The Whole Marketer Ep135 - Effective copywriting with guest Dave Harland: How to write better, brilliant copy

Episode #135. Today’s topic is a technical skill on copywriting and its critical role in driving action and building brand trust. 

Joining Abby to discuss is seasoned copywriter Dave Harland aka the Word Man. A naturally entertaining storyteller, over the past two decades Dave has built a notable career in persuasive writing that captures attention for brands such as Google, Jaguar, Tesco and Castor. He is a regular speaker at industry events and also has a LinkedIn following of almost 100k people who enjoy his witty stories - particularly leading scammers down rabbit holes and challenging bad actors on the internet. 

In this episode Dave shares his definition of copywriting, 3 effective copywriting principles, when brands get it wrong, empathy for your audience, copywriting tips and brand success stories.  

Plus Dave’s career highs and lows and advice for marketers. 

00:00 Welcome and why the art of copywriting is so important for marketers. 

05:44 How being entertaining converts consumers into loyal fans. 

07:52 Ryanair excels at self-deprecating, entertaining branding. 

13:16 Brands misuse clichés and jargon which impacts consumer engagement.

18:56 Empathy is crucial for effective copywriting skills. 

22:20 Knowing what is interesting to your audience. 

26:50 How to improve your writing skills. 

31:37 How Dave turned a career low into university writing opportunity. 

36:46 Dave’s career high and advice for marketers. 

Host: Abigail (Abby) Dixon FCIM/ICF | LinkedIn

Guest: Dave Harland | LinkedIn

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The Whole Marketer podcast is here to support and empower the people behind brands and businesses with the latest technical tools, soft and leadership skills and personal understanding for a fulfilling marketing career and life as a whole. For more info go to www.thewholemarketer.com