Ethical Copywriting with Matt Rizvi

Direct response copywriter Matt Rizvi has worked with famous people known for being strong independent thinkers who focus on the power of the individual. People like Dr. Ron Paul, the congressman from Texas; best-selling author and financial guru Pamela Yellen; and investment analyst Porter Stansberry. Matt’s sold millions with his copy. He’s the founder of DailyCopywriter.com and the DailyCopywriter podcast. Where I was a guest myself. While I was getting ready to be his show, I noticed on his website he mentioned he uses “a unique type of ethical copywriting.” That really intrigued me, because I’ve always believed in ethical copywriting but I think we don’t spend nearly enough time talking about it, whether it’s on this podcast or in the copywriting world at large. So I invited Matt to come on the Copywriters Podcast to talk about it, and here he is. It seemed like such a natural fit to me. We covered these questions: 1. Matt, what is your definition of ethical copywriting, and why is it important? 2. What events or experiences led you to focus on ethical copywriting? 3. A lot of copywriters might be less than ethical in the way they write. Just for our listeners who aren’t up to speed on this issue, what does less-than-ethical copywriting look like? 4. Could you walk us through a promo you did and share two or three decisions you made to stay on the right side of being ethical? 5. You have cubs you mentor. What are two or three tips or guidelines you share with them to stay ethical? An example of one of these ideas in action would be great. 6. In the short run, UNethical copy can bring in windfalls. But long-term, there are consequence. I recently heard about a guy who was a household name in direct marketing 20 years ago — got hit for a huge fine for his marketing — and has all but disappeared. What would you say about the short-term profitability vs. the long-term profitability of ethical copy, and the relative ease and/or difficulty of writing each kind of copy? Matt’s websites: DailyCopywriter, MattRizvi Download.