Copywriting & Marketing

Many business owners feel that their website is one area they do not need to spend money for professional copywriting. They can do it themselves. This opinion couldn’t be further from the truth. A professional copywriting firm knows exactly how to optimize the web copy to bring more revenue to the business, but they also know how to write to achieve sales once visitors are there.

The Scale of the Internet

You might understand that the Internet is big, but you probably don’t understand just how big it is. Every month nearly ONE MILLION new websites appear on the Internet and ONE BILLION searches happen everyday.

Plus, the average person doesn’t read the Internet – he scans it. A professional copywriting service will know how to get visitors to your site, but more importantly, how to keep them there. Why is this significant? Because studies show the longer someone is on a site the more likely they are to buy something from that business.

Professional Copywriting for SEO

Search Engine Optimization is such a new concept that some people still don’t know what it is. Business owners might have heard of it, but they don’t really understand how to use it to their advantage. By hiring a professional copywriting firm, they will be able to take advantage of the SEO techniques.

What a Professional Copywriting Service Can Do

A professional copywriting service will research your market, develop the optimal strategy to sell your products and services online, create unique and effective content and write pages in order to guide your visitors to take action. This is vital because businesses don’t want to just be ‘found’ – they want customers, not visitors. Professional copywriting does both.

There are many more things professional copywriting can do for your business. Understand that while it might seem like a big investment in something you think you can do yourself, it’s not. In the long run your business will profit with a professional copywriting service and it will do so more quickly and effectively.

Here’s a sobering thought: only about 2% of online businesses are making money. What does that 2% have that you need? What will it take to get your online business off the ground?

Simple. Great internet copywriting. The words that appear on your website must sell you in order to be successful, but they must also include the words people are typing into searches. That’s the two keys to great internet copywriting that sells.

Internet Copywriting – The Professional Copywriter Advantage

Professional copywriters can create killer internet copywriting that gets your message out, and gets you noticed by searches. They can get people to your web site and get those same people who visit your website to take action. How? There are several ways to achieve this. Speaking personally, we ask clients for ’seed keywords.’ These are words they think people might type when looking for their business. From there we use keyword tools to see how accurate their assumptions are. This also provides the door for keywords that they might never have thought were possible.

From there we analyze their business – who they are, what they sell, what goals they have. In short, internet copywriting pros should examine everything. The end result is copy that compels people to take action, which leads to more sales.

What’s Different about Internet Copywriting?

Internet copywriting is very different than writing for other types readers. Internet users have a very short attention span. If they don’t immediately see what they’re looking for, then they’ll quickly click away from the page. When you’re doing internet copywriting, you need to make that copy stand out, to grab the reader in and hold on tight, until they take that action which will lead to more sales.

Again, you may write well and you may feel you know your business better than anyone else, but if your website is not producing the results you expected, don’t remain one of the 98% that aren’t seeing results. Instead check into hiring a professional who can make sure your internet copywriting will bring that boost in traffic…and profits.

Your web site copywriting should be handled by a professional copywriter. Why? There are literally thousands of businesses, just like yours, who advertise on the internet. In order for customers to find your site among the herd, your web site copywriting needs to be spot on. Professional copywriters can handle that kind of intense web site copywriting and here are two main reasons why you should consider hiring one.

#1 – SEO Gets Them In

In order to rise in the ranks when a potential customer types something into a search engine, only professional web site copywriting will boost your site to the top of that list. A professional copywriter knows how to utilize SEO techniques and tools to make sure your web site copywriting makes that happen for your business. It’s not just about having the ‘right SEO words’ but also knowing where to place them regarding web site copywriting. In short, web site copywriting really is a science.

It should also be mentioned that in this formula too much of a ‘good thing’ can get you banned. The last thing you want is your site being black listed from the major searches because your techniques are considered inappropriate. With web site copywriting from the right professional you never have to worry about being ‘kicked out’ of the search engines.

#2 – Focusing on Who Matters Sells Them

Your business is wonderful. You’re proud of it and rightly so, but your web site copywriting needs to focus on the most important part the equation – your customer. Why? Simply put, they have the money your business needs. They won’t part with that money when all you do is talk about yourself.

They want to know one thing – and one thing only – “What’s in it for ME?” Any quality web site copywriting needs to answer that question by focusing on the customer benefits. So you say you’ve got 10 stores in the metro area? That’s lovely. But, really, a client could care less about your 10 stores. In fact, you could have 1000 stores. What they want to know is if one of those stores are near them and why should they go there, so get to the heart of their needs.

All of this means just one thing: structure matters and in order for your web site copywriting to be effective, you need a professional to handle it. Many people can write copy, and even write good copy at that. But good isn’t good enough here – you need someone who can use SEO to draw in your customers and who can write the text that sells your product or services. So remember, only a professional copywriter can write web site copywriting that can bring your business to its next level of success.

A great business needs great advertising copywriting. It’s as simple as that. There many factors involved, so business owners are better off hiring someone to do their advertising copywriting, rather than writing their own copy. Furthermore, it can be difficult to write about yourself. I know personally, at Winters Productions, the company that I own, the hardest copy job I had to write was for my very own site (and it’s what I DO for living!).

What Advertising Copywriting Is

Copywriting in advertising and related fields is the process of writing ads, brochures, commercials, mail pieces, and such. Many of these are very expensive so the advertising copywriting must ensure that the business gets the absolute value for each dollar spent. Only a professional copywriter can do that.

What Advertising Copywriting Has Become

In today’s market, more and more people are turning to the Internet to purchase goods and services. That means that advertising copywriting now has to be geared for a whole new market. Users of the Internet barely read anything. Instead they ’scan’ a page. So the advertising copywriting must lure them in and force them to take action, even within moments of them hitting the web page. A professional copywriter, who has knowledge and experience of online advertising, can do that.

For example, let’s say you own a used auto dealership or a repair shop. You might have an extensive knowledge in automobiles, but that doesn’t make you an expert in advertising copywriting. An experience copywriter has the power to sit down with your, face-to-face or virtually, discuss your entire business to uncover selling points you might not have considered.

In short, the world is changing quicker than we can imagine and your advertising copywriting must reflect that in the printed materials, in radio and television and billboard advertising and especially on the Internet. So make sure you’re getting your money’s worth and hire a professional to do your advertising copywriting.

When you need to turn more of your prospective customers into actual customers then you need a professional direct response copywriter. Advertisements, direct mail letters and web pages do for your business what a good salesman can do – they sell your product or service. Therefore your direct response copywriter should be the absolute best professional you can hire.

Features vs. Benefits

The biggest mistake business owners make if they write their own advertising copy is they end up talking about themselves or – in other words – the features of their business. A professional direct response copywriter will focus your copy on the benefits of your business – what your business can do for your customers. This is a big difference between mediocre copy and killer copy and a professional direct response copywriter can give that to you.

Professionals vs. Amateurs

Anyone with a college degree can write and most write well. But when you need your direct response marketing campaign to pay for itself in increased revenue, then you need a professional direct response copywriter. Your message has to effectively go straight for your customers’ wallets. You might be literate, but a professional direct response copywriter can convey your message in an efficient, clear, emotional and benefit-laden way.

In short, when you hire a professional direct response copywriter, you’re making sure your business is getting the most out of every dollar you spend on your marketing campaign. And that’s an investment for your future.

If you’re just starting out in direct response copywriting, then there are a few things you should keep in mind. Direct response copywriting is intended for promotions which gets the customer to respond by mail, telephone or internet contact. So it is your responsibility to do everything you can with your direct response copywriting to ensure that action. Here are a few tips to help.

Understand the Audience

Before you start your direct response copywriting, you first need to know who you are writing to. Your success depends on being able to figure out what their needs are. How? First, never assume anything…ask. Learn how to communicate effectively with people. Listen to what they have to say. They themselves may not even be sure what it is they want, but if you talk with them then you’ll be on your way to good direct response copywriting. Another way is to put yourself in their shoes – if they had your product or service to sell what would you want to know most as a total stranger. Once you’ve got your answer you’re well on your way to creating direct response copywriting that works.

What’s the Angle?

Remaining competitive in business requires direct response copywriting to constantly come up with something new. Look for ways you can describe a product or service from a different approach. For example, if you’re writing about chocolate instead of praising the taste, go for the health benefits and quote medical sources to back up your claim. Direct response copywriting doesn’t have to be impossible, but it can be challenging. You can meet that challenge when you open the creative floodgates.

Sell the Benefits

Simply put: a feature is something a product or service does and a benefit is something that product or service gives to the customer. With good direct response copywriting, you always want to focus on what’s in it for them. Your response rate will soar out the roof if you manage this successfully.

That’s a difficult line to walk though and sometimes it’s best to hire someone to handle your direct response copywriting. But if you keep these few hints in mind when starting out, you’ll gain success with your direct response copywriting. And if all else fails, hire a pro.

Brochure design is just as important as the copy you put into it. As we like to say at Winters Productions…it’s a marriage – both copy and design must work together equally if any promotion will be successful. So how do you create the perfect brochure design? Here are eight tips to get started…

1. Collect, read and study the brochure design of other companies. It doesn’t matter whether they are related to your business or not. A great design is a great design regardless of the industry.
2. Think about your audience and how you want to “speak” to them. Incorporate into your brochure design the style that will best convey that voice. For example, a D.J.’s brochure wouldn’t feature people at a boardroom meeting. An accounting firm wouldn’t want images of a dance floor. Know your audience first.
3. Keep the components of your brochure design to the minimum amount possible. What that means is don’t try to overload it with too much information. A brochure is designed to be a tease or a stepping-stone used in order to discuss your business with a client. It’s not meant to tell them every single facet of your company.
4. Use what’s called Negative Space. Think about what is there, but also what is not there. Negative space can be just as effective as the bars, boxes and text in your brochure design. Much like our last point above, you don’t want to cram so much inside your brochure design that the reader feels overwhelmed. White space can be your friend.
5. When creating your brochure design, pick out the most important items. You can highlight these by making them bolder and brighter so they stand out from the rest of the content. Much like when reading a web page, the viewer will scan the brochure first before sitting down to read it in its entirety.
6. Mind your use of color. One of the most important elements you need to consider for your brochure design is what colors to use. There’s something know as the ‘color wheel’ that shows what colors compliment and contrast each other. Make sure to use it to your advantage. Remember too that color includes the text and pictures, but also the paper color as well. All of these should come together to produce a harmonious brochure design.
7. Look for ways to save money. For example, printing four colors in a brochure is more expensive than printing three. If you plan on having an ivory background on your brochure you can have that brochure printed on ivory paper instead. You’ve avoided one extra design step AND you’ve just managed to save money at the same time.
8. Last but not least…EDIT! After you’ve finished your brochure design and everything is looking the way you want…stop! Don’t send it to the printer until you’ve had it proofread. Find someone – or even several some ones – to look over your final brochure design. What your eyes miss someone else, who hasn’t looked at it hundreds of times, might catch. You could literally lose thousands on printing costs if there is just one thing wrong with your brochure design. So always take the extra time to proof it first.

If you follow these steps then you CAN create a brochure design that attracts attention for all the right reasons.

About the Author: Nadine Meeker is the founder of Winters Productions, a copywriting and graphic design firm specializing in B2B and B2C marketing that handles sales copywriting, web copywriting and brochure design. By providing affordable services, they’ve helped a multitude of businesses from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups for nearly a decade.

A website copywriter can bring your company marketing success. The person you employ, however, needs to be an expert in several key areas of writing, especially when it comes to writing copy for websites. To make sure you get the best website copywriter you can find, here are a few things to look for.

SEO Copywriting

An expert website copywriter should know the exact words to use to get your site at the top of the search engine list. These keywords can’t be too obscure or too overused – it really has to be the proper blend to achieve the proper results. SEO copywriting depends on your website copywriter finding the right combination of words to use and then using them effectively to achieve your desired results. At the same time, the keywords shouldn’t overshadow the sales message. Yes, you want search engines to notice you but customers are the ones reading the copy too. So again, there’s a balance that must be maintained and the right website copywriter knows that tightrope walk.

Blogs and Social Networks

Today’s strong marketing plans not only apply to good website design, but also to how to incorporate other online tools like blogs and social networks. A good website copywriter needs to know how to use those services and how to effectively communicate with them. Sometimes that means even stepping away from the traditional forms of writing marketing copy and writing outside the box. One of the reasons that blogging is so successful is it shows search engines that a site is active and therefore they’ll point to your site opposed to one that never updates it’s pages. So if you lack the time to pen a few short articles a week on a blog then considered an experience website copywriter.

ROI Focused Copy

Hiring a good website copywriter can save you money over an entire marketing agency in that they take a hands-on design approach for your site in order to maximize your return on investment. For example, in addition to your sites main pages, your website’s landing pages must be perfectly handled to entice those customers to take action to help drive your profits.

Obtaining a professional website copywriter is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Hopefully these few tips though will make that task a little easier by knowing what kinds of questions to ask your ’short list of website copywriters.’