03Aug 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Four

Advertising, Branding, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
4. Develop strong presentation skills. It’s one thing to be able to write well. It’s quite another to be able to present your work with the utmost confidence and conviction. But some of the most successful copywriters I've met over the years have had as much command of the spoken as the written word. Those with strong presentation skills are more effective in selling their work to both their colleagues and clients. They’re also given more opportunities to attend important meetings, speak at conferences and assume positions of leadership. If you’re uncomfortable speaking in front of an audience, consider  joining Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization that helps people improve their public speaking, communication and leadership skills.  As I wrote here on this blog more than six years ago (May…
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27Jul 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Three

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
3. Walk in your readers’ shoes. In Stephen R. Covey’s best-selling book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit #5 is “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Well, that’s also one of the habits of highly effective copywriters. They seek first to understand everything they possibly can about their audience before they even begin to attempt to be understood themselves. Yes, the more you know about your customers and constituents, the easier it is to make a potentially valuable connection with them. Unfortunately, that’s much easier said than done. Tight schedules and small budgets often supersede any opportunity to look closely at the demographics – and psychographics – of those whose attention you covet. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find out what makes them tick. What…
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20Jul 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Two

Advertising, Branding, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing
2. Care deeply about results. While being able to exhibit a high degree of creativity may be important to the success of a copywriter, achieving the highest possible ROI is usually imperative, certainly in direct marketing, the industry in which I earn my livelihood. My brethren and I work with the understanding that the purpose of most campaigns is to promote sales of a product or service, not the copywriter’s ability to turn a clever phrase. It’s nice to win awards. But what really counts is winning over your audience, those who are hopefully hanging on your every single word. Yes, what the most successful copywriters really care about is convincing those on the receiving end of their communications to take action in some way, shape or form such as picking up the phone, filling out a form, clicking on…
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13Jul 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part One

Advertising, Branding, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing
My first job out of graduate school many years ago was as a copywriter for RCA Direct Marketing in New York City. And the rest, as they say, has been history. Since that first exciting stint writing about the most popular records (yes, vinyl) and tapes (yes, cassettes and eight-tracks) of the day, I’ve written about an incalculable number of different products and services. As I wrote in the preceding post here on A New Marketing Commentator… I’ve written copy to help promote everything from business cards to books, healthcare to software, insurance coverage to investment advice, magazines to music, travel to tuxedos and much, much more. I’ve also written direct response fundraising copy for dozens of charitable organizations (which, by the way, has been some of the most satisfying work…
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07Jul 2010 by Bob Cargill

Three Reasons Why I Like Writing for Nonprofits

Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Social Media
As much as I've been using social media for business lately, copywriting -- writing, period -- has always been my stock in trade. Over the course of my career so far, I’ve written a countless number of direct mail packages, ads, brochures, inserts, flyers, web pages, emails and tweets for a multitude of both B2B and B2C clients. I’ve written copy to help promote everything from business cards to books, healthcare to software, insurance coverage to investment advice, magazines to music, travel to tuxedos and much, much more. I’ve also written copy to help dozens of charitable organizations raise funds. And honestly, as much as I enjoy writing about almost any product or service, some of the most satisfying writing I’ve done is included in my portfolio of nonprofit fundraising work. Yes, there are many reasons…
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28Jun 2010 by Bob Cargill

The Best of What I’ve Posted Here in the Last Year

Blogging, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter
On July 2, 2009, I published a list -- a "retrospective," if you will -- of some of the posts I had written about social media in the last year. And now I'd like to share with you a similar list of the best (in my humble opinion) of what I've posted here on this blog, A New Marketing Commentator, in the last 12 months. Over the course of the last year, I've tried to post something new once a week. But, for a variety of reasons, that's not always been possible. Yes, I've been helping clients with their own social media programs. And, as Cargill Creative, I've been hanging out on Twitter and Facebook, too. Finally, I've been keeping very busy as a copywriter, creative director and public speaker. Of course, it should go without saying that I also spend as…
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24May 2010 by Bob Cargill

What I’ve Read Recently about Social Media

Blogging, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter
Using Google Reader and Delicious, I find, save and share a multitude of articles and blog posts about social media, marketing and anything else related to the industry in which I earn my livelihood. In fact, on Delicious alone, I’ve bookmarked 3,706 pieces of content – and counting. Of course, after I’ve read all of them myself, some of these pieces end up being included in my tweets or updates on Facebook. After all, I think it’s important to provide a continuous stream of such quality, relevant third-party content -- in addition to my own original material -- to my followers, friends and fans. It's the essence of my feed. And it's the gist of this post. Yes, what follows are some of the most interesting blog posts and articles I’ve read recently about social media. Enjoy……
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03May 2010 by Bob Cargill

Blog Post on Video: Don’t Just Scratch the Surface of Social Media

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
This “blog post on video” was recorded on May 1, 2010. It’s the video version of a post I wrote and published on February 23, 2010 called “10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Six,” which you can read in its entirety here. If you can’t see the video on this page, you can check it out on my YouTube channel by clicking here. Bob Cargill is a copywriter, creative director and social media marketer who helps brands to strategize, develop and implement successful new marketing programs. He is always interested in new speaking, consulting and freelancing opportunities. To contact Bob, click here.
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26Apr 2010 by Bob Cargill

My Upcoming Presentations on Social Media for NEDMA

Blogging, Direct Marketing, Facebook, Fundraising, LinkedIn, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
          It's that time of year again. The New England Direct Marketing Association's annual conference is just around the corner -- May 12 and 13 at the LaCava Center at Bentley College in Waltham, MA. And just like year, I'm happy to have the opportunity to speak not just once, but twice on social media, this time around on "Understanding Social Media, from Theory to Tactics" (9:00 AM-3:30 PM, May 12) and "10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media" (8:30 AM-9:45 AM, May 13). "Understanding Social Media, from Theory to Tactics" In my all-day workshop on May 12, I'll show participants how to attract attention, pique curiosity, stimulate engagement and develop new business opportunities via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and the blogosphere. From the mechanics to the principles…
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