Good Copy Starts with a Good Copy Deck Template

A copy deck is a Word document with the copy for a piece. Copy will usually stay in deck form until it’s approved by all stakeholders, then copied and past-ed into the design.

Interestingly, the term “deck” dates to the mid 20th century when presentation slides were stacked next to a projector like a deck of cards. Eventually, the in-dividual pieces that made up the final design were called decks as well (copy decks, strategy decks, pitch decks, etc.).

2 Reasons to Avoid Keyword Stuffing in your SEO Copywriting

What you should know about becoming a copywriter

On the last day of most copywriting courses, the program director will put all the students together in a room and tell them what to expect from becoming a copywriter at an ad agency.

If they’re honest, it’ll sound like the most cutthroat, back-stabbing, ego-fuelled mess of a life one could imagine. And if the students are honest, they’re all itching to get out there.

What traits do you need to be a great copywriter?

We recently met the next crop of youngsters at the Humber College Portfolio Show, all hoping to be the next great copywriter. As we flipped through books to find the gems in the limestone, we got to thinking about what “gem” means to us. We came up with five common traits every great copywriter has:

Active Voice and Passive Voice: Differences and Benefits of Each

The 5 Qualities of a Strong Creative Brief

Most brand managers and marketing managers we’ve worked with over the years have told us that the best part of their job is writing the creative brief.

“Sending a creative brief to my agency and getting back a creative reinterpretation of my thoughts is so cool,” says Shauna Pichosky, now the VP Marketing and Communications at ParticipACTION.

Copywriting = learning

“Learn something new” is the fourth most common new year’s resolution (behind exercise more, lose weight and get organized). And it’s one of the hardest to keep because it involves serious effort and dedication. But for a copywriter, it’s an easy one to stick to because copywriting is all about learning.

You are what you post: A social media warning

Social media is the great equalizer of our time. It gives everyone the same opportunity to share their views, thoughts, wisdoms and gripes — and people take full advantage of that on a regular basis. But the power to say what you want when you want about whatever you want comes with consequences, ranging from public shaming to getting fired.

On the more benign end of the spectrum, consider the story of Alex Johnston, a political candidate for office in 2015’s Canadian federal election. She was called out for a ridiculous Facebook post she made seven years prior about Auschwitz. These posts came to light weeks before voters went to the polls. And while she was a long shot to win anyway, this revelation all but guaranteed a loss. While members of her party won surrounding ridings, she only captured 16% of the vote in hers.

Lyrics: Copywriting Set to Music

Like great copywriting, great lyrics will make you pay attention.
Come mothers and fathers throughout the land,
And don’t criticize what you can’t understand.
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command.
Your old road is rapidly aging.
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’
That’s from The Times They Are a Changin’ by Bob Dylan — whose lyrics were and are so powerful that he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Interesting conversation starter about that lyric:
He placed mothers ahead of fathers. Keep in mind that this song came out in 1965 when society was still patriarchal. So to put mothers before fathers was a big deal, especially for a generation that had spent the past 20 years protecting an American ideal that was being questioned by a guy with a guitar who couldn’t sing.

Kawhi Leonard’s Shot — Heard Round The World

2.7 million Canadians watched Game 7 between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers, and all hopefully got to see the Kawhi Leonard shot.

It was magic — one of the great sporting moments in our city, and possibly even the country. Right now, only Sid the Kid’s Golden Goal at the Vancouver Olympics, Joe Carter’s Series-winning blast and Jose Bautista’s bat-flip even come close (the Leafs have had their moments, but it’s been so long that they’re hard to remember).