This morning’s session was very different from yesterday’s. Matt is focused on a specific kind of email marketing. I don’t think he even knows what B2B is. His session was valuable none the less… mostly from a generic copywriting perspective.

Remember he’s the Zen Master. Some of what follows is a bit out there, but I agree with most of what he had to say. Here’s my synopsis of his rules of writing:

1. Hold a mental picture of yourself writing something that ‘pops’.
2. Hold a mental picture of your audience as you write; imagine how they’re reacting.
3. Practice (write) every day. Get up every morning and practice.
4. Remove all distractions. Don’t answer the phone or listen to the radio. Focus only on writing.
5. After doing exhaustive research, speak the piece into a recording device, then listen to it and write.
6. Use stories and metaphors that are simple and easy to understand, yet powerful and profound.
7. Entertain as you inform. Entertainment is just as important as information.
8. Write without fear. Hope that someone will have a negative reaction to it.
9. Ask these questions as you write:

• Is it clear?
• Does it flow?
• Does it contain superfluous words?
• Does it contain weak words?
• Does it contain contrast (Yin and Yang, dark and light, etc.)
• Is it selling or teaching? (This is the point where I disagree with Matt. He maintains that you can do one or the other, but shouldn’t try to do both. I maintain that, for complex products and services, you have to teach while you sell.

This afternoon’s all about Search Engine Marketing (SEM). I’ll blog about it tonight.