World Class Copywriting: Are there Bird droppings on your catapult?

(Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes)

What does a human catapult have to do with blogging?

Seemingly, not a heck of a lot, but my mind tends to move sideways through a series of non-sequiturs. Like getting the right answers using wrong data. It’s a talent. I guess.

So, last year I spent a couple of months immersed in copywriting. I bought about a dozen of the best books, subscribed to a bunch of lists, read everything I could get my grubbies on. At some point, I stumbled across Bill Fryer and Drayton Bird.

I have no idea how this happened. But the catapult was involved.

Maybe because they’re both top notch copywriters, widely respected as “guru’s gurus.” (My words, not theirs.)

Maybe because they’re both funny as hell, and not afraid to put it all out there.

Maybe because Mr. Fryer knows people who launch people using catapults. Or that Mr. Bird learned the business from David Ogilvy.

I dunno. Hardly matters. What matters is I signed up for both of their mailing lists, and I read everything they write, paying as close attention as I know how. You should too.

In any case, I blatantly stole these 21 points from one of Drayton’s emails. I snapped them up as a great basis for an article, and they’ve been lollygagging in my drafts queue for months.

Time to put this list – and you – to work!

Here’s what you do: Think very hard about each item in this list, and determine if it’s an accurate label for what you offer your customers (or readers, same difference). Think about why.

1. Are you unique?
2. Cheaper?
3. Quicker?
4. Better value?
5. Safer?
6. The most trusted?
7. The friendliest?
8. The first?
9. The top seller?
10. The most tested?
11. Give quicker service?
12. The most advanced?
13. The latest?
14. The oldest?
15. The most loved?
16. The one experts prefer?
17. The most reliable?
18. More fun?
19. Sold in a special way?
20. Easier to deal with?
21. More helpful?

After you choose, tell us:

• Which characteristic you feel describes you best.
• Explain why you feel this way.
• How you provide your customer with this same feeling.

More catapults? Why, certainly! Check out the Dangerous Sports Club.

Definitely check out the irreverent glory of Drayton’s Bird Droppings.

And get on their mailing lists. Those aren’t affiliate links above. (I wish they were.) I don’t get anything out of this except a blog post that it was fun to write.

Hrm.

Actually, I get more than a blog post. I get to show a little gratitude for what I’ve learned – for free – from both Bill and Drayton. And hopefully, one or more of you will subscribe. And that would be very cool: when we’re both reading the same material, we have a basis for communication and collaboration.

That’s a pretty good deal!