How I Approach
Copywriting Projects

From his well-equipped office mere steps from a magnificent view of the Colorado Front Range to provide inspiration — especially at sunset — and with Rocky Mountain National Park and Long's Peak on the horizon, Clarke Echols works his magic as words flow smoothly from his fingers through keyboard and computer to the display screen in front of him.

A serious Unix (and Linux) user and programmer for over 25 years, and author of numerous Hewlett-Packard manuals, online help, and other materials on that and many other subjects, he applies his expertise and perspective to white papers, websites, and other content that benefit from his rare combination of serious expertise in business ... programming ... and writing — both technical and marketing copy for websites and print.

Here are some insights into why and how he does what he does...

A Driving Motivator: When I see businesses using ineffective websites and marketing collateral because they lack certain specialized knowledge and skills, I feel a driving desire to help them get better results because I see how much those problems are costing them, even when they — themselves — are unaware of the problem.

By using superior techniques and systems based on specialized training ... plus my own experience in business ... as a writer for over 35 years ... and as a corporate employee for 30 ... I am able to help a business improve its bottom line by helping them communicate more effectively with their prospects and customers.

It isn't easy. Effective communication requires good copy, and good copy requires a lot more expertise and hard work than many untrained people realize. My clients benefit from my experience and know-how, and you can too.

Proven Systems: Whenever I write or create copy for websites or other media, I use proven systems that have worked well for decades — that are still used successfully by some of the very top copywriters and online content experts on planet earth.

In addition to my own experience spanning more than a third of a century, I draw from specialized training from American Writers and Artists (AWAI) — the world's top training organization for direct-response marketing practitioners.

I also use expertise I have picked up from legendary copywriters and content creators, including Clayton Makepeace, Bob Bly, John Carlton, Drayton Bird, Gary Bencivenga, Michael Masterson, Nick Usborne, Michael Stelzner, Jay White, Don Hauptman, Daniel Levis, Ben Settle, and others.

Most of of these masters have helped their clients bank millions of dollars from their work — some more than a billion. That's a lot of expertise.

When you engage my services, you also benefit from those years of experience and so does your bottom line.

My Approach: For each project I accept, I start by clearly identifying the target prospect or audience, defining the client-business-owner's desired outcome from the project, and determining what the prospect, customer, or website visitor actually wants and needs.

Based on my research, I evaluate various practical approaches that are consistent with my intensive training from top copywriting and website experts and the methods and systems they use and have used successfully for many years.

I base my work on proven principles of effective communication based on known human nature and behavior — rather than chasing the latest fad in social media or some other magical key to instant riches that rarely works well.

Smart businesses build on the rock of proven principles. The Internet is here to stay, and so is human nature. Just make sure you don't build your marketing foundation in the quicksand of a "here today, gone tomorrow" hyped-up social craze.

My Focus: Anything I create must address a few basic elements well:

• Vivid focus on what the reader or website visitor wants and expects. That means quality writing and graphics closely associated with the written message.
  The objective is clear communication using content that is useful to the reader — not some designer's latest attempt to create ``a spectacular first impression'' ... something real readers and real users insist they do not want.
• Pertinence, usability, and usefulness are of paramount importance. Website visitors and content readers want good information and they want it now.
• It has to pertain to what they're interested in — what they're thinking about. It has to be easy to read, easy to access, easy to navigate through. And it has to be useful to them in their life, right now.
• It must directly address what prospects and customers are interested in — not what the website owner or the business whose name appears on a white paper or brochure thinks they want to tell their readers.

When I focus on helping your prospects and customers get what they want, you'll end up with what you want — because that's how it works in a free society.

Quick, Easy Access: For online copy, I'm as miserly as Ebenezer Scrooge about content that requires time and bandwidth to reach the user's computer. I also carefully avoid loading his or her system with demanding Flash or multi-media features that bog down the computer, cause it to become sluggish, or even crash.

My web pages load in seconds — not minutes — for users confined to slow dial-up connections.

Slow load times are a major reason why many visitors abandon a website before they even see the home page. Yet most "web developers" either don't understand or know about it...

Or they simply ignore it as unimportant...

Or they suppose it's less important than splashy artwork.

They "win", and you lose a ton of money over fancy, useless frills.

Good First Impression: I advocate the truth that best first impressions come from treating readers and website users kindly — with understanding and appreciation — not by bombarding them with fancy graphics and special effects more suited to the latest video game...

Or copy that tells how wonderful the company is and proves it by publishing their company's mission statement and other useless drivel prospects and customers don't want to hear about.

My content and copy directly address prospects' and customers' interests and wants — not someone else's desire to show off.

That means they'll like and appreciate you, and they're much more likely to want to do business with you.

Professional Tone, With A Personal Touch: Even in the stiffest business-to-business (B2B) corporate copy, you're still dealing with people who have personal needs that compete with their legitimate business objectives.

I address that inner conflict with a unique approach that includes both sides of that prospect's thinking — leading to a much more productive business relationship by revealing a genuine understanding and appreciation for their personal side in the transactional equation.

That approach breaks down a lot of practical and psychological barriers so you have much better odds at closing the deal.

Bottom Line: If you're looking for well-written copy ... cleanly presented in an inviting layout ... that represents your company well by helping your readers know, like, and trust you...

You've come to the right place.

Give Me a Call

If you're ready to plug some of those profit leaks in your business, give me a call at  (970) 667-6736,  or  send me an email.

Whether you need help with printed copy ... online email or autoresponder marketing ... website evaluation ... or website construction...

Or white papers ... case studies ... brochures ...

Or articles ... reports ... technical documents ... or other written materials...

I'm easy to find — and easy to work with.