Writer’s block? This master copywriter shows you how to kill it so you can write effective ads and copies!

Monday: MicroBusiness and Marketing Marvels FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: I love hearing the success stories of various famous entrepreneurs and marketers. Their experiences, life lessons, and insights inspire me to continuously do my best in serving my community and a lot of independent professionals. That’s why every Monday, I highlight each of these individuals in this newsletter, hoping that their success stories will also motivate you in the same way that they do to me. And today, I’ll be sharing with you a brief background about legendary copywriter Eugene Schwartz and what you can learn from his legacy. Are you ready? Keep reading to know more about Schwartz’s contributions in the field of marketing and copywriting and how he became a master copywriter in his time. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

Writer’s block? This master copywriter shows you how to kill it so you can write effective ads and copies! Eugene Shwartz: A Master Copywriter and the Author of the Book, “Breakthrough Advertising” Eugene Schwartz is one of the best copywriters of all time. His sales records speak for themselves and many of his axioms have become commonplace in today’s world of digital marketing, especially those interested in landing pages and conversion optimization. Here are just a fraction of his accomplishments: He wrote a TV advertisement that sold to 1 in every 14 American TV owners. He made $50 million dollars from a textbook on natural health. He received over 2 million orders on a fishing lure. Then, in 1966, Schwartz wrote a book called, “Breakthrough Advertising,” which is widely regarded as the holy grail of copywriting. Simply said, Schwartz is an absolute genius in creating successful copywriting campaigns! Did you know that he has created a working system for himself that enabled him to write 9 books, dozens of successful ads, and countless articles for well-known publications all over the world? If you didn’t, then now you do. Schwartz did all these works by writing in just 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. … and he did it in style. 3 Hours a Day, 5 Days a Week Schwartz believed that learning your craft and doing research are the hard work. Meanwhile, writing, as many can attest, is the “impossible work.” Imagine this: You stare at a blank screen. You blink. You’re terrified. You get up and grab a cup of coffee, and you walk around reorganizing your desk. You drink… You tweet something cliché… Then you stare at the blank screen again… Despite doing all these, you still haven’t thought of something good to write about. You’re stuck! However, Schwartz never, not even once, experienced a writer’s block. He never experienced facing self-doubt in front of the page. How was he able to do that? He set a small kitchen timer to 33.33 minutes and pressed the start button. Schwartz sat in front of his desk 5 days a week. He had a ritual and he never wrote anywhere else. He’d have his coffee on the left and a few pens on his right displayed just so. After organizing his stuff, he’d turn to his writing machine and the ad he was working on. That’s when he’d set his timer to 33.33 minutes. Once that timer was up and running, he only had a few simple rules: He could drink coffee. He could stare out the window or at the wall. He could sit and do nothing for 33.33 minutes. He could write the ad. He could not leave his chair for any reason. He could not do anything else. When the timer went off, Schwartz would stop writing, even if mid-sentence, and do anything he wanted for 10 to 15 minutes. After a short break, he’d go back and set his timer again. He sat down and set his times 6 times a day, 5 days a week. That’s 3 hours and 20 minutes of work per day. The result? 9 books. Dozens of successful ads. Countless articles. One great way to earn a living. That’s how one of the world’s best copywriters got his writing done! Simple, right? Aside from that, Schwartz is known for spending up to a week working on a headline alone. According to him, “When you have written the headline, you have spent 80 cents out of your dollar.” This is because Schwartz believed that 80% of people read the headline but only 20% read the entire copy. So, what can you take away from Schwartz’s working and writing system? To succeed in marketing, you don’t necessarily have to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, you just need to know the right approach to take so you can achieve your goals. Another thing: Consider your target market’s awareness about your brand. This will help you give your readers the right amount of information they need to make a decision to avail your products or services. Lastly, don’t be too hard on yourself. The more you stress and wear yourself out, the more you’ll feel burned out and less motivated to work. Think about Schwartz’s working habits. He only worked 3 hours and 20 minutes per day and yet he was able to maximize that time to create excellent ads and copies. Apply that mindset in your daily work routine, too! I don’t mean working only 3+ hours a day when you’re supposed to be working 8 or so hours. What I’m saying is that you should take it easy. You’ll see, the more relaxed you feel, the better your performance and productivity will be. Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for next Monday’s MicroBusiness Marvels! “Marketers are writers in some capacity.” Learn more about Ann Handley and digital content marketing on next week’s MicroBusiness and Marketing Marvels!