A lot of us feel a tension between effective copywriting and content that fully respects our audiences. “Conversational Copywriter” Nick Usborne joins us to talk about why that’s a false choice.

Nick Usborne is an unusual writer. He has many years of direct response experience, but he talks more like a “content guy.” He’s here to talk about why we don’t have to choose between audience relationship and business results.

In this 27-minute episode, Nick and I talk about:

• Why Nick was in some ways a “reluctant copywriter”
• How a less-pushy approach works with the fundamentals of direct response like strong calls to action or using urgency in your message
• How this kind of copy works for B2B marketing
• Tackling the question of whether or not this kind of copy “works” as well as the hard-hitting stuff
• The approach that some “copy sharks” take that Nick never will, and why

Listen to Copyblogger FM: Content Marketing, Copywriting, Freelance Writing, and Social Media Marketing below ...

The Show Notes

• If you’re ready to see for yourself why more than 201,344 website owners trust StudioPress — the industry standard for premium WordPress themes and plugins — swing by StudioPress.com for all the details
• Nick’s manifesto is a great place to learn more about his point of view: The Conversational Copywriter s Manifesto
• My post on Remarkable Communication: Do You Have to Be a Soulless Shitweasel to be a Good Salesperson? (spoiler: No)
• Check out Nick’s approach in his post for us on How to Fix 5 Conversion-Killing Copy Mistakes
• Feel free to say hi or ask a question over on LinkedIn @soniasimone — or I always enjoy hearing from you right here in the comments