Copywriting Is Dead Part One

Copywriting is the same as it's always been.

What's changed is all the internet "get rich quick" copywriters are feeling the pinch of the internet correcting itself - the days of writing some vodoo, hypnotic, magical letter that would put the reader into some kind of a trance are over, partly because the internet has grown up - beyond the wide eyed, green pea internet surfer.

Too many people have been burnt by false promises of some pie in the sky scheme.

The hot shot gurus who've sold the wanna be's a load of chit, have quietly sulked off to enjoy their riches - most of the guru's were never copywriters to begin with - they were just savvy marketers.

Some of us that have been in the business way before the internet...before the gurus...and before all the work at home copywriters...are still doing great.

Everyday I see the new "copywriters" on the forums - they pass on something that they've just read some big name guru say...most of these type of copywriters will never last in the business - they're looking for a way to supplement their income...or replace income from a job they've lost - they'll spend a couple years writing copy for a few hundred bucks...then fade off into the next big money making idea.

I still average well over a million dollars a year in the business - and I'm sure there are many others who do also.

If you're sitting around listening to only the names you've heard of in copywriting...you may have a gloomy outlook - most of them haven't written copy for anything other than their own product or mentoring program they're trying to sell - they're clueless when it comes to real life action - when you're out there dealing face to face with real clients who are depending on you.

Just because there's a rash of wealth seekers who aren't doing crap in the way of earning a living, is no reflection on the business as a whole.

If anything, I can't keep up with my clients lately - there's a load of opportunity out there with all the new technology.

These are great times for real copywriters.

This made me laugh. You assume that most of the big money copywriting has anything to do with make money sites or gurus. It doesn't.

Anyone who just "waits for their ship to come in" is in trouble. You should always be analyzing and looking for opportunities and shifts to make. That's just smart business.

Sure, people are using video sales letters more. But they're idiots if they think any old video will do the job of a good sales letter. The copy in the script has to be just as good if not better to hold people's attention to the end--there's only so long viewers will put up with not having a fast forward option.

Hell, I don't even watch sales videos. Granted, maybe that's unusual. But it's a total waste of time for me to spend 10 minutes (or more) just to find out what they're trying to sell is not what I need. If you can't give me something to scan, I'm out of there.

Product creation isn't the end-all solution either. Sales are down for products, events, etc. The same people who don't have credit to pay copywriters don't have credit to pay for big ticket items either.

Yes, you have to carve your own path. But you really should be doing that anyway or else you'll constantly find yourself behind the 8 ball.

I don't very often agree with you Harlan...but on this you're dead right. Racking my brain trying to think of an old adage...something about when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Like you say - If you can adapt and carve out a new path, you'll make money.

Meanwhile the sheep will be rolling out their copywriting salespage templates and wondering why they don't convert. Baa

Oh yeah - great thread title (as usual from you).

Harlan,

What a pile of feeling sorry for yourself horse dung.

The whole world is having a bit of a tough time right now.

People are much more cautious about what they spend money on and most are beginning to recognize the smell of dung. Too many have learnt the lesson "once bitten, twice shy".

I guess "Copywriting is Dead Part Two" is about how "someone" just happens to have discovered a magic solution that is only available for a limited time, and for a limited number of people, that surprisingly costs just $497, $997 or $1,997 depending upon how the market reacts to the spiel.

If I am wrong then tell me.

Sam

Quality copywriting is an investment. When businesses can no longer afford to pay for copywriters, then they likely weren't getting a good return on their investments, possibly because their copywriters sucked.

I believe I've figured out part of the problem...

Some of you base your whole career off the internet -

- it's all you've ever known - it's where you got your training and some of your clients. Everyone else you know in the business is also on the internet.

Here's something you probably didn't realize - there's a whole world of professionals who do their daily business in the real world. By that I mean they actually deal with real clients in brick and mortar offices. If you're narrowing your focus down to only the internet - your business probably has suffered.

I can guarantee you...without a doubt...I could name some names of very successful people in the business that you've never heard of - simply because you've only focused on the internet. For example, there are some very good copywriters who do work for the boardroom, etc. that write some killer copy...and yet they're an unknown on the internet.

If you've started as a copywriter since the internet age, I can understand how your world is all narrowed down to the online community .

All I'm saying is that there's a whole other world out there.

In good times clients want to capitalize on the money flow.

And in bad times they urgently want an increase in business.

Precisely.

Long-Copy writing was wounded when
another media form other than newspaper ( radio ) came to be
and people had something to do other than sit and read the paper.

But if you used to charge $25K - $60K and your clients are now broke ...

this will explain exactly and precisely why that is so:

wiki Dunning Kruger Effect

As long as human beings are selling stuff (which I don't see ending anytime soon), copywriters will have work to do.

No matter what new technology comes around the corner, copy that sells will always have a role for marketing and selling stuff.

So don't worry, my fellow copywriters.

As long as something is sold somewhere, good copywriters will find work.

The only thing that is dead about copywriting Harlan is perhaps copywriters like yourself who cannot or will not adapt to changes in the marketplace.

I've never been busier. Orders are pouring in. And I'm pretty much sure they are for other copywriters and savvy marketers too who can spot new trends and opportunities on the open market.

You might be right that the old 'gooroo' style sales letter is pretty a much a done and dusted product but with the advent of the Internet this was pretty much a given anyway. People will only believe that crap for so long before they begin to smell a rat. Hellooo... wake up and smell the roses.

If you've buried your head in the sand... no wonder you believe copywriting is dead. I'll tell you now, it's not dead, far from it. It's still there very much alive and kicking IF you know how to position yourself in the current marketplace. And if you understand what business owners are demanding from this profession today.

Copywriting dead? Don't be daft, it's just in flux. The market is changing. Either accept this fact or your copywriting business dies. If you don't adapt reflexively to the changes happening in the market - you're a goner.

Stories will always be around whilst humans are on the planet. And whilst we're here... people will always want and demand more goods, products, and services. And whether it's by the spoken word, visuals or plain print the demand for excellent copywriters won't go away any time soon!

NLP copywriting - I mean come on Harlan! Embedded subconscious commands deftly inserted into a sales message - what a load of baloney. That's like saying to the market, "We write in English but it's not English as we/you know it. It might look like English, you might even think you understand what we're selling but everything isn't as it appears." What a load of bumkum.

Look into my eyes. Look into my eyes. Trust in meeeee, trusttt in meeeee. Piffle. What an absolute load of baloney and hogwash.

It's a gimmick, a fad nothing more which worked for a time. But people today? They've wised up. They're not going to fall for such tactical positioning in the future. Yeah, yeah sure - some clients might still be fascinated with the pitch, think it's something 'hip' or 'cool' to try out but the wider business market and the buying public? No way.

People today don't want flowery English talking gobbledegook - they want the facts, plain and simple.

Which is why storytelling in copywriting will last forever. Why? Because unlike NLP, storytelling is embedded right into our subconscious mind after thousands of years of stories and real life experiences being handed down and shared from one generation to the next.

If your words sell a product, or goods, or services, that is copywriting pure and simple.

And believe you me with how many billion people arec on the planet today the demand for very good copywriters will continue to be around for some time to come.

Best,


Pete Walker

I don't think that copywriting is dead, I think it's just people got smarter with their spending habits in general. When I lived in California around 2000, I worked at Pontiac dealership and very often, someone would buy brand new Bonneville, drive it for about 4 - 6 months and come back for an "upgrade" despite $7000 - $10,000 depreciation loss. And it was happening left and right.

Right now stuff like that gets rare and paying $60K for a copy is not something people will jump on.

I'm sure people who were ordering copies in the past were making more money themselves.

I think copywriting is not dying. I think it's transforming.

I'll add my two cents here. The MMO market as we know it is about to be buried and I say good riddance. And with it many writers who know nothing else will wither as well. But copywriting overall is strong. And I also agree wholeheartedly with Harlan about creating your own products and writing for them. That’s a really smart thing.

I do not think copywriting can die because it is a form of sales, just through the written word. Businesses will always need sales...its the only way to make money. Saying copywriting is dead is like saying there is no need for salesman anymore. I find that in a recession people are more likely to want a rockstar copywriter or salesman that can bring them sales. I believe a good salesman will be successful no matter what and that applies to copywriters too.

Copywriting is dead?

... man, I'd better tell all those people who are helping to explode my bank account that their money and orders are no longer needed.

Because, 'ya know, copywriting is dead.

Copywriting isn't dead.

It's more valuable and consequential now than ever.

What's dead are people who don't have the guts and audacity to exhibit original thought and go against the grain of what the supposed gurus say is crucial to massively convert.

If the cheesy, "I gotta persuade you to want something you don't need" kind of nonsense is dying...

...if more entrepreneurs with fan-bloody-tastic solutions are revealing the courage to give their prospects REAL information and INSPIRE sales...

...well...

...Good riddance to the old, over-used, prostituted copywriting...

Hello genuine copy that doesn't need fluff and cheese to sell.

...And yes, good story telling is ageless...

God is a concept,
By which we can measure,
Our pain,
I'll say it again,
God is a concept,
By which we can measure,
Our pain,
I don't believe in magic,
I don't believe in I-ching,
I don't believe in bible,
I don't believe in tarot,
I don't believe in Hitler,
I don't believe in Jesus,
I don't believe in Kennedy,
I don't believe in Buddha,
I don't believe in mantra,
I don't believe in Gita,
I don't believe in yoga,
I don't believe in kings,
I don't believe in Elvis,
I don't believe in Zimmerman,
I don't believe in Beatles,
I just believe in me,
Yoko and me,
And that's reality.
The dream is over,
What can I say?
The dream is over,
Yesterday,
I was dreamweaver,
But now I'm reborn,
I was the walrus,
But now I'm John,
And so dear friends,
You just have to carry on,
The dream is over.

It's just matured to a level where people are being hired to write useful informative articles for blogs and etc. I'm personally thankful for the change because it shows internet marketing is evolving and becoming more established as opposed to the earlier get rich quick schemes and scams.

Yeah, I agree. It's dead.

I've been combining "The Law Of Attraction" with "Finger Healing" to attract money into my life so I can spend my free time using my NLP skillz to score free happy meals at McDonald's (it feeds me and I resell the toys to supplement my old, dried up copy income).

I'm obviously being sarcastic, and I respect you. Actually met you briefly, it was only a minute or so, and I thought you came off as a really smart and genuinely nice guy.

So that's not a personal shot at you.

But the only constant in the copywriting biz is that it's always changing.

If you're talking about the new CB rules, I welcome them with open arms. No exaggerated claims, no fake earnings shot, taking away the ability to prey on desperate people who don't know any better? Good, I'm all for it.

And yeah, for the guys pushing out those offers it's changed big time.

But there are a more clients than good copywriters out there. There are plenty of players with money who are desperate for the right copywriter to come along and pay them handsomely for the help.

Anyone who's just starting out faces the same challenges that we all have. They need the drive to get good and then get paid.

That all comes down to hard work and marketing savvy.

I still stand by Halbert's saying... “If you’re a good copywriter, there’s no reason why you can’t find work!”

It was true 50 years ago. It was true 5 years ago. And it'll be true for the foreseeable future.

How do you adapt?

Get hip to what's selling. Learn about sales funnels, learn how to market your services, learn how to produce amazing results for clients. Keep up on the trends.

But I know it and you know it, there are still plenty of clients out there.

And even the greenest of newbies, if they have the ambition and ability to learn, will have no problems becoming successful.

This post no doubt has generated and will generate a lot of attention. If that was your goal nice work.

I'm just not down with the fear mongering.

The copywriters I talk to are doing just fine.

And advertising is alive and well.

Learn and adapt? Totally, but that's nothing new.

Copywriting is dead? Maybe in certain niches. I'm of the mindset that a good copywriter can research and effectively sell in any market that has an in demand product and a hungry client base.

Again, not a personal shot. I just disagree with about 99% of your post. I DO agree that copywriters on all levels should be creating their own products. Or at the least using royalties to make this a passive income business.

Particularly... "All of the old advice out there is pretty much worthless."

What old advice? Actively market your business? Figure out who's hiring copywriters, who can afford you and target them? Manage your money responsibly? Treat it like a business?

Throw the classics out the window? Ignore what Carlton teaches? Start a petition to have the Halbert Letters removed for being outdated? Ignore anything Kennedy/Abraham/Etc have taught?

What "old advice" is worthless?

Just curious.

Take care.

-Scott

P.S. Eagerly awaiting "part 2". You've obviously raised the (perceived) problem here, I'd love to hear the solution.

This isn't surprising coming from someone who believes in NLP copywriting.

1. The buyers are out of credit. Their credit cards can't afford to pay for a copywriter. Similarly, they can't get home equity loans to fund new businesses.

...yeah, now they actually have to invest in writers who know how to get results instead of copywriters who ride the wave of the internet novelty buying frenzy and then claim that Copywriting is dead.

2. The rise of video sales letters. People think there is an art to copywriting but think any shmuck can create a powerpoint video.

Yeah, and the voice over scripts for these videos don't get created by copywriters right? They must spring out of holes in the ground.

3. The gurus who spent a lot of money on copy are doing their own copy in the form of the videos.

Yeah, and magically when something is delivered on video, the copywriting can be written by anyone right? What about all those TV commercial copywriters? Guess copywriting doesn't apply to the spoken word. Good to know, I'll have someone from Pakistan write my next seminar speech.

4. The clients know the market for their products isn't as strong.

Good statement...short but pointless.

5. Google AdWords banning most copywriting sites as "make money" sites.

You mean sites that sell copywriting or sites that use copywriting? Oh wait, every site has writing on it....and copywriting sites are "make money" sites. Hopefully every site is a "make money" site...unless maybe you wrote the copy for it.

But by all means, keep believing this though. More money to be made for the rest of us.

Riveting post man...so when is "Part I" coming? I'm on the edge of my seat, praying for the resurrection of my craft.

Even though I disagree with him on this, Harlan is very smart.

He's doing *something* here and I don't know exactly what.

He could be teaching a lesson to his students about how generate a bunch of free publicity with a simple forum post and a controversial topic.

He could be setting people up for his next coaching/product or whatever, I *think* he'd be a little more subtle but I can't say I know.

He could be getting PM's from struggling/newbie copywriters asking him for help. Perfect candidates for group coaching, etc.

He could have no ulterior motive and actually just sharing his experience, the follow-up could be some solid tips, who knows...

What I do know is that all of the problems he's raising have pretty simple solutions...

I've never worked with a client (that I know of) who had to take out a loan to pay me. And I wouldn't want to. If they can't afford me, if all of their money is tied up in my copy succeeding, screw that, I don't need that level of pressure. And while I don't charge the numbers he's throwing out, I've worked with a lot of big names, I stay busy and I'm not cheap.
I get that a lot of businesses rely on credit to operate.
I also know for a fact that a lot of potential clients have more than enough cash on hand to pay for solid copy, especially the ones who know it’s an investment.

Funny. My last 3 projects, in fact most of my work this year, have involved me scripting a video. Savvy marketers are VERY aware that writing an engaging, captivating video script that keeps viewers hooked and buying has its own set of challenges but is every bit as difficult as selling in print.

In fact, I'm in the middle of a video script as I write this.

See above. I also know some very busy and successful guys who've scripted the videos for some of the biggest guru launches around. They primarily do videos, and they're fine.

If it's not "as strong", but there's still demand there, that's an opportunity to profit, not a problem.

If their buyers are just not buying, it may be time to move into another market. If they have previous customer lists, another big opportunity to profit, for you and the client.


How many "guru" launches rely on Adwords? The IM guru's all rely on JV's and email. And if Adwords, Facebook, MSN, all dried up tomorrow, a good copywriter will adapt and thrive.

He would put together deals, find JV partners... Heck, adding THAT into your list of services is a HUGE tip for any copywriters. I have a lot of clients with similar, non-competing products, and if you can hook up profitable JV's there's serious money in it.

And one thing I didn't mention before...

Dude, no one (that I know of) on this forum charges $25k-$60k for a typical project. In fact, the best of the best usually charge $10k or less, and make their real money by getting a big piece of the back.

I do not doubt that Harlan has charged that. And I'm sure there are guys who routinely do, but you're getting into like Carlton, Abraham, Etc prices.

The guys I know who do charge that, they do so because they've built up businesses that they work on, and they're charging that because that's what it costs them to take time away from their own businesses.

I'd say that your average "up and coming" copywriter would be absolutely stoked at getting $2-$3k flat for a letter and staying busy.

There are a lot of ways to make more than a comfortable living in this biz than charging clients $60k upfront for sales copy. Yeah, longer term projects, bigger mailing projects, etc could warrant that. But if you're talking a typical 40-100 hour job, nah.

Not for most of us mere mortals anyway.

Another BIG lesson here...

Harlan has me taking time away from a project to argue with him... I’m literally spending money to reply to this, and I guard my time as much as anyone I know…

... This thread has almost 1k views in a day, if it stays up it'll have a whole lot more, that's a lot of eyeballs for a little bit of controversy...

Harlin is smart, and this is a great example of what it takes to get attention (I haven't posted here in weeks, haha).

So if attention was his goal, he's doing a pretty good job.

He got me emotionally stirred up enough to post here. And he's not all wrong, the economy is in the tank, it's not as easy today, things ARE changing.

But adapting is the name of the game.

And I just wanted to kind of clarify that to anyone who may be struggling right now and considering giving up after reading that from a well-known copywriter...

...Everyone has a "shameless whore" phase. There are VERY few writers who haven't struggled at some point.

But if you watch your market, watch what's going on, learn your craft well, treat your clients right and just treat this as a business instead of a get rich quick scheme, and you WORK HARD at it, there are more than enough clients and money out there for people to do VERY well.

-Scott

Copywriting is just a way to learn to sell. Just like door to door selling is a way to become a true salesman.

Learn to sell to be successful in any business. The EASIEST and most convenient way to learn to sell is to learn copywriting.

The fastest way would be door to door sales. Ofcourse door to door is also dangerous if you have a sensitive ego...

This is a gem of a thread, and it should go into everyone's swipe file.

Even if you think Harlan is full of sh** and don't agree with a single world he said.

This is perfect "prelaunch material", exactly the type of stuff you want to send out in your first or second email of a major launch. (I know this is a copy writing thread, but in my mind Product Launch's are really just copy, but drawn out in time. One point that I have heard Jeff Walker make a bunch of times is that your first piece of content is the headline for your entire launch, it better draw them in. If you think about it and stretch your mind a little on how you think of copy, Product Launch Formula and Mass Control are probably the two best selling copy writing courses of all time)

It gets people buzzing, gets them going, get's them talking.

I have no idea what Harlan is up to - he might just be sharing his opinion on the current state of the market. I don't have my finger on the pulse of the copy writing market at all, so I have no opinion.

But boy oh boy, this is great stuff.

Think about how you can use this in your niche, the concept, the strategy and the tactic's to put the strategy into place.

Copywrirting is not dead, has just evolved only. New trend is video copywriting and social media engagement.

Caaaaaaan you feeeeeeel the love toniiiiiiight

I'm not in the freelancing business but enjoying the insights anyway.

All I can say is... In any business... Things change. You adapt with the change or go extinct.

People will always blame economies or different business climates.

That's when you have to stop being a pansy, stop blaming other things for your failures, and make a profit anyway.

If true, me thinks the Salty Droid just had a nuts and bolts orgasm. What will he do now?

AH, let's wait for Copywriting 2.0... should be FUN.

gjabiz