Archive for Keeping it Real
One Day in the Life of a Brave Marcom Writer!
Hello,
Today’s a surreal day for me. As the old saying goes, “what doesn’t kill me, only makes me stronger.”
I’m back, after a year’s sabbatical. Lot’s of moving around, visiting, exploring myself and the world … trying to discover what I want to do/be next.
Yet, I’m still a writer, copywriter and author. I write. I study people and life. And I write about it. I’m also an Elf, as I discovered on a little test I took on Facebook. Pretty cool. 
The surreality I refer to is the happenings in my life of late. It’s one of those things that others would find too hard to believe, unless they saw it close up — or had some experience of the same sorts.
Are you ready for this? The dominoes started to fall, with a speeding ticket a month ago. This was quickly followed by my getting the dreaded ‘boot’ on my car, while parked downtown Fredericksburg, VA on a recent summer’s eve.
The police drive around, taking pictures that feed into a database of offenders. My offense? Failing to report to the Commissioner of Revenues that I’d moved out of the city last year.
They still had me on their books, and I owed ‘09 property taxes. My, everyone’s getting really aggressive about collecting. Have you noticed that, yet? You will.
Next shoe to drop was my garnished bank account, by a large credit card company. No ‘due process,’ so I wasn’t allowed to tell my side of the story to a judge. No, Virginia is one of the few states that allow this kind of ‘Gestapo’ treatment of its citizenry.
All my money … gone! In one fail swoop, without warning. Gone. And that included the reimbursement of funds, taken by the ‘boot’ company. And everything else that came into my account, before I had a chance to stop it.
Oh, and let’s not forget hefty bank charges for insufficient funds for some auto-payments that I couldn’t stop in time — or even remember.
And what can I do about it? Well, I’ve petitioned the court for a hearing, so am waiting to see if I’ll get my day in court.
Have you ever tried to exist, without any money and NO bank account? Everything I do is online, so now I can’t pay for anything online, nor can I even have my PayPal account anymore, so clients can pay me!
Yes, this is America. So, not only can one’s assets be seized by city, state and Federal Governments — the credit card companies can do it, too.
Following this interesting, little adventure … next, a water pipe burst in the basement, where my office is located. My laptop didn’t make it, but my printer survived. I’d preferred the other way around. Not sure about my fax, yet.
My granddaughters were here, visiting, through these various fiascoes. What a time to have all your money seized!
Oh, silly me. I almost forgot. To add more insult to injury … the gauntlet finally fell on my new site.
For months, I’ve been trying to get a certain SEO company to finish my new site. Promises, stalls, more promises, more stalls. And, finally, the truth: It wasn’t going to get done. It baffles me that people don’t keep their word anymore.
So, this writer is having a lazy, rainy Saturday. I think it’s all just now sinking in. It’s really quite a jolt to the ole system, let me tell you.
If it’s true that what doesn’t kill me, only makes me stronger, I should be strong as steel by now. Aahh, yes, this too shall pass. I know it always does.
And, I’ll have a little bit more experience to add to my already rich set of experiences to assist me in understanding the human condition. Without going through some of these hard times myself, I wouldn’t be able to connect with those who have.
I wouldn’t be the person I am.
You know, I’m not sure anymore, but I used to think I created everything in my life, in order to learn. If this is true, it really sucks! However, it certainly gives me a depth of understanding and empathy I would not otherwise possess.
I am grateful. I’m still standing. I’m still smiling. I understand.
Yours in understanding,
Carolyn
A Copywriting Perspective: If it Don’t Bring in the Bucks, Don’t Do It!
Are you still plunking down money on marketing that doesn’t, directly, put money in your pocket?
That won’t seem like a silly question to direct response copywriters and marketers, but it may feel a bit vague to some business owners.
For those of us, who have discovered and highly believe in direct response — offline or online — we try to help our clients to always spend advertising and marketing dollars on the kinds of marketing you can truly measure.
If you just pay for a glitzy ad to be written and designed and then pay for the space in a spiffy publication, without making a direct offer to buy, you’re not doing direct response.
By its very name, it’s the kind of marketing/advertising that asks for the sale. So, you can judge the success or failure of it by how many orders you get, right?
This, IMO, is the only kind of marketing that makes any sense to any business, unless perhaps you’re Coke or Microsoft.
Why does anyone care about ‘image’ or ‘branding,’ anyway? Making profits is not about you, your business or your products. It’s only about your customers!
No one really cares about all the techno-babble about how your widget is built. All your prospective customers care about is, “What will this product do for me?”
So, in all of your marketing, tone down the features of your newest widget and focus on how it will alleviate the pain of your customers. Or how it’ll make their lives easier, sexier, faster or more fun.
You’ve probably all heard it before, but it’s still true. The only station a consumer is tuned to is: WIIFM.
Always do these Things in your Marketing …
1. Answer their question, “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM)
2. Tell them why they should believe you.
3. Tell them how much it costs.
4. Tell them how to order right now.
5. Tell them they only have a limited time to order.
6. Tell them you only have a limited quantity.
7. Then, tell them you’ll refund their money, if they don’t like it.
Tell them these things in everything you print or put online!
If it don’t bring in the bucks … don’t do it.
If you need a kickass copywriter and marketing strategist to help you out with these kinds of things that SELL … I know where you can find one.
Here’s to making the phone ring, the server crash and the cash register ka-ching!
Carolyn
http://www.kickasscopywriter.com
A Copywriter’s Decision: To Fight or to Just Let it Go!
I’m sure there have been times in your life when you had to decide whether something was worth the fight … or best to just let it go?
In my personal and professional life, I’ve had many opportunities to watch this choice in action.
For example, with my kids when they were little. It was well worth the fight to teach them it wasn’t nice, nor acceptable, to hit each other.
But, if they accidentally let the dog in, with muddy paws, I may have decided it wasn’t worth it to get my panties in a knot over … depending on what else was going on.
Many of the same kinds of scenarios, with partners or boyfriends have occurred. Some things are worth fighting over/for – and others just aren’t.
In my professional life as a copywriter and marketing strategist, most of my clients are great. Some have been a little testy, but I’ve been able to win their trust and calm whatever possible storm that may be a’brewin, with impeccable follow-through and a quality end product that accomplished the mission.
But sometimes, sometimes, you just gotta cut someone loose. In the case of my kids, that wasn’t an option … well, not till they grew up anyway.
But, with a problem client (or customer), it’s sometimes the best course of action.
You can see where this is going, can’t you?
Yep, I recently had this lovely experience. A new client, very intelligent. Very well-known, popular and very good at what she does, yet I found it impossible to deal with her.
Actually, the red flags were there from the beginning. You know how that works, in personal and business relationships, right? In hindsight, we can usually see what we should have seen in the beginning.
I did see it, though, and she even admitted she was hard to work with. Boy, was that an understatement. And, she even said that her grown son had refused to work with her anymore.
Well, to make a painfully long story short … she didn’t understand the process or what she really needed, for that matter.
To use an analogy of building a house, she only wanted me to paint it, before the foundation had been poured. She simply wanted (or thought she did) me to write the copy for her site to make people buy right now, without knowing the direction, theme and audience.
Everything was wrong with the site, too, which I tried to help with. She wanted suggestions, so I gladly gave them. Because without them, the site would not convert.
I tried to build the foundation, before I started painting, but she had no way of appreciating that. I could have gone ahead and grabbed some of the 2 x 4’s and started painting them, but the foundation and frame weren’t even up, yet.
Bottom line, I decided that I’d be willing to let this go, so I told her that I could only proceed under certain conditions. And that I’d refund half the fee, if she would prefer to end the misery.
In all fairness, she wasn’t enjoying the process, either. Process … she didn’t even realize there was a process!
So, she chose the refund. I was glad, because I don’t think there was any way to please her.
Sometimes, it’s just a whole lot better to part company than to keep beating your head against the wall.
5 Lessons in all this?
1. Listen to my inner voice in the beginning and follow it.
2. If someone is not really sold on their own project … run!
3. If they are a problem in the beginning, they’ll continue to be.
4. If they can’t see the amazing value in what I do — they can’t/won’t no matter how ‘on target’ it is.
5. If they nickel and dime me, they don’t understand the value of strategic thinking and copywriting that fulfills an approved strategy. Run faster.
If you’re in business, have a web site that needs to convert better or have a list you need a killer email campaign to talk to, by all means hire a copywriter with a keen sense of marketing and the human psyche.
And let them do what they do … SELL for you!
And remember, sometimes in certain situations … the fight just isn’t worth it. Let it go.
Yours in higher octave marketing,
Carolyn
http://www.kickasscopywriter.com
A Copywriter’s Monday: What’s the Real Meaning of Monday Morning Blues?
Monday morning blues … I think it probably resonates to most folks, at least in America, don’t you?
I don’t know about other cultures, but in ours I think it’s a pretty common malady to wake up in a fog on Monday mornings, wondering what happened to our weekend?
Maybe, today feels particularly ‘premature,’ because my dog got sick on Saturday and ended with an emergency hospital visit in the middle of the night on Saturday.
She’s OK. Apparently, she had an allergic reaction to something. What, I don’t know, but her eyes were very swollen and she had hives all around her snoot, with at least one that we found on her body.
After an antihistimine injection, along with a steroid, she was much better the next day, thankfully!
This is the best dog I’ve ever had in my life! She’s also a therapy dog, who gives love to so many. So, when something happens to her, my whole world is put on hold … until she’s recovered.
I wonder, then, if the real meaning behind Monday morning blues is that we have to ’snap out of’ our real, important life of just being with family and friends – and re-enter the world of commerce, where we have to get into our business-mind and get out of our being-mind?
I’m fortunate enough to work from home, and I still feel the MMB!
This week, I commit to combine my being-mind with my business-mind and to remain in a state of calm and flow.
Do you have anything to share about Monday Morning Blues? What do you think it’s all about?
If you’re a business owner, and your marketing seems like it’s about as exciting as the MMBs — seek out a marketing strategist and copywriter to give your marketing a swift kick in the pants!
Oh, blue Monday, I accept you and all that you represent. I now transform my thinking to include you as a welcome guest. Today is today. It’s all I have. I will bless it as the opportunity it is.
Here’s to the enjoyment of Mondays!
Carolyn
http://www.kickasscopywriter.com
This Copywriter’s POV: Today’s the Time to Stand Up for Right
Did you see the deplorable ‘presidential’ debate on ABC last week? Have you seen the fallout?
Maybe you don’t think ABC’s Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos acted more like lame ducks than respected TV news journalists … but I found it deplorable!
With our nation in dire need of new leadership, due to the mess our current illustrous leaders have gotten us into, and for the billionth debate … shouldn’t they at least attempt to get Clinton and Obama to talk about something more important than a lapel pin?
As I sat stunned on my couch, I was hoping against hope that Obama would stand up for right … and refuse to wallow in the pettiness of such idiotic questioning.
But he didn’t.
Was it political correctness or the response of a genuine gentleman?
In Denny Hatch’s, Business Common Sense, he captured my sentiments exactly. To Mr. Gibson’s question about the lapel pin, Barack Obama replied …
SEN. OBAMA: Well, look, I revere the American flag, and I would not be running for president if I did not revere this country. This is—I would not be standing here if it wasn’t for this country.And I’ve said this—again, there’s no other country in which my story is even possible; somebody who was born to a teenage mom, raised by a single mother and grandparents from small towns in Kansas, you know, who was able to get an education, blah, blah, blah …Among Barack Obama’s many attributes is that he is a gentleman.I was not in the mood for a gentlemanly rejoinder. I cringed with embarrassment at the question and Obama’s failure to serve a high hard one back into ABC’s court.
The Exchange I was Hoping for
SEN. OBAMA: Excuse me, Mr. Gibson. Are you going to also ask Senator Clinton why she does not wear an American flag pin on her lapel? Or around her neck? Or in her hair?
MR. GIBSON: Uh …
SEN. OBAMA: Because, Mr. Gibson, people are dying all over the world in wars and acts of violence. The price of food is skyrocketing and millions are starving in Haiti, in Africa and places in between.
MR. GIBSON: Senator Obama …
SEN. OBAMA: Let me finish. Forty-seven million Americans have no health insurance. We are involved in two endless, unwinnable wars that are costing over $20 billion a month—wars that are bankrupting our military, our country, and our children and grandchildren.
In the city of Philadelphia, where we are right now, more than one person every day is murdered. Every month, thousands of illegal immigrants are pouring unchecked into the country, bringing with them drugs and crime.
The Middle East is turning into a vast cauldron of sectarian violence, and the United States is regarded as a pariah all over the world as the invader and occupier of a Muslim nation. The price of oil is $110 a barrel and rising.
These are just some of the huge issues facing the next president of the United States, and you have reduced them to a quarter-inch-square piece of jewelry that you claim is missing from my lapel.
And, the story continues on the next page, getting even better!
Personally, I’m an Independent. But, so what? I still don’t have anyone to vote for out of all 3 of the candidates. And I know I’m not the only one, who feels this way!
With America teetering on the brink of too many disasters to even list … why can’t someone step up to the plate of ‘right’ and tell it like it is!
I fear, with all of my heart, that we could very well be on the verge of a revolt. When the people do not have sufficient leadership in Washington to run the country for the good of the country (middle class?), but rather sell-out our country to special interests, other countries and wage war under the guise of ‘freeing another country’ (after WMD didn’t work) …
a revolution may soon be the only answer.
How applicable might these immortal words, of Thomas Jefferson in 1787, be today, I wonder?
“What country before ever existed a century and a half without a rebellion? … The tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
There may not be a helluva lot we, as individuals, can do about this runaway train, headed for disaster right now. But, in our own lives, as mothers, fathers, sons, daughters … at school and in our work with each other and our customers … let’s stand for right every chance we get.
In business, let your word be your bond. Let your marketing messages be transparent, without hidden traps that set out to trick, rather than honestly communicate your sales/marketing message.
I think when we stand up for the little things, they’ll accrue to the bigger things.
And, if your marketing calls for a “higher octave” copywriter, I know where you can find one!
Standing up,
Carolyn
http://www.kickasscopywriter.com
