Entries Tagged 'copywriting' ↓

It’s not every day you get an email from one of your idols, but that’s what happened to me last year.

When I started out as a copywriter, my holy grail was a book called ‘Write to Sell – The Ultimate Guide to Great Copywriting’ by Andy Maslen. His words helped me develop my writing techniques to enabled me to become a successful copywriter. So, you can imagine my shock (in a good way) when I received an email from Andy asking if he could interview me for his new book ‘Write Copy, Make Money‘. I finally got to meet him at the launch of his book and we’ve stayed in touch, which has led to this post.

Now it’s my turn to interview Andy. He’s been kind enough to talk to Freelance Copywriter’s Blog about working as a copywriter and the world of freelancing. Today’s instalment is all about copywriting.

Andy Maslen on Copywriting

1. How did you get into copywriting?

My first ‘proper’ job was working as a marketing assistant for a research publisher. Copywriting was part of my job – for mailshots, press releases and catalogues. I discovered I was good at it and tried to do as much of it as I was able. I started buying books to find out how to do it properly and nagging my boss to send me on courses.

2. What is it about copywriting that gets you out of bed every morning?

Simply that I love writing it. No two days are the same and I get to spend my time working on some fascinating projects with some very nice people.

3. What has been your greatest challenge so far?

Sending in the first draft of my first-ever copy as a freelance, back in 1996. I could hardly bear – or dare – to let it go. I wanted to ensure it was perfect, which, of course, it never can be, before letting the client see it, and I was terrified it wouldn’t beat their control (it was a mailshot for an IT magazine). It did, for which I will be eternally thankful.

4. What has been your best copywriting experience?

I do like it when clients send me grateful emails without being asked. And I love it when we write something that helps a client hit their business targets. In straightforward copywriting terms, probably writing the Annual Report for a Swiss client – stakeholders up to and including the Chairman of a quoted company.

5. What has been your worst copywriting experience?

Ooh, tough one. There was a job I turned down – to write copy for a new product on which, as I was told, “Our Chairman and our CEO don’t agree, and we also have a few other directors of business units who don’t want to launch it. Oh, and we haven’t fixed the price yet. We thought you could help us sort it all out.” In general, I am grateful, still, for every copywriting job. Even if it ends up not going in the portfolio, we still get paid.

6. What would be your dream copywriting job?

Writing launch copy for a new Jaguar sports car – but I’d have to spend a few days driving it round country roads and test tracks to ensure I got all the emotion-led benefits copy just right.

7. How do you deal with difficult clients?

We try to avoid problems in the first place by taking on clients who think the same way about copywriting as we do. We’ve developed a very simple set of questions we ask them that helps everyone decide whether working together would be a good idea.

If they’re asking reasonable but challenging questions about the copy, we explain why we’ve written it the way we have. If they’re challenging our copy on the grounds of personal taste, we will argue the point but may decide to concede. After all, they’re paying the piper.

If they’re being difficult about paying, we send a series of emails culminating in a friendly note that we intend to seek legal redress.

8. Can you describe the creative process you go through when starting a new project?

You’ll have to forgive me for quoting my hero, David Ogilvy, who said, “I don’t want you to tell me you find my adverts ‘creative’, I want you to find them so compelling you buy the product”. In other words, I don’t see what I do as a creative process; it’s a commercial process. And it goes like this: I spend some time thinking very hard about what problems the client’s product or service solves, and for whom. I find out everything I can about the customer, and the product, preferably from the people who make it as well as sell it. And I get a very good written brief from the client.

Then, once I’ve done all this I usually go for a walk with my dog. I mull over the approach I want to take and come back to the office. Then I sit and stare at my screen very hard for a few minutes. If something comes, I start writing as fast as possible without looking at the screen until I run out of steam.

If nothing comes, I do some more thinking and switch to a different project or activity. I find that an approaching deadline stimulates my creativity wonderfully.

9. What advice would you give someone thinking about breaking into copywriting?

Go for it! It’s a lovely way to earn a living. More specifically, read everything you can lay your hands on about selling, marketing, advertising and, of course, copywriting. Know the kind of copy you want to write and the kind of company you want to work for, either as a freelance or as an in-house copywriter. Develop a thick skin and good diplomacy skills. And realise that you should break into copywriting because you love selling not because you love writing. If you love writing for its own sake, write fiction or poetry or be a journalist – copywriting is a business and it’s a tough one at that.

10. You’ve written a number of books about copywriting, how did that come about?

When I set up my agency, Sunfish, in 1996, I wrote our marketing strategy on a little piece of paper. In full, it read “Books – Articles – Speeches – Training”. So I always knew I would have to write a book. I wrote a draft of one that sat in my pending tray for about five years, then a friend introduced me to her publisher and he expressed an interest. I wrote a second draft and submitted it and he liked it, so that was that. It sold moderately well, so my publisher was keen for me to write more and I was happy to oblige.

Stay tuned for Malsen on Freelancing…

Andy Maslen F IDM

Andy Maslen is Managing Director of Sunfish Ltd, a copywriting agency specialising in corporate publicity, direct marketing and subscriptions. He writes and speaks regularly on copywriting and corporate communications and is a best-selling author.

Andy has worked with, among others, The Prudential, Nobel Biocare, The Economist Group, Emap, the DTI, BBC Worldwide, Hamleys, The London Stock Exchange, The British Standards Institution, the RSPB, Time Out, The New York Times Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Andy is a lifetime Fellow of the Institute of Direct Marketing and author of Write to Sell: the Ultimate Guide to Great Copywriting; 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: from Leading Companies Around the World; The Copywriting Sourcebook: How to Write Better Copy, Faster – For Everything from Ads to Websites, and Write Copy, Make Money: How to Build Your Own Successful Freelance Copywriting Business, all published by Marshall Cavendish.

www.sunfish.co.uk

www.copywritingacademy.co.uk

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).

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.

As a copywriter I know the power of ‘you’.

It’s a small word, but one that creates an instant connection between you and your customers. It shows you are thinking about them and how you can help make their life easier.

Back in 2010 I wrote a post about this very subject. It’s such an important part of copywriting I think it deserves a second airing – enjoy:

Those immortal words were famously uttered by Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) in the 1976 classic, “Taxi Driver”.

This post isn’t about that particular iconic film though. Rather, I want to  talk about your website copywriting and how it should be written to gain the greatest effect.

Who do you want to read your website?

This is a topic that I have touched on in the past but it is so important, I’m going to talk about it again.

You might think it an odd question – “who do you want to read your website?” – but it isn’t really.

Look at it another way – what do you want your website to do?

Hopefully you answered “sell” or perhaps “generate enquiries”. But you will only do that if your website copy talks to your reader. Think back to the last networking event you went to. No doubt someone came up and introduced themselves to you and launched into their elevator pitch. What would you find most interesting? Someone who says:

“I’m John, I sell websites. My websites have state of the art features and they look great. They are really eye catching and I work with clients all over the country. I can create ecommerce sites, flash sites and just about anything else you can think of. My company is called Websitearama, this is my card, look me up.”

Lost the will to live yet? I’m guessing that you have now made your excuses and left John to find another victim to bore.

But what if John had said this?

“Hi, I’m John and I can help your website attract targeted traffic that will generate a constant stream of sales. With our software you’ll never lose a sale because it will automatically follow up every lead. You will no longer be walking away from business because you don’t have time to keep in touch with all your prospects – your website software will do it for you.”

In the first scenario John bangs on about his company. At no point does he even attempt to say how he can help his clients. His websites have state of the art features – so what? The are really eye-catching – so what?

But the second attempt starts to address his audience. His website attracts targeted traffic – so what? – so it generates a constant stream of leads. It follows up every lead automatically – so what? – so you’ll never lose another sale.

This time John has qualified the benefits of his product by illustrating what that will mean to his clients.

So what’s all that got to do with websites?

When someone lands on your website they are there for a reason – they want to buy what you are selling.

To make yourself stand out from all the other websites, you have to make sure you give them what they want. If they land on your site only to read all about your company (an Ego website) they’ll get bored and move on.

But if your website copy addresses them directly and tells them what you will do for them, you’ll get their attention.

You

That is a word that should be littered throughout your web copy. By using “you” and “your” you are directly addressing your reader. You are involving them in your website and showing them precisely why they’ll benefit from your product/service.

Stating what your benefits are and what they’ll do for your reader will prevent them from saying those dreaded words:

“What’s in it for me?”

If they have to say that you’ve failed to get your message across clearly.

So next time you are writing your web copy make sure you banish “we” and replace it with “you”. By writing directly to your reader you’ll begin to write benefits driven copy that will sell. It may take a bit of practice but stick with it as it will pay off.

By the way, this is also true for your other sales materials.

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter

Have you noticed that when companies write brochures, web copy and other marketing materials, they produce text that’s very jargonated (yes, I made that word up), corporate and downright boring?

There seems to be a misconception that sales writing has to be that way.

Why?

Do they think it makes them sound important? Interesting? Intelligent?

Well, it doesn’t. In fact it’s a complete turn-off.

The way you write reflects the type of company you are. For example, something as simple as the salutation in a letter can speak volumes about your company:

• Dear customer – we are a company that really doesn’t care about you, we just want your money
• Dear Mrs Jones – at least me know your name, but we’re very formal and not very approachable
• Hello Mary – we want to talk to you, you’re a real person and we want to build a relationship with you
• Hi Mary – we love our customers because they make us the company we are. Come and talk to us, we want to hear from you

How you structure your brochures, web copy and sales letters is also very important. Writing these in-house can lead to stuffy writing. Company employees very quickly become indoctrinated to communication through ‘company jargon’ and therefore, when they write, that’s what they write.

A better way would be to imagine yourself with a friend and think about how you would explain the concept you’re writing about to them.

The chances are you won’t use ‘corporate’ words and phrases like obtain, retain, further to, in the event that and instead use simple words you’d use in everyday speech like get, keep, following and if.

In other words write as you would speak. And before you go getting on your high horse and start ranting about professionalism in business, let me ask you this – is it better to get your message across simply and effectively, or appear ‘professional’ by using complex words and sentence structures that complete baffle your reader?

To me, and just about every other marketer under the sun, it is professional to understand your reader and to address them in simple language that effectively communicates your message.

If you ignore your reader and their needs, they are not going to want to do business with you. Why should they?

So, in a nutshell:

• Write what you mean and say it clearly
• Write to your reader (i.e. in the second person)
• Cut out any jargon, business buzzwords or anything formal
• Use verbs as much as possible rather than nouns
• Use the active voice (i.e. the subject of the sentence ‘acts’ e.g. ‘I threw the ball’, ‘Dave stroked the cat’)

By following those simple steps, your writing will become more effective, punchier and clearer.

Give it a try – find a piece of writing you’ve done before and write it again using these tips.

Sally Ormond – Copywriter