fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
OpenCV + CUDA + AWS EC2 + (No More Tears)
By: Balakrishnakumar V
Tags: Opencv In Ubuntu, Opencv Python, Cuda, Opencv, Nvidia

OpenCV + CUDA + AWS EC2 + (No More Tears)

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

By default, there is no need to enable OpenCV with CUDA for GPU processing, but during production, when you have heavy OpenCV manipulations to do on image/video files, we can make use of the OpenCV CUDA library to make those operations to run on GPU rather than CPU and it saves a lot of time.

It was not easy as it is said to connect the OpenCV library to enable it with CUDA, I had to go through a painful process for a week to establish the connection properly, also its both time & money consuming process. So this time I want to record the overall process for my future, as well as for others.

For the demonstration, I am renting an EC2 instance with a p3.8xlarge instance in the AWS, which has 4 Nvidia GPUs.

Source — AWS EC2 Pricing

So if you need any help in starting an EC2 instance for the first time, you can refer to my previous post on Step by Step Creation of an EC2 Instance in AWS and Access it via Putty & WinSCP and during the process select the GPU instance you require.

Now after ssh-ing into the instance, before we get into the process we need to install a lot of packages to make the environment ready.

Note: I have consolidated all the commands I ran from start to end and added them at the bottom. If you are more curious find them here in this link and follow along.

Run the below commands one after another on your instance and also I have attested the screenshots to compare the outputs against mine.
Simple Face Detection using Open CV(Google Colab)
By: Sridhar P
Tags: Smile Detection, Sundar Pichai, Facedetection, Opencv

Hey there,

In this blog, We are going to see how to detect the Google CEO eye, face, and smile using his picture.

Most people do not have higher-end laptops to run the program faster. So, I have used Google Colab which is completely free. You can write the program by using a chrome browser as well as you can get some virtual RAM to run the program.

Let's jump right in,

Face detection is a computer technology being used in a variety of applications that identifies human faces in digital images.

Let's see some code here,

Importing necessary libraries and images.

Plotting the image and its type

Converting a color image to Grayscale

You may wonder why this error occurs?

OpenCV images are stored as three-dimensional Numpy arrays.

When you read in digital images using the library, they are represented as Numpy arrays.

Solution:

we need to convert an image into a Numpy array.

With Numpy you can make blazing fast operations on numerical arrays, no matter which dimension, shape, etc. they are.

Image processing libraries (OpenCV, PIL, Scikit-image) sometimes wrap images in some special format that already uses Numpy behind the scenes. If they are not already using Numpy in the background, the images can be converted to Numpy arrays explicitly. Then you can do speedy numerical calculations on them (convolution, FFT, blurry, filters, …).

Now, see the output

why do we convert from RGB to Grayscale?

First of all, we should know the difference between both RGB and Grayscale Image.

An RGB image consists of 3 layers R, G, B as it is clearly see through its name. It’s a 3-dimensional matrix, for example, 3 consecutive pages in your book. where the grayscale image is of only 2 dimensions, and the values range between 0–255 (8-bit unsigned integers).

Therefore, some algorithms can only be applied on a 2-D image rather than 3-D, hence we convert an RGB image into a grayscale image, for instance, Black and White conversion of an image, convolution of an image, etc.

Haar-cascade Detection in OpenCV

Here, I used the Haar-cascade classifier for the detection

Object Detection using Haar feature-based cascade classifiers is an effective object detection method proposed by Paul Viola and Michael Jones in their paper, “Rapid Object Detection using a Boosted Cascade of Simple Features” in 2001. It is a machine learning-based approach where a cascade function is trained from a lot of positive and negative images.

Detecting face

Detecting eye

False detection

Disadvantages:

*side angle picture (difficult to capture),

Here you can see, it is detecting some parts of the face falsely as an eye

Smile detection:

Let’s combine all detection

Hope you like it, I will see you in the next blog until then bye from Sridhar…

Happy Learning…..
Image Composition with Transparent Image by OpenCV
By: Ugetsu Crown
Tags: Python, Composition, Opencv, Roi, Image

In this article, I write two ways to Image Composition, addWeighted and roi.

Images do not need transparent png and 3 channel reading in opencv is ok.

But, be careful to image size.

Used Image

img1.jpg

img2.jpg

1. addWeighted : the function of OpenCV

cv2.addWeighted(img1, α : transparency of img1, img2, β : transparency of img2, γ)

import cv2



# read images

img1 = cv2.imread('./img1.jpg')

img2 = cv2.imread('./img2.jpg')



# make image

result = cv2.addWeighted(img1[0:img2.shape[0], 0:img2.shape[1]], 0.5, img2, 0.5, 0)



# show image

cv2.imshow('result', result)

cv2.waitKey(0)

cv2.destroyAllWindows()

The output is this.

If the size of transparent parts have difference, error will occur.

cv2.error: OpenCV(4.2.0)/io/opencv/modules/core/src/arithm.cpp:669:

error: (-209:Sizes of input arguments do not match)

The operation is neither 'array op array' (where arrays have the same size and the same number of channels),

nor 'array op scalar', nor 'scalar op array' in function 'arithm_op

If you change the transparency,

img4 = cv2.addWeighted(img1[0:img2.shape[0], 0:img2.shape[1]], 0.8, img2, 0.2, 0)

img2 is thiner.

More over, γ is changed,

img5 = cv2.addWeighted(img1[0:img2.shape[0], 0:img2.shape[1]], 0.4, img2, 0.4, 0.2)

the image is darker.

If you want to show all of img1, you show composited image over img1.

img6 = img1.copy()

img6[0:img2.shape[0], 0:img2.shape[1]] = img3

2. Roi : Logical Sum by Bit

# clip img1 : the size is same as img2

roi = img1[0:img2.shape[0], 0:img2.shape[1]]



# theoretical sum

f_roi = cv2.bitwise_and(roi, img2)



# show original size

img7 = img1.copy()

img7[0:img2.shape[0], 0:img2.shape[1]] = f_roi

Cutting from img1 as the size is the same as img2.

Composited f_roi is below, the colors are mixed, it is different from addWeightd.
Haar Cascade Classifiers
By: Om Rastogi
Tags: Python, Machine Learning, Haar Cascades, Computer Vision, Opencv

Learn and implement Haar cascade classifier in projects…

Viola Jones Algorithm

Working of Classifiers

The Viola-Jones object detection framework is a machine learning approach for object detection, proposed by Paul Viola and Micheal Jones in 2001. This framework can be trained to detect almost any object, but this primarily solves the problem of face detection in real-time. This algorithm has four steps.

1. Haar Feature Selection

Objects are classified on very simple features as a feature to encode ad-hoc domain knowledge and operate much faster than pixel system. The feature is similar to haar filters, hence the name ‘Haar’. An example of these features is a 2-rectangle feature, defined as the difference of the sum of pixels of area inside the rectangle, which can be any position and scale within the original image. 3-rectangle and 4-rectangle features are also used here.

Haar Features

2. Integral Image Representation

The Value of any point in an Integral Image, is the sum of all the pixels above and left of that point. An Integral Image can be calculated efficiently in one pass over the image.

3. Adaboost Training

For a window of 24x24 pixels, there can be about 162,336 possible features that would be very expensive to evaluate. Hence AdaBoost algorithm is used to train the classifier with only the best features.

Image by Packt

4. Cascade Classifier Architecture

A cascade classifier refers to the concatenation of several classifiers arranged in successive order. It makes large numbers of small decisions as to whether its the object or not. The structure of the cascade classifier is of a degenerate decision tree.

Architecture

Implementation

Application

Despite the arrival of deep learning(RCNN, YOLO, etc), this method is still used in many applications for face and object detection, as this is very simple yet powerful.
YOLO ile OpenCV ve Python Kullanarak Obje Tanıma
By: Erkan Onğur
Tags: Python, Yolov3, Computer Vision, Opencv, Yolo

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
Did Stephen King Throw Away Carrie? Yes — and the reason why WILL change how you write copy.
Tags: Writing, Writing Tips, Marketing, Copywriting, Copywriting Tips

In his book On Writing, Stephen King explains how he came up with the idea for Carrie, which I won’t spoil for you here.

It really is worth it for you to experience first hand.

What I can tell you about the ah-ha moment behind the idea is that King, like so many other writers, was stricken with instant excitement and went right to work.

Then a funny thing happened: he found himself losing interest in the story.

His reason was understandable enough — he didn’t understand Carrie.

In many ways, he didn’t even like the character.

And that’s when the few pages of the would-be novel were transformed into balls of paper, unceremoniously tossed into the wastebasket and buried in cigarette ash.

Thankfully for King, his wife grew suspicious of the number of paper balls at the bottom of the wastebasket while cleaning.

At her urging, he agreed to undertake the completion of the project and restart the project by asking himself, “How can I, as an adult man, relate to a teenage girl”.

The question took him back to two girls he knew back in high school.

Both girls shared the same dismal luck — they weren’t too attractive, they grew up in poverty and were often bullied.

Grimly, both of those girls would go on to die young.

The first died of a stroke — one she could have survived had she been living with a partner or roommate, but her inability to forge relationships condemned her to a solitary passing.

The second girl would go on to kill herself after giving birth to her second child.

King attributed their sad, tragic fates to emotional scarring from their high school years — and from this tragedy he developed a genuine empathy for Carrie.

By being able to personally lament the misery and loneliness that brought both of his high school mates to their early demises, he was able to write his book with conviction.
How to become a copywriter (curated resources)
By: Alexander Lewis
Tags: Freelancing, Copywriter, Freelancers, Copywriting, Copywriting Tips

I am a full-time freelance SaaS copywriter. I’m regularly asked how to get started as a copywriter. I created this curation piece as a place to store my thoughts / ideas / tactics for being a successful copywriter.

I plan to update this document regularly as I write new articles about the craft and business of writing. If you want regular writing advice from me, you can also subscribe to my newsletter: The Craft and Business of Writing.

I tried to cover all the big, intimidating subjects I wished someone had taught me when I was just starting to freelance, including:

How to set your rates as a freelance copywriter

- Where to find freelance projects

- How to prep for tax season

- Picking a niche vs being a generalist

- Where to learn copywriting formulas and best practices

- And much, much more

2. Think Like a SaaS Copywriter: How to Write Website Copy that Converts (With Examples)

In this article, I covered eight tactics Sarabeth and I regularly use to improve conversions when writing copy for SaaS websites. They include:

Let customers write and structure your copy

Use customer-first language

Make your copy memorable by avoiding jargon

What will the reader miss out on if they don’t choose you?

Write to your customer’s stage of awareness

Show the human side of your brand, without forgetting you’re a business

Make it easy to purchase from you

Show some social proof

3. 11 Ways to Find Freelance Writing Jobs (Yes, Even Now)

Here, I went deep into some of the most common tactics we’ve used to find freelance copywriting clients. Here are all the points:

Browse social media search engines

Join industry-specific Facebook Groups

Find growing markets

Tap into your network

Tie your income to results

Teach your skills

Try freelance sites

Go local

Create a referral program

Solve problems in public

Partner up

4. 26 Tips for Becoming a Top-Paid Freelance Copywriter

In this article, I detailed the best tactics I know for commanding higher rates as a freelance copywriter. They include: speaking at industry events, niching down, value billing (instead of hourly), and learning technical skills.
5 Words to Make Your Sales-Letters More Compelling
By: Himanshu Bisht
Tags: Online Course Creator, Sales Funnels, Marketing Strategies, Solopreneur, Copywriting Tips

It’s wonderful to look back on how I learned to write sales copies back in 2018. English is my third language, and I rarely use it for my daily communication. Like millions of other mortals like me, most of my early “English knowledge” came through reading movie subtitles and blogs.

But when you are trying to survive as a marketer, it’s a challenge…

My vocabulary was limited, and I didn’t have the excess of choosing sophisticated words while trying to define problems and products. It was hard to express without making stupid mistakes.

It took a while, but sooner I found that it came as an advantage. Unlike many, I didn’t have to go through grammatical hurdles that native English speakers face. Since I didn’t know much, there was not much to unlearn.

Being a non-native English speaker helped me to discover “interesting” ways to express myself at the end of the day. I started looking for shortcuts to make my sentences better and better. I understood these tricks as an escape from my language insecurities.

And … it went well!
12 Simple Copywriting Tips For Marketers To Produce Outstanding Results
Tags: Ad Copy, Copywriting Services, Marketing Tips, Copywriting, Copywriting Tips

Copywriting is no longer an option.

As a marketer, you can´t afford to not master this skill and you´ll discover why at the end of the article.

For now, you´re just looking for some copywriting tips. Welcome, you´ve landed on the right page.

In a few seconds, I´ll show you 12 simple, time-tested copywriting techniques to help you stand out in the marketplace and create outstanding results for yourself or the company you work in.

By the way, there will be a bonus tip at the end.

Nod your head if you´re ready to impress everybody with what you´re gonna learn here.

Let´s roll.

#1 — Do The Research

If you study the master copywriters, you´ll discover they all talk about understanding your audience as the number one priority before attempting to write any copy.

Look, this first step is vital, you can´t get lazy here!

You need to know everything about the audience you´re writing copy for. Without proper research, all the following copywriting tips won´t mean anything.

I recommend you get a copy of Dan Kennedy´s book, The Ultimate Sales Letter. He breaks down a list of smart questions you need to ask in order to properly understand your market.

#2 — Write Ad Copy In A Good Mood

This might sound weird, but I promise you it´s the most effective copywriting technique you´ll ever see.

You probably already know there´s a connection between your brain and your fingers. The tip of your fingers are very sensitive areas and can pick up the emotions you´re experiencing in your mind.

Sound weird, doesn´t it? Just try this…

First, write a short paragraph to a loved one when you´re angry and frustrated.

Then, write that same paragraph when you´re happy and grateful.

What you´ll find out is that when you write in a positive state of mind, your words are also positive and flow better.

Human beings cannot be fooled, your prospects will pick up your emotions when reading your ad copy.

Now, a little weird trick I use because I don´t want to wait until the stars align to write, is to commit to writing.

That´s right! The simple act of committing to it will make me more positive and help me write better copy.

I can´t say for sure this will work for you as well but give it a try!
Ah, I see why you’d say this.
By: Daniela Cavalletti
Tags: Ghostwriter, Ghostwriting Faqs, Copywriting Tips

Ah, I see why you’d say this. But, you can — if and when you have permission from your clients, of course. Not every author is interested in or insists on their ghostwriter to be anonymous. It’s about he content, their specific knowledge shared for them, not the act of writing that’s important to many a published authors. And the showcasing of a ghostwriter’s writing skills does not have been an example of ghostwritten material per se — it can be anything on the topic or in the required style. Or an example of having done extensive interviews to extract the unique knowledge of someone — like for a feature article in a magazine. Likewise, a piece that required a lot of independent research can be the require sample you can request from your ghostwriter.
The skill I should have learned in kindergarten but didn’t
By: Josh Lee
Tags: Copywriting Tips, Writing, Storytelling, Copywriting

There’s an important life skill I didn’t learn in school…

And being able to do this well can lead to health, wealth, and great relationships.

That skill, my friends, is storytelling.

Now, when I say “storytelling,” I don’t mean the ability to write or recite bedtime stories…

I certainly don’t care for any of that…

But, if you think about it, almost all important communication involves storytelling.

When you interview for a new job, you’re telling a story about you, the hero.

When speaking sweet nothings into your partner’s ear, you are telling a story in which both of you are in starring roles.

When a politician goes on stage and says “We need to reduce immigration,” they are telling stories about villains coming to take your job.

Stories are powerful. So powerful that both good and bad people are telling you stories every day to get you to do what they want.

If you can tell a good story, you can get people to do things they otherwise wouldn’t do, like hire you, buy from you, love you, curse you, or like your social media post.

The thing is, storytelling isn’t all that difficult. In fact, most stories have the same basic parts (some of which are hidden in this post).

We’ll cover the building blocks of a good story next time.
Writing World-Class Copy? It’s About Reps…
By: Nick Maier
Tags: Words, Copywriter, Copywriting, Marketing Strategies, Copywriting Tips

Some of the best memories from my life are from my teenage years playing baseball. A Training Camp with the Florida Marlins. Catching Livan Hernandez. Seeing Albert Pujols hit bombs

Yet there’s one thing from those days that stands out more than most. One memory that’s ingrained in my being…

I was a catcher. A general. One of my downfalls, I’d get flustered and lost in the game at times. My then coach passed on some advice to me

“Nick. The only thing that matters is the next pitch. Break the game down. 9 innings becomes 1 inning. 1 inning becomes 3 outs. 3 outs becomes a single out. A single out becomes an at-bat. Each at bat comes down to the single pitch”

Feedback. My coach was teaching me about feedback…

Fast-forward to today and I’m blessed to call World-Class Coach, Logan Gelbrich, a good friend. In his book “Going Right: A Logical Justification for Pursuing One’s Dreams” — he discusses this concept and calls it “seeking disconfirming information”

The highest performers in the world are the one’s who receive feedback the fastest. In doing so they’re able to make changes and pivots to better their performances

Asking “how might I be wrong about this” allows us to broaden our horizons, gather more date, and become more accurate in our attempts

This is a core philosophy when it comes to copywriting. Get in the reps. That’s how you get better

Listen to Seth Godin and ship it. In doing so you’ll get feedback, make tweaks and level up. In doing so you’ll also begin to work through all the self-limiting beliefs you have about your work and begin to detach from the outcome and focus on the process. You’ll begin to practice, and in practice you’ll develop your skills

Journaling Prompt: how can I get more reps in today? What story am I telling myself that’s holding me back from shipping my work?

Nick Maier

@nickmaier__
Persuasion Insight — Bring The Future Into Focus Now
By: Jesse Bastide
Tags: Marketing, Behavioral Science, Conversion Optimization, Sales, Copywriting Tips

Photo by Garidy Sanders on Unsplash

Here’s a quick persuasion tip that can help you make more sales

It’s no secret that humans suffer from a “present bias.”

That is, we value things in the present more than we value future benefits.

You can use that quality of human decision making to help you make more sales.

Here is how you do it, according to the Behavioral Insights Team from the UK.

Bring future costs into the present

If you want to persuade someone to buy your service because it will either save or make them money in the future, you need to make them aware of that amount right now.

That’s where your calculator skills will come in handy.

Show them what they stand to gain in the next 5 years by doing business with you.

This same approach is used when selling energy efficient appliances.

Bringing the future into the present moment gives you a persuasion edge.

Don’t be afraid to use it.

Originally published on the Tiny Nudges Blog.
I should be a Medium copy editor because a lot of the pet peeves mentioned in this article bug me…
By: Chira Lois
Tags: Copywriting Tips, Writing, Publishing, Copyediting Tips, Copy Editing

I should be a Medium copy editor because a lot of the pet peeves mentioned in this article bug me too 🙂
How To Think For Yourself (and apply it to your copy…)
By: Nick Maier
Tags: Words, Marketing, Thinking Out Loud, Copywriting, Copywriting Tips

I was introduced to it by my first ever coach. Robert Bly deepened my interest in it. Dan Kennedy mentored me to take it even further. Steve Plummer supported me to begin mastering it

Most people try to run before they can walk with copy. They major in the minors and believe it’s simply the frameworks, concepts, tips and tricks that matter

They believe that using them guarantee’s immediate success

The truth is that just like with life, you’ve got to experiment with copy. You’ve got to test. You’ve got to receive feedback and analyse

Tim Ferriss was the king of this…

Think for yourself. Test your assumptions. Know that all of your beliefs, thoughts, and opinions aren’t true — and learn to see the truth for yourself

Experience it for yourself instead of vicariously living someone else’s life. Instead of being a bystander in your own experience

One thing to test for yourself?

PASPA

Problem

Agitate

Solve

Prove

Action

For your next copy project, after you’ve identified your 4 Universal Principles, test out this framework when it comes to your words

Begin with the problem and pain your readers are challenged by. Agitate it to create the tension. Create the emotion

Solve it. Position the product or service this way. Tell a story about the benefits. Prove it to us

Then, invite us to action

It’s simple. It’s powerful. It’s stood the test of time. It’s success depends on how greatly you test your assumptions on what will work inside the framework for you

Nick Maier

@nickmaier__
Fundamentals of Creating Engagement on Social Media
By: Mila E Yehl
Tags: Engage, Small Business Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Social Media Copywriting, Copywriting Tips

Photo credit: Georgia de Lotz via Unsplash

Fundamentals of Creating Engagement on Social Media

When using social media to promote your business, we all know creating engagement is everything. But how? Below are a few simple, but effective ways to build engagement. Mila E Yehl Dec 4, 2020·2 min read

L et customers get to know you!

Why it works: Social media is all about creating relationships and connections with both old and potential customers. When customers feel like they know you, it develops trust in your business, increasing the chances of repeat business.

Dedicate a post or do a shoutout post about a different employee at the salon.

Post a picture of them so that customers can see what they look like.

You don’t need to include anything too personal about them, just enough info to make future clients feel like they can relate to them.

Make sure the post creates both a warm and friendly, yet professional picture of who they are.

Reintroduce yourselves as a business periodically

Why it works: This lets new and potential customers get to know your business and what makes you stand out from the competition. This also reminds inconsistent customers that you’re still around.

Make sure to highlight what your core values are as a business and what makes you different from your competition.

Present this info in a fun way that’s also relatable.

The key is to be heartfelt and genuine. Show passion and love for your business and appreciation to customers!

Show any sort of interaction with charities, schools, community

Why it works: This shows that your business cares about the people in your community and your customers will support that. This is a good way to reach new clients and earn respect from people in your community.

Include promos and ads for these events beforehand and pictures of these events afterward that show your involvement.

Offer a small discount to customers who support these causes and events.

Collaborate with other businesses and/or public figures in your community also involved with the same or similar causes to expand your following even more.

Giveaways and Contests

Why it works: People will come for the chance at something free but will stay if they feel a connection to your business.

Encourage followers to tag x amount of friends and leave a comment on why they should be chosen.

Make sure the rules of the giveaway requires everyone involved to do at least some of the following: follow your business, like, tag others, and leave some sort of comment. This tells social media algorithms to show your account to more users.

Whatever you choose to give away doesn’t have to be too expensive, but it needs to be something that customers are excited about

What are some methods that have worked for you? Let me know in the comments.
Origin Story of a Copywriter
By: Nick Maier
Tags: Words, Copywriting Services, Copywriting, Marketing Strategies, Copywriting Tips

It began in early 2013 in Europe. I was 23. I was living and working in Munich. The whole trip would last 8 months

A failing, unemployed uni students “running away from reality” moment

A moment that changed it all…

Whilst walking through the streets of Munich’s Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz during their Christmas markets — it caught my eye in a bookstore…

The Copywriters Handbook by Robert Bly. Curiously, I bought it. I had no TV or mobile on me, so books were my best friend on this adventure

I was hooked. I absorbed it as if it were a Snickers Bar. I went back for seconds, thirds and fourths

The Copywriting Rabbit-Hole became my new home and I went deeper and deeper inside

Robert Ogilvy. Frank Kern. Dan Kennedy. Jay Abraham… They became second fathers to me

Copywriting is the skill I used to support me to create a 6-figure Brick and Mortar business inside of 6 months back home in Australia. I built a gym for kids from the ground up

Copywriting is a skill that’s changed my life

In this present moment I sit staring a $100,000 debt in the face. COVID caught us. We’d just moved into a bigger facility in December. The timing was perfect for the move on our end. Alignment was everywhere. We were in a brilliant position — then BAM!

COVID came and we lost close to 80% revenue. Our school contracts ended. Our sporting contracts ended. We pivoted online and saw an initial spike, yet our main demographic of parents lost their jobs and that flowed onto us

This baby of my own creation is dying in front of my eyes…

In the past when I’d envisioned this scenario it filled me with anxiety. It filled me with fear. It filled me with dread. I honestly thought it’d be a death sentence for me

“What else am I going to do?” was the main thought running through my mind. It was always accompanied by a vision of me homeless, living under a bridge…

Now that I’m here though, experiencing it in reality, I’m calmAF

There’s acceptance

There’s excitement

There’s curiosity

Why? Because I trust myself. Because I can write fucking AMAZING copy. If I believe in something I can share that message and move people to take action

I know how to use the frameworks of PASPA, AIDA and more inside of the Universal Principles of Copywriting — Action, Emotion, Stories and Words. Most people miss the principles and focus on the frameworks. They major in the minors…

Copy is the #1 skill coaches and SBO’s need. Why? Because people don’t care about your shiny shit!

They care about their problem and pain & solving that problem and pain. They don’t care what solves it, they just want it solved

If you can connect with them intimately and garner their attention — you have the chance to help them. That starts and ends with World-Class Copy though

The coach and SBO who communicates most effectively and efficiently wins. The coach and SBO who masters words wins. Copy = Winning

Nick Maier

@nickmaier__
Bones & World-Class Copywriting: The Perfect Mix
By: Nick Maier
Tags: Words, Copywriting Services, Copywriting, Marketing Strategies, Copywriting Tips

I found myself in Rome in 2010. In the Roman Catacombs to be exact. It was an experience of a lifetime

I remember one part vividly. There was a group of skulls and bones. Child size. Next to them was a sign. It read…

We were once like you are. And you will soon be like we are

At first I didn’t quite understand it. Then it hit me. Fuck. I’m going to die one day. This is going to be me at some point in my future. Hopefully in 80 years, but who knows…

It was the first time I’d contemplated my death. I was 20. It was freeing…

If you tell me stories about mortality. If you tell me stories about Memento Mori. If you tell me stories about living life to the fullest — I’m yours

It’s in my DNA. Those topics make every cell in my body fire. It’s what I’m hooked to

They may not be your topics of choice however for stories to tell. Therefore, I’m not for you…

There are stories, themes and pillars that your ideal readers, listeners, audience and potential clients resonate with

Know these stories. Know how to communicate them magically. And you’ll have them hooked

Stories. They’ve stood the test of time. Dismiss them in your copywriting at our own peril

Journaling Prompt: what fictional stories do my ideal clients resonate with? What movies and books did they grow up with that they have an attachment to? What experiences are playing out in their own daily lives that I know about and can speak to? What stories are they telling themselves about themselves and about life I can speak to?

Nick Maier

@nickmaier__
Short & Sweet Sentences for World-Class Copy
By: Nick Maier
Tags: Words, Marketing, Copywriting Services, Copywriting, Copywriting Tips

Short. Straight. Sweet. That’s how you want your sentences

They flow better. They read better. They keep your readers attention

Anyone can write a long sentence. Anyone can string words together. Anyone can appear smart. Anyone can look like they know what they’re on about

Short copy is hard. That’s why it’s powerful

And hell…

If it’s good enough for Seth Godin. The GOAT. It’s god enough for you and I

Journaling Prompt: how can I cut 10–20% of what I’ve written?

Nick Maier

@nickmaier__
Why writing copy is just like playing guitar
By: Josh Lee
Tags: Copywriter, Copywriting, Copywriting Tips

I’ve only been writing copy for a few years, but it turns out I’ve secretly been learning one of the most important parts of writing copy since I started playing guitar.

When playing guitar, or really any instrument, you learn some pretty standard techniques…

You’ll learn rhythm, scales, vibrato, staccato…

But none of those help you become a better copywriter.

Instead, it’s something else…

Even if you’ve never played an instrument before, your brain knows music theory — the guiding principles behind what makes music “work.”

If you’ve ever stopped a song in the middle of a musical phrase, you might feel uneasy, like something isn’t finished…

Music notes have to “resolve” and if they don’t, music feels unfinished to our brains.

When listening to music, our brains seek out these resolutions and it feels good when we find them.

And the same happens when reading.

Copywriters call these “open loops” and they are similar to music resolutions.

If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you read the headline and thought to yourself “how is writing copy like playing guitar.”

That’s an open loop…

And in this section — where I tell you the answer to that question — I’m closing the loop.

It’s a copywriter’s secret weapon and if you know how to use it correctly, you can be dangerous.

It could be the single greatest skill you have as a marketer.

But there’s one thing I didn’t tell you about copywriting that you must know if you want to be able to write copy…

… I’ll tell you next time.
How to make One Million $ a month ?
By: Isequaltoklasses Navneet
Tags: Writing Headlines, Writing Tips, Copywriting, Copywriting Tips

How to make One Million $ a month ?

The above grabbed you by your balls? Didn’t it.

Fun Fact — it takes you 8 seconds to make up your mind to click on an article link or a YouTube video as you scroll down on a google search.

And the best way to make them read (or click) is to write a smashing headline.

Of course, then you need to proceed to a great introduction, solid middle and an intelligent ending. But the headline is where the magic will happen — like this thumb nail of Mr.Beast’s latest Youtube video.

So how to write awesome headlines. One little trick that I have learnt recently is to check the headline score once you have few headline options.

Yes sir, in this magnificent Dawn of the Age of AI, the internet will let you check the efficacy of all your headlines. Click me here love, now . (Which by itself implies is to write as many headlines as possible and check them.)

Don’t be lazy!

Check the score below for the headlines I could have written for this article and the one that finally made it to the top.

Score — Headline

63 >How to write Grrrrreeeeat headlines

67 >How to write great headlines

68 >How to write good headlines

74 >Learn how to make a million dollars (legally) a month?

74 >How to make a million dollars a month?

75 >How to make 1 million $ a month?

76 How to make a million dollars (legally) a month?

77 >How to make a million $ a month?

See, I told you…it works and it’s amazing!

—

Few rules I keep in mind when writing headlines:

Make the headline set a sense of direction from the very beginning

2. CARE: Clear / All-powerful / Relevant / Emotional. A little mnemonic to help me remember the formula for a great headline.

3. How to Do _____ ; A Comprehensive/ Complete / Definitive /… Guide to________ ; 10 Ways to _______. These templates work every-time.

—

Useful rules i keep in mind while writing the body of any article:

Keep paragraphs short Speak to your audience directly Enjoy what you write Give them what they want Don’t plagiarize Know the product/service before recommending

—

And let me share a bonus tip…add a picture or two in your article.’ You and me respond well to images than words … or God forbid — equations.

Photo by NEOSiAM 2020 from Pexels

—

So next time to write an article, for yourself or your kid or your boss, I hope you’ll remember that the journey of a great article begins with a balls grabbing headline!

PS: Check this love , if you think the headline was a click bait.
Sebelum Menulis Copywriting, Kenalan Sama AIDA Dulu, Yuk
By: Badiah Setyowati
Tags: Menulis Artikel, Aida, Copywriting, Copywriting Tips

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
Content Creation For Businesses 101: Copying Others
By: Mandy Miller
Tags: Content Marketing, Marketing Technology, Business Intelligence, Marketing Strategies, Copywriting Tips

Copying others is a key part of content creation.

Whether you agree or not with this statement tells me a lot about how much you know about the content-creation industry.

If you frowned or tilted your head while reading that first sentence, congrats! You’re one of the last people who is somewhat knowledgeable of the true gears of the content industry.

As there’s so much content on the internet, there’s no possible way someone can be completely original anymore. To be honest, there was never a way to be completely original, the internet just made it more apparent. So, that means it’s ok to copy others and use their successes as a basis for our own content, right? As the saying goes, stick with what works.

Well, it’s totally fine if you want to copy others, yes. That is, if you want to end up frustrated and buried within the crowd, leaving the world with nothing meaningful to say.

You see, just as you can’t be absolutely original, you can’t be another person. No matter how hard you try, you will never be that successful blogger you admire, or the leader of that company making more profit than you, but you can be the successful leader of your company, you can be the famous writer of your book.

No matter how hard you try to be someone else, you will always end up being you.

Shouldn’t that be good news? In fact, that’s great news. The only thing you have to do to succeed is being yourself, finding your voice, that which you do and care about the most.

You may say: “what I do is pretty common and overdone”. And, even if that’s true, you still have to remember that, just as you can’t be someone else, nobody else can be you. Nobody is capable of doing the things the exact way you do them. And it’s on those small differences you must focus to create your own niche audience.

Think about two restaurants that have the exact same menu. If the concept was all that mattered, there would only be worldwide franchises in the world like mcdonalds and subway. But, then, why do so many people go to eat burgers at a different place every week? Because the small differences in flavor and experience are what makes going out, and life itself, enjoyable. Likewise, the way people write and speak, their ideas and knowledge, as well as many other factors varies from person to person, and that’s what makes content consumption so enjoyable.

So you can choose between people saying: “that blog is the weaker version of this blog” or, “can you believe what these people are saying here? I’m sharing it”.

If you’re the owner of a business and want to create content that lifts up your brand reputation, you can only do it if you find your own team’s strengths and let them have their own voice. That could seem “risky”, but, believe it or not, your writers from trying to “stick with what works” or copying someone successful is your only real shot.
An Exhaustive List of Radio-Advertising Cliches
By: Write Label
Tags: Radio, Radio Advertising, Copywriting, Copywriting Tips

by: Maria Wojciechowski

Radio-ad copywriters have the unique task of writing creative content for a wide variety of clients. When writing multiple ads day, it can be easy to fall into the trap of using cliches without even knowing it.

*RECORD SCRATCH*

But now you don’t have to! Thanks to this exhaustive list of radio-advertising cliches!

“For all your ______ needs”

“One-stop-shop”

*Record Scratch*

“That’s right!”

“Get the job done right the first time”

“Second to none”

“Your home is your castle”

“[Company] can help!”

“There’s never been a better time to…”

“The ____ you’ve been waiting for!”

“Cutting-edge”

“Top-notch”

“Conveniently located at…”

“[SEASON] is coming! Is your ______ ready?”

“While supplies last”

“Calling all ____”

“Attention all ____”

“What’s that number/website again?”

“Friendly and knowledgeable staff”

“The best prices”

“It’s ______ time!”

“Not to mention”

“Locally owned and operated”

“Serving [CITY], since [YEAR]”

“It’s that time of year again”

“Best kept secret”

“That’s where [COMPANY] comes in!”

BONUS:

-Any meta-reference that breaks the fourth wall (i.e. Any reference to your radio-ad being a radio-ad).

Cliches can turn great copy into generic copy. If you are unsure whether or not you are using cliches, try this exercise. Take one of your scripts and change the business’s name to the name of one of their competitors. Does it still make sense? If it does, then you may have used too many cliches.

So how can you avoid these cliches? Be specific when you can. Use information on the company’s website to get a feel for how they are unique. Every bar/restaurant claims to have great beer, but do they all have 42 craft beers on tap?

Sometimes the client will request that cliches be mentioned. After all, they are proud to be locally-owned and operated. But try relaying that information in a new way. Otherwise, the listener may change the station!

Take a look at our article about overused hooks for more tips on how to avoid cliches!
Why Farting, a lot, Helped Double My Business
By: Jason Stapleton
Tags: Email Marketing, Marketing, Content Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Copywriting Tips

I fart a lot, every day. Not many people will admit that but I will because I think it’s helped me double my business this year.

Let me explain.

I’m big on routine. I think the way we start our day has a huge impact on how productive that day will be.

When I first started my morning routine it consisted of just 3 steps.

Make coffee Sit down with coffee and write out my long term goals (what I call futurecasting) Write down the 3 things I need to get done that day to move me closer to my goals.

But now that I live in California, where the weather is pretty much perfect every day, I’ve begun taking a walk each morning.

Those of us in the knowledge industry spend most of our time parked in a chair so keeping the weight off can be a challenge. But I’ve found if I take a walk first thing in the morning it helps get my metabolism going and let’s face it, a little exercise first thing in the morning never hurt anyone.

Here’s what’s funny…

Something about my walk get’s my digestive system working. I’m sure there’s some logical, medical reason for this, but it happens every day without exception.

About 10 minutes into my walk I start farting. I’m not gonna lie, it’s become a staple of my day. For the next 30 minutes I’m playing the digestive bagpipes as I walk the neighborhood.

So how did passing gas help me double my business this year?

Well, in addition to getting my body moving each morning, my walks have also given me a chance to clear my head and prepare for the day. As I walk I might get an idea for a podcast or video training I want to do. I’ll take notes on my phone as I weave my way through the neighborhood, jotting down ideas and making lists of things I want to do.

By the time I get home I’ve had an hour to prep for my day. When I sit down to do my futurecasting and daily task lists I’m better prepared because I’ve spent an hour scheming on my walk. This leads to better content, more productive days an more money in my pocket.

Oh, and if you’d like some help taking your company to the next level you should check out my Freedom Accelerator program. It’s designed for entrepreneurs just like you and with hundreds of members it’s a great place to network as well.

All the best,

Jason

P.S. My apologizes if your delicate sensibilities were harmed by my flagellation references. Please don’t email me with an “I’m offended” response. We all fart. It’s not worth getting bent out of shape over. Also, want to hang with a bunch of other entrepreneurs who fart? This is the best place to do it. :)
4 Simple Tips To Writing An Email That Sells
By: Ash Czarnota
Tags: Email Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Copywriting, Marketing Strategies, Copywriting Tips

via Unsplash

You’re here because you want to learn how to write an email that sells or your current email copy isn’t converting. Nailing your email strategy is both an art and science built on an understanding of how to create high-converting copy. After all, the average person deletes 48% of emails they receive every day. Your emails need to stand out and encourage your subscribers to act.

The good news? By the time you’ve finished reading this simple guide to writing an email that sells, you’ll have all the juicy secrets to grabbing your readers’ attention and improving conversions from your email marketing efforts. Both of which will produce more leads and (drumroll please) more sales!

Sales starts with an irresistible subject line

Subject lines sell. In fact, 35% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone. Your audience will only feel compelled to open your emails if they know it’ll benefit them.

You’ll have wasted so much time writing amazing email copy if people skim over and past your subject line. Craft a subject line that will get your subscribers stoked and eager to read more. Subject lines that ask questions, include numbers, a startling fact, or touch on your reader’s pain point tend to perform well.

Why so serious?

Who likes droning, mind-numbing corporate-speak? Not me and probably not you. Write your email messages like you would talk to a trusted friend or colleague. Win over your subscribers by simplifying your vocabulary, keeping the tone conversational and friendly, and consider using first and second person terms like ‘Me’ and ‘You.’

Include a call-to-action that excites

Why beat around the bush? Don’t be shy. What do you want your subscribers to do? If you want to create high-converting emailsyou need to include a clear ask in every email message. Don’t be afraid to assert your authority so your audience gets exactly what they want and you’re one step closer to achieving your email conversion goals.

When it comes to crafting an effective call to action, less is more. Simple, short and strong action words like “Sign up,” “Start now,” “Download,” “Buy,” and “Reserve” are the most effective. Though your email CTAs need to cut to the chase, they also need to be compelling enough to urge your recipients to take action.

Keep your email message short and skimmable

In today’s information overload world, your audience has a lot of choices. In response, you have to make your content easy to consume and act on. When writing email copy, ask yourself this: Can my subscribers understand my message in 10 seconds or less? That’s it. That’s all the time you have to convince your readers to act.

Here are three tips to format your email body for skimmers:

Keep your main points bolded and bulleted

Keep your sentences short

Make your ask clear and simple

Sales emails don’t have to be difficult. Don’t forget to keep the customer front and center of every conversation and prove that you value their time and business.