Entries Tagged 'copywriting tips' ↓

Sooner or later, you’ll realize that keeping up with the amount of content you need to keep your online marketing strategy going, is impossible on your own.

So, it’s time to call in the experts.

You’ve done your research, you’ve found a copywriter you believe you can work with – so what next?

Well, if you were thinking you could just email them a list of your requirements and then let them get on with it without any input from you, you’d be wrong.

Your writer is going to need a lot of information from you and they’ll probably either use a briefing document (which they’ll email to you for completion), or if they’re close enough, meet with you.

So, what can you expect to be asked about?

Ready? Here goes…

Your goals – what you’re looking to achieve with that particular project

Brand personality – how you want your company to seen. Plus, the work they do for you will also have to fit in with your current brand image, so they’ll need to know things like preferred vocabulary, house styles etc.

Preferred voice – do you want it formal, informal, conversational etc.

What’s worked in the past? – if you’ve had a particularly successful campaign in the past, let them see it so they can use its style within the new project. Also, if you know something doesn’t work, again let them know.

Your audience – they’re going to need to know whom they are writing for. That is your present clients base and potential clients, or those you want to do business with.

Background – don’t forget your writer is unlikely to have a background in your industry so don’t assume knowledge. Provide them with details of your main competitors, articles and blogs that might be relevant etc.

Back to basics – as mentioned earlier, your writer isn’t going to be an expert in your field, so be prepared to get right back to basics. After all, you’ve acquired a lot of knowledge over the years, but that doesn’t mean your audience have the same knowledge levels.

There’s a bit more yet – here are a few other things to bear in mind:

• Give them time – last minute deadlines don’t help anyone
• Give them one point of contact – this will avoid confusion and mixed messages
• Review drafts quickly – it saves a lot of time chasing
• Keep them in the loop – let them know what’s going on, especially if it’s going to affect their work

Treat your writer as a member of your team. The more they work with you, the more familiar they will become with your business, products and audience.

And that will be worth its weight in gold.

The following guest post was written by Mike Beeson. The author’s views are entirely his own and may not reflect the views of FreelanceCopywritersBlog.com. If you are interested in producing a Guest Post for this blog, please get in touch with your ideas.

Every time I write something about Copywriting Rates it stirs up a hornets’ nest of emotions.  Yes of course people have strong feelings about the value of their services and why they should be adequately rewarded.  And don’t they have every right to complain about the devaluation and ‘dumbing down’ of their professional expertise by dilettantes, online opportunists and semi-literate also-rans?

The real question is, however: does anyone – other than the more ‘traditionalist’ copywriting fraternity – really care one jot?  Isn’t the reality that the brave new online world is more concerned with the bigger picture of instant and effective communication, rather than pondering over the minutiae of copywriting craft skills?

Value vs. Quality

Many would argue that setting out information on the online page requires little more than clerical-level skills which in no way merit the higher levels of remuneration that the more strategic elements of online communication deserve.

Yet others would argue that the market for copywriters is split straight down the middle.  They would say that ‘content writers’ satisfy the need for contractor-volumes of copy that the omnivorous online medium demands.  On another level, they would acknowledge that professional-calibre copywriting and conceptual skills have a definite place in those areas of the marketing mix where persuasive and attention-grabbing ideas that are well-executed are essential to maximising returns on investment.

This has been given further credence with Google’s re-emphasis on ‘quality content’ as the minimum requirement in its search strategy.  Webmasters and their SEO colleagues, they say, will only be rewarded with higher web page rankings if they pay heed to these strictures.

It’s All Coming Full-circle!

For many copywriters, ‘quality content’ means there is light at the end of the tunnel.  The fact that search engines no longer tolerate lines of keyword-stuffed copy is great news for every purist on the block.  Google’s ever-improving algorithmic capacity to analyse semantics and context are beginning to sift out those who, for long enough, have been trying to ‘game’ the search engines by using deceptive techniques.

I mention this only because fluent, persuasive and creative copy has seen its stock rise in recent months.  Admittedly, this has been from a low base-level and it may take an even bigger online cultural shift to restore copywriters to their Mad Men status in the creative pantheon.

The fact is, online searches are about speed, convenience and measuring one supplier against another for attributes such as quality, reputation and value for money.  Price comparisons in all fields will probably intensify, and there’s no reason why copywriting should be an exception.

Use the Web With Care

Copywriters who feel their services are undervalued should probably avoid the Internet entirely if they aren’t going to be massively frustrated by the process of being judged on price, and price alone!  It’s one thing to say you’ll stick to your guns when it comes to pricing, but this policy can only result in machine-gun nests manned by economic skeletons.

In other words, online Dutch auctions are probably here to stay, especially when it comes to clients looking for ad hoc or fire-fighting copywriting solutions.  The best bet for those with enough self-belief and cash reserves to stay the course is to use your brilliantly-optimised website as a calling card, a foot-in-the-door and an entrée to a longer-term client relationship where a copywriter’s skills are needed, respected and valued beyond the here and now.

About the author:

Mike Beeson is a UK freelance copywriter specialising in website and SEO copywriting. Mike has written extensively about the many issues surrounding the rates copywriters charge.  His company, Buzzwords Limited, was established over 20 years ago and is located in Knutsford, Cheshire (south Manchester).

Most online marketers engage in content marketing in one form or another.

They understand the benefits it brings to their website’s visibility, customers’ satisfaction levels and of course, their bottom line.

But content marketing is only any good if people can find your blogs and articles. So, how can you be sure it’s being found and being read?

It all comes down to measuring the 3 pillars of content marketing:

Visibility

This one is concerned with how easily people can find your content.

When you check your Google Analytics, if your page views are low, it would suggest your content is less than prominent in the search results.

You can remedy this by comparing the keywords that people are using to find your content with the ones that are part of your strategy. You’ll also need to check your META tags and META descriptions. And remember, your META description is the initial hook you can write to encourage someone to click through to your website so make sure it’s enticing.

Relevance

Assuming people can find your content, they’re only going to read it if it resonates with the. Are you offering a solution to their problem? Are you providing the answer they’ve been looking for?

In your Analytics, this can be judged by your bounce rate (the percentage of people that land on your site and then leave immediately). A high percentage suggests they are not engaging with your content. So, make sure it is packed with benefits and written from your customers’ point of view – not blatant promotion for your company.

Value

The type of post you produce is also important.

We’ve already said how important it is that your content resonated with your reader, but it’s equally as important that the format of your post appeals to them.

How to articles, statistics, templates etc., are all very popular because they give your reader something for nothing.

The number of sign ups to your RSS feed and the number of shares you receive on social media will reflect how ‘on target’ your information is.

You see, content marketing is essential for any online business – from copywriters to solicitors, software houses to photographers – it will:

• Promote you as an expert in your field
• Give you more ownership of the web
• Boost your visibility in the search results
• Generate links to your website

But to get the most from it, make sure you always think of your customer and measure your results.

This guest post is by David Harfield of iPhoneAppCafe.com. The author’s views are entirely his own and may not reflect the views of FreelanceCopywritersBlog.com. If you are interested in producing a Guest Post for this blog, please get in touch with your ideas.

After spending five years in the freelance copywriting game, I’ve had to iron out a fair few bad habits as well as learn a few good ones.  I’d like to share with you a few pieces of advice that will help turn any rusty copywriting skills into pure gold.

1. Know your audience

OK, this sounds like a fairly obvious point, but when you take the time to think about it, it is actually the most important thing to remember; if you want traffic to be directed towards your blog, you have to appeal to the people that make up that traffic.  So, if your blog or website tends to attract younger people or is based around a theme that is typically associated with the younger generation, consider this when you are wondering what vernacular to use.

Perhaps you could throw in a few ‘cool’ colloquialisms or reference some zeitgeist pop star to show them that you have the common touch.  On the flip side, let’s say that you work for a technology site; your audience is going to appreciate it if you have a decent grasp of technological terminology, so don’t be afraid to do a little research in this area.  Remember, a little can go a long way.

2. Make your titles ‘clickable’

In the blogosphere, one of the most important elements of your article will be your title; seeing as this is what your audience is going to initially be attracted to, it has to be particularly attractive.  So, let’s discuss what’s attractive.  I’ll bet that you clicked on this link because you thought that it would be a short, brief summary of copywriting tips that you could digest before moving on to doing something else (and you were right!).  If I had entitled it ‘If you want to improve your copywriting skills, this article can help’, most of you would have clicked off by the fourth word.

What I’m trying to elucidate is that short, snappy, keyword rich titles work best.  Don’t use language that alienates your audience, but definitely use specific niche keywords that they will be drawn to.  Numbered lists are very attractive too, as are ‘How To…’ titles; basically, most people are short on time and if they want to read an essay, they’ll buy a book (or at least go to a library…).

3. Proof, proof and then proof again!

Once again, this seems like a fairly facile point to make, yet you would be surprised at how many writers do not proof their work.  I like to encourage people to submit each piece of work that they write to the ‘Read Out Loud’ test (I’m pretty sure that you can work out how this test works); if it doesn’t sound right when spoken, it’s certainly not going to read fluidly and your audience will click off as soon as they are bored.

Concurrently, Google has recently altered its algorithm for ranking sites, meaning that user experience counts for a lot more than what it did previously; this means that if you want your site to rise up the rankings, you have to rid your articles of any (and I mean ANY!), grammatical and spelling errors.

David Harfield is the editor at iPhoneAppCafe.com where he reviews the Best iPhone apps and accessories.

If there’s one thing that never changes in the world of marketing, it’s the power of the written word.

Adverts, websites, brochures and emails would be nothing if it wasn’t for the carefully crafted copy that persuades their readers to part with their hard earned cash.

That’s why I wanted to bring this post back from the archives. It’s as relevant today as it was 3 years ago. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the power of words:

Words can be a powerful force when used correctly.

In a novel they have to conjour up an image in your head so you can visualise the characters and scenes they are playing out. In the world of marketing they have to be direct, simple and to the point.

This is something I frequently have to remind my clients – not all, but a few.

A while ago, I was writing for one client and nothing I produced seemed good enough. It was frustrating because I knew what I had written worked. No matter how many times I explained my reasons for using certain layouts and words, it wasn’t good enough.

The reason…

“I thought you were supposed to make me sound more intelligent.”

Eeek! And there was me thinking the whole purpose behind copywriting was to generate sales.

So what does a freelance copywriter do?

Working as a freelance copywriter, it is my job to create great copy which will be interesting and sell – but without being ‘in your face’ super sales hype.

I write all sorts of copy from SEO website copywriting through to reviews and just about everything else in between.

Let’s take website copywriting as an example. If you could ask someone what their reaction was when they landed on your website, which scenario would you prefer?

Scenario 1

Reader – “Gosh, what a superbly written site. You are obviously incredibly intelligent and well edcated.”

You – “Why thank you, and what did you think of our product?”

Reader – “Product? Oh, were you selling something too?”

Scenario 2

Reader – “Amazing, that’s just what I’ve been looking for. It’ll solve all my problems.”

You – “Great. What did you think of the writing on the website?”

Reader – “Writing? Oh, I don’t know. I was too interested in your product and how it would help me.”

I think I know which one I  would perfer.

Invisible writing

It sounds rather strange that your writing should be invisible to your reader, but that’s how it should come across. The words you use have one purpose only – to convince your reader the product you are selling is the one for them.

Becoming blinkered by your own writing ego is the fastest way to churn out redundant copy. If someone is reading your website or brochures, they are doing so for one reason only – they want to know if your product is a fit for their needs. If they can’t find that our quickly, they’ll move on to the next company’s product.

Clear, conscise and simple – that’s it. No frills, no sparkles and no sequins.