Tag: Bill Bonner
An interview with, er… me?
A few weeks ago I sat down to speak with expert copywriter, Vikki Ross (of Sky, The Body Shop and Hotels.com fame). The feedback I received was great and I’m glad so many people found it useful. You’ll be pleased to know I’ve got a lot more interesting interviews planned… In fact, next week, I’ll […]
Don’t be afraid to make your copy magical
There you are in the grandly decorated lounge of Agora owner Bill Bonner’s 18-century chateau… Gathered with you are what you’ve been told are some of the best copywriters in the world… You’re excited. In fact, you’re only just starting to figure out what this copywriting lark is all about, so to spend time with […]
Three of the best copywriters in the world share their ideas
I’m just coming to the end of a long week of meetings and presentations here in Baltimore. It’s been great to catch up with so many friends on this side of the pond and meet so many new people. I’ve met marketing experts, copywriting legends and best-selling authors… And, as ever when I make the […]
An Open Invitation to all UK Copywriters
It’s been a while… But I’m glad to be back in touch today with a very exciting opportunity for you. As you may know, for many years now I’ve worked with a company called Agora. For those who don’t know about Agora – it’s an international publishing business that was built out of the direct mail days […]
Why top copywriters add another string to their bow
The North of England is a wonderful place… I write to you today from a pleasant pub on the Heaton Moor Road just outside of Manchester. The taxi from the station cost less than the minimum fare in a London cab… The beer is brought to my table with plenty of change from a fiver… And people […]
See ‘the Four Us’ put into practice LIVE (well, almost live)
One of my mentors, the American entrepreneur and writer Mark Ford, once taught me a simple way to improve problematic headlines using ‘the Four Us’. I’ve written about the idea many times before, but today I thought I’d put it to the test LIVE. Or rather, as I write this article. Why not, eh? Indeed, I’m […]
Let me tell you a story: the importance of narrative in copywriting
For some strange reason, a lot of people seem to think the business world should be a grey, lifeless place that exists between 8.30am and 5pm (if you’re lucky). People assume that you’re not allowed to be interesting, that you have to talk in facts, figures and graphs; the boring stuff, basically. You only need […]
Direct response copy is about more than just a sales letter
Let’s take a field trip… Indeed, I’m editing this following a field trip of my own to Delray Beach, Florida. I was there for the annual copywriting conference held by @AWAI_online. As it’s the home of many Agora affiliates, I’ve been visiting Delray for many years to regularly catch up with some of the top […]
A postcard from Delray Beach
Hello! Just wanted to post a quick note from my travels, which I’ll hopefully follow with some extended thoughts soon. Indeed, I’m working on a new piece at the moment all about understanding the importance of emotions in copy. Ironically, this seems to be the main focus for many of the speakers at this year’s […]
Why you should sit on your arse and read more
Hurrah! I’ve finally got a chance to relax and take the time to say hello. More than that, I want to share some thoughts that I’ve been having since I attended a writing retreat in France last month. But before I do anything… I should apologise: I’ve been out of action for a little while. […]