Copywriting & Marketing

Are you just starting out copywriting articles and feel a little overwhelmed? Whether you’re writing for a website or a magazine, there are a few guidelines you should consider. Follow these simple rules and you’ll find copywriting articles isn’t as daunting a task as you thought.

Find Your Angle

Copywriting articles should start out with a list of a few key points you want to cover. These points should be related to the topic of the article. Also, you’ll often find that these points can be turned into your headlines, which will increase the visibility and readability of your articles.

First Draft

Write one or two paragraphs expanding on the details of your key points and explain them succinctly but concisely. Use a few facts to back up your ideas and maybe some statistics or related quotes. Copywriting articles need not be rocket science, but you do need to start with a good foundation and the first draft will do that.

Bring It Home

Your final paragraph should wrap it up and show your reader how the information will benefit them. When copywriting articles you should always let them customer know how they will benefit and, if appropriate, it should issue a call to action – stating what you want them to do next.

Edit and Polish

When copywriting articles, cut out unnecessary words and anything that doesn’t communicate your message. Don’t let your ego stand in your way – if there’s a passage that you’re particularly fond of and yet it doesn’t add anything to the article, then don’t hesitate to get rid of it. Put it aside and maybe you’ll find another time to use it, but you always want to make sure that when copywriting articles, they are the best you can do.

Follow these few simple tips and when you’re copywriting articles, and you’ll find you can finish quicker each and create better copy every time.

Are you thinking about becoming an ad copywriter? Say you already have a college degree and experience in sales and now you want to expand yourself and become an ad copywriter. Here are a few steps to get you started.

Do Your Homework

Even if you already know a lot about marketing there is always room for improvement. Hit the library and check out a few books on advertising techniques – even older books can have a wealth of information in that everything old is new again. There might be a new angle that hasn’t been done in a long time which you can exploit to your advantage and get you as an ad copywriter set apart from the crowd.

Create Samples

Potential customers looking for an ad copywriter are going to want to see samples of your work so start now and gather together your best work into a portfolio. Make sure that these samples represent the very best of your writing as an ad copywriter. Whip out that old copy of The Elements of Style and stick to those guidelines.

Register Online

The Internet is a great tool to market yourself as an ad copywriter and there are a lot of good sites where you can register so clients can seek you out based on their requirements. Sign up for accounts at http://www.guru.com and http://www.elance.com to start and you can find many more at http://www.allfreelance.com.

Good Luck

It might take you some time to start out, but once you get momentum and if you stick with it, market yourself and write well, then you can be a successful ad copywriter.

The main reason people buy from catalogs is to save money so that means your catalog copywriting has to be top notch. There are many professional copywriters who can help, but here are a few tips to get you started.

Be Logical

Make sure your catalog copywriting flows in a logical order. Organize the items in way that makes sense so that each product leads to the next. Your customers will easily follow your flow and select the items they want. And make sure you stick with that order throughout your catalog copywriting. Consistency is the key whether it’s a print or online catalog.

Be Persuasive

Make sure you begin with your strongest selling point and stick with that throughout your catalog copywriting. Stress the benefits of each item. Customers need to know what’s in it for them because a ‘great price’ simply isn’t enough.

Be Complete

While product descriptions are important, make sure your catalog copywriting includes all the information your customer needs to know to order those products. Don’t forget things like size, model numbers, materials, options and more. Good catalog copywriting requires complete information and it saves you time from having to answer customer questions.

Check Everything

Is your catalog copywriting clear? Is it consistent? Is it accurate? Is it enticing? Remember you’re doing your catalog copywriting to persuade people to buy your products so it should appeal to their desires but also look professional in presentation. That means no spelling errors or incorrect facts.

Using a manufacture description or just tossing together a few words to fill space is pointless. Make sure your customers have all they need to know. Professional copywriters are always the best choice, but you too can produce good catalog copywriting.

When it comes to promoting your business, hiring the best copywriter you can find is an important task. Great copy can make or break your marketing campaign. Making the decision of choosing the best copywriter though can be tough. After all, how do you judge? Here are a few simple tips to make finding the best copywriter easier.

Ask Away

When looking for a writer, ask for samples. Better still; look for samples that appear online, either at their site or others. Are they well written? Easy to understand? How successful are they in calling the reader to act? Are they effective in using SEO techniques? When searching for the best copywriter, keep these questions in mind.

What’s Their Research IQ?

When seeking the best copywriter, ask how good they are with research, again especially online. These days, it’s not what you know that’s more important, but rather if you can find what you need to know. The best copywriter doesn’t have to be an expert in what you need written, but they do need to know where to find that information. Make sure they have the research tools they need to give what you need. Since you’re the professional in the field, it’s also best to let your writer know of places you trust for information once you’ve assigned them the job.

Listen Closely

When talking with someone to find out if they’re the best copywriter for you, listen to what they have to say.

• Do they ask appropriate questions?
• Do they seem to understand what you need?
• How well do they treat you as a customer?
• Do they provide a timely response?

The last is especially important when finding the best copywriter because if takes a long time for their reply think of how long it will take to get your copy. Remember too that ‘timely’ doesn’t mean they answer within minutes – if someone is sitting around and waiting for work, that’s not a good sign either – there needs to a balance.

Take Your Time

Don’t rush into a decision. If you spent weeks or even months looking for a web designer or graphic designer, don’t short change copywriting. They really work hand-in-hand with each other. You’re making one of the most important decisions for your business. So just take your time, talk, question and listen. Then you’ll find the best copywriter for you.

Need effective brochure copywriting? Professional copywriters are in big demand, but if you’re ready to take on the challenge you’ll need to keep just a few simple guidelines in mind and your brochure copywriting will become more effective and lead you to greater profits.

Extra, Extra – Headlines Matter

Good brochure copywriting starts with good headers. With just a little organization, you can outline your brochure so it gets notice. The first headline should “speak” directly to your customers needs. Keep it simple and it’ll lead your reader straight to the good stuff. Plus, any length will do. It could be a sentence or a single word. Writing good headlines though is the first step in effective brochure copywriting.

Got Benefits?

Once you’ve hooked your reader in with great headlines, now they need to know what’s in it for them. Keep comments about your company to a minimum; rather focus on the benefit the customer can experience with your products or services. In order for your promotion to be effective though it’s best to hire a professional who can construct the brochure copywriting that talks about you (the business), but puts the focus on them (the customer).

Testify the Love

Nothing impresses customers more than a really good testimonial. What your customers have to say about you is way more effective than what you can say about yourself. Don’t be shy about asking those customers for whom you’ve done a great job for a testimonial. More often than not, they’ll be happy to oblige. So when your brochure copywriting needs to be effective, make sure you include a few testimonials.

Action Jackson

After you’ve grabbed your reader with great headlines, fantastic benefits and superb testimonials, you’ll want to go out with a bang and call them to action. Believe it or not, this is the step that gets most often looked by first-time marketing writers. Let the target audience know exactly what you want them to do next.

Of course hiring a professional for brochure copywriting is best. Many times a company goes to the trouble of hiring a graphic designer, but neglects the copy that appears on a promotion. However, if hiring someone for your brochure copywriting isn’t an option incorporate these tips in what you create to increase your chance of success.

Whether you need a postcard or a sales letter, a professional direct mail copywriter is your best bet. However, if you need to be your own direct mail copywriter, here are three things to get you started.

1. Take the Lead
Focus your lead on the customer. As a direct mail copywriter, zoom in on what your customer needs or wants. Make them the most important item in your copy, because they are – they have the money you need.

2. Be Dramatic
Words are the tools of a direct mail copywriter. Choose powerful words like free, no obligation, limited time only or ground-breaking in print promotions. When it comes to the web though be careful not to overuse them because they can be picked up as spam. Also be sure to include compelling action verbs. For example saying, You’ll get…” isn’t as powerful as “You’ll experience…” Any good direct mail copywriter will use dramatic words to help increase the response your receive.

3. Go for the Benefit
There’s a big difference between features and benefits and a good direct mail copywriter knows it. A feature is something your product does, but a benefit is something your product makes your customer feel. It always comes down to ‘what’s in it for them.’ So give them what they want and you’ll succeed as a direct mail copywriter.

You Can Do It

If you can’t hire a professional direct mail copywriter start with the three simple things listed above. If nothing else a copywriter can sometimes take your original creation and polish it up for a cheaper rate. The biggest thing though is to keep your readers in mind. Never forget they’re the focus and you can achieve success as a direct mail copywriter.

In these tough economic times businesses often wonder if there’s anything they can do to survive. Little do they know there are actually six ways that include:

• Diversify
• Offer Outstanding Customer Service
• Intensify Marketing
• Adopt Cutting Edge Technologies
• Stay Focused
• Seek New Ways to Improve

What does all this mean though? An article by Collin Almeida at http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol69/recession.htm offers some fantastic points on how to make that happen.

Are you thinking about placing a copywriter wanted notice, but are not sure how to go about it? It can be a daunting task because for every copywriter wanted, there are hundreds of writers looking for that position. So how can you make sure you’re getting the best? Here are three things to ask for in your ‘copywriter wanted’ notice.

1. Your copywriter wanted ad should specify the type of writing you need. If you’re looking for someone to help you make web page copy then ask for experience in SEO content. If you need translation services, then mention which languages in your ‘copywriter wanted’ ad. The more specific you are, the better chance you have of finding the best copywriter.
2. Include in your copywriter wanted ad how many words you need written. Each project is different so make sure you are as detailed as possible. Even if you don’t know the word count you need an experienced writer can tell you if you provide the details. Experienced writers often charge by the word and this is an important bit of information to insert in your copywriter wanted ad.
3. Finally, you need to set a deadline and incorporate that in your copywriter wanted announcement. Writers need to know how long they have. Don’t expect to get your copy the next day from a qualified professional. Why? The have a great deal of clients they take in order. Simply be reasonable in your deadlines. In your copywriter wanted blurb, give your expected turnaround time and then discuss it further with the writer.

In conclusion, placing a copywriter wanted advertisement is not that difficult. Be clear about what you need and state reasonable expectations. If you do, then you’ll be sure to have success finding a writer through your copywriter wanted notice.