This story should provide inspiration for anyone on this board who is banging their head against the wall trying to imagine a point of difference between themselves and the zillions of other copywriters out there.

Andrea Dale, who studied with me, is featured in today's Cincinnati Enquirer because she is not only a copywriter but also a songwriter and musician.

Here's the link to the article:
The Enquirer - Diverse hobbies help build business

Go take a look at her web site where, with my encouragement, she uses songwriting metaphors that would not work for another copywriter and that help the customer understand the nature of her creative talents:
To The Point Writing, Home page, Andrea Dale

By bringing her songwriting to the forefront, she makes it very obvious to the prospect how Andrea can help them.

Her tag line is "Singing the customer's tune" and she has another page titled "Harmonizing with you."

Bravo, Andrea!

Marcia Yudkin

Marcia,

Thank you for posting this -- it is indeed inspirational. I am learning quite a bit from the way Andrea Dale is positioning herself -- she seems to be somewhat like me, so that gives me some ideas for marketing myself as well.

The main things I've learned from your post are --

~ it isn't necessary to separate the other types of writing I do

~ to continue writing in other fields and genres, and

~ to post pdfs on my (not yet extant) website.

Another thing, very much related, is that it's okay to be a different kind of writer. My own writing runs the gamut between very folksy, laid-back, informal...to elevated, literary, poetic.

I guess it's about authenticity, and allowing people to see all the facets of who you are.

One question: the feature articles...were they for clients of hers or were they unrelated magazine assignments?

Thanks again, Marcia. You really made my day with this one.

- V

For those who are interested in how to go about getting publicity, I talked with Andrea Dale and here is how the article featuring her came about. Basically, it was through local networking:

Not an unusual chain of events at all.

Marcia Yudkin

Marcia,

That was a brilliant suggestion on your part and I have no doubt that
it will continue to work for her.

I've often wondered if songwriting, and the ability to imrov rap/rhyme
my whole life is something that always made copywriting very easy for
me.

What would make her page even more compelling would be a short
30 second video where she just slightly strums the guitar and gives
a warm introduction.

She has a beautiful smile and has a look that is sure to build connection
and resonance. She just seems so damn trustworthy and I don't even
have a clue who she really is.

But when I go to her site it's pretty plain and I don't get to see who
she really is. I don't know who I'm doing business with.

With a short video greeting I bet she'd quadruple her response rates and
be able to spread her talent so much further.

Even a picture would do wonders. For all I know this could be some
Indian guy pretending to be some folksy songwriting lady.

I know lots of women don't want to put pictures of themselves out there
because of weird dudes, but in this business... I think it helps so very
much.

Marcia,

She may be able to write good copy for her clients but I need a microscope to read the headline - which by the way isn't really a headline at all. If I were looking for a copywriter, I'd pass this site by right away.

-- Rachel

When it comes to storytelling, David Garfinkel has talked about country song lyrics as something copywriters ought to seriously study. As a guitar player and musician for over 20 years, I can see the relationship between copy rhythm and cadence to music. Even the word "cadence" itself is something I became all too familiar with in the service, having to march to the drill sergeant's choices in rhythm and "lyrics".

Sometimes I get the sense that many things in the universe are connected...

Cheers,

John

That's a good point you're making, John.

When I teach writing (which I don't do nearly enough, but that's going to change), I tell my students to listen to music. To dance. To feel the rhythm in their bodies so they can translate that rhythm onto the page.

Another reason copywriting in particular is such a wonderful science/art/craft to get involved with has to do, once again, with rhythm.

Rhythm is hypnotic. It helps bypass that critical filter. There's a reason hypnotists often speak in a low, rhythmic voice. And why we sing babies to sleep.

And there's a definite connection between enchantment (to cast a spell) and chant (speaking in a hypnotic manner). Furthermore, chanter, in French, means to sing.

Rhythm also helps the brain organize information -- that's why we all learned our ABCs by singing the ABC song.

So when we, as copywriters, judiciously introduce a certain rhythm or cadence into our writing, we should find it becoming more effective.

Dang, I love my new job!

Thoughts?

- Valeria