All Posts Tagged Tag: ‘Creativity’
How to write better headlines FAST!
Your advertisement will be ignored, your email deleted and your sales letter will go down swinging unless you use a catchy headline that grabs your reader’s attention.
Writing catchy headlines is simple yet hard to do… Especially when you work under a fast-approaching deadline that gets your heart racing, palms sweating and your adrenaline pumping.
In my early days I spent hours rewriting ads, sales letters and headlines of legendary copywriters like Gary Halbert, Ted Nicholas, Claude Hopkins, David Ogilvy and many others. Was it worth it? You bet. But chances are that you don’t have the same level of passion, commitment or time required to learn the craft. Or maybe you do but wouldn’t mind a little shortcut to save yourself some hassle.
Well, if that’s what you want then today I’ll show you a little-known copywriting technique to help you produce attention-grabbing headlines quickly. In fact, you won’t believe how simple and effective it is. It will rock your world and hopefully make your copywriting more effective.
Read More5 easy ways for boosting your creativity
Without new ideas you are unlikely to generate the breakthroughs that produce real business success.
Yet, in my experience, most business owners simply fail to take the time to exercise and develop their creativity and imagination… and, as a result, they work way too hard in their businesses.
Today, I want to share several simple yet highly effective creativity building techniques I use to be able to produce innovative and effective sales copy, sales letters, ads and powerful pieces of communications for clients – on time and on budget.
I guarantee you that these simple techniques will help you to become more original in your thinking, channel your creativity more effectively and be able to differentiate your business in ways that make you stand out from your competition and are meaningful to your customers…
Read MoreFast results more often!
I just wanted to share this recent copywriting testimonial with you…
…that illustrates an important point – for your website, email or sales copy to work, it needs to “hit the tone and market spot on…” You need to attract the right audience with the right headline that motivates them to stay on your website instead of clicking away.
“Hi Daniel. I just wanted to say THANK YOU, for such a great page. I absolutely believe that this page will help propel me and my business to where i want it to be. You have hit the tone and market so spot on, I can hardly believe that I had no involvement in this… credit to you as a professional… Thanks again…” Sam Kritsotakis, Eskae Jeweller, Sydney, NSW.
I call Sam The Michelangelo Of Jewellery simply because he creates breathtaking jewellery creations that are dazzling, elegant and unique. Now, Sam doesn’t serve ordinary clientele. His jewellery appeals to consumers who have a greater appreciation of artisanship and fine craftsmanship. And, the sales copy needed to engage “that” unique audience…
You’ll see that the headline is short and to the point… you don’t always need long headlines. While the web banner communicates at a glance what Sam offers to his clients, the headline beneath the banner builds his uniqueness and asks an intriguing question to get the right audience to dive into the copy. I recommend that you visit the website and see for yourself. It’s definitely not your typical website…
Walking your fish…
I thought this was hilarious…
It’s amazing what you can do when you start thinking outside the box.
Like walking your fish … if you thought that wasn’t possible before then go ahead and check out this funny picture.
It should stretch your mind a little and hopefully give you a good laugh…
We need it from time to time 
Click below to see the picture -
Read MoreUse accolades to get MORE business.
Winning an award can be a fantastic opportunity for you to enhance your credibility, build pre-eminence, and attract new business.
Perhaps you have won an award or two in the past for brilliant marketing, outstanding business excellence, or for a witty advertising campaign. Here are some ideas to help you make your award go an extra mile or two for you…
- Write a press release about the award and send it to www.myprgenie.com; www.prweb.com; or, www.prleap.com (the biggest benefit to you is EXTRA exposure and an increase in traffic to your website). This is a great idea provided you’ve won it recently.
- Create an article that looks like a newspaper article on you winning the award, and post/email the article to clients and prospects.
- The next time you are at the airport waiting for your flight, buy 20 postcards and post them to customers and prospects WITH the article or the PR.
- Use the ‘award-winning-story’ as a credibility-building para in your ads, emails, and sales letters.
- Tell people about the award on your website – particularly the ‘About Us’ page.
- Share the news on your blog.
- Also, don’t forget to frame it and hang in your office.
Your prospects and clients probably don’t care about you winning the award, but they WANT to know what you do behind the scenes to make sure you deliver greater service and value to them. You will probably be more effective if you tell your story using that angle. Then KEEP telling the story over and over. Sounds easy.
Hope this post will help you turn your award into a marketing piece that delivers real impact and boosts your sales.
Someone once said: “Although an amateur will be satisfied with an award, a pro will milk it for all its worth.” Food for thought…
Use procrastination to your advantage…
Procrastination is a good thing. You need to procrastinate to achieve your goals.
Of course, you have a problem when you start procrastinating on the things that could really make a difference in your life. The key is to understand what you should procrastinate on.
So, trying to cure yourself out of procrastination is not necessarily a good thing. You need to be a procrastinator to be successful. You just need to know WHAT you should AND shouldn’t procrastinate on.
My dog is the biggest procrastinator of all – but she is smart procrastinator. She will ignore me for hours, but she will bark, dance and start playing with me when she knows it’s her time to go for a walk. She knows when to procrastinate and when to stop. Perhaps a funny story but… do YOU know when to stop procrastinating?
Here’s a question…
What do you call a person who procrastinates with the things he must do? A DUMB procrastinator! Make sure that you are not a D-procrastinator.
Over the years I have learned some smart strategies that help me complete my copywriting projects on time and on budget for clients.
The first one is pretty obvious but perhaps your execution of it may need some work…
Chunk things down. Yes, you’ve probably heard this one a million times. But, stop and think about what it really means…
If you feel that your project is BIGGER than you then naturally procrastination will feel like your only ESCAPE from the big hairy monster! Solution? You need to increase your confidence levels by making your project/task MORE manageable (read: smaller). How? Simply divide your big scary task into five, ten or more MINI-tasks. Sounds easy.
Now here’s what you do next…
Pick the one you know will take you only 5 minutes to do. Then do it immediately. Once it’s complete put a big tick next to it. Notice how it makes you feel inside. It feels gooood, right? You’re kidding? It feels AWESOME because now your ‘to do’ list is getting a bit less intimidating.
I have a big chocolate box right next to my desk. And, when I complete a dreaded task – here comes my reward. Yum – works like magic!
What’s the lesson? If you are my client and want me to finish your copywriting projects on time and on budget, make sure you get me a nice box of chocolates. Swiss chocolate is my favourite! Just kidding.
The lesson is that as soon as you force yourself to do something you didn’t want to do at first, you need to reward yourself once it’s completed. OK, I don’t reward myself every time I complete a mini-task. Otherwise my blood sugar would shoot through the roof. But you need to understand how to pick up and maintain your momentum until the project is truly complete.
Here’s another useful tip…
Use reminders. Reminders will help you understand what necessary adjustments you need to make to stay on the right track and finish your project on time. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It’s not. It requires persistence to one, develop a HABIT of using reminders and, two, you need discipline to keep using reminders strategically throughout the week.
It can be as simple as sending yourself an email or sticking a post-it note on your bathroom’s mirror reminding yourself of something you must do that day. Be creative. Use whatever works for you.
And, don’t forget this little secret all high-achievers use to produce jaw-dropping, extraordinary results…
Work during your peak-performance hours. You need to identify when you are MOST productive during a day. You know, the time of the day when you’re fully alert, focused and beaming with energy. Schedule your most important tasks for that time.
A tip… always allocate a specific amount of time to your tasks and STOP when that time is up. That will help you stay focused, motivated, and give you something to look forward to. You know what that “something” is right? A REWARD.
Keep in mind that the sooner you finish your task or project, the sooner you get to play. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can spend time with your family, go fishing, watch your favourite channel or just kick back.
You need to reward that kind of behaviour in yourself that you want to see more of in the future. Give it a go and have fun!
Use creativity for fun and profit!
If you think that you’re NOT creative enough, this short video could be just what you’re looking for. It should explode your ‘creativity muscles’ in just a tad over 6 minutes. You’ll also learn a thing or two on advertising/promoting your product/service in a new, unique and memorable way.
This mindset-shifting, fun-to-watch vid will stretch your mind and help you use creativity for fun and profits more effectively. Enjoy!
If you’ve enjoyed this YouTube vid, here’s another one that’s just as entertaining:
http://www.fastprofits.com.au/blog/?p=296
The Blackboard Solution to help you get ‘unstuck’…
Many times we feel stuck in our business not because we are too dumb to solve the problem, but because we’re right in the middle of it all. If you’re working day-in, day-out in your business, chances are that you won’t have the critical perspective you need to look at your business with a neutral eye.
The Blackboard Solution can help you gain a fresh perspective anytime you get stuck, frustrated or worried about your business. The KEY is to disassociate yourself from any negative emotions or problems that you’re facing, so you can start generating workable solutions.
Simply, imagine that you have a blackboard in front of you. Anytime something is worrying or stressing you out, simply condense it into as few words as possible and ‘write’ in on the board. Then, every time the thought even crosses your mind, simply keep placing it out on the board.
That should accomplish at least two things. One, it should give you clarity about what’s really bothering you. Two, it will separate you from any limiting thoughts, worries and anxieties that only clutter your mind.
It’s easier to solve a problem and start making progress again when you’re CLEAR about what you’re trying to accomplish and BELIEVE that you have control over your life and business.
The Blackboard Solution should help you accomplish both of the above. Give it a go.
What’s holding you back…? Find out in less than 7…
If you’re too close to the trees, you won’t see the forest. I can bet you’ve heard that one before.
The thing is that we all want to grow, get to the next level, and achieve better results whether it’s in business or life. So, we buy the latest book, listen to a “mindset-shifting” audio program, and if we’re really, REALLY daring, we actually step out of the office and attend a seminar. It can be pretty scary when you walk into a room that’s full of strangers. But, that’s what we do in the name of “personal development”.
Then, as soon as we cram our head with cool new things and ideas, we get very excited… and, then what?!? Ah… that’s right. Life gets in the way. It just happens. It’s so sudden, and the moment we realise what happened, we’re in that big scary room attending another seminar again.
Seminars can be great, if they help you make progress. But, they can be pretty expensive and even frustrating if you don’t. So, why is it that sometimes we don’t make the progress we want to be making? Hopefully today’s post will help you answer that question…
Often times, we get stuck in our old behaviour, or ‘outdated’ patterns of thinking. Many times we can’t see what we’re doing wrong no matter how hard we try. And, in my experience, you will never get to the next level unless and until you see what’s holding you back. As you can see, it can be quite tricky…
Our brain is a fantastic device. But, it also has some limitations (I bet you didn’t know that!). One of them is that the brain is always seeking patterns learned from previous experiences or activities. That is not always bad, but it can be unless you learn how to use it to your advantage.
That’s why it’s good to keep a Daily Journal – so, you can look back at what you have and haven’t accomplished during the week. If you keep doing this on a regular basis, PATTERNS will begin to emerge. Now, you’re getting close…
You see, throughout a typical week there are different situations in your life. See, if you agree… There can be scary situations … exciting situations … joyful situations … problem situations … stressful situations … “I wish I was dead” situations… and, because your brain is a pattern-seeking device, you will continue to REACT the same way as you always have to any particular situation.With me so far? Good -
That’s why keeping a Daily Journal makes so much sense. It will help you to observe yourself and become aware of those situations you want to do something about. Or, that you really should do something about… The key is to SEE what you’re doing wrong or at least what you could be doing better – the next time around.
Your Daily Journal will help you to see the BIG PICTURE of your “behaviour” or life. In time you will see what limiting thinking, or negative assumptions you tend to make every time when (fill the blank) happens.
If you already do have a Daily Journal, give yourself a hand. Seriously! But, don’t stop there. Try to identify what PATTERNS are still limitng you. The moment you are aware of your limiting thoughts and behaviour, you are empowered to do something about it.
Don’t get into “paralysis by analysis” – simply try something different. If your previous approach hasn’t produced the result you wanted – try another one. Have fun!
P.S. – It’s a good idea to use different COLOURS for EACH role you have during a typical day. If you don’t already know this, everyone has different roles or responsibilities. Without getting into the details, you probably have a role as a business person/entrepreneur, father/mother, partner/husband/wife, friend, etc. For easy future reference, you could write everything to do with your role as a business person in green, your role as a father in blue, and so on. I think you get the drift.
Develop Your “FLOW” Zone…
Stress affects performance. If stress is too high or too low, performance is poor.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a University of Chicago philosopher, has identified a state of mind that he calls “flow” (1990). When you’re in the flow work is a delight. Your concentration levels are very high. You’re totally focused. Your abilities are stretched but not overwhelmed by the challenges. Your goals are clear. You feel a sense of control over your actions. This is where your both brains work in total harmony together. Time is altered: minutes seem like hours, and hours seem like minutes.
Mr. Csikszentmihalyi identified two factors that influence the flow state. One is your skill level. The other is the level of difficulty of the activity you’re engaged in. When the skill level and difficulty level are in balance you achieve the flow state. If your skill level is too high for the activity, you risk getting bored. On the other hand, if your skill level is too low, you’ll probably feel stressed.
For optimal productivity, you need to find your own optimal flow zone or channel – so, the challenges are just balanced with your capacity to act. Here’s a simple (updated) diagram that illustrates the relationship between the two zones or channels:
If you’re in the ‘frustration zone’ you’ll feel out of control, nervous and scattered. If you’re in the ‘boredom zone’ you’re more likely to feel overconfident, lethargic and sluggish.
- If you’re bored by an activity, it’s probably because your skill level exceeds the demands of the situation. You need to raise the level of difficulty. Try to challenge yourself by setting yourself a goal to complete a task or finish an activity faster than usual. Keep in mind that if you set your goal too high, you’ll feel like giving up, and if you set it too low you’ll get bored quickly.
- When an event makes you feel anxious, or it frustrates you, it’s probably because your skill level is too low for the situation. You have two choices: one) increase your skill level, and, two) reduce the level of difficulty. If you don’t do anything about it, you risk becoming over-stressed, and flip into the panic zone. Not a great place to be in!
If you’re constantly frustrated and stressed in your business, chances are that you need better skills, more knowledge or experience to help you be more in control, and start achieving better results. Or, perhaps you just need a break from the everyday grind of running the business.
You need to identify what stress is involved in your work. Then DO something about it. Remember to chunk things down – break large projects into smaller tasks. Also, don’t forget to delegate responsibility (like those important copywriting projects). That way you should achieve better results in your business with less stress and less effort.