The Writer You Want is now on Facebook!

And 500,000 light years late.

Frankly, I’d rather help design facebook pages and write copy for them (like this one and that one) than focus on building my own. However, for some sort of twist of fate, I’ve decided to heed the call of Mark Zuckerberg and open our doors to his social empire.

To jumpstart my page, I’m asking for your help. For those of you who don’t know, one needs at least 25 LIKES for one to have a decent looking facebook url. (i.e. https://facebook.com/thewriteryouwant , NOT https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Writer-You-Want/198382680220447)

In return, I’m giving out a free internet marketing course composed of 12 lessons of high value content, perfect for anyone who not only wants an overview of the basics of making money online, but is also loooking for a hold-your-hand, step-by-step practical approach.

P.S. You’ll get access to the course link after you LIKE the page. Below is an overview of it.

                                                                                                                    
Earning money on the Internet can be done for free, without any special skills, with no special degrees, and limited computer skills. If you know how to send an email to a friend then you have all the technical skills required to succeed as an Internet marketer and make a healthy living online. MAD Marketing (brought to you by The Writer You Want) is for anyone who realizes that there is HUGE potential to earn money on the Internet, and who want to get their piece of the multi-trillion dollar per year online marketplace.

Changes are that you’ve done some research online and have been pulled in many directions by all the offers out there. “Buy my super duper special book and I’ll show you how to earn $1000′s per day working only an hour a day”…

Does this sound familiar? We realize that you have most likely been scammed online and are MAD that you haven’t been able to earn a single dollar from products you have purchased. Put a stop to the cycle of buying products online that just DON’T work and quite frankly are full of fluff. Internet scams are everywhere you look and new GURU’s marketers are popping up overnight.

Mad Marketing is a completely free course that you can start working through RIGHT NOW, when you LIKE The Writer You Want.

If you want to increase your marketing results and get more qualified leads, you will need to improve the effectiveness of the copywriting on your website, print ads, emails and direct mail.

This is vital because copywriting is your “salesperson in cyberspace, in print and in the mail” … and great salesmanship produces great sales … average salesmanship gets only average or worse results.

Here are some copywriting secrets that will improve your marketing results. I got this from a company that provided copywriting work for over 450 businesses since 1978. A must-read!

This is a list of what your prospect is thinking as he reads your marketing copy.  It’s important to make sure everything is addressed on this list.  If you do this, your marketing results will improve dramatically.

1.  You’d better have done your research to know what benefits I want most from your type of product or service.  If you don’t, I won’t even notice you, and if I do, I won’t even give you a hearing.

2.  What do you do?  How will it help me? I need to know “what’s in it for me” instantly or I’m gone.

3.  Why should I believe you?

4.  I already have a supplier for that – why should I listen to you?

5.  Make it easy for me to read, understand, navigate, and “scan” your marketing material.

6.  I want a specialized expert in your field for my situation or my needs or my type of business.

7.  Don’t bore me!  I’m sick of corporate talk, business buzz terms and mumbo-jumbo.  Almost all business marketing is very dull and boring and I won’t read it.

8.  I want ALL the details and specs, including product information, product applications, CAD drawings and plans, costs and shipping.  A ThomasNet.com study finds a very large percentage of buyers say these details are not readily available.

9.  I want to read copywriting from a real live person talking to me person to person, and not from some emotionless corporation.

10.  I won’t admit it on the record, but I make purchases based on my emotions.  Sure I need logic and features for verification, but if you can touch my emotions, I’m much more likely to buy from you.

11.  I badly want more from my life than just work.  I’m very interested in saving time, work and stress.

12.  Make it easy for me!  You list many different things I can do and I’m confused.  What one thing should I do now and why?

13.  Don’t overload your website or brochure with fluff – stick only to relevant and helpful information I need.  I’m tired of all the irrelevant “filler” information on the web and I won’t read through it anymore.

14.  Compare your product or service against your competitors for me if it is really as good as you say it is.  Be honest, as I’ll see through any favoritism.

15.  Be specific; generalities go right into my garbage.

16.  What’s your guarantee?

17.  How can I test your product, service or company first, in a low or no cost way, before I make a large commitment?

18.  Help me justify the investment to my boss on an ROI basis.

These copywriting secrets applied properly are a main reason one website, direct mail piece or ad can pull 2 to 3 times the response as another for the same product or service.  This is why the most successful marketers hire the best outside freelance copywriters they can afford.

ONLY FOR TODAY!

I know a good deal when I see one and my favorite web hosting provider who literally eats up the competition just gave a good deal. For one day only, in celebration of July 4, and as you are reading this (hopefully it’s not too late), Hostgator slashes 40% off on all its web hosting plans with the lowest at $2.48/month (for unlimited domains!).

Affordable, reliable and world-class is all I can say about this hosting company, which I’m an avid user of. And expect the coolest, friendliest and most helpful customer reps! Sounds exaggerated but that’s the truth.

Beat the clock and grab a gator while you can.

(P.S. if you read this post late already, no worries. Hostgator is still one of the most affordable web hosting services in the planet. You’re bound to get a good deal … in fact you can even have the first month for only one cent! [promo for regular plans only. use coupon code: BESTWPHOSTING] )

Late post. Because a lot has happened as of late. But as the law of duality goes, everything that happens, both good and bad, is ultimately for one’s good. Especially for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:28).

So to highlight one of the good and memorable things that happened to this international online copywriter … a couple of weeks ago, someone called me up and invited me to be his guest in his weekly show, Success TV.

That someone is the Philippines #1 Motivational Speaker and Success Coach, John Calub. I have previously attended two of his seminars and they are both awes-mazing (awesome and amazing).

John’s success story can be found in the video below. I am grateful to have him as one of my teachers and mentors in life. And also a privilege to showcase what I know to the viewers and listeners of his show, make a difference and be a blessing.

Thank you Sir John. We Say YES to SUCCESS!

SUCCESS TV is the Philippines’ Only Personal Development and Success Show hosted by John Calub & Cheska San Diego Saturdays 1:00-2:00pm on RHTV. Watch via Live Streaming at: http://dzrh.prepys.com

Every writer dreams of the day when they can profit from their writing. While income opportunities abound for writers, each method has drawbacks.

Newspaper and magazine reporters can make a good living but their subject matter is often closely regulated and directed. Corporate writing can be even more lucrative but even more tightly controlled. Freelance writing offers more freedom but is also more uncertain. Publishing books is even more uncertain. So what is a writer to do?

Forget all those old-school writing methods and focus on the Internet. Don’t write for anyone but yourself. You really can profit from writing only about what interests you. Don’t worry about the market or the editors. Write for yourself. Not only will it be more fun and rewarding for your soul but for your checking account as well.

I am going to share an easy (and cheap) 5-step formula that can help you start your own writing business today, but first I want to share one important fact:

This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It will take some time to earn, perhaps as long as three months to begin turning a profit, but if you keep working at it you should see your income grow exponentially each month and you should be able to count on that income and know what you have to do to increase it. You will have total control over your income and that is very powerful.

1. Create a blog account at one of the free blogging sites available online (we used to use http://Blogger.com but there are many other good options). This will serve as your Internet base. It really is the cheapest and easiest way to get online today. Yes, you could create a free web site at one out of the many available, but blogs are more attractive to the search engines. Plus they offer you the ability to personalize it, but most of your energy will be spent on content which is the king of the internet and the real reason you want an Internet presence.

2. Now sign up for a free ClickBank affiliate account which will give you immediate access to something to sell.

3. Sign up for a contextual or pay-per-click advertiser such as Google, Yahoo, Revenue Pilot, or SearchFeed and you’ll start earning from visitors as well as customers.

4. Develop your blog. Make 10 your immediate goal then work your way up to 25, 50 and 100 and so on. Your entries can be your opinions, thoughts, or ramblings; poems or short stories; or articles.

5. Promote your blog through article marketing, link development and submitting your blog feed. I would suggest your primarily focus on article marketing as if offers the ability to not only develop links but also delivers traffic plus as a writer it is easy for you to create articles or use a selection of the material you’ve already created for your blog.

Yes, it really is that simple and while you can later grow by buying your own domain name (or names) and publishing your blog on your own site you do not need (and likely should avoid) investing money in expensive tools

Getting started on the web can be free (as you see above) or inexpensive if you concentrate on what you really need. The simple truth is that you don’t need a lot of fancy, expensive tools and programs. In the long run a domain name is a good investment. A domain name will cost you between $5 and $10 a year depending on whether you go .com or .info (or one of the many other options available). You don’t need to find a web host or create a site. Simply point the domain at your blog for now and continue with the development and promotion of your blog. The advantage of owning your own domain name is simply that later when you have the money, time, and knowledge to develop your web site that domain name will already exist and have filtered through the search engines. It also offers some marketing advantages that a free blog cannot.

At some point you may decide you want more flexibility and control than a free blog can offer and that is when you will want to run your own site. You can find a good web host for as little as $5 a month and shouldn’t pay more than $20 a month for a reputable host that offers all the tools and utilities you might need for your current site–including blog software. Maybe down the line you’ll need to upgrade but by then you’ll know your income and your needs.

Really the only other regular expense that you might consider to make your internet business complete would be a mailing list tool. You can do this for just $20 a month and it will be worth every penny for sales, customer service, and promotion. But this is not necessary to start out and you may decide that it isn’t important to your efforts so you can skip it entirely.

Once you have your blog set up and monetized (by offering ClickBank products, advertising, and/or selling text links) then you are in a position to begin profiting from your writing. The way to profit is to increase your traffic so you need to get serious about your article marketing efforts because each article you distribute will generate immediate traffic and create back links for search engine optimization. Also you need to continue to grow your blog by adding fresh content regularly. This will create repeat visitors as well as bring the search engines back again and again. Simply publishing new articles and new blog entries each week will increase your traffic. The more articles and entries you create — the more traffic you will generate.

Once you have found your rhythm with your existing blog you may well decide to branch out and create a second blog on a different or related topic. Now you should be able to work even faster because you are more experienced but likely more motivated as well because you can see just how rewarding it can be to write for fun and profit.

Are you a new writer struggling to get ideas for the articles you need to write?

If so, you are not alone. It takes time and practice for any writer, no matter how good or how well trained, to learn to come up with good article ideas quickly. So do not be discouraged. Instead, learn from the advice of other writers.

My first bit of advice is simple: write about what you love. Any time I come to a stand still about things to write about I go back to the things I am passionate about. I may not be able to write a very convincing article about compression pumps or the south beach diet, but I may be able to write an amazing article about NBA basketball, WWE, or mountaineering because it’s in my blood. Article writing must come from things that matter to you. Reflect upon the things you value and let those give you ideas for writing.

Another simple piece of advice I’ll give about writing articles is to read. That’s right: read. Every single good writer I know is a consistent reader. Why? Because we can learn from reading the work of other writers. It is one of the most valuable things any writer can do. Reading keeps us involved in language and even fuels new ideas for article writing. So when you’re stuck just pick up a magazine and read an article or two. Don’t be afraid of copying. The more you read the less chance you have of copying something you’ve read.

It is important to think about your audience before you begin writing an article of any kind. It is always wise as a writer to try to write articles that will somehow connect with your audience and affect their lives. Just as you want to write about things that matter to you, so you should write about things that matter to them. No one will read articles that they could care less about. So look for ways to learn what people care about most. Do surveys or talk to your friends that read articles. Readers are the best source for writers.

Article writing can be fun and exciting. Just take your time, relax, and enjoy it! You will never last long at something you hate.

It may be the hope of all who have ever put pen to paper that they might be able to write on a full-time basis. The romantic notion of a writer’s life is compelling enough to many to find them seeking ways to make a living by crafting the written word.

David Boles is the publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Go Inside Magazine. Boles indicates his day starts at 8:00 a.m. and he rarely finishes writing until midnight. Boles has additional words of wisdom for new writers.

1. You will not get rich overnight

Some of Boles’ advice runs counter to the idealistic notion of what a writer’s life is supposed to be, “The best thing you can do to prepare yourself for the life of a writer is to make certain you have a steady form of income that will cover your monthly nut.”

2. Creativity may be overrated

Boles also indicates creativity is less about devising something altogether new and more about a willingness to find new ingredients for an old recipe, “There’s nothing new in the world and good writing is simply reinventing what has come before you in a new and delightful way.”

3. Muse cooperation is not optional

While many writers feel that creative inspiration is required if you are to write anything of meaning, Boles has a more pragmatic approach to writing, “Making yourself sit down and create is more important than the desire to write.”

4. An understanding spouse is worth their weight in gold

When you sit in front of your word processor for hours on end it may be difficult for others to see how what you are doing has much meaning, but Boles indicates if you are called to write you should, “Find someone who understands your need to write — for writing is a lonesome life and sharing that isolation with someone who unconditionally accepts your Calling is paramount to protecting your sanity and career.”

5. Writer’s Block

Boles has some very straightforward advice for those who may feel they are experiencing a season of writer’s block, “Write. Just write. There is nothing else.”

It should be clear that the life of a writer is not a pristine existence where creative thoughts are ever-present and publishers are always willing to publish your material. A writer’s life is hard work and rarely filled with instant gratification. However, for those who have experienced the call to write it is difficult to imagine a life lived any other way.

If you’re like me, you’re not writing that banner ad, Web site, or landing page to make your English teacher proud. You’re writing to sell.

If you get an “A” while you’re at it, great. But don’t count on it. To get prospects to click, call, or buy, you’ll need to take some liberties with the English language.

As direct-response legend Herschell Gordon Lewis so aptly said, “Grammar is our weapon, not our god.”

Although copywriting requires a different approach than Strunk and White would advocate, don’t burn your grammar books just yet. It’s important to know the rules before you break them.

Following are some rules to keep and some rules to bend or break. But first an important principle.

Clarity

Next time you face a grammar grappler, ask yourself this question: Which word construction will be clearer to the prospect or customer?

Clarity comes first because it’s the prescription for fast comprehension. Copywriting that blurs meaning (which sometimes includes grammatically perfect writing) slows reading and jeopardizes interest — and sales.

WARNING: This isn’t license to play havoc with the English language. Literacy must prevail. Following are some rules to keep.

Rules to Keep

Subject and verb agreement. Whether you’re writing an infomercial or War and Peace, singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs. Always. A simple rule, execution is sometimes problematic. The key is to clearly identify the subject of the sentence.

The active voice. If you want your copywriting to have maximum punch, use the active voice at every opportunity. Active voice: I wrote the sentence. Passive voice: The sentence was written by me.

Use of Modifiers. Modifiers can cause a variety of problems. There are the questions of which and how many modifiers to use. Again, let clarity be your guide. Also, poor placement of modifiers results in confusion, your enemy. To make comprehension easy, put modifiers near the words they’re modifying.

Rules to Bend or Break

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain ushered in a new era in American literature. One of the main reasons was Twain’s use of vernacular. He wrote the way people talked, a departure from the stiff, formal English common during the Victorian period.

For copywriters, writing the way people talk is absolutely essential.

Why? Because copy that is friendly, informal and conversational stands a better chance of getting prospects to click, call or buy. Which is exactly why sacrificing the following conventions can be in the copywriter’s best interest.

Ending sentences with a preposition. To some a no-no, ending a sentence with a preposition can warm up your copywriting. Which sounds friendlier to you: “Here is the information you requested” or “Here is the information you asked for”?

Beginning sentences with a conjunction. Beginning sentences with conjunctions (and, or, but, nor) is more common, even in journalism. Not only is it the way people talk, it can shorten sentence length, a plus in delivering sales messages.

Other informal devices. Use contractions to warm up your message. Also, use sentence fragments. Not only do they shorten average sentence length, they add rhythm. And drama.

Punctuation. Use punctuation to your selling advantage. I’m inclined to use more dashes and an occasional exclamation point and ellipsis to add drama and excitement to the sales message. Commas can be pretty subjective, so I have a tendency to use the minimum amount to keep readers moving through the copy as quickly as possible.

Parting Reminder

Keep that grammar book, stylebook, dictionary and other writer’s references nearby. You’re still going to need them.

But also don’t let grammar be your god, or your next online promotion could be a giant sales flop.

(c) 2005 Neil Sagebiel

Looking for inspiration for your next marketing communication? Try the children’s bookshelf.

Dr. Seuss has entertained young (and old) audiences for nearly 50 years with titles such as The Cat in the Hat, Hop on Pop and Green Eggs and Ham.

The reason why his books remain so popular says something about what makes for good writing (and reading), no matter who or where the audience is.

Nouns and Verbs

Nothing keeps readers moving like strong noun-verb combinations. If the sentence were a train, nouns and verbs would be the engine. Adjectives, adverbs and the other parts of speech make the train longer and slower. Dr. Seuss’ sentences have strong engines pulling light loads to keep readers moving down the tracks.

Lots of Periods

A byproduct of eliminating the extraneous words is shorter sentence length. Lots of periods. Paradoxically, more sentences of shorter length increase reading speed and comprehension. Dr. Seuss, as are many children’s authors, is a champion of the short sentence.

Imagination

Albert Einstein said, “The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.” Were it not for imagination, there would be no Cat in the Hat and no Dr. Seuss. Imagination is the beginning of copywriting because first there must be an idea or concept.

Fun

Dr. Seuss’ books are fun to read. They’re funny, too, but that’s not the same thing. Fun to read is material that’s entertaining and effortless for readers, an excellent standard for all writing.

Lyrical

Dr. Seuss’ books are written in verse. Of course they’re lyrical. However, this goes beyond silly rhymes. There are a sound and rhythm to the words that, like a favorite tune, you don’t mind hearing over and over. Good writing of all varieties is pleasing to the eye and ear.

Economical

Children have short attention spans. Dr. Seuss knows how to tell a story without unnecessary detours. Every word counts. That’s good advice for all who write copy because children aren’t the only ones with short attention spans.

Memorable

This is the litmus test for all writing. Did readers take something away? Was their time well invested? The Cat in the Hat is a story about having fun, even on a rainy day. Now that’s worthwhile reading.

(c) 2005 Neil Sagebiel

No two copywriters are the same.  So how do you know you’re getting the best writer for the job?  Unless you know what to look for, choosing your copywriter can be a bit of a lottery.

The truth is, copywriters range from the great to the not-so-great.  Just like any other profession, there are high flyers, under-achievers, rogue traders and young pretenders.  And even if you bag a top banana for your project, who’s to say they’ll gel with you?  Or your product?  Your style?  Your chosen media?

The answer, of course, is research.  Knowing what you want and sniffing it out is wiser than saying yes to the first person with a ready typing finger.  But remember, a copywriter is someone who can – and should – do more than write.  Their greatest asset is curiosity.

Copywriters want to know the ins and outs of every little thing.  They’re fascinated by human nature, knowing how to capitalize on motivations and get inside the consumer’s head.  A good copywriter will research your market inside out, then look at you critically through your customer’s eyes.  It’s their curiosity – not their way with words – that finally helps them see your business in a whole new light.

Whatever your project, this is the first quality to look for in your copywriter.  Curiosity is the key to persuasion.  And persuasion is the only reason copywriters exist in the first place!

So, your copywriter needs a way with words – fairly obvious!  And they have to tick the curiosity box.  But you still need to whittle down the field and find the one you can spark off.

Try asking yourself a few of these questions when you’re weighing up a candidate:

Who’s doing the talking?  Are they listening to you or talking about themselves?

How quickly have they grasped your business?  Not just your products, but also your marketplace?

Can they write passionately?  About anything?  Even the dullest product?  If they get you excited about sprocket valves, hire them on the spot!

Have they worked in your industry and chosen media?  If not, does their other work show they have a grip on your marketplace?

When you’ve chosen a suitable copywriter, you’ll know you’ve made the right choice when you start offering feedback.  Professional copywriters thrive on constructive criticism – it’s a surefire way of knowing they’re heading in the right direction.  That doesn’t mean they’ll roll over and accept any changes you make, but they will keep an open mind and listen to every point of view.

When you offer feedback, however, you should see it as a two-way street.  You may have to let go of some of your preconceptions.  Great copywriters can realize why your current marketing isn’t working, and won’t shirk from telling you.  They’ll be cruel to be kind.

But for now, these small measures should protect you against hiring the wrong person.  Of course there’s no guarantee – creativity by its very nature demands that element of uncertainty.

But if hiring a copywriter really is a lottery, you should be pretty close to scooping five numbers plus the bonus ball…