The Power of the Written Word ⚡
Jul 22, 2022 2:01 pm
Happy Friday!
Today I want to write about a topic that is a bit different than the ones I typically do.
Maybe it's the heat getting to me.
Anyway, for a while, I've been on a journey of learning a bit about the copywriting profession. I think it's truly fascinating on its own, but the better a copywriter I become, the more effective I am as well when I am writing proposals, conference submissions, or even communicating with clients.
In particular, I've been fascinated with the type of copywriting that was born in direct-mail advertising. Direct-mail advertising is junk mail. Now, think about how hard it is to put together that letter or content and pay to mail it to people in hopes it turns into a sale. Think about how many times junk mail made it out of its envelope for you to read. This is a tough racket.
Yet, the masters of copywriting were wildly successful in direct-mail advertising. They knew people so well they could send their advertisements, people would open them, read them, and then make a purchase. All from one letter.
That's insane to me.
Good copywriting gets in your head and stays there. There are lots of examples of it that exist today. Most Americans believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet, few know that is a result of Kellogg's marketing and copywriting to sell Cornflakes. Listerine was a household cleaner that was losing business until it invented the word halitosis and the fear of it. There are tons of examples like this, but the point is that there are beliefs that we have in America that are just the result of good copywriting.
If I'm lucky, the idea of honing copywriting as a skill is sitting in your brain now. And if you'd like to see an example of one site I bumped into that I think is brilliant, here's an example.
Here's my weekly update for July 22nd, 2022...
🗒️ 26 Truisms I’ve Learned as a Coach
A friend of mine asked a group of us for our little sayings that we keep repeating in our heads as we coach organizations and developers.
While I have a few tried and true ones, I put together a list of ones on the spot for him based on my experience.
Some of these work only in specific contexts; nevertheless, here you go.
Here’s a list of truisms that keep me effective.
There exists a trait common to most developers and development groups that causes lots of delays and costly mistakes.
That trait is when you believe you can figure it out if you have more time.
Today I’m going to make a few people mad, get a few things that have been bothering me out there, and hopefully, get a few folks to try something a little different.
Enjoy,
Ryan Latta