How to Generate Great Content Week After Week


Need … more … post … ideas!.

By Leo Babauta

It’s no secret that I’ve been saying (here on Write To Done and elsewhere), over and over again, that the secret to my success at Zen Habits — and the secret to any blog’s success, actually — is to consistently create amazing, useful, interesting content.

That’s a pretty simple idea, in theory, but much harder to implement on a regular basis.

I know because I sometimes struggle with it myself. I think I do a decent job at creating great content on a regular basis, but just like anyone else, I have trouble from time to time trying to keep the quality and frequency of my content at a sufficiently high level. Read more »

The Critical Importance of Sandwiching your Writing


Photo by orangeacid

By Sean DSouza of Psychotactics

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried eating a one-slice sandwich.

Yeah, one slice.

Put one slice down. Then pile the slice with chicken, mayonnaise,
pickles, tomatoes, lettuce and sauces.

Now eat the slice of bread, will ya?
Ummm…I’d rather not, you say

Because even a dumbo knows that a one-slice sandwich is a recipe for disaster. The chicken pieces will drop; mayonnaise will ooze; pickles will pop and your clothes will be a sea of green lettuce.

Come to think of it, there’s no such thing as a one-slice sandwich!

There’s no such thing as a one-slice article either! Read more »

7 Reasons to Include Humor in Your Work


Photo courtesy of Antonio Martínez

A guest post from Ian Coburn of www.lunchisnotadate.com

The other night I went to see Gran Torino with a couple friends. To call Clint Eastwood’s character a hardcore racist is an understatement; yet, despite his constant spewing of cliché racist rhetoric, the crowd spent the majority of the flick laughing at his comments. How is that possible? Did the staff hand us all white hoodies as we entered the theater?

We laughed because the comments were way over the top and continual, being uttered by guy who was unbelievably clueless. And the writers knew that was the only way they could breach the subject, effectively. They had to make us laugh. If they held the reins back it would have been too uncomfortable for the audience to deal with the subject matter. If Clint’s character-I know him well enough to call him Clint, don’t you know-only made a few racist statements it would have been comfortable for the audience but he wouldn’t have come off as enough of a racist to sell his motivation for the film. The writers knew the only solution was to make it funny by making Clint’s racist attitude over the top. It worked wonderfully-the audience was never uncomfortable, we bought his character’s motivation, and we bought the plot to the movie. Mission accomplished.

The writers of Gran Torino made use of one of the seven reasons to use humor in a work that is not a comedy. No matter what your work, there should be elements of humor, typically for one of seven reasons:

1) To address uncomfortable or confrontational subjects. Humor is often the only vehicle to address such topics. Think about how many sit-coms breach difficult subject matters before anyone else-Roseanne (a woman kissing another woman), Ellen (being a lesbian), Seinfeld (masturbation and being gay). Humor does that outside comedies, such as in Gran Torino.

2) Releases tension for characters and the audience or reader. When things start to get too heavy or overwhelming, throw in a little humor to release the tension; a lot of the classics do this. Lots of films make great use of this, too, ranging from Casablanca to Die Hard.

3) Keeps the reader or audience engaged. Take a moment and think about how bored you’d get if everything in a long book or film was always serious. The project would lose you. Humor keeps you engaged. In I Am Legend, there are spatters of humorous moments (both in the book and film versions-it was adapted into a film three times).

4) Makes the characters real and multi-dimensional. People joke all the time, even in the most serious situations. When my father died, my younger sister and I found some alone time with each other unbearable. I broke the tension by reminding her of something funny our dad used to do; she countered with another thing. Soon we were reminiscing and laughing about his quirks and funny incidents involving him. If you want your characters to ring true-to-life, you need to splash some humor on them. (You don’t need to do it for each character but you do need to do it for at least one; several is better.) Most people are not cardboard cutouts; they are multi-dimensional. Humor is a quick, effective way to illustrate such.

5) Provides punctuation and flow. Humorous remarks or incidents tend to happen near the end of a chapter or long scene. They provide a rhythm and let the reader/viewer know it’s time for the next scene, section, and a new set of concepts.

6) Makes your work memorable. What lines do you remember from books, stories, and movies? What lines do people quote over and over? Is it the long, drawn out serious ones or the short, funny, witty quips? Do these lines sound familiar? “Hit me, I’m giving out wings;” “Didn’t I ever tell you about bumbles? Bumbles bounce;” “Life is like a bunch of chocolates;” “How you doing?” “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” “It’s not a tumor!” “I’ll be back.” “Here’s looking at you, kid;” “You talking to me?” Each of these lines is either intended to be humorous or contains an element of humor. When quoted by people, they are referenced in a humorous manner. In comparison, what’s the most common phrase used in film? Do you know? It’s “Let’s get out of here.” Sounds reasonable and I know I’ve heard it many times in films; yet, I can’t think of one specific incident where I’ve heard or read that line. It’s not memorable. Humor goes a long way to making a short phrase memorable… and you want your stuff to be memorable.

7) Provides cohesiveness. The humor element known as “the tag” ties separate parts of a book, story, or film together, making it cohesive. Even when the element tagged isn’t funny, the concept of tagging itself typically receives a chuckle. We all laugh a little when Arnold says, “I’ll be back” in films that have nothing to do with Terminator.

One last thing to keep in mind: humor doesn’t have to be spoken; it can be physical or implied. Perhaps a very serious character steps into a puddle while chastising someone and so forth. Make your writing real and captivating by incorporating humor, no matter what the subject matter.

Ian Coburn is the author of the bestseller God is a Woman: Dating Disasters, which re-lives his dating and sexual misadventures as a ten-year touring comedian. Visit www.lunchisnotadate.com for his columns, book, and other works.

12 Tips that Add Excitement to Marketing Copy


Photo by Mikey

By Dean Rieck of Direct Creative Blog.

People are always looking for snazzy new ideas. However, old ideas are usually the most effective.

This is especially true when you’re writing marketing copy. Why? Because selling is about persuading people, and people are pretty much the same today as they ever were.

Okay. I know that’s not the most exhilarating thing you’ve read today. I’d love to reveal some spectacular new copywriting discovery. But for the most part, the stuff that worked a hundred years ago still works today. And a hundred years from now, it will be working just as well.

Buzzwords come and go. Writing styles change. But if you look at an advertisement from decades ago, you’ll see the same principles at work as you would in any of today’s efforts.

Here are a dozen of the most important.

1. Make your copy SELL.
Commercial copywriting is not about clever words and poetic phrases. It’s about selling. The way to sell is to combine your communication skills with knowledge of psychology. As the copywriter Herschell Gordon Lewis once wrote, “Psychology + Communication = Salesmanship.”

2. Sell as much or as little as needed.
Ask yourself, “How much selling do I need for my audience? How familiar are people with this type of product or with this particular product?” If you are selling a familiar product with a common offer, you don’t need to push as hard as you might when selling a less familiar product with a less common offer.

3. Use a proven copy formula.
There are as many formulas as there are copywriters, but they all boil down to the same ideas. You need to 1) establish your objective, 2) clarify the benefits to your prospects, 3) show how the benefits will be delivered, 4) prove your statements, 5) sweeten the offer and make response easy, and 6) tell your prospects how to respond.

4. Use the imperative mode. That’s a fancy way of saying, “Tell people what to do.” Tell them to “order now,” “click here,” “subscribe today,” or “ask for your free report.” This is not a style choice. Experience shows that telling people what to do results in more people doing it.

5. Focus on one clear, big benefit. This will simplify your message, select your audience, and differentiate your product from others. If you’re selling a computer design program, your big benefit might be that it can automatically translate print designs into SEO friendly Web pages. There may be other benefits, such as low cost and speed of operation, but these would be secondary. Usually, your big benefit is the subject of your primary headline.

6. Make clarity your #1 goal.
People do not interact with advertising the same way they do with game shows and sitcoms. They’re not looking for entertainment. They’re looking for relevance. “What’s in it for me? Why should I do this?” This is why you should strive to avoid clever concepts and make your message clear and direct.

7. Make a strong offer.
An offer should be more than the standard price. An offer is a deal you make, a special low price, an exclusive premium, or the opportunity to try the item free for 30 days. Your offer is the heart of every promotion, so you should make it as strong and appealing as possible.

8. Provide enough information for a decision.
This includes product information, the offer, ordering instructions, guarantee, etc. If a decision will prove difficult for products that are expensive, complex, new, hard to explain, or that require a considerable commitment, you may need to use a softer offer (such as a free trial) or break the sales process into multiple steps.

9. Guarantee satisfaction.
Because people cannot see or handle your product ahead of time, there is always the perceived risk of being disappointed or ripped off. A guarantee helps assure people that your product is good and that you stand behind it. It’s a powerful benefit you should highlight.

10. Provide a reason for immediate response.
Studies show that people are more likely to respond to requests when there is a good reason. Is there a limited supply? A seasonal rush? Can you sell only a limited number to each customer? Do you have to plan your production by a certain date?

11. Make it easy to order.
Exclusivity and convenience are the two primary reasons people make transactions via the Internet, direct mail, or ads. So if you’re selling products that way, it is imperative that you make ordering as quick and effortless as possible. Make your offer easy to understand and complete. Give short, simple ordering instructions. Provide easy order forms.

12. Use the word FREE.
This may be the only word in the language that stands no chance of ever becoming a cliché. Always look for features, benefits, and accessories that can be offered for free. “Free” almost always generates more interest and response.

So ask yourself, are you really making it easy to order or are you making people jump hurdles? Have you provided enough information for a decision or are your potential customers left wondering about some detail? Are you selling too much or too little?

Compared to the latest gee-whiz innovations you read about every day, this may sound boring. But I promise it can make your copy quite interesting to customers, and the sales results downright fascinating for you.
Dean Rieck is a leading copywriter  who has worked with more than 200 clients in the U.S. and abroad. For more copywriting tips,  visit the Direct Creative Blog.

Sign up now for the

WritetoDone Newsletter

  • Get Leo’s personal tips on writing
  • Read Mary’s updates
  • Be the first to know of Leo and Mary’s plans
  • Enjoy being the WTD in-crowd
Name:
Email:
(Your email is safe with us. We hate spam too)


How Planned Disconnectors Create Powerful Articles

Cartoon by Sean DSouza

A guest post by Sean DSouza of Psychotactics

Imagine you were reading a mystery novel. You’ve just finished five pages. The story line is becoming really interesting.

And then you turn the page

And find the sixth page has been torn out. Now that’s really irritating, eh?

But let’s suppose you decide to continue reading anyway

And you move to page seven, and pick up the thread of the story. And you’re reading page eight, page nine, page ten.

And page eleven is torn out. At this point, you’re more than frustrated.

And this is the feeling that many readers have when they read your article.

It’s because you’re not planning your disconnectors.

So what are disconnectors?

Read more »