1st Copywriting Epiphany since Allen Says in '99 talked about "White Space"!

[John Durham]

I have an idea that I feel deserves broad exposure. Yet I find that most of my writing and copy is geared toward warriors or warrior (IM) types. Not surprising I guess, since I am a full fledged, corn fed warrior to the bone myself, and damn proud of it.

Anyway,

I had a "chicken soup for the soul" epiphany moment today, an inward voice said: "You have to stop writing as if to warriors, and starting writing as if you are writing an article for the National Enquirer, or USA today... you cant take your work to the world if only warriors can relate. If you cant run an ad in usa today or the national enquirer and market it to THAT crowd, then its too narrow to take outside of the warrior forum type crowd. You must start writing more objectively and broaden your venue possibilities..."

What do you all think of that thought? Is this some kind of coming of age?

[ewenmack]

Well buddy, you've been talking to more business owners than most copywriters on planet earth have ever done!

Not only talking, selling stuff.

And coming up with scripts for others to use to sell stuff.

So WHY wouldn't you come up with a sales script in print, or email, or video that sells?

You just gotta place it in front of your best prospects, wherever they are.

What are you waiting for, just do it man!

Best,
Ewen

[John_S]

What do you all think of that thought? Is this some kind of coming of age?

Sounds like it might be. I try not to involve myself with the IM circle of life: To sell reports, on selling reports, to people wanting to sell reports on selling reports about selling ...reports.

Go out and sell a vaccuum. Sell medical equipment. Sell roofing. Sell a little tennis-ball like thing to protect your floor finish from furniture legs. Sell the little clips that go on snack bags to keep snacks fresh. Sell shaving mugs. Sell books. Sell video tapes about doing busines overseas and do interviews about it.

Get into a van with a crew chief, knock door-to-door from state border to state border and every point in between, with kids half your age. It has been done before.

[Oxbloom]

It's always kind of the nature of direct marketing that you speak directly and selectively to your target audience.

If you want to write a successful ad for the USA Today, you're still going to have to choose an audience from within that readership, and speak to them in a message and a voice that they can relate to...but that perhaps the vast majority of the audience reading the paper will not.

Try to be everything to everybody, and you've moved beyond the realm of sales, and into the realm of advertising, which is capable of being a very different beast entirely.

[MichaelHiles]

John, now you understand why I use the word "myopia" regarding a lot of the WF.