Posts by Clayton Makepeace
5 Ways to Grow (Very) Rich in Tough Economic Times
Let’s say you own a business and you’re trying to decide what kinds of products you should be developing. Or you’re a copywriter trying to select the clients and projects most likely to make you a bundle over the next year or so. Right off the bat, you know it isn’t going to be easy.
Read MoreThere’s Nothing New Under the Sun
I know how to make money – a LOT of money – in times like these, because I’ve been there before. All you have to do is hit the history books, figure out who got richest the fastest the last time around, and then do what they did. Only better
Read More7 Commandments for Creating Explosive Growth
I learned the following principles the hard way: through nearly four decades in the trenches. They have served me very, very well – and if you abide by them, they’ll do the same for you…
Read MoreThe Secret to Entrepreneurial Success
To achieve entrepreneurial success, you need these five things.
Read MoreAre These 3 Marketing Sea-Changes Killing Your Response?
“Skepticism, like chastity, should not be relinquished too readily.” – George Santayana Our customers are changing. The customer who was 65 when I began writing marketing copy in the 1970s is 98 today. The 65-year-old who bought the rare coins I sold for Blanchard in the ’80s is now 88. Today’s 65-year-old customer was born…
Read MoreHow to Conquer Your Greatest Creativity Killer
“There will be good days and bad, which means that some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky !” – Peter Jennings Despite all the great things going on in my life, I began feeling a little down in the dumps last week. That’s not good. For creative folks like me –…
Read MoreLong Copy vs. Short Copy
I’ve never seen short marketing copy win in a heads-up test against long copy.
Read MoreIs Your Marketing Killing Your Product?
“The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.” – Alfred Whitney Griswold Last week, I invited members of our EasyWriters Marketing Club to ask me anything they liked. And I personally answered every single one of their questions in a marathon two-hour live webinar. One of my beloved EasyWriters – a young copywriter…
Read More21 Secrets of Great Sales Copy
“Somebody once asked me if I ever went up to the plate trying to hit a homerun. I said, ‘Sure, every time.’” – Mickey Mantle Copywriters, marketing professionals, and business owners often ask me, “How do I tell the difference between good sales copy and bad sales copy?” It’s an important question, and getting it…
Read MoreYou’re a Success!
“Success is often the result of taking a misstep in the right direction” -Al Bernstein Last week, my copywriter friend was a basket case – and it was my fault. She had submitted a draft of a sales letter to me for review. She was proud of it, and expected me to tell her that…
Read More4 More Legal Secrets
In my last Early to Rise article , I regaled you with a personal story about the potential scary legal issues that can crop up when you work for (or with) less-than-honest marketers. I also outlined the 3 “Golden Rules” that I always follow when working with my own clients. Unfortunately, in today’s highly regulated,…
Read More3 Golden Rules for Avoiding Most Legal Nightmares
One year before 9/11, I was cooling my heels on the 86th floor of Manhattan ‘s World Trade Center . I was waiting to be grilled by a team of government investigators and wondering how IN THE HECK I wound up there. I flashed back to the moment, two years earlier, when a FedEx truck…
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