Business Writes

The Great Copywriting Quiz

2007-09-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

No apologies for not posting for such a long time. This year has been my busiest ever!

I get quite a few people emailing me for advice about copywriting, and I also receive sales copy from people asking for my opinion on their work. So, I thought it would be a good idea if I created a copywriting quiz. That way, all you budding copywriters can find out how much you actually know about copywriting, and whether you are any good.

Go to my quiz now and find out whether you should write your own copy or hire me to write your sales copy for you.

http://www.knight-writer.co.uk/quiz/popquiz.htm

Have fun!

Bill
http://www.knight-writer.co.uk

Web 2.0 – Revolution or Evolution?

2007-04-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

What's all this stuff about web 2?

Should online business owners sign up with Myspace or Youtube to promote their products or services?

Although still in its infancy, the World Wide Web has become an essential if not intricate part of our daily lives. As it continues to develop and evolve, almost relentlessly, through innovation and new technologies, what impact can these changes have on e-commerce?

In the short term it’s unlikely to have any noticeable effect, but for businesses that plan to be around for the long haul, it could be a case of sink or swim. Setting up a stall on the embankment of this vast torrent of progress may be fine for now, but unless businesses are prepared to dive in and go with the flow, they will quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer power of the undeniable web transformation now in evidence.

The question is what kind of technologies should e-commerce embrace and apply in order to move in the same direction as the mainstream? According to some influential developers and marketers, the answer is undoubtedly Web 2.0 technologies.

The term Web 2.0 was first expressed by O’Reilly Media back in 2004, which would suggest the conception of a second generation of web applications and services. And although some technology experts would argue that the basic components of Web 2.0 have been present since the creation of the World Wide Web, there are many who now recognize the demarcation.

To many people the definition of a Web 2.0 application appears to be somewhat ambiguous, but to the successful Internet marketer it is very clear. If your website visitors can submit content (text, images, videos), submit links to content, make comments, participate in discussions and vote one way or another, all or any of which will ultimately affect the amount of traffic that input will generate, then it’s Web 2.0.

Basically, adopting a Web 2.0 formula for any website will increase traffic and get your website ranked higher in the search engines. It’s a win-win situation. Some examples of Web 2.0 applications, which e-commerce website owners should seriously consider are
forums, surveys, feedback forms (for testimonials, reviews etc), blogs and RSS. The main points to consider are “user participation” and “social networking”. These are the buzz words associated with Web 2.0, which is made available through user-friendly browser-based applications.

The best examples of highly successful Web 2.0 websites, where almost all the content is generated by users are, “Myspace” - page rank 8, “Youtube” - page rank 8, “Wikipedia” – page rank 8 and “eBay” - page rank 9.

Major search engines like Google positively thrive on fresh content and openly encourage its production by rewarding websites that generate it. It’s quite clear that Web 2.0 applications cannot be ignored by any serious online business. And the question as to whether Web 2.0 be considered revolutionary or evolutionary, doesn’t really matter. What does matter, to the world of e-commerce, is adapt or die.

Web 2? Who needs it?

Answer...We all do.

Till next time

Bill
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Who Else Wants to Skyrocket Their Online Sales?

2007-03-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

Friends,

About 50% of people who contact me requesting sales copy for their websites are absolute newbies. They have no previous sales experience and no marketing experience. So how the heck are they ever going to make it with their fledgling web businesses? Sadly, many don't and become totally disallusioned with the Internet. But if only they would take in some sound advice.

I've been a professional copywriter for more than 15 years and I've seen literally hundreds of different business models. Some good, some not so good. Some of my clients have gone on to make incredible amounts of money and some have failed miserably. Those that have made it, simply followed the rules. Now listen up, because I'm only going to say this just one time.

"Many online business owners continually make the mistake of focussing solely on the sales of their products or services. Then wonder why they end up spending all of their profits on advertising costs.

And many online businesses today, whether large or small and regardless of whether they sell products or services, completely miss their targets. Some online businesses fail miserably, simply because they misunderstand the principles of successful e-commerce. Many individuals and companies tend to focus solely on selling and nothing else. That’s a big mistake.

And quite often it can be a very costly mistake. When products and services are not selling as well as expected, many online business owners tend to make many more mistakes. They may reduce the prices of their products or services and hope that this will lead to more sales. But it only results in them making less profits.

They may spend more on advertising, wrongly believing that this will bring more sales due to more exposure. But it just ends up costing them more and further reducing their profits on any possible sales.

Some online businesses will go to any length to make sales, or increase sales, and that includes having their whole website redesigned, stocking a larger range of products, giving away endless discounts etc. etc. Any of these actions might increase their sales slightly, but they’ll never hit the big money league if they continue to adhere to this type of marketing strategy.

So, what is the answer?

Well, let’s get right back to basics. Every online business owner must ask themselves these simple questions:

1. What kind of person will buy my products or services? The obvious answer is…The kind of person who is interested in your products or services. So rule #1 is: Find and target your market.

Next question:

2. Will my customers buy on their first visit to my website? Answer: Most will not! So rule #2 is: Follow up with your customers. And the best way to do this is to encourage them to sign up to a free newsletter, which should contain valuable information about your company’s products and services. It’s important for online business owners to remember that people surf the Internet for information. Simply give them the information they want and eventually they’ll buy your products.

Next question:

3. How should I deliver my newsletter and how often should I send it to them? Answer: Set up an autoresponder and send them your newsletter at least once a month. These days any online business can be fully automated so there’s no excuse for not keeping in touch with customers. Your newsletter should contain interesting information, product offers, product reviews, perhaps a survey and just about anything else that might make your publication appear friendly and acceptable to your market.

Next question:

4. How do I get traffic to my website without spending all of my profits on advertising? Answer: Fill your website with valuable and interesting content. This is where many individual online entrepreneurs and marketers score way ahead of their competition. A website that has lots of interesting content will outsell any website promoting similar products or services…every time…guaranteed!

Whilst large companies tend to rely solely on expensive advertising to bring traffic to their websites, the savvy Internet marketer can get 10 times more traffic for free. Writing and submitting articles to article directories has proved to be the most cost effective online marketing strategy of all time. But that’s not all. Writing interesting and informative descriptions of products and services based on the benefits of those products or services will outscore any type of ad…every time…guaranteed!

So what have learned here?

● Online business owners must first, fully focus on targeting their market.

● The #1 priority of any online business is to build a list of customers and prospects.

● You MUST follow up with your customers, befriend them and keep them informed.

● Automate the whole process of capturing email addresses and sending out newsletters.

● Fill your website with interesting and informative content, which includes articles and product descriptions.

Instead of focusing completely on making the sale, change your focus to befriending your customers then sales will surely come. If you haven’t heard it said already, “the money is in the list”. Build a list of responsive prospects, keep them entertained and informed then the wealth that every online business owner craves will come…guaranteed!

It really is that simple. Just focus on building a list, and not outright selling.

If you had a list of say 10,000 subscribers to your newletter, and you then decided to go for a sale with a product that you know for sure your prospects will be interested in, you will make serious money. So, let's say your target market is gardening. It could be absolutely anything but I'll use gardening as asn example. Your list are receiving your newsletter each month, which is filled with tips and useful information right?

Okay, so you write an ebook about how to keep your garden in tip-top condition spending just 2 hours a week. Make sure you list all the benefits of discovering this vital information and remind them what they could be doing with all the time they save.

So you send out a friendly, sales-pitch-type email to your list offering them a big discount on your new book. You tell them you're going to sell it for $37.95, but they can get it for just $29.97. From 10,000 subscribers, you get an immediate 5% positive response. That's 500 sales!

500 x $29.97 = $14,985

Follow up with 10 -20 of those that didn't buy and offer to give them a free copy of the book in return for their testimonial. So let's say, in comes 8 positive testimonials. Copy these into an email, together with your original offer and send it to all those that didn't buy first time. Chances are you will convert another 5%. That's 475 additional sales!

475 x $29.97 = $14, 235

That's a total of $29,220. If you did this or something similar every month you'd pull in around $360,000 a year. And if that isn't enough, just create another website, target a different market, follow the same format and repeat the process. Simple or what?"

Moral: GET LIST BUILDING

Till next time.

Bill
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Video Advertising on the Horizon

2007-03-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

Being a freelance web copywriter I have to keep an eye on the changes that abound on the Internet. I need to know what area of marketing will work for my clients and what doesn't, and the only way I can know is to try various aspects of advertising. The long web page sales letter is still by far the frontrunner when it comes to selling individual products, but all that could soon change. And instead of writing sales copy, I could soon be writing scripts and screenplays.

I'm talking about the rising popularity of video. There's no doubt, Internet advertising is evolving. Who will continue to use PPC and other traditional means of advertising, when video is streaming onto computer monitors all around the world?

Keeping with Tradition or Moving with the Times?

When any new business is first launched on the Internet, priority must be given to acquiring customers. Many webmasters spend far too much time concentrating on search engine optimization, and although this is valuable, it should be considered as a long-term tactic. What’s more important is, without a solid advertising and marketing strategy a new Internet business will never get off the ground.

Every single website owner operating any kind of business on the Internet faces the same single challenge. How to drive traffic to their websites? Without traffic there are no customers and without customers there will be no sales. The answer is to advertise, but what is the most effective means and more importantly what is the most cost-effective means?

Let’s consider the options. Pay Per Click on any search engine is effective but as Google is the top dog, then it stands to reason that if Google attracts more users then this is where you’ll find more prospects and potential customers. But, as many online marketers have discovered to their detriment, PPC advertising can be the quickest road to going broke. The advantage is, almost instant traffic. The same effect, although to a lesser degree can be experienced with Yahoo and MSN.

So what else can you do? There’s email marketing, but beware scamsters and shisters and just about every other rip-off merchant are operating unhindered in this field. Anyone can build an email list very quickly by using ‘email harvesting’ software, then rent or sell the list to unsuspecting marketers. Desperate for traffic many marketers will gladly hand over their cash for these lists only to find their websites have been taken down or banned for spamming.

Email marketing can be a very useful marketing tool but it’s highly advisable to always use a reputable list broker. Choose one that guarantees delivery of your email and offers some way of tracking results.

Another method of getting your message out there is article marketing. It runs in close parallel with press releases for getting results but costs nothing, other than a little time. Basically, you write an interesting article about a subject similar to the product or service you want to promote. You can’t blatantly advertise, so the article has to be skillfully crafted to include benefits and features of your product or service without actually mentioning it.

You are allowed to include a resource box at the end of your article, which will include your name, bio and a link back to your website. You then submit your article free, to the main directories such as, Article City or Ezine Articles and wait. The idea is that people looking for free and relevant content for their websites will download your article in its entirety and feature it on their website. Hence you get free promotion. Press releases do very much the same thing.

One of the most effective methods of advertising online today is to find someone who is promoting a similar product or service to yours and who has a large list of subscribers to their newsletter or ezine. Simply contact the webmaster or business owner and ask if you can place an ad in their publication. Most will be happy to accommodate and even recommend your product or service to their list, for a fee of course. They might even offer to promote your products to their list and to other similar lists for a percentage of the profits. This is generally known as a joint venture and works well for both parties.

Next, you might consider setting up an affiliate program. The idea is to get as many people as possible promoting your products all over the Internet. Think of it as building a sales team. Each member of your team will make sales for you in return for a percentage of the sale. To see how this works, visit Clickbank.com or Commission Junction.com.

All the methods mentioned have been tried and tested and are effective in producing varying degrees of success, but the Internet is evolving. As more and more people access the Internet via a broadband connection, video advertising is set to explode.

Time to Put on Your Make-Up and Get Ready for the Curtain Call

Currently online video advertising represents a tiny fraction of the overall advertising market with a total spend of just $121 million last year compared with $9.5 billion for all other online media, according to Jupiter Research.

And according to ‘The Online Publishers Association’, 25% of all Internet users now watch video online at least weekly. Because of these statistics, it is predicted that there will be a 70 percent increase in online video advertising spend next year. The top video aggregators have reported daily video streams in the millions, which goes to prove that the audience is there.

All this adds up to the prospect of the Internet heading for direct ad competition with television. New technical capabilities include adding an interactive Flash layer to streaming video. At the forefront of this emerging rich media technology are companies like Klipmart, Eyewonder, United Virtualities, Eyeblaster and Viewpoint.

So, where can marketers place their ads? The media buyers ClickZ highly ranked MSN in terms of service, implementation and original video content. Also, Yahoo, via its Yahoo Music audio and video destination (formerly LAUNCH), is primed for a big video roll-out.

As video begins to impact on the online advertising scene, we’re also likely to see an upsurge in multimedia search engines. And the most exciting part about video advertising is that anyone can produce their own visual ad, just as they now compete with others for their share of the market via traditional means.

It’s time to put on your make-up, write a convincing advertising script and become star of your own marketing show.

Anyone need a script writer?

Till next time.

Bill
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Some Important News About a Forthcoming Event

2006-11-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

Friends,

As someone who is interested in making money, I thought I’d better let you know about something that’s going to be a bit special.

These days there’s so many people trying to make a living online and sadly, many will give up trying altogether at some point. Why? Because they simply didn’t make any money. They may have been trying to sell the wrong products or had the right products but couldn’t grasp the principles of effective marketing.

As a marketer and copywriter, with many clients here in the UK and in many other countries, I see it all the time. Myself and my colleagues here at Anglox, always do our level best to help new, up and coming Internet marketers get their business projects up and running, and into profit. But there’s only so much that we can do.

One day last year, during a ‘Meeting of Minds’ conference, I was having a discussion with some Internet marketing friends and the subject of new Internet marketing business start-ups featured in our conversation. We all agreed that most of the people we knew, who were struggling to get their Internet businesses started, lacked a number of key elements in their general business game plan.

We talked about getting together, pooling our resources, experience and knowledge with the intention of helping these people. Why? Because we know that many of them have been led astray by the lure of empty promises, which turned out to offer nothing other than false hope. Some promised great riches from selling certain PLR products, clearly not fit for the waste-bin. We happen to think that these people deserve better.

So, after almost a year of talking products, dates, venues and adjusting our personal schedules, we’ve finally agreed to do it. Myself, David Hyner, Craig Richards and David Watson cordially invite you to attend ‘The Profit Generator’ Internet Masterclass Seminar, which will be held in London on January 27th 2007.

Due to a limited number of suitable venues, we will also have to limit the number of attendees. So I thought you might like to be one of the first to know about this unique ‘one-off’ event. This email is already much longer than I intended, so if you would like to know more, take a look at the website we have just put up today. It contains all the information about the event and the 4 presentations.

http://www.profit-generator-masterclass.com

I would really like to see you there, but if you can’t make it, or you’re too busy with your own projects right now, you might be interested to know that you could make some good money by helping to promote it. We have set up an invitation only affiliate program for you, from which you will make £300 for each delegate who books their place before the deadline.

In the Promo Tools section of the affiliate page, we’ve also added an email for you, which will be personalised with your affiliate link, and all ready to send to your friends or likely prospects. All you have to do is type in their email addresses and click the send button.

To join the affiliate program and start making some serious money, just in time for Christmas, click on the following link and add your details. Your JV code is PGM (in upper case)

http://www.profit-generator-masterclass.com/affiliate

With more than £3,000 worth of free bonus products and services, this seminar and even the affiliate program we have set up to promote it, is all for the benefit of people like you who want to make money. We know that all available seats will be booked within the next 2-3 weeks, and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to give you more notice.

If you have any queries or questions about the seminar, don’t hesitate to contact me here: anglopublisher@yahoo.com

Best regards,
Bill

How to sell more products and services online

2006-09-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Yes, yes I know it's been months since I last posted. Think I've got nothing better to do? I write for a living so it's not that I couldn't be bothered, it's just that I'm always busy writing for my clients.

It's been an amazing year for me. I've been working on so many projects for so many clients, I don't have time to sleep! But alas! Something has to give, and I'm afraid it has to be my free advice. You wouldn't believe how many people call me on the phone for advice about marketing their products or services. Well sorry guys, it all takes time. And as you're all aware, time is money.

I'm still making myself available to you but be prepared to pay for my time in future, unless you're a newbie. I'll still help you get going if you're completely new to Internet marketing, and as always, there will be no charge.

For everyone else, here's some advice to help you sell more:

Ways to Sell More Products or Services Online

The Internet is responsible for changing the way most people now do business. Global markets are now easily accessible to even the smallest of businesses, regardless of what they sell. Also, with more and more people now buying goods and services online (online spending reached $172 billion in 2005 – Forrester Research), potential customers are not very difficult to find. To survive and prosper, online or offline, every business simply needs to make sales and profits. It’s the life-blood of any business. Many marketing strategies developed to increase sales offline can also be adapted and applied online, although most online marketing techniques are either impractical or totally ineffective in an offline business.

The Internet has thrown up many challenges for the marketers of today, not least, is the question of exposure. How do you get your products or services in front of willing, buying customers? Learning how to succeed in business on the Internet inevitably takes time and effort. Below are few tried and tested methods, which can help to increase sales of your products or services online.

Set up your own affiliate program There are so many people on the Internet willing to sell your products for you, for a commission, that you just can’t ignore this avenue. But, for an affiliate program to work effectively, it has to be set up properly. You will have to supply your affiliates with all the tools they’ll need to promote your products.

First and foremost is a good quality written sales letter that they can use to attract interested prospects. Ideally, this letter should be a duplicate of your own sales pitch or website sales letter. Next, create banners that they can put on their website and most importantly, at least from the affiliates point of view, is a sales tracking system like, ‘yourcart.com’.

Established and successful affiliates generally have their own way of marketing other people’s products, and the more commission you’re willing to offer them, the more effort they’ll expend in promoting your goods and services. Some affiliates have their own lists of prospects and some have the ability to generate new lists for new products.

In simple terms, if an affiliate has a list or can access a list of 50,000 prospects, and can expect to convert just 3%, they’re going to be looking at the possibility of generating some 1,500 sales. If your product is valued at $97 and you offer your affiliate 50% commission, you can expect a return of $72,750.

Now, imagine if you had just six affiliates, with access to similar prospect lists, promoting your one $97 product. 6 x $72,750 = $436,500. It’s easy to see why affiliate programs are so popular on the Internet, and it’s no surprise to learn that some marketers can bank $millions each year by utilizing this tried and tested marketing method. Focus on back end sales Ensure that your website has an email capturing script installed. From each prospect you need to acquire two basic elements of information. Their first name and email address. When you have made a sale to your customer, it is always advisable to follow up with an email thanking them for their purchase. And, have another, perhaps similar product ready to sell them. If they were happy with their original purchase, chances are they will buy from you again.

This is the ‘back end’ sale, and more often than not, this is where the real profits are to be made.

To effectively capture the name and email of all your website visitors, you’ll have to give them a reason for giving up this information. It could be to obtain a free report, a free ebook or a free subscription to your newsletter. This is how you build your own list.

Next, you could offer your prospects a high value product at a break-even price. The object is to gain their confidence. Then within 2 -3 weeks of the sale, offer them a similar product with a much higher ticket value.

Always stay in touch with your customers by email if you want to continuously make sales. Autoresponders are undoubtedly the best method to achieve this line of communication.
Seek out joint ventures
Many Internet marketers have made a small fortune by promoting other people’s products and services, in return for their own products being promoted by others.

A good example would be a printer ink supply business promoting a printer supply or printer repair business and vice-versa. Or a ladies fashion business promoting a jewelry or cosmetics business. Whatever you sell, there is likely to be a related product that you can promote on your website in return for that business promoting yours.

Simply contact the webmaster of a site that sells products related to yours and propose a mutually beneficial deal. There’s not many Internet business owners who will refuse a 50/50 split of profits for just sending out an email to their list or for listing your products on their website.

Offline marketing opportunities

Just because your business is online, you can’t afford to ignore offline promotion opportunities. Place ads in your local press or other publications, where your potential customers will most likely see them. Offer them discounts for buying your products or services online, and remind them that they can conveniently visit your website anytime day or night to purchase the products they want at prices they can’t afford to miss.

Think about renting a suitably targeted mailing list and sending out a mailshot outlining the benefits and convenience of shopping at your online website, and the savings they could make compared to their local High Street stores.

Testimonials

Give some of your products away to prospects in return for their testimonials and endorsements. If you can get people to say good things about your products or services and highly recommend them to others, you’ll build credibility.

Credibility and trust are considered by many online marketers to be two of the most important aspects of converting browsers into buyers.

Freebies and bonuses

So many online businesses give away free samples of their products, free ebooks, free tips or free advice, that you really can’t ignore the value of the word “free”. People like to get things for free, so always add something for free to the product you want to sell them.

Free bonuses are perceived as added value and works every time. The Internet business that includes freebies and bonuses with its offer will outsell any similar website with no freebies on offer every time.

One of the best possible freebies you could give your prospects is a specifically written ebook all about the benefits of your products or services. It must be informative and interesting and it must have real or perceived value. Ensure the ebook contains links to all your website products, and tell your prospects it would normally cost say $27 or $37 to buy.

Allow your prospects to give it away or sell it with full resell rights. This will start a viral marketing campaign and will help bring visitors to your website from all over the Internet.

Peace of mind guaranteed

Before a customer buys something from you, they will want to know if they can return it, if for some reason it proves to be unsuitable. Their whole buying decision may rest entirely on this one ‘peace of mind’ benefit. Always, always offer your prospects a full ‘no-quibble’ money-back guarantee.

The longer the guarantee, the more comfortable they’ll be in buying your products. Also, the longer the guarantee, the less likely you are to make refunds. Can you remember what you bought 90 days ago?

Hope this helps. Till next time

BFN

Bill Knight
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Time to talk about making some money

2006-04-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted to my blog, simply because I've been up to my neck in work. So far this year I've taken on 11 new clients and I'm involved in 3 new joint venture projects. Because I've been burning the candle at both ends recently, I've taken on some extra help to cope with the publishing side of my business (anglox), which for some reason has become a real bustle of activity in recent months.

So what's happening? Well, firstly there's obviously many more people interested in making money online. And secondly, they're doing it by creating their own unique products, which is great!

Here's a few examples of some of my new client's products:

1. An ebook explaining how to earn a six-figure income from other people's property. This is a fabulous product, which has been written by a property consultant based in the UK. He's selling around 10 books a week but could easily increase this number to 20, if he could just sort out his marketing. I'm working on a strategy for him, which will include articles, PPC and offline ads.

2. An Internet Marketing course for beginners. This is a JV and I've been extremely busy writing up the modules, the sales letter for the website and the ad campaign. This online training course will cover just about every conceivable aspect of marketing, from designing a website and creating products to exploiting the ever increasing niche markets.

3. Another JV I'm involved in is a 'Buy Property in Spain' project. The attraction here is the large commission payouts, which run into 4 figures for just one completed deal. The goal is to complete 4 deals a month. I wish I had got involved in this project much earlier, although it looks as if there's still a considerable market for overseas investment and retirement properties.

4. One of the main topical interests of the moment is the worldwide spread of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. My client has been quick to seize on the fears of infection by producing a survival guide. This particular guide is geared towards a UK market only. We carried out a marketing test soon after a dead swan was found in Scotland, which was confirmed to have had the H5N1 virus. Within 3 days, the website received over 1000 unique visitors and a few sales were made. The project has now been put on the 'back-burner' until another outbreak in the UK has been confirmed.

5. A new client from the US contacted me and asked if I was interested in writing a health book for him. The 50 page book was duly written and submitted for approval in both MS Word and pdf formats. He then asked if I could write a sales letter for his website, which I did. It turns out that he didn't actually have a website yet, so my team designed and constructed a site for him. And arranged for a domain, plus hosting and a full SEO campaign together with a full marketing plan. Basically we did the lot! And now we're discussing the next venture.

My work as a copywriter and Internet marketer can be quite varied, which means there's never a dull moment as I'm kept continually on my toes. The upside to this situation is that I'm always looking to find the very latest marketing strategy for my clients and my own online businesses.

Over the coming weeks I'm going to reveal some of my findings right here in this blog. I promise you it will be riveting stuff!

In the meantime, and due to endless 'cries for help', here's a few suggestions about making money online. These are for anyone looking to set up an online income stream, full-time or part-time, and can be operated from their own home office.

My first suggestion is to try our very own Publishing business opportunity. Becoming a home publisher has never been so easy and the profits are endless. The products don't cost anything and you get to keep 100% of the profits. Here's a link to the affiliate version, which means you will not only make some easy money from operating the system, but you can also make 50% profit from reselling it to others. A real win-win opportunity. License2Profit.

To sell anything successfully online, you'll need to master the art of writing effective sales and ad copy. If it was that easy, I'd be out of a job. But to help you understand the principles of this extremely important marketing aspect, I've written a very useful guide (Word Power). It comes with resale rights, so again here's another opportunity to make some money by reselling it to others.

For anyone looking for easy work at home jobs and other great products and services, check out the wide selection offered by Jack the Reaper.

Hope you find something useful among this lot.

Until next time.

Bill Knight
www.knight-writer.co.uk

The Net Reaper Forecasts Bumper Harvest

2006-02-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

With so many so-called business opportunities on the Internet today, it’s getting more and more difficult to weed out the real money spinners from the host of scams. Just go to any search engine and type in ‘work at home’, and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

For Internet newbies, this represents a virtual minefield, and sadly many will fall foul of an unscrupulous, faceless assassin before they even realize they’ve been financially wounded. It’s all very well for those fully conversant with all things web and techie, to say experiencing the perils of the Internet is a simple learning process. Well, whatever happened to gallantry and chivalry?

Just because we’re operating in a virtual world of commerce with no face to face contact, it doesn’t make people any less human, does it? Okay, so there is an element of remoteness and individualism, when it comes to doing business online from your own home office, but it would be wise to remember that the leads, the visitors, and traffic are very real people.

And I for one believe that we should all be treated with some respect.

Now if you’re looking to find real opportunities and real time saving software products and really useful services all in one place, the information highway offers precious little choice. The no alternative option is to blow the Google bugle and find it all yourself, which can be fun if you have nothing better to do, but a real pain in the butt if time is of the essence.

I take my hat of then, to those that have spent the time searching, filtering, trying and testing products and services for the benefit of others. And when they neatly list these goodies on an easy to navigate website, for all to enjoy, I’ll gladly buy something useful as my way of thanking them for their efforts. This can only go some way to encouraging them to add more useful links in time for my next visit.

A website I came across recently fits this description perfectly. The Net Reaper, although sinister in name and design is steadily harvesting the type of products and services that will be of interest to at least some people if not most. New links are being added every day and it won’t be too long before the site itself will become a directory of interesting, informative and useful entities.

I’m sure other similar sites exist, but I found myself clicking on this site’s link through morbid curiosity, as I’m sure others will do. There’s a lot to be said for a well thought domain name. Wished I’d have thought of it.

Next time you’re searching the Internet and you come across a website which looks good, is easy to navigate and has useful products, give up a little respect to the webmaster. If the site looks as though it has taken a lot of time and effort to put together, it most probably has.

Pay Jack a visit: www.thenetreaper.com

Till next time,
Bill
www.knight-writer.co.uk

The Secret Power of Words

2006-01-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

A quick word on the secret power of words.

If the best way of communicating with prospects and existing customers was through sign language, we’d all have to learn to sign. Or if the best method of communication proved to be some kind of mutually understandable code, we’d all have to learn that code in order to say anything. Thankfully, our communication process is much more simple…or is it?

A sales person has the benefit of meeting his prospect face to face, and will be able gauge his pitch according to visible response signs displayed by his prospect. An experienced salesman will instinctively know from the facial expressions and body language of his prospect, whether he’s hitting the right buttons. This is usually indicated by the prospect’s head nodding up and down combined simultaneously with a beaming smile and wide-eyed appreciation.

A telesales person has much less to go on. They can only judge response to their sales pitch through the prospect’s answers to questions and the actual tone of their voice. Most telesales people find their job easier when they try to imagine the look on their prospect’s faces while they’re talking to them. But, the deciding factor will almost always come down to the tone of voice deployed by both parties.

The Internet and Direct Mail Marketer have no such advantages over their prospects. They can’t see them and they can’t hear them. Their only weapon in their armory of sales pitches is their written word.

How we communicate through our written words holds the absolute key to successful selling online and offline. Whether it’s a sales letter, an email or ad, the written words must convincingly convey the sales message directly into the prospect’s mind. But first, you have to get your prospects to actually read your message, and usually this very first hurdle will claim many, many casualties.

Getting someone to read your sales pitch will almost certainly depend on your headline. Your headline is your introduction. Your ‘hello’, your ‘hey you’ and your ‘listen up’. If your headline doesn’t grab the attention of your prospect within two seconds, it’s goodbye and farewell.

Other important aspects of a ‘killer’ sales message are sub-headings. Sub-headings are generally used to maintain interest throughout the copy. But they’re also included for the benefit of prospects that first scan your message before deciding to read it in full. To some degree, they’re almost as important as the headline itself.

Then there’s the body copy. It’s here that your copywriting talents and skills should really shine through. Here you have the opportunity to use any words in the English language to describe and explain in fine detail, the benefits and features of your product or service on offer. And the English language is positively rich in adjectives, so there can be no excuse.

But the real secret to creating captivating copy is to use ‘sense’ words. That is, words that arouse the senses. Touch, see, smell, taste and listen is what we instinctively do every day. They represent our human survival mechanisms and for the most part, we trust them. Other mammals rely on them totally.

When you use sense words in conjunction with emotionally fuelled trigger words, you can elicit all kinds of responses, which can be carefully channeled into the heart of your message for maximum impact. Harnessing words for profit in this way is a skill, and it’s a skill that every online and offline marketer needs to fully comprehend.

Learning to write outstanding and emotionally charged sales copy is not an essential requirement for business success, but recognizing the effectiveness is.

Never underestimate the secret power of words.

You can find more information about creating top class copy by visiting the link below.

http://www.topclasscopy.com

I know money isn't everything but...

2005-09-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Anyone thinking I use this blog to let off steam is absolutely right on the money. And today is no exception, except from today, I'm also going to start adding a few 'business thoughts', just to make it even less interesting. Yeah! Thought you'd like that. Okay let's get on with it...

As most of my clients are based in the US, it was quite surprising to get 5 requests in a row, for quotations from people based right here in the UK. It was even more surprising, when I discovered that each had exactly the same product they wanted to market, and to a UK audience only. Each one asked me to produce a long sales letter for a web page, an introductory page, a classified ad and a press release.

Hmm! Someone's been making some money selling on these products, I thought. And yes they were. In fact it was old money-bags himself Mr XXXXXX XXXXXXXX. I'd love to give you his name but let's just call him 'Mr R' for now.

Mr R has made a fortune from mail order, selling people 'dreams' of becoming filthy rich, while all the time these dreamers were just making him filthy rich. I've been on his mailing list for years, under a different name, and I know about all his little 'offers', for want of a better word. It's quite amazing to learn that this guy has built up a following over the years, but I don't ever recall him having any hypnotic powers as such.

Then I guess, money is itself an hypnotic subject.

I don't blame anyone for making a mighty mint out of mail order, but opportunities in the print and mail business are fading fast. Here's what I have say about it. (The business thought)

Has the Internet Killed Off the Direct Mail Baron?

Over the past 30 years, direct mail has been responsible for generating vast amounts of money for businesses and individuals alike, but is it still an effective means of marketing?

The short answer, in the short term, is yes. But the Internet has without doubt diluted the power of pen on paper and will continue to do so, until only a few die-hard individuals and the glossy brochure brigade, are left to pick the bones of an industry once plump and ripe for plucking and plundering.

Today, the Internet offers the consumer a pure, unadulterated and convenient environment for buying goods, services, bill paying and browsing. And with more people logging on every day, it’s where businesses need to focus.

Compared to direct mail, marketing a business or service on the internet is simple, very cost-effective and can be just as profitable. If it’s the ‘right’ kind of business, offering the ‘right’ kind of product or service, it can prove to be overwhelmingly prosperous. And there’s many an Internet millionaire that will testify to that.

The big advantage, in terms of doing business on the Internet, falls right at the feet of the little guy. The one-man outfit, who has virtually no overheads and no employees. Better off still, is the little guy with no overheads, employees, products or services. He can make a phenomenal amount of money by selling other people’s products for commissions.

That’s quite difficult to do with direct mail and would likely prove prohibitively expensive to operate. And that’s another reason why direct mail is in decline. The overall expense of the operation.

When you add up the cost of stationery, printing, postage, mailing lists and the labor involved in the whole process, it’s clear to see that the ‘end is nigh’, for what was once a very lucrative marketing venture. That’s not to say that there isn’t still a place for some forms of direct mail. Some online businesses, especially the bigger companies, would do well to incorporate a direct mail strategy in promoting their online activities.

But generally, the opportunity of making a killing with direct mail is fading fast. So it’s goodbye to the direct mail baron and welcome to the Internet marketing guru. It’s the same animal but with different spots.

Okay, back to the whinging and whining bit.

So, I got down to writing up the sales letters for these guys, which although for the same products, are all completely different. Well, as different as the same product would allow.

Four of the five, were absolutely delighted with the results and paid up almost immediately. They now go on to my preferential client list. But one, and there's always one isn't there? Thinks he has secured my services 'ad infinitum'. Telephones me almost daily, emails me 3 to 4 times a day, expects me to give him all the advice and guidance necessary to launch a world war and has passed my sales letter around to everyman and his dog for their opinions.

Oh yeah! And he hasn't yet paid me a cent. But still expects me to help him build a website to launch and promote this 'unique' product, by which time will be selling on eBay for 99 pence. Because the others are well on their way to making some sales right now, while he's still dithering and dallying and meandering and procrastinating.

He goes straight to the bottom of my un-preferential client list.

I don't like to get messed about. And I don't like people taking advantage of my goodwill. But most of all, I don't like people that drag their heels when it comes to coughing up readies. That's fair isn't it?

Imagine if you'd just finished your week's work and your boss said, "I'll pay you what I owe you when you do another couple of days for free" How would you react to that? Yeah! I know what you'd say, and what you'd probably do. Well, that's pretty much the same thing in this case. Is it any wonder I'm whinging?

Thankfully, most of my clients respect my creative works and cross my palm accordingly. It's fair to say, that 99% of my US clients pay for my services within 48 hours of receipt of the final draft presentation. It's also true, that only around 50% of my UK clients settle during the same period. I just love the good old US of A.

Remember folks, money isn't everything. It's simply a blessing that is of no advantage to us excepting when we part with it.

BFN.

Bill Knight

www.knight-writer.co.uk

When will I be famous?

2005-08-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

When will I be famous? When will people learn that money doesn't necessarily make you famous. It surprises me no end how many people want to be rich and famous. Why do they want that? What's wrong with just getting filthy rich and disappearing from the face of the earth? I mean opting out of society, becoming invisible, becoming someone else.

I get emails and phone calls from clients all over the world. Most want me to make them rich by writing gob-smacking, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring copy that will hypnotise their customers into transferring their life savings to their very own dodgy offshore bank account. Not only do they expect all this of moi, they want to be famous!

Look guys, if you want to make some seeeerious money, come up with a serious product or service and I'll do my bit to help you. But don't expect me to be your personal manager and don't expect me to give up my precious time, which incidentally is going to cost everyone more because I'm fast becoming the most famous copywriter on the planet, to spend hours talking to you on the phone.

Fame and fortune may well go hand in hand for some, but not for you my friend. Be satisfied with making a good living other than working for some shitty agency or working 25 hours a day in your own gruelling business.

I'm just a humble writer, who writes for a living. Should you come to me and ask if I can help you promote a product or service, online or offline, with my sales letters, I will do all that I can to help. I'll conjure up all kinds of magical marketing methods and startling stealth strategies, which will leave your prospects spellbound. At a price! - The more you pay, the better I get!

But once I'm done with my toil and it has been duly delivered to you, it's down to you to take it by the hand, take it to market and flog it. My part is done. Of course, if you need still further help in making your till ring, I'm available and at your service - At a price!

But please, please don't even consider contacting me, if all you have is a second rate, bottom of the barrel, something stuck on my shoe type of product that you're convinced will make you a shed load of cash...and make you famous.

Anyone else can contact me at bill@knight-writer.co.uk

Let's keep it real.

To see what's real, visit www.knight-writer.co.uk

Bless you all.

Bill

Freedom

2005-07-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

This has been a week of mixed emotion, not just for me but for the country as a whole. Winning the olympic bid and stuffing the French was very satisfying. Tony Blair hosting the G8 conference at Gleneagles, with Africa and global warming at the top of the agenda was not only noble but indicates genuine concern for others and the future of this fragile planet.

Then, in an instant, came brutal reality.

What kind of a world do we really live in? Answer. Whatever we care to make it.

I don't personally subscribe to any political persuasion, nor do I subscribe to any form of religion. Why? Because both can, and have been the catalyst to the loss of precious human life.

Looking at the world each day, mostly through the eyes of the various media, I'm always aware that I'm fortunate to be able to speak my mind, express my views and choose to live how I want to live. It's called freedom.

I'm also painfully aware that my ancestors, and their ancestors gave up their lives in order to secure and maintain this most coveted of all liberties, for the benefit of their children, and their children's children. They made the ultimate sacrifice. They gave their lives, so we may be free. This is something that should never be forgotten and never, ever be taken for granted.

If you'll just take a brief look into the history of our great nation, you'll find that we were almost always at war with someone sometime. Is it any wonder then, that we have the reputation we do? The stiff upper lip, the stubborn resolve, the 'we will never give up' stance. Of course not. It's in our blood and always will be. Only now, we have learned from our weary battles. But we have never faltered in our beliefs, we have never waivered on the fence, we have never backed out of a fight and we will never give in to anyone, ever. That's why we are Great Britain.

Okay, I know I'm sounding all patriotic, but you probably know why.

It's because a very little irritating gang of murdering bastards, think they can impose their will and idealism on the western world through the bomb and the bullet. Well it's simply not going to happen. Ask the Germans. And they were much more organised and much more tooled up than this bunch of second rate devil worshippers.

Think that's a bit strong?

Okay, I ask you this. What other religion on this beautiful planet advocates killing innocent people in the name of their loving and almighty god?

Answers on a postcard please.

Bill Knight

www.knight-writer.co.uk

So you want to be a copywriter?

2005-07-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

So You Want To be A Copywriter?

Wannabe copywriters often check out my site for information relating to my services and fees. And quite right too! I still give my competitor's websites a 'gander' every now and then, in case they're doing something that I should be doing.

I receive many emails from students working towards their marketing or other media degrees, asking for a few tips about securing work in the 'Copywriting Industry' I didn't realise we had an industry! If we have, it's surely a cottage industry because most copywriters are freelancers who work on their own and usually from home.

"Well what about advertising and marketing agencies?", They enquire. "Well what about them?", I ask. And so it goes on and on until they realise that a copywriter who works for a structured and institutional organisation, is a totally different animal to that of the freelancer.

Institutional versus Freelance

So what are the differences between them? There are many. Let's look at the agency writer. He or she is likely a talented person with creative skills and a good command of the English language. They will have learned, from their course work, the psychology of selling, aspects of communication and how to write in a flowing and interesting style.

Each day, at the agency office, they will work on their assignments, which have been delegated to them by their manager. Their work will be scrutinised by their manager or team leader, who, in the interests of their company, will decide whether it's worthy of publication.

After a couple of years, doing similar 'run of the mill' stuff, they may be offered the opportunity of coming up with something completely original. All by themselves, with no guidance, un-tethered by their mentor. And, in the interests of the company, not to mention their job security, they will produce something as institutional as they have been doing previously. They'll play it safe. Well wouldn't you?

Eventually, their creative awareness and talent may break through the institutional membrane and they'll want to move on. They'll want to do something for themselves. They may even become a freelancer.

A freelancer is just about anyone with a passion and a flair for writing. Some have started out on their career path by working for agencies, some have graduated in English and just feel 'qualified' to do the job, whilst others come into the 'industry' from a variety of other routes.

By whichever means, once they become a freelancer, they quickly learn to survive. To survive and prosper as a freelancer you must have the ability to adapt, diversify and develop the skill of writing in any and every style humanly possible. But there's more! You will have to meet deadlines, sometimes work for less than the lower national wage limit and learn to turn your brain inside out. Sounds painful!

What does it all amount to? What's the bottom line?

Let's summarise thus far.

A copywriter working for an agency will work in a nice warm office with nice friendly colleagues, writing simple institutional letters, brochures, ads and information packs. They'll be paid somewhere between 18K to 26K, get 4 to 5 weeks annual paid holiday and get to slag off the boss at the office Christmas party.

Sounds pretty good to me. If you want to be a copywriter, I recommend you go down this path. It offers a good salary and a steady secure position.

The freelancer's life is not so clear cut. They mostly work on their own, write all kinds of stuff about everything and wonder where their next packet of fags is going come from. They only take short breaks, get stressed and slag everyone off at any party.

They're self-employed, so have to keep accounts. They have to buy all their own stationery, stuff their own letters and post off their mailings. They have to advertise or even worse, they have to compete to sell their services for a pittance to unknown clients through some online freelance website. The pits!

Sounds terrible doesn't it? Then why do we do it?

The uncovered truth about freelancing

Well, obviously I can't speak for everyone so I'll tell you why I do it and how I do it. "Listen up"
The main reason I write for a living is because I love it. I've always been a creative person so writing comes as second nature. And let's face it, it's not very difficult to do.

I love the challenge that each assignment brings. I have ghost-written several books for clients and each has been on a completely different subject. The downside of ghost-writing is having to sign away all rights to the work, which means you can't showcase it or put it in your portfolio. The client gets all the credit for your masterpiece.

I've written many articles for websites, emails and sales letters. I write poetry, humour and boring stuff like FAQ's and product information. But I'm never bored because the work can be so varied.

Then there's the money of course. A good freelancer should be able to make around 50K a year. Some make less but some can make over 100K a year. There really is no limit. Make a name for yourself and not only will you be earning a good living, you could possibly find yourself in the enviable position of being able to pick and choose the work you do.

Still want to be a copywriter?

Good! Now let's dispel a few myths by answering a few questions that I get asked all the time.

The 6 Most Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you need a formal education and a degree?
No way! Although most agencies will only employ graduates, there's no reason why a freelancer needs anything other than a good command of the English language, creativity and a flare for writing. There are many copywriting courses available, if you're a little unsure or want to hone your skills, but make sure the course work is set by an experienced and reputable copywriter.

2. Can previous work experience help?
Yes! Sales and marketing experience is very useful if you intend to make a living as a sales copywriter. At the very least, you should understand the sales process and the customer service aspect.

3. I don't have a portfolio. How can I get work?
Create one! Write some articles, write a small book, write some sales letters, brochures and emails. Show what you can do. Write for free. Write for charities, magazines or newspaper letter pages. Use your imagination and write about anything.

4. Where are the best places to get work?
You could try contacting marketing agencies by way of a letter of introduction, but don't hold your breath. Magazines are always looking for fillers, so this would be a good place to start. Local small businesses might be interested in having some leaflets written for door to door delivery. Contact them by letter, listing your services and your rates.

When you have gained a little experience, go online and subscribe to some of the freelance websites. Elance, Freelance Work Exchange and Getafreelancer are quite good, but be prepared to compete with other bidders from all over the world. Some Indian freelancers will work for as little #3 an hour, so you're up against it. Still, I think it's worth the experience. I get some of my assignments this way.

Build a website or have someone do it for you. I'm of the opinion that all businesses should have a website if they want to stay in business. Create a mail shot and work your way through your local Yellow Pages. Sell yourself. It's what you will have to do anyway, so get used to it.

5. What should I charge for my services?
This is just a guide. You'll instinctively know when you've become established.
A one page letter consists of around 500 words and should take no more than 2 hours to write, revise and finalise. If you want #10 an hour, that'll be #20 for the job. Don't bother quoting a price per word as you'll find yourself writing a load of drivel in order to fill the pages.
Again, once you're established you can charge what you think your work is worth. It's not uncommon to charge #400 for a 6 page sales letter, if you're good.

6. What do you think is the most essential skill of a successful copywriter?
If you can't do this, you won't be very successful.

"Write as you talk"

That's it! You must be able to communicate with your reader right off the page. Your words must be conversational. You must be able to 'speak' to your reader and stir their interest, their emotions, their desires.

If you're trying to sell them something, you must be convincing. Your letter has to be compelling and attention-grabbing. Finally, your letter has to make them take some action. This could be filling in a form, making a phone call or writing a cheque. It's a call to action.
Still think you have what it takes?

Then go forth and return with the bountiful harvest of your creative genius!

Good luck and warm regards,

Bill Knight - www.knight-writer.co.uk

(# denotes GBP or US Dollars)

Never Take Time For Granted

Being a freelancer means you have to make the most of your time. Time is a precious commodity and more importantly, time is money. The article below just about sums up the importance of this resource.

Don’t Bank On Time

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with #86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out ALL OF IT, of course!!!! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow.” You must live in the present on today’s deposits.

Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today. Treasure every moment that you have! And remember that time waits for no one.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present!!!

(Author unknown)

Been a long week

2005-06-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's friday. Looking back over the week, it's seems to have dragged by. But perhaps it was purely because I was writing so many different sales letters, emails and ads and putting in some long days. Well whatever, another week over.

I aquired 3 new clients this week. One will surely be a millionaire within the next 12 to 18 months, thanks in part to my exceptional sales letter. One will make a load of sales but will most likely have to refund most of them, because the product is crap and the other is will make sweet FA. Why, because he's an amateur and just hasn't got a clue.

He hopes to make a fortune selling some shitty little ebook on ebay. Worst part is, the bastard hasn't paid me yet for writing a brilliant sales letter for his website and an ebay ad. It really does get right up my nose, when someone like him, with no talent whatsoever, asks me to write his shit with no intention of paying. This is my living. He's stealing my living, my bread and butter.

But shit happens! He won't make a single penny on ebay. I'll personally see to it. I have ways and contacts in this business. I have a feeling his website will experience a few major problems also. I'm going to put a hall of shame on my site. I'll name them and shame them. They won't be able to hide forever.

Right! Got that off my chest.

I had to take my dog to the vet yesterday. I've got a German Shepherd, called Taz. His ears have become totally bunged up with gunge and he won't let me near them. It's been causing him some distress, so off we went.

Vets always like to give your pet a thorough examination, helps to justify their extortionate fees. "Is there anything else wrong with him, only he looks a bit depressed?" She asked. I told her he was depressed beacause his ears were all bunged up. "Well I'll just check him over while he's here" She said. I thought, well okay if you insist.

She started to feel around his stomach, and asked if he'd eaten anything unusual. "No, just the usual. His regular meals and the odd 3 day old lump of dog shit" I said. "Oh, don't worry it was his own crap" I added. She gave me a, just dropped my trousers and flashed, kind of look. You know, partly shocked and partly disgusted. Hey! He's a dog. That's what dogs do...don't they?

Well next, she listened to his heart beat. "Mmm, it's very slow" she said. Then she thinks it might be a good idea to check his temperature. This is going to be interesting, I thought. Taz is getting a little nervous by now. He's getting agitated by all the feeling and probing. "Can you hold his head while I insert this thermometer" She asks. "Er, wouldn't it be a good idea to muzzle him first" I enquired, sheepishly. "Oh I'm sure he'll be okay" she replied, or rather retorted.

I laid Taz on the floor and held his head firmly, while giving him the baby talk stuff. "Tazzy!, Tazzy wazzy! Who's my tazmina cabina? Yeah! I know. But that's how I communicate with my buddy.

Taz knew something wasn't right when she pulled his tail to one side. I could see it in his eyes. It was terror! I just knew he wasn't going to submit to this indignation. I was getting nervous! Then, all of a sudden, my lovely cuddly furry pal, changed almost instantly into a wild savage killer. His eyes glazed over, his gums rolled back, fully exposing his pure white bone crushing canines and a deep growl was emerging from the depths of his throat.

He swiftly turned toward the vet and made a lunge for her throat. Shit! I had to jump between them and beg Taz for her life. She stood there rooted to the spot holding out her thermometer for protection. I grabbed Taz's chain, opened the door to the main reception area and dragged him out. It took all my strength. By now he was barking like a banshee. He wanted blood, and he wanted her blood.

I managed to get him outside and tied him to a rail. I had to go back to see if this crazy/brave woman was still breathing. She was still rooted to the spot and looked lifeless. Her skin had taken on a strange milky white colour and her hair was standing to attention. "Are you okay?" I asked, shaking her arm for vital signs. After what seemed like a age, she sucked in a deep breath and replied. "Wow, that was scary. Look, I'm trembling" "you're not the only one" I said. "Well what about his ears" I asked, "Will you be able to clean them out for him?" "Bring him in again next Thursday morning, I'll have to sedate him" came the reply.

I took Taz home and gave him a bowl of cold water. Funny thing. I've noticed he won't turn his back on me, and he has a very suspicious look in his eye. It's going to take a while to win back his trust, me thinks.

This is a true story. There's no moral to it, but I guess there is some kind of lesson to be learned.

Till next time.

BFN

Bill Knight
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Ramblings of a writer

2005-06-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'm Bill Knight, a professional, international copywriter. I was going to use this blog to give out advice to aspiring writers, but then I thought...what the hell. Why should I go around spouting on about what makes a good writer? Why should I give away all my sales and marketing knowledge? No-one would appreciate it anyway.

Instead, I'm just going to harp on about my work in general. You know? What I do each day, and some stuff about my many wonderful clients. Someone may be interested to know what goes on in the secretive world of copywriting, I thought.

Okay, well this is the first installment. Well, not really an installment, more of an introduction. I'm sort of pre-warning everyone, that I tell it as it is. I mean, I'm not afraid to say what I think, and I will!

For anyone interested, it should be interesting.

This blog is going to be about getting it off my chest. You know, all the things that really bug me. It could be work related or it could be just anything in general. It will be about whatever I decide it to be about, at the time of writing. Okay?

Good!

If at any time you feel like joining in, please feel free to express yourself.

I will.

Well that about raps up this informal introduction. My next offering will be much more indicative of a typical day in the life of...

Bet you can't wait!

BFN

Bill Knight
www.knight-writer.co.uk