One day you’re looking over the bids from a group of prospective copywriters. Or you’re writing a check for your copywriter’s last job. It seems like a lot of money. Is it worth it? It’s just a bunch of words.

And then you’re hit by an idea. “Maybe I could write my own copy. Why not? My high school English teacher said I had talent. I write pretty good business letters. It might be fun!” OR fast forward to 2025 and you might be one of those people thinking, “I’ll just ask ChatGPT to write my copy.”

This isn’t something to be taken lightly. Your sales pieces are critical to the success of your marketing campaigns. And your campaigns are critical to the success of your business. Should you take a chance on writing your own copy? Might you get even better results if you do?

Let’s consider these three alternatives.

Yes, You Should Write Your Own Copy!

There have been a number of businesspeople – with no copywriting experience – who have written highly successful sales pieces for their own companies. One of the best examples of this is the master marketer I worked for at the beginning of my career.

With no training in copywriting, or even in marketing, and no advertising budget, this entrepreneur just started writing sales letters to sell his financial courses.

His big breakthrough came when he wrote a sales piece for his commodity course. The style of the piece was revolutionary for its time, and it was soon widely copied. The piece didn’t just sell a commodity course. It sold a dream. And the way he did it was by telling his own rags to riches story, showing how he was just like the reader and leaving the impression that if he had been able to make a fortune trading commodities, there was no reason why the reader couldn’t do it too.

Now, this man had three things going for him that you would want to emulate if you wrote your own pieces.

#1. Although he had no training, he definitely had a skill for writing. His folksy tone came across as sincere – and its seeming simplicity made it seem perfectly possible for anyone to do what he had done (which, of course, belied the actual talent he had to be able to create that appearance of simplicity).

So, if you can write from the heart, explain things clearly, and have the imagination to create a story that carries the reader along, you’ve got an excellent start.

#2. This entrepreneur understood who his buyers were – what they were really after and what they would find appealing. He knew what their hopes were, what they were concerned about, and what they wanted to hear. And he wrote directly to that. So, if you have that kind of understanding of your customers, you have the next piece of the puzzle.

#3. I think he must have read up on some of the principles of copywriting. Either that or he had a natural understanding of basic rules, like talking about benefits, not features, and always including a strong call to action.

If you’re serious about writing your own sales pieces, you should carefully study all the principles discussed in The Advertising Solution and [study all of the additional resources we provided]. The legendary copywriters knew what they were talking about, and you can learn a lot from them.

It doesn’t hurt for you to give copywriting a try. Who knows? You may end up doing a better job than a paid writer.

No, You Shouldn’t Be Your Own Copywriter!

Writing is not easy. But the better the writing, the easier it looks. That means you might read through a sales piece and think, “That doesn’t look that hard to do. I could do that myself.” But in fact, it might be very hard to do, and require an inborn talent to accomplish.

And it takes more than being good with words to write an effective sales piece. It takes knowledge of the principles of good copywriting. And along with that is the role of experience. Someone who has been writing for years and knows what works and what doesn’t is more likely to write a piece that brings an excellent response than someone who is trying to write for the first time.

Plus, you may think you really have a handle on who your customers are and what would appeal to them, but you may not really know them at all. Unless you’ve done some serious surveys on their demographics and habits, you may not know their range of ages or what interests they have.

An experienced copywriter, especially one who has written in your niche before, may actually have a clearer idea of your target population than you have.

Finally, writing good copy takes time. And I know you have your hands full running a business. Can you really afford to spend your precious evenings and weekends writing a sales piece?

While I applaud the initiative and enthusiasm of non-copywriters who want to try writing their own sales pieces, I just want to emphasize that this is a skilled activity. Dabbling in writing a piece could turn into a marketing disaster.

But, if you still think you can pull it off (and who knows, you just might be able to), then do plan to test how your piece does by running a split test against the piece you’re already using, or against a new piece written by a professional. That’s the only way to know for sure whether writing your own piece is a good idea.

You Could Lend a Helping Hand

You may not be ready to sit down and write your own sales piece, but you can – and should – put your imprint on a piece and play a very important part in ensuring that it has the success you hope it will have. Even an A-list, professional copywriter needs your to help create the best piece possible.

Your personal story may be very compelling subject matter for the piece, and you need to share it with the copywriter. And you clearly know critical facts about your product or service that make it stand out above your competition. In fact, you know your business better than anyone else!

Your copywriter won’t know unless you tell him or her. It’s your story that will raise your sales piece above the cookie cutter level. So make notes about everything that you think could be a valuable addition to the piece. Then talk to your copywriter.

This is especially important if the piece will be written as though it came directly from you. It needs to have your “voice.” Let the copywriter get a feel for how you like to come across – what your personality is like – so that it can be incorporated into the piece.

Working with the copywriter in this way can be the best of both worlds. You have the satisfaction of contributing to the success of the piece, without having to go through the chore of writing it. And it will be a chore if writing is not something you love to do.

So, those are your three alternatives:

a) You can try writing your own piece.
b) You can let a seasoned copywriter do it.
c) You can let a copywriter do it, but you provide the needed input to get a piece that sounds like it came from you so it has the professional touch.

About guest blogger Craig Simpson: Craig is the nation’s leading direct mail consultant and coach. He sends out over 300 mailings per year for his private clients. You may contact him via email at craig@simpson-direct.com or to order his books, The Direct Mail Solution and The Advertising Solution, visit Amazon.com

The post To Be, or Not to Be . . . Your Own Copywriter appeared first on Write Direction.

However, New York’s High School of Performing Arts turned me down and NY modeling agencies said, “you’re too short.” So I tucked those dreams away. Then, I entered college as a fine arts major, but changed majors because as an abstract artist, I didn’t think I would be seen as a serious artist if I couldn’t draw a realistic landscape, portrait, still life, etc.

As time marched on, now and then I’d find myself saying I wanted my own business, but I didn’t know what that business was going to be.

Fast forward to January 1st, 1989 when I opened my doors as “The Write Direction.” When I started, my initial goal was to make it through three years in business. I thought that was a landmark to achieve that would confirm my business was “real.” WOW, it’s hard for me to believe it’s now been 36 years .

The path to becoming a marketing copywriter is one I won’t detail here as it involved several other career journeys along the way (if you’re curious, read “35 Things You Don’t Know About Me…“).

The Write Direction has been an amazing journey – one that connected me with wonderful clients, created collaborations with colleagues who became friends, had me speaking professionally (fulfilling some of those childhood acting dreams in a way), and allowed me to chart my own path as a solopreneur.

After 36 years of helping you communicate your marketing messages, speaking about and coaching you in optimizing your LinkedIn® profiles, and writing a book about cost-effective marketing tips (something else that was never on my bucket list – until it happened), it’s time to shift gears – from the art of writing copy to the art of painting.

Some of you may know that, for the last eight years, I’ve been nurturing my inner artist – painting with alcohol inks. When someone asked to buy one of my paintings and then, another, I dove deeper into the art form and am proud to announce that I am now going to focus on pursuing this passion with CreativeWhispersoftheHeart.com

I invite you to join me on my artistic journey where my goal is to create special pieces that not only speak to you, but inspire you and bring you joy.
For those who have supported me over the last 36 years, I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you’ll continue to follow and engage with me at CreativeWhispersoftheHeart.com

May all good things line your path as we move forward into this new year.

Thanks a million.

P.S. While I am shifting my focus, I’m not saying “farewell.” Should you find yourself in need of copywriting assistance or a speaker for an event, please feel free to reach out because I’d be more than happy to hear from you.

The post After 36 Years I’m Shifting Gears appeared first on Write Direction.

Do you use AI to write your blog articles? – I get asked this question frequently. Many people see me as being highly prolific, and assume I use AI (artificial intelligence) to do my writing.

But here is the truth: I’ve written 17 books and only used AI to write one of them (and AI to edit another). I wrote them by sitting down at my computer and putting my thoughts together with a keyboard. I’ve also been writing a weekly blog post for about 15 years. That is more than 750 articles and I started before generative AI was capable of putting together coherent thoughts like it can today.

So How Does One Become Prolific?

It’s actually pretty simple. Start writing. Then write some more. Pretty soon you’ll get better at it. After you’ve written a blog for a year, you will discover that you now have more than enough material to turn it into a book.

Blogging can be a great way to stay in front of your customers. And it doesn’t matter if you sell high-tech services like I do or you sell baby diapers like Jessica Alba does. Blogging is an important marketing tool, and you can re-purpose the content on social media as well as in books. You can use the content to create videos, memes, comics, podcasts – just about any other form of content you can think of. The secret is that writers write.

How Do I Use AI?

So if I write these articles myself, how am I now using AI? There are multiple ways:
• Research – I often use AI more than Google for research.
• Editing an article.
• Creating a featured image.
• Creating title options.
• Feeding the AI multiple sources about the same topic and getting ideas or even a rough draft.
• Asking the AI for ideas on what to write about.
• Asking AI to create a social media post or meme based on the finished article.

Obviously, AI has made blogging simpler than before and it is a lot easier to be more prolific now than it was just a couple of years ago, even when you are creating original content and doing the writing yourself. This means that if you still aren’t comfortable blogging and creating marketing content for your business, I can help. I can take on more new clients as part of my Fractional AI services or AI commissioned projects.

Having a blog is at the heart of SEO, and it remains one of the most important ways for people to find you on the internet. If you have a website, this may be one of your most important forms of marketing. With AI optimization, this is unlikely to change. Content still wins.

So Why Should You Start Writing More?

Writing Builds Credibility: By consistently sharing your knowledge and insights, you establish yourself as an expert in your field. Your content becomes a valuable resource for others, increasing your credibility and trustworthiness.

• AI as Your Ally: Rather than worrying about AI training on your content, consider this: you want AI to use you as a resource. When AI algorithms recognize your content as valuable and authoritative, they will reference and quote you, further enhancing your reputation. This can lead to more traffic, higher engagement, and increased influence.
• Content Longevity: Blog posts have a long shelf life. Unlike social media posts that quickly get buried in feeds, blog articles can continue to attract visitors and generate leads for years. Each post you write is a long-term investment in your online presence.
• Versatile Marketing Tool: Blogging provides material that can be repurposed into books, videos, podcasts, and more. This versatility allows you to reach different segments of your audience across various platforms.
• SEO Benefits: Regularly updating your blog with fresh content improves your website’s SEO. Search engines favor active sites, and each new post is an opportunity to rank for additional keywords, driving more organic traffic to your site.
• Personal Growth: Writing regularly hones your skills and clarifies your thinking. It’s a form of self-expression that can be both therapeutic and intellectually stimulating. Over time, you’ll find that you communicate more effectively in both personal and professional settings.
• Engagement and Community Building: A blog allows you to interact with your audience through comments and social media shares. This engagement fosters a sense of community and can provide valuable feedback and ideas for future content.

In conclusion, embracing the practice of writing and integrating AI into your workflow can significantly enhance your productivity and content quality. Start writing today, and let your words become a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. Remember, AI is here to amplify your efforts, NOT replace them. By becoming a consistent and prolific writer, you position yourself as a credible resource that even AI will look up to.

About Guest Blogger Greg Jameson: Greg Jameson has been writing blog articles on ecommerce and internet marketing for more than 10 years. Learn more about Greg at https://webstoresltd.com/about/

The post Do You Use AI to Write Your Blog Articles? appeared first on Write Direction.

But the truth is that finding the time to write gets harder every day. We have businesses to run, groceries to buy, emails to send. We have Facebook and Twitter to keep up with. We have dance class and dinner with friends and, well, a life! (Or, at least I hope you do!)

Because we must do all those things and write useful, actionable copy, it’s essential to find ways to be more efficient and effective, to do more in less time.

It’s not about finding more hours in the day—or staying up until all hours working—but rather using the hours you have a bit more effectively.

Save time with these 10 tips:

A word of caution: writing quickly should never replace writing well. You should never sacrifice quality for quantity or speed. While generative AI tools (i.e., ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, etc.) can be helpful, please don’t rely on them to write your content. Use them for research (but do fact-checking) and/or to enhance your content. Simply copying and pasting something AI writes lacks your true voice and authenticity. Instead, seek to improve your process so that you can write well and efficiently. These tips are a good place to start.

1. Start with a template. I’m not talking about cookie-cutter copy, but having a template to remind you of the structure you want your copy to follow can save time and brain power.

2. Keep a running list of ideas. This is especially important if you write blogs, newsletters, or other articles that are published regularly. You never want to be stuck for topics on a day when your muse isn’t speaking to you.

3. Maintain a swipe file. It’s sort of a hybrid between a template and a list of ideas—because it can be both for you. See this post about writing headlines for more on swipe files.

4. Plan ahead with an editorial calendar. If you’re creating content that’s published regularly, planning ahead can be invaluable. It can help you see how your topics relate and highlight any gaps you should fill.

5. Work ahead when you can. This may seem counter-intuitive in a list of tips for saving time, but writing under pressure can be extremely stressful and result in copy that’s less than your best. Give yourself time to set the project aside and then reread it before hitting publish or send.

6. Simplify. Too often we try to cram too many thoughts into a single blog post or list too many features (and not enough benefits) onto a web page. Think of each piece of copy as a discrete unit focused on making a single point (i.e. offering a solution to your prospects’ problem).

7. Use lists and bullet points. Bullet points are a good idea in just about every kind of marketing copy, so use them to your advantage. Your reader wants digestible bits of information, not long, winding, run-on sentences that lead to nowhere.

8. Write at your best. We all have a particular time of day when we do our best work. Whether it’s morning or evening, know when you’re at your most productive. To be more efficient, schedule your writing for that time of day (or night).

9. Eliminate distractions. Yes, that means turning off the email ding and closing your Facebook page. Turn off your phone, too if you have to. Focus on one thing at a time.

10. Get a second opinion. Sometimes taking a step back from your work and getting a second opinion can be the most valuable thing you can do. Consider hiring a professional copywriter to review your work or have someone else in your organization take a look at what you wrote.

These are just some of my ideas, but I’d love to hear your best time-saving tips as well. Please reach out and share your thoughts because I’d love to hear from you. Thanks and here’s to your sweet copywriting success!

The post 10 Time-Saving Tips for Getting Your Copy DONE! appeared first on Write Direction.

When I shifted my focus to photographing experts in speaking, training, coaching, consulting, and writing books, LinkedIn® became my hunting ground for making new connections.

My strategy? Plant seeds and pull weeds. Here’s what I mean by that:

Every month, I’d pick out 10-20 professionals who seemed like a good fit.

I wasn’t just blindly following anyone. These were folks who genuinely resonated with what I was looking for based on their profiles.

Then, I’d spend a couple of weeks engaging with their content. I’m talking about real engagement – not just the drive-by “nice post” comment, but legitimate, thoughtful responses to their content. And if something they shared was a gem for my audience, I’d share it with my group.

I kept track of all this in a spreadsheet.

It wasn’t about bombarding these folks with direct messages from the get-go (#ditchthepitch as Debra suggests). I played the long game. The goal was to wait for them to notice and react to my engagement. But here’s the catch: if after 7-9 touchpoints they still hadn’t bitten, I didn’t force it.

I simply removed them from my spreadsheet. That’s the ‘pulling weeds’ part – making room for new potential connections.

Did this approach pay off? Yeah, absolutely.

This strategy led me to podcast appearances, introductions to potential clients, and the beginning of relationships that eventually turned into client work.

It’s all about the long game (or as Debra recommends, building and nurturing relationships).

This isn’t a quick return on investment – it’s a methodical, structured approach in an otherwise chaotic, let-me-say-hi-to-everyone-and-hope-for-the-best, approach.

It’s about identifying potential clients and referral partners, strategically engaging with them, and then knowing when to say, “Enough’s enough.”

If there’s zero conversation after a fair amount of effort, it’s time to pull the weed.

So, for branding and live event photographers (or any business professional using LinkedIn, as Debra suggests) out there trying to make your mark, remember: planting seeds is key, but so is knowing when to pull the weeds.

It’s a balance, a dance, and when done right, it can open doors you never knew existed.

What’s your strategy to draw attention from potential clients on social media? Reach out to me and share your point of view because I’d love to hear from you.

About Guest Blogger John A. DeMato: John (photographed above) is a New York City branding and live event photographer. A visual storytelling expert, he serves speakers, coaches authors, consultants, trainers and other expert-based business owners. You can find his website at https://www.johndemato.com/ Or, view his online gallery at https://www.johndemato.com/personal-brand-photography-gallery

The post Planting Seeds that Nurture Relationships on LinkedIn® appeared first on Write Direction.