The Secret to Writing Better Marketing Copy Faster - Regardless of what kind of writing you do, says a study from the National Writing Project of Louisiana, three key components seem to have the biggest influence on how creatively productive you'll be. What are those components?
The Secret to Writing Better Marketing Copy Faster
By Warren Little
Jan 17, 2010 - 8:22:58 PM
Regardless of what kind of writing you do, says a study from the
National Writing Project of Louisiana, three key components seem to have the biggest influence on how creatively productive you'll be. What are those components?
1. A Consistent Working Environment
Almost all the writers in the study had a designated "place" where they
did their best writing. Simply being there gave them focus.
I concur. I can write almost anywhere -- but I prefer light, quiet
spaces. I travel a lot, but have a designated spot in each of the three
locations I typically find myself in during a given year.
I also need certain "supplies" to get going. A long yellow legal pad
or a tablet of French graph paper. Black Bic pens. My ever-present Acer
Laptop.
Environment includes sound, of course. Personally, I work best with
dead quiet. Sometimes with subliminal music. But anything with lyrics
is poison. I know many other writers who agree.
Classical or jazz. Bach's cello suites or the Goldberg Variations.
Chopin etudes. Beethoven's piano sonatas. "Kind of Blue" or "Some Day
My Prince Will Come" by Miles Davis. Old Coltrane (but not the crazier,
more recent stuff).
(Caveat: I know at least one brilliant copywriter who keeps the TV
droning on in the background! I couldn't do it. But it works for him.)
2. A Set Time for Working
If you're a freelance copywriter, working outside of an office
environment, this might be a hard truth to face. Yet, almost all the
writers in the study said they wrote better if they did so at a certain
time, the same time, every single day -- especially in the morning.
I know, I know. I sympathize with anyone who says they prefer to
work at night. I used to prefer it myself. But having young kids who
didn't understand why Dad wouldn't come away from the computer changed
that. And for the better.
Not only am I much more productive when I get good work done early,
I'm happier too. And, yes, all the best copywriters I know also get
started early. And not just early, but by working on their biggest
projects first. No e-mails. No phone calls. Serious writing first,
trivial stuff later.
(Remember when there
was no e-mail? Can you imagine wasting
two hours a day faxing back and forth with your buddies? Of course you
can't. Well, just because e-mail is more automatic doesn't mean it's
any better for you.)
And as long as we're talking about time, the intelligent use of
deadlines deserves a mention. Even daily deadlines. It's the pressure
-- the end goal -- that makes us work more quickly. Consider the famous
Eugene Schwarz story. Every day, to get himself started, he'd set his
egg timer to 33.33 minutes. Then he'd sit down to write copy for 33.33
minutes, even if it just meant staring at the blank page until beads of
blood formed on his forehead.
3. Rituals That Boost Confidence
This last influence on the creative productivity of the participants in
the Louisiana study -- their behavior rituals -- was critical.
Unfortunately, it was also ambiguous.
In fact, some of the rituals the writers had didn't seem to have anything to do with writing at all.
Sharpening pencils. Wearing a lucky sweater. Using a certain coffee
mug. The researchers theorized that the consistency of such rituals
bred confidence, and helped melt away potential "writer's block"
anxiety.
That may be true. What seems just as true is that some rituals
manage to mildly distract your senses so your subconscious can get to
work.
Walking, for example, seems to work for many copywriters. When they're
feeling around for an idea, they fast-track it by filling up their mind
with information about what they hope to sell... and then step outside
for a stroll.
If not that, they take a drive. Or a shower.
A Bonus Tip
You say you've tried all that and it doesn't seem to help?
Try re-working your diet.
A recent issue of
Science reports that a single protein in
the brain -- SCN -- controls your "master clock," making you feel awake
or tired, hot or cold, bleary or focused, etc. And just two days of
tinkering with the eating schedules of lab rats threw off the SCN
balance in their little brains.
Eating a light, protein-centric breakfast can help you stay focused
on anything. Lunch, on the other hand, should be light or even skipped.
A lot of people claim they can think better on an empty stomach (yours
truly included).
And, Finally, a Bunch of Tips to Jumpstart Your Copywriting Process...
Ready?
Write out ideas on index cards. Talk ideas into a
recording device. Sketch out the pages of your promo, even before
writing a single word.
Copy a strong lead paragraph two or three times.
Go to bed early tonight. Study the outline behind your last great
promo. Start re-reading your pile of research from top to bottom.
Best of fortune!
[
Editors Note]: For more tips on jumpstarting your writing process, check out the world's premier copywriting program from David Garfinkel. In his
Ultimate Copywriting Crash Course,
you'll discover the secrets behind one of the biggest, most lucrative,
and least well-known industries in the world. And the lessons you learn
can be applied to any type of writing.
<a href="http://networkmarketingsolutions-info.blinkweb.com/">Warren Little</a> is a very successful <a href="http://youtube.com/WarrenLittleMLMCoach">Internet Network Marketing Consultant/Trainer</a> and highly sought after public motivational speaker. His passion is empowering both "smart beginners" & more experienced internet marketers to achieve greater levels of success quickly. His "<a href="http://www.networkmarketingsolutions.info/>Network Marketing Solutions Newsletter</a>" become one of most highly subscribed to & recommended training resources in the <a href="http://residualincomespecialist.ilovesuccess.net/">network marketing</a>, internet marketing & affiliate marketing community because of the <a href="http://residualincomespecialist.myebookpage.com/">tremendously valuable content</a> for internet network marketers of any level. Warren knows with <a href="http://www.itreallyworks.biz/">the right system</a>, internet network marketers don't have to struggle to experience success. To schedule a FREE initial consultation with Warren after you check out his recommendation of the "<a href="http://www.itreallyworks.biz/">Last System</a>" you'll ever need to build a home business, you may call 772-971-8637.
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