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24Jul/10
You caught me... I'm not much of a lyricist! And while I may wish I had the mad musical writing skills of Bernie Taupin or Mac McAnally, I simply don't. So, I'll stick to what I'm good at: Writing copy that motivates people...
So, here you are, reading about a non-musical copywriter. What's the hook? Here's the hook: Let me deliver the jingle you're looking for.
How does that work if I"m not a jingle-writer?
It works in two ways, but both have the same effect. Ever read those stories as a kid where you got to choose your own ending? A little regression is good now and then. So, choose your ending:
A.) Choose this ending if you need a way to increase your year-end sales.
Let me help you put a little extra jingle in the bells this holiday season -- and maybe a little extra jingle in your pocket from a bigger-than-average holiday bonus. Now is the time to think about a well-planned and well-written year-end promotion. Contact me.
B.) Choose this ending if you just want to increase sales, period.
Let me help put a little jingle in your bottom-line. There's no time like the present to create new sales collateral, a new web site or a well-timed promotion. Contact me.
C.) Choose this ending if you're really confused and just want to have a jingle written for your company.
Seriously? You chose this option?
3May/10
It's 10PM, where's your copy at? Better yet, what's it doing for you?
Earlier today, I was speaking with a client who is working on some sales collateral. It reminded me that it wasn't too long ago that on-demand information wasn't possible. If you wanted more information about a product, you had to make a call and then wait for a fax or even sales material in the mail. Yowza!
Today, of course, it's an entirely different story. If you see something you like in a magazine, or hear someone mention something that sounds interesting, you just hit the Web. A quick search yields exactly what you're looking for and you can easily read more about it and pull the trigger when you're ready to buy. All without picking up the phone or waiting on the mail. It's a miracle.
How's this relate to copywriting? Well, think about the process above. There's no personal interaction before the sale! The copy (along with an appealing web design and a decent e-commerce system) does the work for you. Well-written copy is a 24x7 silent workhorse.
Does your copy help seal the deal? Whether you're selling a back massager, high-end denim, cars or computers, your copy must help you sell the product. Is your copy helping or hurting business?
When you're ready for sales copy that works, contact me!
17Nov/09
I've tried to make sure that my clients are diverse -- I'd go crazy if I wrote the same things day in and day out.
For example, today I wrote copy to be used in a client's proposal template, reviewed & researched a request from an agency to provide written promotion concepts for a popular snack cracker (which also happens to be my favorite snack cracker), edited copy for a landing page and carefully crafted a couple pages of drop-in flyer copy for an anti-hair loss product.
Diverse is good.
8Nov/09
These days it's fairly common for American companies to outsource overseas. What many people don't realize is that sometimes those foreign companies outsource here too.
The last couple of years, I've had an increase in requests from overseas companies who want to do business with American companies and need a little help making sure their sales copy reads the right way.
Take an India-based software company, for example. It's a top-notch development company doing business with quite a few Fortune 500 firms. They have their own writing staff -- and they're solid. The trouble is that as good as they are, English isn't their first language. When they write sales copy, it's pretty good. An American businessperson could read it and understand it just fine. However, the copy might strike them as a little awkward -- a few misused words here and some colloquial language there.
To present the best image companies like the one in the example above send their copy to an American writer like me. I'm able to take the copy that their writers have put together and give it a solid once over. If a paragraph wouldn't make sense to an American reader, I'll re-write it. If I find a colloquialism that an American reader wouldn't understand, I change it. The result: Clear, compelling copy that's ready for an American audience.
Do you need an American writer to edit and "Americanize" your copy? Don't take any chances -- contact me at john@johnlaing.com for a free analysis of your needs.
5Nov/09
Hi.
If you're looking for a solid copywriter with a quirky sense of humor, you're in the right place.
I'm John Laing and I'm that guy.
I write and produce for clients around the world. In fact, if you use brand name products or spend much time online, you've probably seen or interacted with my work. Contact me!
What do I write?
- Promotion ideation / concepts
- Campaign ideation / concepts
- Corporate brochure copy
- Web site copy
- High-performing CPA landing page copy
- Squeeze pages that work
- Training materials
- Product launch materials
- Written materials for e-businesses
- Catalog copy
- Media releases
What do I produce?
- Corporate videos (write & produce)
- Training videos (write & produce)
- Promotional overviews
- Event recaps
Who do I write for?
Agencies, businesses and start-ups. Confidentiality agreements prevent me from disclosing the majority of my client list, however, here is a partial list of client industries. An asterisk next to an industry indicates that I have written for one of the top three manufacturers (or brands) in that industry; A + indicates that I have written for multiple clients in that industry.
- Health & beauty *+ (my work includes makeup, deodorant, vitamins, toothpaste, lotions, soap, OTC meds & femcare)
- Food *+ (my work includes frozen entrees, shelf-stable entrees, soup, branded produce, salty snacks/chips & more)
- Other CPG *+ (my work includes cleaners, disinfectant sprays, tissue, toilet paper, disposable plates, detergent, batteries & more)
- Small electrics *+ (coffee makers, electric tools & battery-operated floor cleaners)
- Fast food *+
- Automotive *+
- Telecom / Long distance *
- Service providers + (testing services, billing services, psychological service providers, entertainment companies & more)
- Direct marketers + (misc. direct to consumer and business to business companies who market products primarily via direct mail, direct response television and online squeeze pages.)
- Technology *+ (computer equipment & software)
- Apparel +
- Financial +
I also help help international companies Americanize their copy.
How can you put my skills to work for your company or brand?
It's easy. Contact me! (Yes! It's that easy! Just a call or a click is all it takes to put 15-years of copy writing experience to work on your brand!)
What happens next?
When you contact me, I'll ask you a few questions about your project to make sure it's a good fit. If I think it's a good fit and you feel that I'm a good fit, we'll talk about fees. On the first project, I will generally give you a flat fee for the project, rather than an hourly rate. If you still like me after we talk about fees (and don't worry, you probably will), I'll get started on your project.
Am I too small of a client?
No. If you need high-quality, professional copy and you've landed here, you're in the right place. Good copy is good for anyone. Stop worrying and contact me!
