10 thoughts on “How to become a great copywriter – the best advice I’ve ever seen”
Kathryn Slater
Hi, I’m a member, but I’m getting a message saying this is Members Only content. Its the same for all month 8 material. Could someone have a look. Thanks.
4 years ago, you wrote an issue in the Gary Halbert Letter, “What did Claude Hopkins and Gary Halbert have in common?” As you raise the Halbert’s “Hands on experience” in this video… I want to thank you for the books you quoted in your GHL issue.
[If people are interested, the 4 books quoted by Drayton were:
– Clyde Bedell, How to write advertising that sells
– G. Lynn Sumner, How I learned the secrets of success in Advertising
– Merrill De Voe, Effective Advertising Copy
– Aesop Glim, Copy – The core of Advertising ]
Thanks you for reminding me of this. I often forget that I read those four books before I came across Ogilvy, Reeves or Hopkins. The Aesop Glim I read in the Manchester Public Library in 1957 or 1958 that determined me to become a copywriter. I remember little about it, but it changed my life.
I love Gary Halbert’s letter and his other work. It was through his website that I came across you. Did you ever work with him?
I also want to ask your thoughts on his A pile/B pile theory?
I’m sure you know it. It’s the idea that a person sorts their mail over a bin and therefore throws away anything that looks obviously like junk mail without opening it. Therefore, he believed your envelope should look like it’s a personal letter, with a stamp on the front and no teaser copy.
He seemed to be pretty insistent on that. Yet I know the other great copywriter you speak of, Bill Jayme. seems to have used copy on the front of the envelope very successfully.
Gary was brought to my attention by David Ogilvy who sent me one of his newsletters and asked what I thought. I was impressed and said so. I understand Gary used to boast about this. He had no need to. I guess like many of us – including me – he was deeply insecure. Wee corresponded just before he died.
What singled him out from almost all his proteges was – besides his keen mind and extraordinary selling ability – his great charm.
I agree but do not agree with his A pile and B pile view. That is because among the letters that we place on the A pile are those with messages on them that seize our attention. As George Bernard Shaw observed, “The Golden Rule is there is no Golden Rule.”
I hear that in e-mail marketing the first thing someone looks at is who the message is from.
Maybe the firm’s customer’s generally opened the mail anyway? Maybe the teaser copy (somehow) didn’t betray the fact that it was a commercial message? If in doubt there’s always the A/B split test.
Or maybe most teaser copy itself is simply dull, irrelevant or not built upon a big enough idea.
A horrible admission. Though I spend a lot of time visiting family in the US I have no bloody idea what that is. Write to Drayton@DraytonBird.com and I’ll reply as intelligently as I can (don’t laugh).
Hi, I’m a member, but I’m getting a message saying this is Members Only content. Its the same for all month 8 material. Could someone have a look. Thanks.
Anthony will respond later, Kathryn
Great advice Drayton !
Hi Drayton,
4 years ago, you wrote an issue in the Gary Halbert Letter, “What did Claude Hopkins and Gary Halbert have in common?” As you raise the Halbert’s “Hands on experience” in this video… I want to thank you for the books you quoted in your GHL issue.
[If people are interested, the 4 books quoted by Drayton were:
– Clyde Bedell, How to write advertising that sells
– G. Lynn Sumner, How I learned the secrets of success in Advertising
– Merrill De Voe, Effective Advertising Copy
– Aesop Glim, Copy – The core of Advertising ]
Thanks you for reminding me of this. I often forget that I read those four books before I came across Ogilvy, Reeves or Hopkins. The Aesop Glim I read in the Manchester Public Library in 1957 or 1958 that determined me to become a copywriter. I remember little about it, but it changed my life.
Dear Drayton,
I love Gary Halbert’s letter and his other work. It was through his website that I came across you. Did you ever work with him?
I also want to ask your thoughts on his A pile/B pile theory?
I’m sure you know it. It’s the idea that a person sorts their mail over a bin and therefore throws away anything that looks obviously like junk mail without opening it. Therefore, he believed your envelope should look like it’s a personal letter, with a stamp on the front and no teaser copy.
He seemed to be pretty insistent on that. Yet I know the other great copywriter you speak of, Bill Jayme. seems to have used copy on the front of the envelope very successfully.
I would like to hear your thoughts on this.
Ronnie
Gary was brought to my attention by David Ogilvy who sent me one of his newsletters and asked what I thought. I was impressed and said so. I understand Gary used to boast about this. He had no need to. I guess like many of us – including me – he was deeply insecure. Wee corresponded just before he died.
What singled him out from almost all his proteges was – besides his keen mind and extraordinary selling ability – his great charm.
I agree but do not agree with his A pile and B pile view. That is because among the letters that we place on the A pile are those with messages on them that seize our attention. As George Bernard Shaw observed, “The Golden Rule is there is no Golden Rule.”
Ronnie, I’ve thought about the same thing before.
I hear that in e-mail marketing the first thing someone looks at is who the message is from.
Maybe the firm’s customer’s generally opened the mail anyway? Maybe the teaser copy (somehow) didn’t betray the fact that it was a commercial message? If in doubt there’s always the A/B split test.
Or maybe most teaser copy itself is simply dull, irrelevant or not built upon a big enough idea.
Hi Drayton, one thing Gary always suggested you do is get a copy of the SRDS book.
I’ve looked into it believe me and I can’t fiind a UK equivalent.
Is it just in the states or is there something I could look at in the UK?
Closest thing I’ve found is Hilite DMS’ list collection.
It’s bloody remarkable when you sit back and just LOOK at lists, is there a massive UK list of lists and where can I find it?
Thanks,
Percy.
A horrible admission. Though I spend a lot of time visiting family in the US I have no bloody idea what that is. Write to Drayton@DraytonBird.com and I’ll reply as intelligently as I can (don’t laugh).