"Copywriting and Basketball"

Summer in Seattle means just one thing: WNBA basketball is
back. And I'm a fan.

To appreciate the significance of this statement, you have
to understand that I was not at all into sports when I was
growing up. "Gym" was a course to escape as often as
possible. I didn't know what a point guard was till about 10
years ago.

Now I own an embarrassing number of Storm t-shirts, along
with a Storm baseball cap, headband, and annual
subscription. I schedule everything around the games. I
justify this fanaticism by arguing that we can all learn
from watching basketball when we get ready to create content
for our own websites.

For example, great basketball players take a LOT of shots.
They shoot from all over the court, even when they're
double-teamed (which they usually are). They take many bad
shots and, every so often, they have a really bad game. When
they're hot, they take three-pointer and make them look
easy.

Real marketers write a LOT of content. They write for
websites, blogs, ezines, article distribution services, and
more.

And they warm up by taking LOTS of shots...at headlines,
openings and bullets. Some write twenty, fifty or even a
hundred headlines before choosing two or three to test.

They take risks. Sometimes you have to try for a three-point
shot from halfway down the court because you never know.
Teresa Weatherspoon of the New York Liberty once landed a
half court shot that kept her team alive in the playoffs.
And sometimes your edgiest copy will attract your most
lucrative piece of business.

Players who keep passing the ball, waiting for a perfect
shot, come across as timid. Fans get frustrated. Let's not
even wonder what the coaches are thinking. Timid players
often end up creating turnovers because, these days, you've
got great players on both teams. Botch a pass and your
opponent goes sailing down the court for an easy lay-up.

In my experience, the only way to write compelling content
is to write lots and lots of bad copy. Be willing to toss
anything and everything. One day, as you read what you
wrote, you'll realize, "That was a gem and I didn't know it
at the time!"

And you can't be afraid to take risks when you write. When
you write an edgy sales letter or send around a controversial
article, you lose subscribers and you get critical comments
from self-appointed "referees." But you also attract lucrative
clients and strong business allies.

So that's my approach to copywriting. Take a lot of shots.
Expect arguments with the self-appointed referees. And, most
of all, look like you're having fun. The fans always know.