Branding Lessons from Holiday Ads
Every year, holiday ads show up with the same goal: create something people remember. Some succeed, but most don’t. The holidays are one of the rare moments when audiences lower their defenses, expecting sentiment and a healthy dose of nostalgia. They’re open to feeling something, but only if the story earns it. That makes December…
The Dreamer and the Disruptor
The song “Imagine” taught me the power of plainspoken truth. Lennon didn’t hide behind metaphors when he could aim directly for the heart. He wrote as if the emotional center of a message was the whole point, and not an afterthought. That instinct has followed me throughout my career and is the part of copywriting…
Why Copywriters Should Think Like Editors
Copywriters are storytellers, while editors are truth-hunters. Sometimes cleverness gets in the way of truth. Thinking like an editor shifts your default from: “Does this sound good?” to “Does this make sense?” Clever copy sparks attention, but clear copy earns trust. The best work does both, but clarity always wins.
Gratitude in the Creative Process: 17 Years, 17 Lessons
Seventeen years ago, I wrote my first real piece of copy. It was a series of radio commercials I wrote as a favor for a colleague and it led to my first agency job. I had no idea that one small line would lead to a career spent chasing clarity, connection, and that rare, shimmering…
Words That Work: The Psychology Behind Persuasive Copy
Persuasive copy isn’t a magic trick—it’s psychology applied with care. It’s understanding what motivates people, what reassures them, and what helps them make confident decisions. And when you combine that psychology with clean writing, strong structure, and a genuine respect for your audience? You get words that don’t just work. They connect. They convert. They…
From Freelance to Fractional: Rethinking How You Hire Creative Talent
The creative industry has a language all its own: Freelancer. Contractor. Fractional. Full-time. They sound interchangeable, until you’re the one trying to hire the right partner for your brand. Let’s be honest: choosing the right creative partner isn’t just about budget or bandwidth. It’s about chemistry, trust, and the kind of energy you want in…
The Writers’ Room Playlist: November Edition
Some days, writing feels like a polite conversation. Other days, it’s a riot in your head. This month’s playlist is for the latter—the wild drafting sessions when ideas claw their way out.
Storytelling vs. Selling: Why the Best Copy Never Tries Too Hard
Early in my career, I thought good copy was about cleverness. The sharper the hook, the better the headline. I could sweat over a single line for hours, convinced that the right combination of verbs and punctuation could make someone care. But the more I wrote, the more I realized that the harder I tried…
Creative Leadership Without the Title: How to Influence as a Senior Creative
At one of my previous jobs, I was a senior copywriter who desperately wanted to be promoted. I was doing the work, mentoring the juniors, bringing ideas that stuck in pitches, but the organization was flat. There was nowhere to go. No title to chase. And no ladder to climb. When you’ve put in the…
Why Your Brand Voice Isn’t Sticking (And How to Fix It)
Brand voice is one of those things that everyone nods about in meetings. Yes, yes, we have guidelines. We have a tone. We even have a PDF to prove it. But then you look at the work, and it doesn’t sound like anyone, let alone your brand. If your brand voice isn’t sticking, it’s not…
From Freelance to Fractional: Rethinking the Future of Creative Work
Freelance is a word everyone knows. It conjures images of coffee shops, pajama pants, and the occasional “Hey, can you turn this around by tomorrow?” email at 9:47 p.m. It’s flexible, it’s scrappy, and for a lot of creatives, it’s been the way to balance passion with a paycheck.
But lately, there’s a new word…
The Art of the Creative Brief: How to Set Yourself (and Your Team) Up for Success
The success or failure of a project almost always comes back to the creative brief. A great brief doesn’t guarantee a great campaign, but a terrible one practically guarantees mediocrity. Done well, a brief is less about checking boxes and more about setting the stage. I like to think of a brief as a GPS…
The Writers’ Room Playlist: October Edition
Some people welcome October with pumpkins on the porch. I prefer a new soundtrack. This month’s Writers’ Room playlist leans into the season—moody enough for gray mornings, sly enough for late-night drafting, and just restless enough to keep you chasing down an idea when it wants to run. Call it creative fuel with a side…
Editing and Revising: Turning Good Copy into Great Copy
Editing often feels like the unglamorous part of writing, but it’s where the transformation happens. Drafting is about getting everything out of your head and onto the page, and then sculpting it into something worth keeping. It’s about seeing the potential in your first draft and then taking it to a much higher level.
The Secret Sauce of Great Copy: CTAs That Convert
Writers obsess over headlines, subject lines, and hooks, and rightly so. But a brilliant headline without a strong CTA is like a beautifully plated meal that no one tries. Your CTA is where you turn interest into action. It removes friction by making the next step obvious and guides behavior by answering the unspoken question,…
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Sara Barton 