"I've learned that any fool can write a bad ad, but it takes real genius to keep his hands off of a good one."
Leo Burnett.
It's also worth noting that enough monkeys at typewriters will eventually produce a grand slam control of an ad for you but hey, that's how probability works.
The reason most clients hire copywriters is because they need a volume of work produced faster and of higher quality than they can reasonably produce on their own.
It's not that exciting is it?
However, what is really interesting is that many copywriters are also dealing with the human need to meddle. So a client gets the copy and then has some sort of overwhelming need to change what they have been given despite their lack of expertise in the area.
Interesting, if you ask me.
There is a universal need to tinker. I get that. What is interesting is that the tinkering never gets split tested. It's just the client's opinion vs. the copywriter's. When in fact the only opinion that matters is the market's - so test if you are so damn sure that you've improved the copy.
This goes back to Burnett's quote about a real genius keeps his hands off of it.
Once it's running and a success, the client and the copywriter are faced with an entirely different challenge:
Leaving the promotion to keep running until it fatigues.
I've got a lead generating space ad that seems to be able to run indefinitely at the moment. I know it won't last forever and I am feverishly looking to find a way to beat that control. But at the same time I am happy to leave it running generating leads and turning those leads into customers.
So don't make the mistake of changing your marketing because you are sick of it. Change it only when your market is sick of it. And they tell you that by not responding to it. That is far more frustrating to a copywriter than the initial tinkering - your work is making the client money and the client comes back to you and says I want a whole new campaign.
That's stupid.
Keep your eyes on your results and we can test variations and look for new controls but don't stop running something just because you are sick of it.
Nothing to gain from being the second happiest place on earth.
Find your answer to the question and you will succeed too.
Leo Burnett.
It's also worth noting that enough monkeys at typewriters will eventually produce a grand slam control of an ad for you but hey, that's how probability works.
The reason most clients hire copywriters is because they need a volume of work produced faster and of higher quality than they can reasonably produce on their own.
It's not that exciting is it?
However, what is really interesting is that many copywriters are also dealing with the human need to meddle. So a client gets the copy and then has some sort of overwhelming need to change what they have been given despite their lack of expertise in the area.
Interesting, if you ask me.
There is a universal need to tinker. I get that. What is interesting is that the tinkering never gets split tested. It's just the client's opinion vs. the copywriter's. When in fact the only opinion that matters is the market's - so test if you are so damn sure that you've improved the copy.
This goes back to Burnett's quote about a real genius keeps his hands off of it.
Once it's running and a success, the client and the copywriter are faced with an entirely different challenge:
Leaving the promotion to keep running until it fatigues.
I've got a lead generating space ad that seems to be able to run indefinitely at the moment. I know it won't last forever and I am feverishly looking to find a way to beat that control. But at the same time I am happy to leave it running generating leads and turning those leads into customers.
So don't make the mistake of changing your marketing because you are sick of it. Change it only when your market is sick of it. And they tell you that by not responding to it. That is far more frustrating to a copywriter than the initial tinkering - your work is making the client money and the client comes back to you and says I want a whole new campaign.
That's stupid.
Keep your eyes on your results and we can test variations and look for new controls but don't stop running something just because you are sick of it.
Nothing to gain from being the second happiest place on earth.
Find your answer to the question and you will succeed too.
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