What is the role of advertising and marketing?

What is the role of advertising and marketing?

The following is an excerpt from my upcoming book, Breakthrough Marketing Secrets. In Your Fast Start Guide, I discussed the first and last job I had before going out on my own as an in-demand marketing consultant. I explained how I started in the marketing department...
Grab a pen and some paper for this one…

Grab a pen and some paper for this one…

Today, an old and familiar trick… And a challenge! Whether you write copy for your own business, or for clients, there’s one thing that’s for certain… If you write better copy, you will earn more. (It’s why, even though a good portion of my list are business owners...
If you’ve ever felt too broken or insecure for success

If you’ve ever felt too broken or insecure for success

You may or may not know this yet, but I studied psychology in college. Specifically, I probably fit somewhere in the Human Potential Movement. I didn’t care so much about how to fix people. Or really, understanding all the psychoses and neuroses humans face. I was...
Bring on the unsubscribes!

Bring on the unsubscribes!

There’s a huge fallacy in internet and direct marketing. It’s that bigger list = better list… “The more people I have on my list, the better…” They think… “Because I want more people to sell to.” And I get it… The idea is that every person is a potential sale… Every...
Jedi mind tricks from “The World’s Best Copywriter”

Jedi mind tricks from “The World’s Best Copywriter”

Gary Bencivenga is widely regarded as “The World’s Best Copywriter.” Nearly every top copywriter today cites Gary as one of their inspirations. One piece he wrote mailed over 100 million pieces profitably. Good controls mail over 1 million pieces. This was 100X that....
The straight truth about parenthood and entrepreneurship

The straight truth about parenthood and entrepreneurship

I’m going to take a moment here away from copywriting and the details of effective marketing… To address what’s a common question especially among the younger entrepreneurs and copywriters in my fold… One of my readers, James, has a kid on the way (congrats!)… And he...
The fastest way to sell more with your copy

The fastest way to sell more with your copy

Even if you don’t consider yourself “a copywriter” this is a critically-important message. Short of my earliest lessons introducing me to the fundamentals of “sales multiplied” direct response copywriting… There’s one thing that’s had more impact than anything else on...
[true story] How one piece of paper made me a star copywriter

[true story] How one piece of paper made me a star copywriter

November 2009. Delray Beach, Florida. I’d been in marketing for a few years… Been a part-time freelance copywriter for a couple of those, too (on top of my full-time job). I decided to bite the bullet and go to my very first AWAI Bootcamp. I’d already been doing some...
You sell — or you die!

You sell — or you die!

Today I’d like to tell you about what I consider to be the most valuable skill in business. It’s the secret to… Starting a successful business from scratch… Growing the biz, once you have it going… Getting customers to do business with you again and again… Creating...