Copywriting & Marketing

Six Easy Steps to Winning Advertising Copy

Writing excellent advertising copy doesn’t have to be as hard as you might imagine. Here are several things you can do to make sure your advertising copy is the best it can be.

1. Specify your Goal

Before you even start typing your advertising copy, make sure you know exactly what it is you wish to accomplish. A phone call? An email response? An order? Laying out your advertising plan will get you on your way.

2. Acknowledge Your Audience

Ask yourself – who will read my advertising copy? You might want to write for the broadest audience possible, but don’t forget to target just one group now and then. Why?  You’ll have a better ad response rate when you can address a particular group’s precise needs, which is something you can’t do quite as well with general advertising copy.

3. Appeal to Their Concerns, Not Yours

Yes, you’re composing advertising copy to yield leads and sales for your business. Saying something like, “We’re the best lawn service in town’” means very little to your customers. However if you say, “You can have a lawn that will make your neighbors jealous,” that puts the focus on them. See the difference? When you do that, you have a much better chance at winning them over.  So keep your advertising copy focused on the benefits your business can provide and NOT the business itself.

4. Be Sentimental, Not Logical

Mr. Spock would have been a terrible salesman. Emotion always trumps logic when it comes to buying. That means you must focus on the emotional appeal of what your business offers if you want better results. Let’s look at perfume as an example. Women buy perfume to smell nice (logic). Women buy a particular perfume, like Calvin Kline, because it makes them feel beautiful (emotion). Get your customer’s emotionally involved with your advertising copy and you’ll see results.

5. Keep it Casual

Don’t talk down, but keep your advert copy simple and to the point. This is advertisement copy, not Tolstoy. Use light sentences, simple words and be clear. The powerfulness of the message comes through with the words you choose rather than the amount of words you use. So follow Thomas Jefferson’s advice - never say something in ten words when you can say it in two.

6. Limit Options

Once you’ve played up to the customers interest and emotions, encourage them to take a particular step. This is known in writing as the call to action. Tell them exactly what to do next to get the benefits you’re offering. It might be clicking a link for web copy, picking up the phone in a newspaper ad or filling out a registration form on a postcard.

Who Needs Professional Copywriting?

Many business owners think that their website is one area they do not need to spend money for professional copywriting. This belief couldn’t be further from the truth. A professional copywriting establishment knows exactly how to optimize the web copy to bring more revenue to the commercial enterprise, but they also know how to write to accomplish sales once visitors are there.

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

Plus, the standard person doesn’t read the Internet - he scans it. A professional copywriting service will know how to get visitors to your site, but more significantly, they hold them there. Why is this meaningful? Because studies show the longer someone is on a site the more likely they are to purchase something from that business enterprise.

A professional copywriting service will research your market, develop the foremost strategy to sell your products and services online, create unique and efficient 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 clients, not visitors. Professional copywriting does both.

There are many more prospects professional copywriting can do for your business. Understand that while it might seem like a great 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 quick and effectively.

Does Your Press Release Writer Matter?

Who you pick as your press release writer does matter. Just because someone is exceptional at web copy or even web articles does not make them a press release writer. There are a few writers, like myself, who are prepared 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 enterprise to the media you need an individual who thinks like the media.

Your first goal in finding a press release writer is to make sure they have years of solid experience. Ask for examples of past releases and look for particular facets within those releases.

For example, editors hate releases that sound like advertisements. I’ve worked in newsrooms and I know companies that post news that reads like a page long ad is immediately trashed.

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

But you need to remember that editors are very subjective. An editor reading a press release from an owner named Bob might be in a bitter divorce with her husband of the same name. Poor Bob, the commercial enterprise 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 ex. That sounds totally crazy, but it really can be THAT subjective.

As always, proficiency plays an influential role in a successful press release writer. Of course a writer needs good writing skills, and a remarkable hook but press releases should also be arranged decently. The media can be rather particular when it comes to how a press release is structured. So know the 5-Ws of journalism and prymiad structure and exercise them. If that sentence makes no sense, save yourself the time and trouble and just hire an experienced press release writer.

How to Employ Someone For Copywriting Services

If you need professional copywriting services then review these effortless steps that will make the operation much easier.

1. Set Your Needs

Before you look for anyone for copywriting services outline exactly what services you need. Do you need brochures or direct response postcards? SEO web content or email newsletters? Know beforehand what you expect from your copywriting professional.

2. Opt For the Best Writer

Review their experience, the types of copywriting services they offer and their terms. Remember too that the least costly writer is not necessarily the best writer. You often get what you pay for and poor writing can end up costing even more than expending a few extra dollars at the start.

3. Communicate with Your Writer

A professional writer doesn’t equate being a psychic. A productive project starts with good communication. Make sure your writer knows exactly what you require from the copywriting services being provided to you and answer any questions they have a specifically as possible.

4. Review, Revise and Enjoy

Once your writer has concluded your project, review it for grammatical errors, but also for facts and originality. Submit any changes based on your agreement and when you are finally happy with the work then you can complete the project.

Hiring copywriting services does not have to be a bothersome task. It’s in your best interests to make sure your business gets the strongest copy possible, but for that to happen you need to be organized and have a team player mentality.

Why Hire a Marketing Copywriter?

Simply put: a marketing copywriter writes better than you. Yes, you know your business sector and, yes, you know your customers. Too often though, even the best businesses fall into the “we, we, we” trap. What that means is they lecture about how great they are and they completely forget about the person that really matters - their client. This is where a marketing copywriter knows how to communicate with buyers much more effectively.

Admittedly, a marketing copywriter is an investment, but when it comes to your promotional budget, it’s a necessary toll that ends up getting you much more. Advertising itself is pricey, but in order for you to maximize your return on investment, your marketing copy should be a work of art, just like any graphics you use in your marketing materials.

You need to hire a marketing copywriter to soundly hit your target markets. Only then will you hear your phone ringing, see your web-store getting orders and discover your profits soar, since this is what a marketing copywriter does.

Plus, did you know during the last deep recession in the 1980’s, the companies who survived were the ones that DIDN’T halt advertising. So if you’ve been spooked and you’re thinking that advertising today is a waste, think again.

Too often I’ve seen business organizations spend thousands on web design or a brochure design, but then do the copy themselves. They figure they’ll hold on to a few dollars. Then when the phone doesn’t ring, they can’t deduct why. The reason is copy matters.

Disregarding your business by forfeiting a marketing copywriter is a bit like running a marathon and stopping 100 yards from the finish line. You can be ‘close’ but you’ll never ‘win.’ When you address your promotional copy the same way, your results will be the same - you won’t be successful.

So, instead of stopping short of breaking the tape, make sure you’re hitting your target market and watch your revenues skyrocket by hiring an experienced marketing copywriter.

The Largest Secret of a Direct Response Copywriter

When you need to turn more of your potential customers into actual customers then you need a pro direct response copywriter. Advertisements, direct mail letters, and web pages do for your business what an expert salesman can do when they sell your product or service. Therefore your direct response copywriter should be the absolute most versatile professional you can hire.

The biggest slip 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 the copy on the benefits of your business and what your business can do for your customers. This is a big difference between everyday copy and killer copy and a professional direct response copywriter can give that to you.

Anyone with a college degree can write, 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 copy has to effectively go straight for your customer’s wallets. You might be knowledgeable, but a professional direct response copywriter can convey your message in an efficient, clear, emotional way.

Does Hiring a American Copywriter Matter?

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 first choice for your business. Here are a few reasons that discuss why, which you might not have considered.

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

Why? Someone living where your customers do puts you at a distinct home field advantage.

They understand the shades of the American culture that writers on the other side of the world simply can’t appreciate as firmly. So while you may redeem 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 design their writing around the American experience.

At Winters Productions we’ve heard the horror stories of customers who found us after they went overseas looking for a deal. What looked like a dream come true ended up being a nightmare, with missed deadlines, sub-par work, and sometimes, no work at all.

They also learn that legalizing any signed contract would mean journeying across an ocean to where the contractor resides. It also meant going into that country’s court system and having the case tried there. And even if they won, the chance of getting their money back was slim-to-none.

In the end their pursuit to save a few dollars, and forego employing an American copywriter, ended up costing them even more money. Not only were they out the initial fee they paid (and the time and energy they spent), they also had to employ an American copywriter anyway to clean up the mess the cheap writer supplied.

In the end, when you need to make every merchandising 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 working copy that speaks to your buyers and that’s the difference between a sale and no sale. 

Do you have a professional SEO copywriter?

Do you have a professional SEO copywriter? How much is a good-written web page worth to your business enterprise? If your pages are not pulling and keeping visitors to your website with the intent of having them take action, then you want a professional SEO copywriter.

A SEO copywriter is an individual who designs and optimizes web page content to maximize your sites chances of appearing higher on search engine lists. Most significantly, only an expert in SEO copywriting can make your pages seem natural, without using any tricks to fool the search engines.

Advertising is one of the top expenses that a business organization has, but a professional SEO copywriter can earn you more bucks by giving you a website that appeals to visitors and search engines by focusing on the content. By targeting specific keywords, the SEO copywriter will bring in the highest degree traffic from people who are looking for just what you offer, instead of paying for ad linking.

Your website traffic can increase so you’ll get more customers and best of all, your profits can burst forth. You and your business enterprise will be better off when you hire a SEO copywriter rather than trying to travel the unknown waters yourself.

Sales Copywriting For Growth

Online marketing campaigns depend heavily on good sales copywriting. The Internet is an interactive experience that demands potential customers to actively seek information. So it is urgent that your sales copywriting be as efficient as it can be. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help make your sales copywriting leap out.

Your readers mind scan sales copywriting - never say in ten words what you can say in two. 

They want to know the benefit from your product or service and little else actually matters. Your chore when producing sales copywriting is to accent those benefits and let your reader know how their lives will be better for them.

In sales copywriting exercise testimonials since they work. Even a short blurb from a satisfied customer will bring good results so any sales copywriting should include testimonials.

The total amount of information on the Internet is staggering. So you need to make sure that your sales copywriting will seize readers quickly and provide the information theyre looking for at a glance. Using impressive headlines in your sales copywriting will help so be bold when writing those headlines.  

How To Make Quality Web Copywriting

Why is web copywriting important? Words are, and always have been, our key means of communicating. The written word is specially important because it can initiation our emotions and influence our decisions. In today’s market, web copywriting has far outdone the boundaries that printed copywriting could ever have imagined. So when you try your hand at web copywriting, keep these few hints in mind.

1. Use Charismatic Language. When you create web copywriting, you have the force to bait customers into spending their money. That’s why your web copywriting must produce trust in the customer. Strong and compelling words do just that. For example, instead of saying something like, ‘Get the best price,’ instead consider keener action words like experience, discover, etc.

2. Speak the customer’s language. For example, if you’re selling hunting jackets your web copywriting must speak the language of the hunter. Will your jacket carry more ammo than your competitors? Does it provide better camouflage so the hunter can stay hidden longer? Research the jargon and youll be on your way.

3. Stress the benefits. Good web copywriting involves putting emphasize on the benefits of your product or service rather than just the features alone. What benefit will your reader get by wearing your hunting jacket versus your competitors? Will it keep the reader warmer in cold weather? Your web copywriting should always tell the customer exactly whats in it for them.

4. Write for Readers and Search Engines Second. Too often when a business enterprise looks into web copywriting they immediately think SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Yes, SEO is essential and every web page needs it. However, what you produce needs to be more than just keywords tossed together. What good is a number one if your customers leave because of dreadful writing?

5. Learn specific formatting of SEO. Many business organizations mistakenly believe if they ram as many keywords in as possible they’ll get a high ranking. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s strongest to use one main keyword that appears in distinguishable places in your copy and two to three supporting keywords. So if you have a list of ten keywords you really love don’t shove them all into a single page. Make ten pages of content around each one with a couple of supporting words injected. 

Web copywriting today is nearly a science in itself. Search around the Internet and see what it takes to bring forth superb web copywriting that attracts search engines and customers or, if you lack the time, simply hire an experienced web copywriting service to do it for you.