Ramblings

Max,

Good to see you.

Now sit back and watch the furore your about to cause (lol)


Steve

Marcus, you sound more washed up than the people you describe.

Fact is, whether you agree with me or not, it matters not which to me as a good old friend of yours your hard and fast opinions don't honestly count for too much.

Point is, the number of people and their respective problems far outweighs any amount of saturation in the marketplace across all niches.

There is still plenty of work available for all the freelance copywriters on the planet and then some. As for your comments inferring long copy is dead, I disagree. The more you can share with a person the benefits of a product the more inclined they'll be to make a purchase. Period.

Yes, yes, yes, I know it's not your style of copy, you're essentially a retail copywriter coming up with catchy, eye grabbing exceedingly short copy for in store promotional signs for Abercrombie & Fitch amongst others. Long copy is not your forte or area of expertise.

This is one of the things with getting older my friend and thinking you've got it made. You become set in your ways, grouchy even, unwilling to accept the marketplace is forever in a state of flux or change. Everything in this rapid ever changing world is evolving and it's our role as freelance copywriters to adapt to these changes or be left behind.

As for selling your Bentley in exchange for a couple of Range Rovers, not being funny with you but all this comment is doing is stroking your own ego.

You know me, I'll tell you exactly what I think. No BS. You always did advise me to write more emotionally. Well, you're no exception. Much as I like parts of your personality, other parts of you do come off at times rather condescendingly, like you're always looking down your nose at other people who might not be as well off as yourself.

As I've told you before when you were dealing with your life partner issues back along, it's not the money which counts for everything Marcus, it's what is on the inside that counts the most.

The question is, are you happy? And I mean... really happy? For if so, you wouldn't have worded your thread in this manner. And money, you know as well as I do it doesn't necessarily buy happiness in and of itself. Material possessions likewise.

Forget the money or your material possessions for a second, ask yourself... in your heart of hearts, are you completely happy and 110% satisfied with the sum total of your life?

I'd rather keep company any day of the week with a poor person full of inner wisdom and a cheerful outlook on life than a grouchy 'old bugger' who thinks he's got it made but cannot see the wood for the trees.

Not posting this to have a dig at you or cause you offense Marcus, I'm posting this in response to what your own psychology is telling me by reading in between the lines of your comments.

Smoking hot,


Mark Andrews

...Max, surely you're not going to reinvent yourself and become a stroppy, bad tempered guru are you?

There's no shortage of those.

btw - good move selling the Bentley - Range Rovers are much better...


Steve

...It seems VSL's are all the rage.

But I hate being held prisoner for 30 - 45 mins. No pause, no stop, no fast forward button... as it rambles on and on (most do...with never ending unnecessarily repetition - "Yes! I get it, for the 7th time - now please get to the point").

Just supposing I was keen on the product and I'm glued to the screen, it's been banging on for 25 minutes and suddenly my phone goes and I log off the site.

Am I going to go back and listen again to the first 25 mins? Probably not.

I always say to clients, by all means we'll do a VSL (without boring anyone - making strong compelling statement, emphasize them once more, and move on. And restate them again later but not 17 times).

With the written text underneath.


Steve

@Mark - if I turn up to see a client in a Bentley, it doesn't matter how good I am, the client is going to think I charge way too much.

If I turn up in a Range Rover the client thinks I'm cool.

Mind you if I turn up with 2 Range Rovers the client will tell me to f*** off (lol).


Steve

Some freelancers will thrive...

...others will starve.

There's no pretending in the copywriting game.

You can either produce or you can't.

Get a Jeep... they make better trail rigs and you don't look like a soccer mom!

...and 87% of all landrovers ever made are still running.


Steve

Yes, 87% of me is still running.

All was well until some upstart invented the inter web. It drains my other 13% having to get an Ad read with 300 billion others.

Fortunately, nothing will outdo the power, the response and the money from a splash of ink on bits of card. Yes, phenomenal Flyers rule!

Sales letters are also great.

I'm just not sure about these inter web sites and all the technical faff.

There's no way I can be a copywriter and a computer programmer.

Copywriting wins by a country mile.


Steve

...if you are targeting ladies with Flyers - and drench the card in pheromones you wouldn't believe the massive increase in response...

But do warn the client, the ladies all turn up personally at the offices.


Steve

Have you ever heard of infomercials?