead revealed a screen shot of the homepage of my Web site. Let me repeat that. A complete stranger sent me a screen shot of my own Web site.

Within the screen shot art, writer of said email had encircled (in red "ink"), three words that they felt were "glaring errors," as the message stated. (One was in fact a typo, while the other two were merely subjective criticisms.)

The message was short, terse and did not address me by name. The email closed with "Cheers," and a pair of initials.

I confess: I enjoy people who push the envelope. This is just the kind of bold approach that gets and holds my attention.

However, when someone whom you've never met before decides to arbitrarily PROBE something that you personally created, it comes as a bit of a shock. It makes you feel slightly violated.

I imagine it wouldn't feel all that much different than if I'd been sent a picture of myself, with a red circle around the pimple in the corner of my nose or something equally creepy.

Upon Googling said emailer, I learned that this person worked in a "high intelligence," left-brained field and chalked it up to her being a social idiot.

Which brings me to the main point, which is that technology experts and other "High IQ" individuals are often painfully unaware of the unspoken rules that drive modern communication.

I'm not saying that's right or wrong or I don't like such people, because I really do enjoy them in the way one might enjoy searingly spicy food or extreme sports, for the extra stimulation.

Truth be told, I'd rather spend a half hour having some cantankerous dweeb spew facts at me than sit there letting someone dull and insipid massage my ego while dribbling faulty reasoning or parroting someone else's wisdom. I don't need an ego rub. Just teach me something I didn't know before.

But I also know that I'm in the minority.

Most professionals, at least the ones I've seen buzzing around the blogosphere and met with in various conference rooms throughout my life, would never stand for such brusque handling. Some might even deliver a swift verbal backhand in reply.

Most professionals are secretly insecure. Therefore, they expect you to play with their emotions. And not only is this what they crave in their personal communication, but they REALLY want it in your marketing materials.

The average human begs on his knees to be schmoozed and sold to.

That's a skill that most "geeks" don't naturally possess. Especially if they're math, science and tech experts (those fields are ruled by the opposite hemisphere of the brain that governs emotions).

Emotion is unequivocally the most powerful sales weapon regardless of what industry you work in. Get a handle on your reader's emotions, turn his ego into silly putty, and you've got yourself a lifelong customer.

If you really, really want to sell something to emotionally suggestible humans, something that they don't understand and can't procure on their own, then you have GOT to learn how to talk to people, or else hire someone for whom graceful communication is second nature.

(For those who don't pick up on subtlety: get a copywriter).

I know of this brilliant computer genius guy from my Web travels who burns a path of destruction wherever he roams. I've watched entire networks lash out against him because he doesn't know how to talk to folks without sounding mean, rude and condescending.

I secretly like him - because he explained some basics of HTML publishing that nobody else had the patience or attention to detail to convey.

But even so - I know he sucks at selling.

Yes, you might be smarter than 90% of the population. But do you know how to write copy that sells?

Copyright 2006 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

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My Love for Nerds

This morning I was reminded of why tech people need marketing people to do their communicating for them. More on that in a minute though, because I have this Nerd Reverie that's in need of release.

I've been hanging around with tech dorks for many years. Ahh, how I miss the days of being held spellbound in the IT dept while eager geeks spoke earnestly of newfangled web technologies -- search engines, Perl scripts and such (like the copy girl would have any clue in 1998 what CGI or Perl was, let alone that there was a difference between the two - but yes, the terms stuck with me until I had an actual need for them in 2003 so THANK YOU for pointing me in a direction, tech support pals).

Nerds have opened my eyes to many wonders, and not just things I needed to know as a marketer like HTML, CSS, keyword linking, OEM software, and how to keep my computer virus-free.

Nerds showed me how to LIVE!

My beloved group of geeky pals at my old corporate job taught me every Quark Express trick in the manual... and then they got me tipsy and convinced me to eat sushi for the first time (more accurately told, one of them dangled a pair of chopsticks holding a large chunk of fatty tuna dripping mustard sauce in my face, so I just ate it.) Oh, what a joyous discovery THAT turned out to be.

The Nerd Herd at my old job took me to see famous comedians at well-known comedy clubs and showed me where to get the best family-style Italian food in Manhattan (go to Carmine's - they have bullet holes in the wall leftover from mobster shootouts).

One nerd pal, I remember, alerted me to the fact that there was a keylogger on my work computer (THANKS FOR THE TIP, BUDDY!).

The nerds in my past were coffee snobs, shunning the break room's generic brand of dirt-flavored java in favor of freshly ground gourmet beans brewed with a French press in the computer room. I didn't ask to drink their coffee because I knew they were stingy about it and didn't blame them. But if I had asked, I know those nerds would have let me partake of the Sacred Beverage at least once. Generosity was their nerdy way.

Graphic Arts Geeks in the packaging department turned me on to iTunes and a plethora of alternative music choices. My ears warmed to the heavenly sounds of reggae from Jimmy Cliff, haunting folk melodies from Bill Frisell, Bela Fleck's banjo marauding as a harpsichord, and some truly awe-inspiring bagpipe bands from I don't know where!

The nerds who we outsourced from Integrated Software assured me that it was safe (and fun!) to go shopping online.

Nerds introduced me to the thrill of instant messenger (it was cool for a while, but I've outgrown the IM).

Oh yeah... and nerds taught me about love, too. But we won't go into that here. :)

So, that's my nerd reverie. I was pulled away four times while composing this post, so pardon me if I sound a wee bit scattered. When I come back to this blog I'll share with you the reasons why nerds need marketing experts to sweeten their communication.

But for now - I've got pressing issues to take care of back in Copywriting and Marketing land.

Emperor's New Clothes

Good evening, copywriter and marketer friends!

Have you been approached for the Joint Venture yet? No? Just wait. It'll happen.

Joint ventures are typically percentage based and not contracted jobs. You divide the workload and split the profits with your online scheme buddies, err, I mean joint venture partners.

That doesn't sound so bad, right? No, not at all... until you discover (to your dismay) that the other partners have some TERRIBLE ideas about what can pass for "quality."

I was asked to be the "compiler"/writer of a book in a series. I trusted the judgement of my peers... it seemed like a good idea.

That is, until I was sent a copy of the previous book in the series, and discovered that IT WASN'T A BOOK AT ALL.

It was a compilation of "quotable quotes" from "experts". The book was being marketed as a comprehensive guide, but there was nothing guide-like about it. It was 90 pages of testimonials, is what it was.

"Hooo! 90 pages of monotonous, repetitive, mind-numbing testimonials? Where do I SIGN UP?"

Guides, as I know them, serve as lessons. Guides teach skills and applications, share tips and techniques. They instruct by illustrated example. They often include a list of references.

This was NO guide. This was an insult. And they were selling it for over $50, I think.

I thought about my name attached to this ummm, let's call it a funny little joke of a book. I thought about people picking it up, thumbing through this so-called guide, and seeing my name on the cover.

And I shuddered.

So, I asked the project leads if they could please NOT put my name on the book. That I'd help them, create the next book in the series if they couldn't find a replacement for me. But please leave my name OFF the cover, or else call me by my true title in this particular case: "Editor. Information compiler." But good lord, NOT AUTHOR!

They thought I was crazy. The one man, bless his one-track mind, just kept offering me exposure, over and over.

"I can get your name out there."

As what, as the "author" of a scam book?

I'll continue to get my own name out there, thanks. And I'll do it without compromising my personal code of ethics. And hopefully if you're a decent human being who's reading this, you'll never sink as low as some other "trusted marketers" have.

And most of all, you won't fool yourself and everybody else that "the emperor's got a great new set of tweed pants on," when in fact the poor sap is shivering in his skin suit.

Copywriter with a Conscience? She's alive and well at Wordfeeder.com

Closed Sign on the Door of Your Mind.

About a month ago, I was talking copywriting and web marketing shop with a new prospect. And, at some point in the conversation, I swear I heard a door slam. It was the door of this woman's mind, closing on what I had to say.

How Did I Know She Was Resisting?

1. She just kept repeating the same phrase, "We want to learn how to get the word out about our business." I swear, she said this no less than six times during the course of our talk. It was her way of wiggling out of any sort of detailed response, or accepting any solution I offered her.

2. She couldn't answer ANY of my questions. The very first step in marketing a business on the web is learning the specifics. What are you selling, and to whom? What's your plan of action? What are your long term and subsequent short-term goals? How much time and money are you willing to invest? What have you already accomplished so far? Has it been working for you, and if not, why?

3. She didn't want to actually DO any of the things I was suggesting. I gave her the links to five web resources, none of which she took a look at (yes, she was at a computer). When she again repeated her famous line about getting the word out, I figured maybe her budget was very low, so I suggested she sign up for my ezine and get free tips.

She didn't do that either.

At the end of the phone conversation, I had a very strong feeling that I wouldn't be hearing from this person again, and I know why. The concept of web marketing was so foreign to her that her brain just shut down anytime I gave her a new bit of info. The door wasn't just closed... it was dead-bolted!

So now I ask you: what does the proverbial sign on the front door of YOUR brain say? I hope that your sign reads, OPEN FOR BUSINESS. Because a closed mind will get you nowhere.

Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing

Copywriting Queen?... Bahahaha!

One of my colleagues refers to me as the "Copywriting Queen" in her newsletter and it makes me giggle because I'm so NOT a queen of any sort. Even so: I'm grateful for the nice mention by a power VA such as herself. So, if she wants me to be Copywriting Queen for a day on her ezine, ohh, okay.

I'm not really here to yap narcissistically about myself. This is really about branding. What other fun and sticky nicknames have internet marketers donned, and what type of a picture do they paint?

There's the *real* internet queen... the Ezine Queen. When you declare yourself royalty you set some pretty high expectations to live up to you, don't you think?

There's the Red Hot Copywriter, and "Mr. Fire" Joe Vitale the other Copywriter. Could you be, would you be, flaming hot and on fire? These monikers imply gutsy marketer. Can you take the heat of carrying a label like this one?

Cathy Stucker the Idea Lady, and Jeff Herring the Article Guy. These kids tell it like it is. And then you have the leader of the Locker Gnome Tech Geeks, Chris Pirillo. I'd assume that someone who willingly saddles this eyebrow-raising title probably is pretty offbeat, quirky and geeky-cool (and if you see Chris's visual branding you'd probably agree that the shoe fits).

Two more: the Marketing Sweetie, Alice Seba, and Joan Stewart the Publicity Hound! Yes, there's branding around every corner. Think it's time you jumped on the branding bus?

All these marketers use the power of keywords to spread their brand names all over the internet and exert a magnetic pull over their fans. You might say that they coined their own keyword term and then virally marketed it with web content!

So, if you had to cultivate an internet personality for yourself that took shape based on a nickname, what would that nickname be? How would your skillset, personal strengths, and of course your business services and company mission statement play into your brand image?

Me, I'm no queen. I've got my sleeves rolled up and I'm knee-deep in the mucky details, and I damn well love every minute of it. I might be that coworker of yours sharing a secret in the corner cubicle. Or, I'm the black sheep with a controversial viewpoint. I might be telling you what I think you should do... but I'll also give you the freedom to disagree or go your own way if you so choose.

Me, I'm nobody's queen, that's for sure. I don't put on airs or carry a sense of entitlement, and frankly I don't relate well to people who do.

But I would like to nurture your business with neverending streams of intelligent persuasive writing. And to be perfectly honest I have been dumping buckets of idea-soup from my brain into the heads of my fellow marketers all day today.

So, you can just call me the Wordfeeder - Your Copywriting and Marketing Right Hand Woman.