Business is not the best at present.. but I'm working on it and this resource could be exactly what I've needed to help improve my options.

Ntarugera;

This question is not clear because it lacks context.

Who's annual budget are you referring to: your company or a clients?

Mike

Mike:

You have not answered my question yet since Sept 8th 2008. Allow me to repeat it again.

I have a question for you. How does annual budget affect our work of writing white papers?

Ntarugera

For copywriters, it is their writing and thoughts that can earn you a lot. Try to think in a easy and unique way. Your script must be easily understandable.

Writing good to great copy in my opinion requires deep research into the current thinking of a given market and the psychology of the influencers as well as the buyers. From this knowledge base we can become creative in gaining buy in and followthrough by using the age old A.I.D.A. formula.

The key point is to know the mindset of the buyers and the influencers prior to starting to write and how to get their attention, how to engage their interest, how to build an intense desire for the solution that the product or service delivers and finally how to motivate them to take the desired action within the desired timeframe for action.

Owen
mentor-one@usa.net

Inorder to thrive as a good copywriter, the only thing you need to have is the creative thoughts. It is necessary for your pen to mould in any direction. And be sure that you can drag the reader's attention as per at the first glance.

Shane,

I posed a question that was meant to stimulate thought as to how and why we write. I write to make money and attract clients and readers. Idealism need not be fragmented by writing copy that sells.

All successful idealistic causes have rallying causes that sell the dream. The well known thought leaders have a solid grasp on great marketing strategy and what aggregates readers and listeners as well as clients to continue being loyal to them. Some of the worlds greatest copy is brief " Come, follow me! I had a dream! As not what your country can do for you..."

Owen

@ Owen,

"Why not ask the big question… Should whitepaper writers become skilled ad and marketing copywriters in order to monetize their whitepapers and increase profit making opportunities during both good and bad times. If so why? If not why not? "

I think your above statement is very brief. Answering your question, writer will face options. Sacrificing the idealism or just accepting very few profit during the hard time.

Mike:

I do totally agree with Santro when he shares his conviction with the rest of the world saying that copywriters are writing and thoughts that can teach and make us earn a lot.

Moreover, when you make your products easier to be understandable, it facilitate you to think easily and in an unique way which you don't find easily in people whenever you try to describe their yalents


Ntarugera François

For copywriters, it is their writing and thoughts that can earn you a lot.Try to think in a easy and unique way. Your script must be easily understandable.

This is getting quite interesting and educational as well! I come from the world of workout consultants which focuses on rescuing companies and turning up the profits to get things into balance again. Aside from writing copy and white papers, I develop workout plans which focus on strategic processes to stop the bleeding, stabilize a rocking ship and trim the sails so it can continue the race for profit. One thing that I have always had to deal with is seasonal adjustments which traditionally are in the down season when I get my charge to conduct a rescue.

I look at ways to synergize mostly by introducing seasonally adjusted hot products and services to pick up the slack. The consumer/client/buyer is not seasonally adjusted because they buy something all year. When we sell to seasonal markets, we introduce them to this same concept so that they can profit in the down season. As an example I would tell a housepainter or carpenter to become skilled in interior work so that they could work all year. Why not seasonally adjust copywriting and look for nuggets of gold on the next corner. Do your own marketing plan and identify the hot seasons for all copy buyers. Use off season buyers to refer you to in season buyers and build from their.

The annual budget is an interesting subject. Buyers spend money on products and services that make them money or bring them intrinsic satisfaction [like great gellato and expresso]. Budget is an excuse for turning someone down. Consider a car buyer enters a used car dealers showroom and tells the salesman that he/she cant afford the $5000 plain jane sedan. The astute sales person walks the customer to the back of the lot and shows a Rolls Royce commenting that, "I guess $20,000 is out of the question for this car that just came in? The low budget buyer reaches for his checkbook and starts writing. The salesperson comments, I thought that $5000 was too much this is 4x as much. Looking up the customer commented that the first car was selling for retail and didn't represent good value but the Rolls is a great value and well worth the investment. A good copywrighter could offer much more inticing and attractive services down at the back lot, thereby changing the budget paradigm.

Cheers,
Owen
mentor-one@usa.net

Mike:

I have a question for you. How does annual budget affect our work of writing white papers?

Ntarugera

Mike:

You have an interesting question but you forgot that could be also matching with seasons. This is standards worldwide.
Seasons brings us profits but it takes also profits from us that we have earned earlier. Every business depends directly or indirectly on national budgeting process in any country.

Tell how it works in USA?

Ntarugera

Hey Mike,

Why not ask the big question... Should whitepaper writers become skilled ad and marketing copywriters in order to monetize their whitepapers and increase profit making opportunities during both good and bad times. If so why? If not why not?

To Owen

Hey Mike,

Funny you should ask this question just as August came to a close. For years, August was very predictably the slowest month of the year for me. I decided my goal would be to develop enough business so that even August was brisk.

Well, I just closed a very busy August with interesting work. It certainly took a lot of consistent marketing to get to this point. The hardest thing to do is continue marketing when you're already busy - so you keep things busy down the road.

Thanks!
Casey

I forgot to check the follow-up tick box;-)

As an entrepreneurial consultant first and a copywriter second, I can identify on a holistic level with fast track, good, level, down turning and bad markets. As such the ability to identify niches and trends can keep one on the high side of a balance sheet regardless of conditions.

In a down market, I have often offered services for equity. The equity is always tied to bottom line results and is paid out when and as the cash flowed. Consider that as a creative person you are vitally needed in down markets and actually have to grind it out in up markets. That is my 10 cents worth and I have ended up in co-ownership at a lot of businesses. By the way, a stake holder has the upper hand over someone off the street.

There always a time when things are slowing down for every business Mike. And I agree t what you say that how we prepare everything, including the marketig of the service, before the hard time comes is a key of success.

Thanks for the advice mate. This post definitely cleared a few clouds around my thoughts.