The annual obligatory “SB AD BD”

The annual obligatory “SB AD BD”

Yes, it's time for another long-awaited "What's in Kim's Mailbox". But in today's issue, I won't be looking at an ad or promo that landed in my inbox or mailbox. I'll be doing the annual, obligatory Super Bowl ad breakdown that you've come to expect from any...

Lessons from a “newbie”

Lessons from a “newbie”

Sometimes life gets busy. I've had my head deep into a few projects this week. So I haven't emailed you for a few days. (And if you didn't notice, forget I said anything!) One of those projects is my first-ever screenplay, which now feels like an eternity since I...

Put it in your rearview mirror

Put it in your rearview mirror

Hopefully I've helped you empty out your "mind trash" so far this week. Clearing out the mental garbage that's holding you back is crucial if you want to find your "happy place" in this crazy copywriting and direct marketing business... and in life. Because once you...

I love feedback

I love feedback

If you really, REALLY want to accelerate your climb up the copywriting ladder and ramp up the power of your copy... ...turn in first drafts that consistently wow your clients and smooth the path towards headache-free approval (and immediate re-bookings)... ...and reap...

Guts of Steel

Guts of Steel

As part of my re-commitment to my physical fitness, I've been exercising more lately. In fact, I've done a full-body strength training, an intense aerobic dance class, and an hour-and-a-half yoga class over the past 3 days. Then last night after yoga, I stopped to get...

Breaking the chains of writer’s block

Breaking the chains of writer’s block

Do any of these sound like you? “The problem I'm having right now is that I don't know what to write.” “It feels like my words aren't doing justice to my thoughts! I know I have great ideas and content but it's somehow so difficult to write it down the same way it's...

#1 skill for handling clients like a boss

#1 skill for handling clients like a boss

Freelance copywriting often seems more challenging than ever these days. Between the gazillions of copywriters you're competing with, and the advent of Chat-GPT and more sophisticated AI tools on the horizon, it may seem like it's harder than ever to launch and...

Ode to sh*tty clients

Ode to sh*tty clients

Yesterday I had my first mentoring session with one of my new copy mentees, who's fairly new to copywriting. I also had a great interview with Troy Ericson for his "Secrets of Scale" podcast. (I'll share it when it goes live.) Even though both conversations were quite...

Best subject lines of 2022

Best subject lines of 2022

All too often, I see copywriters give short shrift to their email subject lines. But they are right up there with headlines in terms of their importance in getting your copy read. And if your copy isn't read, it can't be acted on... and thus, no sales, leads, or...

Human vs. robot copywriting

Human vs. robot copywriting

It's hard to believe we're just 5 days from Christmas! Whether you celebrate or not, hopefully you'll be taking some time off to spend with family or friends... and reflect on your goals for the coming year. I'm looking forward to both of my young adult children being...

The copywriter of the future

The copywriter of the future

Everyone's talking about the latest AI tools (like ChatGPT and the next generation GPT-4 that should be out in 2023). Some are going "googly-eyed" over AI's capabilities and how it will replace what copywriters do... others are "pooh-pooh"-ing it and claiming it's not...

I sent vitamins to Mick Jagger

I sent vitamins to Mick Jagger

This is the last day this week that I'll be sending you one of my favorite past Copy Insiders and "What's in Kim's Mailbox" issues. It's got a funny story from back when I was running a $23-million-a-year supplement business while in my early 30s. And some key...

Get your money for nothin’ and your checks for free

Get your money for nothin’ and your checks for free

Today I'm sending you a Copy Insiders and "What's in Kim's Mailbox" flashback issue. It's one I wrote 3+ years ago on my birthday. There's a valuable and widely-applicable lesson here you can use to really go deep into your prospect's head. In looking back, there's...

Gross is BACK, baby!

Gross is BACK, baby!

Direct mail can be a great source of inspiration for successful online sales pages and video sales letters (VSLs). In fact, many of the best-performing sales pages you'll fine online right now in the supplement niche were originally written as direct mail magalogs,...

“Do-it-yourself” copywriting training

“Do-it-yourself” copywriting training

Becoming a "great" copywriter is something many beginning and up-and-coming copywriters aspire to. And while everyone's definition of "great" may vary in terms of what their goals are, the path to greatness is often the same. It's being dedicated to continuous...

“Method acting” and winning sales copy

“Method acting” and winning sales copy

As you nurse your Halloween candy "hangover", perhaps your stomach is churning as you read this email.  Well, like I talked about in the interview I did with Glenn Fisher and Nick O'Connor (a snippet of which I shared with you yesterday), it's a great way to...

You need this but don’t get enough of it

You need this but don’t get enough of it

The past month of so I've been sending you some of my most popular past issues. That's because I was on a much-needed break that included a 3-week vacation. It was a fairly active but well-paced trip, starting with a few cold, rainy days in Munich for Oktoberfest (it...

How to use “pre-suasion” in your copy

How to use “pre-suasion” in your copy

About four years ago while attending the huge digital marketing event, Traffic and Conversion Summit, I saw a “fireside chat” onstage with Dr. Robert Cialdini, author of the classic book on marketing psychology, Influence, and his more recent Pre-suasion. There were...

I’m just feeding you a bunch of lines

I’m just feeding you a bunch of lines

Right now I'm thinking of a variation on the classic Gary Bencivenga headline for a financial newsletter promotion many years ago... Lies! Lies! Lies! But instead, this particular headline would be... Lines! Lines! Lines! What kind of lines, you ask? SUBJECT LINES, my...

The accountability secret to moving forward faster

The accountability secret to moving forward faster

Being a freelancer or entrepreneur can be a tough experience. We valiantly try to go it alone, relying on whatever internal motivators we can draw on to wake up each morning, accomplish what we need to get done, and go on to the next item on the list. Or not. Yep, all...

What Jessica saw in Roger Rabbit…and how to use it in copy

What Jessica saw in Roger Rabbit…and how to use it in copy

Many years ago a movie called "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" featured a mismatched couple: the glamorous Jessica and somewhat dorky Roger Rabbit. One of the famous lines associated with Jessica's character is this: "I'm not bad...I'm just drawn that way." But there's...

Responsibility is a heavy responsibility

Responsibility is a heavy responsibility

I've heard from so many copywriters about their struggles with "Imposter Syndrome"... the feeling that others (their clients) will figure out that they're some kind of fraud. It shocks me how I hear this from successful copywriters even at the highest levels... heck,...

Little orange pills

Little orange pills

Issue #159--July 19, 2022 In celebration of my milestone birthday just over a week ago (yes, the big 6-0, holy crap), I'm taking a trip down memory lane... I'm sharing some of my earliest memories, and tying each one to a copywriting or marketing lesson you can apply...

“Beach body ready”? Not today, Satan!

“Beach body ready”? Not today, Satan!

In recent years it's felt like we're making some strides with how women are portrayed in advertising. But an email that landed in my inbox yesterday made me start to doubt that, at least initially. It made me flash back to 2015, when a huge billboard portraying a...