Copywriting & Marketing

Online marketing campaigns depend heavily on good sales copywriting. The internet is not a broadcast medium – it is an interactive experience that requires potential customers to actively seek information. So it is imperative that your sales copywriting be as effective as it can be. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help make your sales copywriting stand out.

What’s in it For Me?

That’s the foremost question in your reader’s mind when they’re scanning sales copywriting. They want to know how they can benefit from your product or service. Little else really matters. Your job when creating sales copywriting is to emphasize those benefits and let your reader know how their lives will be better for them.

Testimonials

Nothing tells the reader of your sales copywriting more than what others have to say about what you’re selling. Testimonials have always been a part of good marketing strategies and for a very good reason – they work. Even a short blurb from a satisfied customer will bring good results so any sales copywriting should include testimonials.

Headlines

The sheer amount of information on the internet is staggering. So you need to make sure that your sales copywriting will capture readers quickly and provide the information they’re looking for at a glance. Using effective headlines in your sales copywriting will help so be bold when writing those headlines. They will be sure to make your sales copywriting leap off the screen.

Absolutely – the one you pick as your press release writer does matter. Just because someone is great at web copy or even web articles does not make them a press release writer. There are a few writers, like myself, who are trained and experienced in all areas of writing, but the majority of writers, however, are not. So when it comes to the spreading word about your business to the media you need someone who thinks like the media.

Experience

Your first goal in finding a press release writer is to make sure they have years of solid experience under their belt – not only in writing press releases, but also in getting them into the hands of the journalists who will help spread your message. Learn what they did in the past. Ask for examples of past releases, both successful and not so successful. A good press release writer shouldn’t shy away in letting you know how well they learned from that experience. Personally I’ve worked as a press release writer and a news editor so being on both sides of the coin helps – ask your choice in a press release writer if they can say the same.

Skills

Editors hate releases that sound like advertisements. I know. I’ve worked in newsrooms. I’ve heard the chatter. Companies that send out ‘news’ that reads like a page long ad is immediately filed away…in File 13 that is.

A good press release writer will do their best to make your company newsworthy so that editor reading it will do one of two things – run the feature as/is or contact you for an interview to learn more.

But you need to remember that editors are very subjective. An editor reading a press release that has quotes from an owner named ‘Bob’ might be in a bitter divorce with her husband of the same name. Poor Bob, the owner, has little chance of getting his P.R. into that paper because Ms. Editor thinks anyone named Bob is a lying weasel like her soon-to-be ex. That sounds absolutely crazy I know…but it really can be THAT subjective.

Technical Know-How

As always, technique plays an important role in a successful press release writer. Of course a writer needs superb writing skills, and a great hook but press releases should also be formatted correctly. The media can be rather anal when it comes to how a press release is structured. If you come off as a notice chances are your release won’t run. So know the 5-W’s of journalism and prymiad structure and use them. If that sentence makes no sense, save yourself the time and trouble and just hire an experienced press release writer.

In closing, take these few things – experience, skills and know-how – into consideration when hiring a press release writer. When you do, your message has the potential to shine above the hundreds the media gets each day.

So you think you want to be a professional copywriter, eh? I get lots of requests from people looking for work with us. So as a way to save time I’m constructed this post to point them to when they contact us.

First, before you make the big leap and quit the ‘day job’ here are five things to consider first.

1. Be Realistic
   Understand that you will not become a professional copywriter overnight. It’s going to take time to become established. You’ll have a lot of opportunities to write and each one will increase your worth as a professional copywriter if you work for it. But use that time to build a portfolio you can be proud of and show off to other potential clients.
2. Write What You Can, When You Can
   Look for opportunities to write. Volunteer for a local community organization and offer to write their advertisements and web pages. Start a blog and write something every day on topics that interest you and, most importantly, interest others. For every brochure, web page or blog post you create, you’ll be gaining valuable experience and you’ll be on your way to being a professional copywriter.
3. Check Your Ego at the Door
   When you’re starting out on your way to being a professional copywriter, the people most likely to read your copy will be friends and family. They’re the ones who will give you the worst feedback because they will tell you how great and wonderful you are. You’re not, so don’t listen to them. Seek out professional copywriters and ask them for constructive criticism and don’t take every negative comment to heart. You need a thick skin when you become a professional copywriter. It’s said the only failed writer is the one who gave up. If you can’t take a few harsh remarks from time to time stay out of the business.
4. Network
   There are a lot of professional copywriter organizations and message boards out there. Join a few and start talking. Get your name out. Also see what’s available locally. Check with your local Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce to find other professional copywriters to associate with.
5. Specialize
   When you first become a professional copywriter, don’t limit your topics or style. Eventually you’ll begin to see what areas you are gaining the most success in and you can focus on cornering that niche. Soon, your name will be associated with a specific topic and you’ll be a professional copywriter.

Do you own a business and want content that’s web copywriter in quality? The easiest and most time effective way is, of course, hiring a web copywriter, but for those brave souls who want to try their hand at it here are a few tips.

Start with Strong Design

I know – you’re wondering what on earth does being a web copywriter have to do with design? Trust me when I say everything. Your website is the first thing people see before reading a single word. If your design fails, and doesn’t instill buyer trust immediately, the words you write are pointless.

On average a website visitor makes up their mind about your site in seven seconds. Seven seconds! And to make it even tougher to get your message across, your site is competing with perhaps millions of other sites offering similar products or services. So again, you must make sure that you incorporate a strong, professional looking, easy to navigate and fully functional site design.

Web Copy

Once you pass the seven second mark and customers feel safe doing business with you then you need the techniques of a skilled web copywriter. It’s your job as that web copywriter to make sure your words are effective and powerful. A talented web copywriter writes compelling content that inspires visitors to read more. So make sure your copy is the best it can be by being focused on your buyers…and not YOU. They don’t care about you, no matter how great you might be.

Search Engine Optimization

The higher your website shows up on a search engine’s rankings then better chance you have of selling your product or service. Let’s face it; you need to be on the first five pages or your site will never get seen. A web copywriter gets that high ranking by knowing how to find the right keyword phrases and incorporate them into the website content. Once you do this, your website will organically rise to the top of the search engines without costing you any extra for advertising.

Becoming a good web copywriter is not an impossible task; it can be done. By consolidating strong design, great copy and a few SEO techniques, you can succeed as a web copywriter. And as I always say, if all else fails…call in a professional. They have the training, the tools and the experience to handle the job far quicker and more effectively than the average business owner. So if you do have a marketing budget make sure you allocate some of those funds to finding a quality web copywriter.

Online copywriting contains many elements. If you’ve done any searching into SEO and how it works you’ve come up with tons of information. We’ve taken those thousands and thousands of resources and narrowed it down to ten ‘must haves’ in online copywriting.

1. Research your keywords. Use available SEO tools online (free and paid) and search the pages of your competition. The more common the keyword, the harder it is to rank higher, but you will get more traffic to your site if you use specific terms that people are searching.
2. Match page content with your titles and metadata. Online copywriting requires you use keyword in both these locations as well as in the actual text for better ranking pages.
3. Make sure your first heading and sentence contains your main keyword. Search Engines read from top to bottom, just like a human. So your keyword must be in the main heading. The closer you can put your keyword in the first sentence to the header, the better you’ll rank.
4. Highlight your keywords properly. Make the text more readable to your customer with bold and italic, but don’t overuse this technique. Why? Rather than helping you it could have a negative effect on your online copywriting.
5. Look at your source code. You don’t have to be an html programmer, but if you’re doing online copywriting, then you should familiarize yourself with what code the search engines sees. Again, they read from top to bottom so the closer your keywords appear in the code, the better your ranking.
6. Add keywords to your link descriptions and images. Use SEO keywords in your links. You can also tag images with keywords as well. But again, as with bold and italic, don’t over do it and don’t create a total mislead. An SEO experts site wouldn’t have a picture of a puppy that says ‘keyword specialist’ but the picture of someone in a business suit might. So be sure it fits.
7. Link to external websites. You can also ask others in similar fields to link to you. The more links you have – either within your own site or those going out to other sites – will add credibility to your online copywriting.
8. Do not overuse keywords. Never saturated your online copywriting with keywords. Not only will this NOT help with achieving ranking it can also get you banned.
9. Make your content readable to humans and not just spiders. You want your online copywriting to rank high, yes, but you also want customers to take action when it comes to your products and services. One keyword after another might get you to number one on Google but if those potential customers leave because the copy is horrible, what’s the point?
10. Use common sense. Be your own judge on what you think visitors will want to see. If you wonder if something might be ‘cheating’ at SEO it probably is so don’t do it. Listen to that voice in your head and you’ll improve your online copywriting success.

Online copywriting isn’t as easy as this list makes it sound. However, it is a fine start on what to expect, or what to look for if you decide to hire someone else for your online copywriting project.

The global nature of the Internet has opened up many opportunities for in several industries and when it comes to copywriters it’s no different. However, if the bulk of your business is aimed at the U.S. an American copywriter might be the best choice for your business. Here are a few reasons that discuss why, which you might not have considered.

Focus on Culture

There’s no denying that today’s world is getting smaller every day and the lines separating cultures are getting more blurred. Western culture seems to be a universal concept, but when it comes to your business, an American copywriter, based within the United States, could mean the difference between success and failure in your campaign.

Why, you might ask? Someone living where your customers live puts you at a distinct ‘home field’ advantage.

They understand the nuances of the American culture that other writers on the other side of the world simply can’t grasp as firmly. So while you may save some money by going with a foreign writer, an American copywriter might earn you more in profits. The reason is their writing will speak more strongly to your readers. It doesn’t matter if it’s web copy or articles that explore your business. An American copywriter can aim their writing at the ‘American experience’.

Benefits of Legal Recourse

At Winters Productions we’ve heard the horror stories of clients who found us after they went overseas looking for a deal. What seemed like a dream come true ended up being a nightmare instead.

Sure, they had signed contracts regarding the terms of the copywriting work so they figured they were ’safe’. However, when the copy they received wasn’t up to their expectations (and that’s if they were lucky enough to receive anything at all) they learned a disheartening fact.

In order to fulfill that contract legally it would mean traveling across an ocean and going to the location where the contractor resided. It also meant going into that country’s court system and having the case tried there and then, even if they won, the chance of getting their money back was slim to none.

In the end their quest to save a few bucks, and forego in hiring an American copywriter, ended up cost them even more money. Not only were they out the original fee they paid (or the time and energy they spent), they also had to hire an American copywriter anyway to clean up the mess the cheap writer provided.

The Benefit of Buying American

You’ve heard it before… “Buy American,” and let’s face it, the U.S. economy is in serious trouble. Not since the Great Depression have we faced the kinds of financial problems we’re facing now. Anyone who’s studied history can see that the events leading up to the stock market crash of 1929 are the very same ones we’re facing today.

In the past, Americans survived because they stuck together and that is key to our surviving this current crisis. By hiring an American copywriter, you are doing your part to boost the American economy – you know, the people who buy the goods and services that you’re selling. The more that people support American businesses, the stronger everyone in America becomes. So consider using an American copywriter for your business because it does benefit you too in the long run.

There are many overseas copywriters who will do your job for a lot less than an American copywriter can. Some are very good… and some are not. It’s a bit like rolling the dice and hoping you get ‘7′ and not snake eyes. If you have marketing dollars you’re willing to gamble then going abroad might pay off. Just remember though that the ‘house’ usually wins and you leave empty handed.

For those that like the safe bet, who need to make every marketing dollar count, consider the benefits you’ll be getting when you hire the American copywriter. It truly outweighs the upfront cost for your business. Not only will you be supporting an American business, just like yours, but you’ll also have effective copy that speaks to your buyers… and that’s the difference between a sale and no sale.

That’s the questions most businesses ask themselves at some point – “How do I write better ad copy?” The reason is simple. Powerful ad copy is the keystone to your marketing plan and will propel your business into the stratosphere. Here are a few ‘how-to’ tips that will help.

Master the Basics

All good ad copy is comprised of the same basic elements. It should always grab the customer’s attention, inform the customer of what benefits they’ll receive, keep them interested and generate action. Your ad copy should always be crafted with these important points in mind.

Master the Medium

Even before you can successfully write ad copy you should first understand where your ad copy will be placed – such as billboards, magazine ads, online web sites and so on. Understand first how the ad copy will appear. Then adjust your writing to reflect that medium.

Master the Style

Ad copy is truly a unique type of writing. Your job is to balance creativity and readability to effectively produce persuasive and yet entertaining ad copy. How do you this exactly?

1. Avoid wordiness in your ad copy – Look at some of the most successful ads in history like ‘Got Milk?’ or ‘Have It Your Way”. The greatest ads in history seldom use more than five words.
2. Talk to your audience and not at them – As with Burger King’s ‘Have It Your Way” they’re not telling the customers to come to their restaurants. Instead they’re offering convenience and the feeling of being spoiled. And again, they did it all in under five words.
3. Keep away from clichés – The entire purpose of ad copy is to make it stand out so avoid using terms the world has heard for decades.
4. Always proofread your copy - The simplest mistakes can throw your customers off and bad ad copy can end up costing you sales (not to mention all the money you used in your promotion).

There are really no short cuts when it comes to writing good ad copy, but since it is so important to your business, you will need to start mastering these few points. As you gain more experience, then your business will flourish as long s you keep generating good ad copy.

Your business is doing great, but maybe you’re considering hiring a professional online copywriter. Today the Internet is constantly evolving. It seems like there’s something new every day. That’s why you need a good online copywriter so your business can get and stay competitive in today’s online world.

Establish Your Needs

No matter what it is, your business is different from every other. That’s why when it comes time to hire an online copywriter you must know exactly what it is you need them to do for you. Outline what type of writing you want – SEO articles, web pages and content, newsletters and web features just to name a few.

Research

Don’t simply hire the first online copywriter you find. Do a little checking around using search engines and freelance sites. There are many good freelance online copywriters available and using a freelance service site can help you narrow down the field.

Streamline

Once you start finding an online copywriter for hire, start narrowing down your choices. Make a note of those who offer the services you need the most. Make sure when you compare their rates you’re comparing apples with apples. There are cheap copywriters out there, and although they might match your budget, they might not get your message across.

Contact

Once you have a list of people you feel are worth contacting then ask them for samples and referrals from previous customers. If an online copywriter is listed on a reputable site, then you can be sure they’re professional enough to immediately answer your questions. Always discuss fees before making your offer. Remember that you are trying to get an idea of who you are dealing with.

If you follow these few simple steps, you can make sure you’re on your way to securing for your business a great online copywriter.

Ad copywriting doesn’t have to be difficult and when it’s time for you to sit down and kick out your own copy, keep these three simple things in mind.

Write Killer Headlines

Your first step in good ad copywriting should be coming up with some outstanding headlines. People read information on the Internet at breakneck speed and your headlines can provide them with as much information in the shortest time possible. So remember to include those killer headlines in your ad copywriting. Sometimes it’s easier to write your copy and THEN work on your headline.

KISS It

Always keep your ad copywriting straightforward. In other words, follow the KISS method – keep it simple stupid. Now that doesn’t mean you should talk down to your customers, but it does mean you want to avoid long flowery words. Ad copywriting is one place where you can leave the thesaurus at home. Also using short sentences and focus, focus, focus on the benefits of the product or service you’re writing about. Tell the customer what they will get from your ad copywriting in as simple a way as possible.

Know Your Audience

Before you start your ad copywriting make sure you know enough about your products and services so you can tell your customers what it can do for them. Do a little research on who you’re writing to. Are they housewives looking for a better vacuum? Or are they young adults looking to get better grades? Whatever you’re selling, make sure your ad copywriting is geared toward the customer.

To recap, great ad copywriting doesn’t require you to have a doctorate in literature. Just keep these few hints at your fingertips and you’ll soon be kicking out some killer ad copywriting.