She had designed and written a first draft of her website. But she needed someone to polish the content using a friendly, approachable voice. As an accomplished copywriting ventriloquist, I was able to revise her copy and am thrilled to say that her site is now live.

Her testimonial is the icing on the cake for this terrific-looking retro project featuring Pam’s expertise in strategic online marketing, including several amazing case studies of her successes globally: “Working with Gil is great. He is creative, motivated and professional. I couldn’t have finished my website without his ingenious wordsmithing. Thank you, Gil! ”

If you need “Proven online marketing with surefire results”, I highly recommend that you get in touch with Pam.

The client wanted to run banners to inform golfers that they could register their most memorable shot ever in the Hole In One Golf Registry.

View animated banner.

Here’s what her old site looked like. Notice the minimal copy that could hinder Search Engine Optimization success, and the overall static-looking website?

And here’s what her new site looks like, with dynamic WordPress implementation by Likoma. Notice how much more inviting the website is? How much better the copy is crafted?

It features Search Engine Optimization keywords to help Kay get found by prospective clients through the search engines, more pages, an extensive list of FAQs, a drop-down menu under Hypnotherapy with separate pages for How Does It Work, What Can I Expect, Regression Therapy, Emotional Freedom Technique, Breaking Habits and Overcoming Fears.

Best of all, Kay can now update her testimonials herself using WordPress’s content management system.

I’ve had a listing as a San Francisco Bay Area freelance copywriter on Thumbtack for a few months now so I was thrilled to be highlighted today on their site with this intro:

Effective “Business” Communication
It has been said that words hold the greatest of powers, and this rings true in running a business: they can make it or break it. Seasoned copywriter Gil Zeimer knows this very well, with over 25 years of experience under his belt and having worked with some of the world’s biggest multinational companies and ad agencies. Gil runs the website Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe, where he offers freelance copywriting and other services (direct response projects, radio and TV commercial scripts, etc.) and posts article samples and professional portfolio, among many others.

“[Being immune to pressure] is most important with quick turnaround projects such as email campaigns, print ads or radio scripts that a client discovered is due tomorrow or next week. We ALWAYS meet our deadlines.”

Not only does it pay to be a good communicator. Competence is also the key. That’s probably what has made Gil stay strong in the business for more than two and a half decades. Over the years, numerous feathers adorned this copywriter’s professional cap such as the National Crystal Communicator Award for Radio Excellence, Gold Show TV Winner at the San Francisco Society of Communicating Arts, and Print Excellence award at the Dallas Society of Visual Communications, to name a few.

“I want to be known as a creative resource and problem solver who the clients can trust for any type of project. That’s how I’ve built my reputation as a copywriter and creative director.” Read more.

The company’s mission states: Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology.”

This project was referred to me through a Women In Consulting email about someone looking for immediate help in this area. Because I have written a number of annual reports and website for nonprofit groups, I had the perfect background to write this one.

I completed my copy within about a month to meet their printing deadline and my client said, “Everyone loves it.”

Download Common Sense Media Annual Report (PDF)

For this client in Maryland, I wrote the new tagline: “Scientifically Proven. Superbly Radiant. Smarter Skincare.” to play off of the company’s name. For the home page, there are four slider visuals with headlines such as: “Skin. Therapy.”; “Smarter Skincare”; “Superbly Radiant Skin”; and “The Truth About Skincare”. I’ve used these products and they’re terrific for making your skin feel its best. Plus, they’re 98% Natural and made with 100% Recyclable Packaging.

This site is composed of over 40 pages of healthcare copywriting expertise with descriptions for skincare products including Cleansers, Toners & Scrubs; Moisturizers; Younger Looking Skin; Exfoliators; Specialty Products; Men’s Products; and Sets of S3 Skincare Products.

One of my favorite pages of healthcare copywriting is for the Calm & Soothe Toner (Post Shave Solution). For “The Problem”, it reads: “Shaving your face can be described as scraping a knife over a sea urchin with a thin layer of soap. It’s not pretty, even if it’s been glamorized in TV commercials by handsome athletes surrounded by adoring fans. Shaving is an irritant, and some men have more sensitive skin than others.”

For my toils for this skin care site, the client wrote: “Gil, as you know, I interviewed six healthcare copywriters across the country to revise the content of my skincare products website. You had the best credentials and you didn’t disappoint. The text you wrote was simply fantastic. I sincerely appreciate your talent — and it is talent. I think I made one or two word changes and messed with a few of the titles, but really very few edits. I really just wanted to tell you that I think the text is great.”
– Gary Susel, Founder, S3 Skincare Products, www.s3skincare.com

What’s New?

As a freelance San Francisco copywriter, here’s what I’ve been doing since my June 2011 newsletter:

• Freelance healthcare copywriting: Radio scripts and production for a lap-band clinic; revised copy for an oral care candy website in Japan; blogs, magazine ads and an e-newsletter for a vein clinic, plus a flyer for a sleep center.
• :60 Radio scripts and production for the Universal Ballet of Korea performances of “Shim Chung – The Blind Man’s Daughter” at SF’s War Memorial Opera House in July.
• http://www.pivotal-llc.com – Wrote/edited this 30-page site for a technology consultant who is currently President of BNI Embarcadero.
• http://www.safeteproducts.com – Editing for a handful of key pages for this “Safety Alert for the Elderly” system and monitoring device.
• Editing the website copy for another writer.
• Creating a direct marketing campaign with 10 different test cells for online meeting company.
• Freelance radio scripts for a fantasy sports site.
• Blogs for http://blog.intuit.com/, http://blog.gopayment.com, GroupPrice.com/blog, and http://mdveinprofessionals.com/blog/
• My Media Department has been buying doing freelance media planning and buying for radio for an auto dealership and a storage company, as well as creating media plans with print and online media for a technology company and an author.

Read past issues of Zeimer’s NewZletter: June 2011 • May 2011 • March 2011 • Nov 2010 • July 2010 • April 2010 • December 2009 • October 2009 • August 2009 • July 2009 • March 2009

Recycled Creativity

As a Certified Green Bay Area Business, I took a pledge to reduce my carbon footprint by using recycled products and services wherever possible. To that end, I’m recycling some of my past successes as a freelance copywriter in each of these newsletters.

Here’s an example: “Dinner And A Thousand Stars: Canyonlands by Night & Day, Moab, UT”  from Vagablond.com.

In all, I wrote over 1,400 articles for this luxury travel blog that covers food, wine, travel and shopping. This one in particular is one of my favorite articles. It begins: ”We pulled into Moab about 5 pm a few nights ago. We were hungry and anxious to see Canyon Country. A well-placed brochure afforded us the opportunity to do both — at night — with a Cowboy Style Dutch Oven Dinner followed by a Sound and Light Show aboard a jet boat on the brackish waters of the Colorado River. It was so spectacular that we ran out of adjectives.”

Read the article on Vagablond.com.

A Recent Success Story

As mentioned above, I recently wrote radio scripts for the Universal Ballet of Korea and its once-in-a-decade visit to San Francisco to present “Shim Chung, The Blind Man’s Daughter” at the War Memorial Opera House in July.

I wrote :15, 30 and :60 commercials that were produced by two radio stations: KCBS and KDFC. Ellen Young, a freelance media buyer and planner, purchased the time and negotiated the rates.

Listen to the :60 KCBS Radio Commercial. Read more.

Humor Is A Funny Thing

As a long-time golfer, I enjoy hitting the links once in a while with my brother and some friends.

While I try to make the most of my humble abilities, I also try not to think too much about all the different things I’ve been told by golf pros, well-meaning friends, or those who are skilled at executing all types of shots, such as: Balance, focus, tempo, the grip, swing down, rotate and release hands, don’t get handsy, drive down and through, flat left wrist = straight shot, et. al.

This sketch says it all and is titled “1.5 seconds of thought”. 

Ads I Like

This 30-second TV European commercial was supposedly banned because it poked fun at the age-old assumption that blondes are dumb. But it is very, very funny. Watch it now.

Why I Love Referrals

Last year, over 70% of my revenue came from referrals through Business Network International chapters in North America. The majority of my income came from my colleagues at BNI Embarcadero , the largest word-of-mouth referral chapter on the West Coast. We meet every Wednesday from 715 – 9am at L’Olivier French Restaurant, 465 Davis Court (between Washington and Jackson Streets), San Francisco, CA 94111. If you’d like to join us for a meeting, please contact me.

Speaking of referrals, I received some recently for possible projects with some potential clients outside of and within my chapter.

About Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe

Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe is an award-winning writing consultancy and ad agency. As a freelance San Francisco direct response copywriter, email and newsletter copywriter, website copywriter, and healthcare copywriter, I create content for ads, brochures, direct response/email campaigns, radio and TV scripts, White Papers, newsletters, and more. My Media Department offers freelance media planning and buying capabilities For more information or to receive an estimate on your next project, contact me via email or call 415.491.1058.

© 2011. Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe. All Rights Reserved.

The client had many testimonials on its site: some are video interviews of 2-4 minutes each and some are written testimonials. The challenge was taking these video clips and finding each person’s life-changing experience that altered the way they now think about food, eat, and live — in about 35 seconds. This essential copy was sandwiched between a short announcer introduction and a longer call to action.

By the way, Lap-Band is an abbreviation for a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, which is a safe, cost-effective procedure that can be done in a doctor’s office in a few hours. The Lap-Band loops around your stomach to make it smaller, which greatly diminishes your appetite.

Listen to these commercials for real Lap-Band patients by a healthcare copywriting expert: Staci lost 47 pounds and Nancy lost 130 pounds.

SAFTE is an acronym for “Safety Alert for The Elderly” system, an effective and affordable monitoring device that utilizes a patented “lack of motion” detector to ensure the resident is safely following their normal routine. This innovative design provides Total Protection by operating both actively and passively.

Each system is equipped with a motion detector, a pendant, and a communicator that “seizes” your existing phone line to call friends, family, or emergency personnel with 4 pre-programmed phone numbers and messages. The available two-way talk back system enhances the unit’s safety features.

I was proud to have edited a handful of pages for this site through a BNI referral. Read more.

I worked closely with Adrienne to craft her copy, then called in Lauren Deane Evans of Good Looking Ideas to create the site’s initial design.

Lauren and Bradley Charbonneau of Likoma found ust the right WordPress theme to meet Adrienne’s high standards, and Bradley completed the back-end of the site so that Adrienne can now update the site herself with new testimonials, case studies, speeches, articles, and more.

I especially like her bio’s first paragraph: “Experienced. Versatile. Pragmatic. Strategic. Detail-oriented. Definitely geekish. Ms. Dale possesses all of these virtues and more.”