The web is full of shady people, with shady sales approaches and tactics. It is hard to go online without being pressured to buy something. Believe it or not, people actually pay "copywriters" to come up with these sleazy sales pitches.
After investigating the sector, it's disheartening to see how much money these bloodsuckers charge for their services. But then I came across Allison Nazarian -- an exception to the rule, apparently.
Nazarian, the Boca Raton wordsmith who heads TheCopywritingStore.com and the AllisonMediaGroup.com, goes beyond just writing sales copy for the web. She actually teaches her clients how to do it themselves so they don't have to come back to her every time they need new copy.
Nazarian, the Boca Raton wordsmith who heads TheCopywritingStore.com and the AllisonMediaGroup.com, goes beyond just writing sales copy for the web. She actually teaches her clients how to do it themselves so they don't have to come back to her every time they need new copy.
Except, um, isn't that bad for business?
Allison seems to think of it differently. Here's a portion of our conversation.
One of the things that interested me about you when we spoke was you telling me, "One of my goals is to make sure no one ever has to hire a copywriter again." Isn't that a pretty bold statement -- and potentially damaging one -- from someone who makes her living from copywriting?
I believe that marketing -- and copywriting in particular -- can be taught. It can be a "DIY" [do-it-yourself] job. It takes work and time and the right guidance, but it is doable. Now, more than ever, marketing -- especially for smaller businesses, entrepreneurs, but really for everyone -- is crucial.
But many can't afford to hire or bring on good marketing expertise. Hiring a copywriter can be expensive. And even if a business does have the budget for this hire, bringing someone else, someone new, up to speed on the who, what, and why of a marketing campaign takes time and energy. For these and other reasons, I see the DIY option as a great one for many businesses.
How would you describe your focus and approach to copywriting and content creation versus the usual fare out there?
There is a lot of hype out there. A lot. Unfortunately, a lot of people buy into it. Yes, marketing is important. But it is not an "untouchable." It is accessible and affordable and doable for businesses of all sizes. The internet has leveled the playing field for everyone -- so why not help people do it themselves? When they succeed, I succeed. There is more than enough to go around for everyone.
Nazarian has written several books, including Copy-writing 101 for Small Businesses and One Minute Copywriter.