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Shortcuts to Copywriting Success! How to Find Inspiration in the Work of Others
| Guest post by: Lisa Manyon |
Article Overview: Tips for ethically finding creative ideas in other people’s work.
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Free Download - Your Strategy For Crafting Compelling Copy Depends on Placement & Message By Lisa Manyon |
Shortcuts to Copywriting Success! How to Find Inspiration in the Work of Others
Even expert copywriters find inspiration in the work of others. In fact, most use swipe files and formulas. It's perfectly ethical to review and model your copy after other proven and successful campaigns. However, it's absolutely imperative to put your own creative spin on the ideas you borrow. It's never okay to copy work word for word. That's plagiarism and it won't get you very far. In fact, it can land you in really hot, legal water. So, swipe smartly.
When creating your swipe file you'll find swipe material in your mailbox, inbox, magazines, trade publications and more. Think about the copy that draws you in and keeps you reading. Hold on to those marketing materials and keep them tucked away in your swipe file. Then when you're stuck, pull your swipes to stimulate your next great idea.
I urge you to collect marketing materials in your industry and study them carefully. You'll also find brilliant ideas from other industries that you can modify to fit your own marketing.
When reviewing your swipe files, notice the formulas different copywriters use. Note the varying styles and learn from them. Paying close attention to the writing styles of other pros will greatly improve your own writing.
Here are some things to look for:
-Does the content successfully connect prospects with the next logical step?
-Does the content solve a problem or offer a solution?
-Does the writer tap into hot buttons to compel action?
-Can you create a new voice based on materials you've studied or perhaps improve your own voice?
-Is there a unique angle used in another industry that can be modified to create something new and innovative for your industry?
In addition to swipe files it's a good idea to have tried and true copywriting resources on hand.
Three of my favorites are:
Words that Sell by Richard Bayan
Phrases That Sell by Edward Werz and Sally Germain
Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale
Remember, it's perfectly acceptable to get ideas from the writings of other but never PLAGIARIZE. Use swipes for inspiration and find your own voice to speak for your product or service.
Take Action Challenge: Look through your junk mail and take time to actually read the information. Collect trade magazines and other publications of interest. Take time to study the content then consider ways you can modify the approaches of others to position your business more favorably.
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About the Author: Lisa Manyon RSS for Lisa's articles - Visit Lisa's website Click here to visit Lisa's website   How to Maintain Your Marketing Momentum How Social Proof Can Make or Break Your Business Connect With Customers Prospects on THEIR Terms to Increase Sales The Secret to Sales Success and 5 Key Reasons Why This IS So Important Discover the Hot Buttons of Your Ideal Client to Get Better Marketing Results |
Related Forum Posts
Books for Women Entrepreneurs
- There's a thread for good books in the Resources folder, but it doesn't target books for businesswomen particularly, so I figured I'd start such a thread here.
It doesn't matter how successful you are in your business - it's always possible to learn something new.
In subsequent posts I give Table of Contents and brief descriptions for various titles - most of them devoted to the businesswoman - and sometimes a review. If anyone else has read a review, or has read the book and found it useful, please comment!
1. The Old Girl's Network
2. Mother's Work
3. The 7 Greatest Truths About Successful Women
4. Pitch Like A Girl
5. Workplace Warrior
6. Treasure Hunt: Inside the Mind of the Modern Consumer
7. Contingency Planning & Disaster Recovery
8. She Wins, You Win
9. Napoleon On Project Management
10. Why Good Girls Dont' Get Ahead, But Gutsy Girls Do
11. Comeback Moms: How to Leave Work, Raise Children, and Restart your Career even If you Haven't Had a Job in Years
12. The One Minute Millionaire
13. Talking From 9 to 5
14. Soloing: Realizing Your Life's Ambitions
15. 101 Best Home Based Businesses for Women: Everything You Need to Know About Getting Started on the Road To Success
16. Work With Passion: How to Do What You Love for a Living. Revised and Expanded
17. Fail-Proof Your Business: Beat the Odds and be Successful
18. Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End
19. Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide
20. Millionaire Women Next Door: The Many Journeys of Successful American Businesswomen
21. Start Small, Finish Big: Fifteen Key Lessons to Start - and Run - Your Own Successful Business
22. Rewired, Rehired or Retired: A Global Guide for the Experienced Worker
23. The Martha Rules: 10 essentials for achieving success as you start, build or manage a business
24. The Essentials of Entrepreneurship: What it takes to create Successful Enterprises
25. Net Ready: Strategies for Success in the E-conomy
26. The Promotable Woman
27. Leave The Office Earlier: The Productivity Pro shows you how to do more in less time and feel great about it
28. The Work At Home Balancing Act: The professional resource guide for managing yourself, your work, and your family at home
29. Secrets of Six-Figure Women
Describe Your Inspiration/Motivation
- I'd like to open up discussion with the group to identify how us entrepreneurs keep you goals insight without loosing Inspiration for what got you going initially.
Being an Entrepreneur can be a lonely road at times and I'd like to dig up and have people describe the fire they hold inside.
I'm hoping that through this exercise I can acknowledge and become aware of my fire that I'm having trouble verbalizing.
Re: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD...RIGHT NOW!!!
- Success = Thinking (Head) + Heart (Feeling / Interest) + Hand (doing/ action).
Success - H3
Robert
Re: What's your top tip for balancing your business and taking t
- Proper Work management meeting your all deadlines....
Re: What inspires you?
- Inspiration is nothing it is what you called to do? Some work for money, some work for satisfaction, some work because they have priorities in life.
It is the passion to do something for achievement or to show that you can do it by using one's talent.
I know there are people who are doing great things with their limited skill sets. So, my view point about inspiration is to Dream Big and try to achieve it.
I would rather add "Listen to your self". Listen to Inner guide and follow it. You will reach great heights.
Robert
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