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Robert Williger

CMO of MapFig, Inc. Copywriter and Marketing Strategist. U.S. Army Veteran. Author of Copywriting for Non-Marketers (http://bit.ly/1U174Jp) What questions do you have on copywriting and marketing?

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Hi Robert. Little bird told me that you served in Afghanistan. How was it like to serve there? Did it change the was you perceive the world we live in? Any memorable event you have experienced while being there?

Robert Williger

I think this is the first question I have received on my Army experience. My first few months in Afghanistan were on a pretty established base in an area with relative calm. Then I moved to a remote area in the northern part of Afghanistan near the Turkmenistan border. That was quite a different experience. I rotated between our main base, which was actually an Italian base and then I would go out to a couple of the outposts to let the medics there go back to the main base. Most of our supplies came in via air drops, where pallets with parachutes would come down and we would go out to retrieve them. Some of the situations in the outposts were quite primitive.

Some of my world views changed after being there. The first is that it is actually a beautiful country, just has been filled with war. Many of the people just want to live their simple lives and do there thing. On a more overall, I think I keep work frustrations in better perspective knowing that there are a lot more serious problems.

I think the more memorable events would be some of the locals I needed to treat, especially children that were injured. #military

3 weeks ago · 1741 views
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    • Assaf LevyPerspective.. Good point! Got mine in Lebanon. Another beautiful, war torn country. I wonder how many afghans sometime think about that American soldier treated then. Nice, thought provoking answer, thanks ;)
      0 likes · 3 weeks ago
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    Let's talk about conversion optimization for a second. I'm often trying to play with marketing messages to find out what works better. I've tried different types of messages: personal, funny, long, short, scary, sad, sophisticated etc. and always come to the conclusion that people prefer short and funny messages. What do you think?

    Robert Williger

    That is a great question. The legendary copywriter, Eugene Schwartz, in his book Breakthrough Advertising, talks about the stages of awareness that your prospects are in. They range from completely unaware to the most aware. In general, the more aware the prospect is the less content you will need to get them to convert. If you are marketing to your customer list then shorter messages are likely more effective, as the prospect is more likely to read most of the content. I know personally when I see longer content, it reduces the chance that I will actually read it.

    As far as tone, that is going to vary a bit on your industry and your brand. Personally, I do prefer more amusing messages. I want to get a feel for the people and brand as I think many consumers want to these days. I think most industries can do well with this type of copy but there are still many who are hesitant.

    Funny messages also play into the Liking element of Dr. Robert Cialdini's 6 elements of influence. If a brand can make us smile we are more likely to want to give them our business.

    This is certainly a question I am going to reflect on some more and look into a bit further. #copywriting #CRO #marketing #startups

    3 weeks ago · 1419 views
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    • A friend of mine studied copy writing in a place considered to be the best in Israel for copy writing specifically, what would you advise her to jump start her career in the field?

    Robert Williger

    Jonathan,

    Thank you for asking. I would say it is critical to never stop studying. The training is only the start as it really is something that comes with practice.

    She should study advertisements and most importantly try to identify how she would improve them. As much as technology has changed things, we are still dealing with human nature and people are the same.

    Also, while formulas are popular and an excellent way to get your copy started, do not feel any obligation to stick with it and not add your own unique elements.

    A couple of good resources to study are The Gary Halbert Letter (thegaryhalbertletter.com) and Bencivenga Bullets by Gary Bencivenga (http://marketingbullets.com/archive/).

    Two excellent podcasts to learn from would by Psych Insights for Modern Marketers (PI4MM.com) and Copy Chief (copychief.com).

    Finally, I would say create your own products. It is simple and low cost to create an ebook or something and it gives you great practice to have to market your own product. When you are the one who will directly benefit it is interesting to see how that impacts the copy.

    5 weeks ago · 850 views
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    • How do you create a fun user experience using copy?

    Robert Williger

    I love this question!

    A fun user experience with copy is a matter of keeping the material upbeat. Of course, it needs to be appropriate for your market and product.

    I think some of the best copy for a fun user experience is when it identifies some of the team members. Let the reader know that your company isn't just robots. Give them the names of the people handling their order, for example.

    You can also share the story of how the company was created and give them a view into the life at the company. You want them to feel a connection to the brand and product.

    I hope that helps and feel free to ask any follow up questions. I think I may have gotten an article idea out of this question :) #copywriting #marketing #startups

    6 weeks ago · 1454 views
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    • Robert WilligerHere is a blog post I did to further expand this http://bit.ly/1TzZvso
      1 likes · 6 weeks ago
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    • Dikla SinaiThanks so much for you answer. I agree with what you said; I think that it is very important for users to feel like there is someone behind the product, especially if there's any money involved (like ecommerce). But I'm wondering if this could also work for more formal organizations, like banks or government departments etc, what do you think? And thanks for the link to your blog! I'll take a look.
      0 likes · 6 weeks ago
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    If you had to perform onstage, would you rather sing or try stand-up comedy?

    Robert Williger

    I would try stand-up comedy. Some may take my singing voice as comedy, or horror. I had wanted to take comedy classes at one point but never did.

    6 weeks ago · 573 views
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    • What is the difference between copy and microcopy?

    Robert Williger

    Great question. Of course, the definitions aren't dictionary defined but copy would refer to the sales messaging. What is on the landing page, email, About Page, FAQ, etc...

    Microcopy refers to the words that are on buttons and input boxes. The messages that gives you feedback on an action. For example, if you enter the wrong credit card number does it display, "Error" or "Oops, looks like you may have missed a digit" Microcopy is an excellent opportunity for brands to show their personality a bit.

    Interesting is that while copy is a marketing function, the microcopy frequently falls under User Experience. However, the words that are used on sign-up and purchase buttons can make a big difference in conversions so marketing certainly plays a role.

    Here is an article I wrote on the topic of microcopy. http://bit.ly/1L8TzFF

    6 weeks ago · 1307 views
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    • Would you rather be without running water or internet?

    Robert Williger

    That is a really tough one to answer. When I was deployed, I experienced both of these and would say at times it was Internet more but that was for communication purposes. If I was with family I would say do without Internet.

    6 weeks ago · 564 views
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    • If you could, what would you change in your country's elections method?

    Robert Williger

    I would want the United States to go to direct elections. We have the technology to do so, we should eliminate the electoral college system.

    7 weeks ago · 538 views
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