Entries Tagged 'copywriting' ↓

Why am I writing about this?

Well, for the first time ever in my writing career, a client complained about the fact that I’d used contractions in his copy.

Bearing in mind the brief was to write ‘friendly, conversational copy that will engage with our readers’; I was rather surprised by his reaction.

Are contractions sloppy? Do they suggest lazy writing?

In my mind, no they don’t.

I even went back to my well-thumbed copy of Fowler’s Modern English Usage to see what that had to say:

“Contractions of the type I’m and don’t are exceedingly common in informal writing and increasingly found in various kinds of fairly formal contexts.”

Even Shakespeare used them!

Do contractions have a place in business writing?

Let’s get one thing clear from the start; even if you’re writing for a business, it’s going to be read by a person.

The best way to get your information across to your reader is by using a conversational style and that means using contractions that provide an easy tone to read and comprehend.

If your writing is easy to understand, it’s easy to absorb.

The guiding principle to grasp with any written communication (especially marketing materials) is to always write for your reader.

Using simple language and contractions will result in copy that is friendly and warm.

What do you think?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this matter.

Granted, there are certain circumstances where contractions are not appropriate, but for general marketing texts, do you thing they’re acceptable?

Have your say below.

Sally Ormond – Copywriter

As a copywriter my job is to help you communicate more effectively with your customers through writing. But on top of that, I’m also here to offer advice and make suggestions about how to improve your marketing strategy.

After spending many years perfecting my art and learning all about search engine optimisation of content and how to use different approaches to attract different audiences, you get a lot of experience and expertise for your money (as well as some stonkingly great copy).

So is there any occasion when hiring a copywriter isn’t a good idea?

Well, let’s look at it this way.

Below are 3 very good reasons why you should hire a copywriter (there are more than just these, but they give you the idea):

1. You want results, to project a professional image and instil trust in your readers  

Every piece of marketing you place ‘out there’ represents your company. Therefore, the quality of your writing will have a direct influence on the perception people have of your business.

Using a copywriter will mean your content will be professional, speak to your readers and show them the benefits of working with you and offer a professional image.

2. You’re open to new ideas

The whole point about bringing in a professional copywriter on board is so that you can refresh and revitalise your marketing approach.

If you want to carry on in the same way, but simply can’t be bothered to write it yourself anymore, hiring a copywriter probably isn’t a great idea.

Part of their job is to look at your approach, understand why it’s not working and then devising a new a way of ‘speaking’ to your customers.

3. You’re not confident in your writing.

If you’re not a confident written communicator it will come across in your marketing materials.

Even though we write practically everyday, it doesn’t mean we are all experts in creating persuasive marketing copy.

The strongest business minds recognise their weaknesses and hire in the help of experts to strengthen those areas.

But, if you think you know better don’t call in a copywriter. That would be like going to the doctors about an ailment only to tell them they have no idea what they’re doing (despite the many years they’ve spent studying) and you’ll go back to the good old fashioned home remedy your mum always used to give you.

For the relationship to be fruitful and for you to see results you have to trust your copywriter, acknowledge that they are an expert in their field and take their advice on board.

Remember, the copywriter isn’t an expert in your business – that’s you – but they are experts at what they do. They know how to structure content and how to use language to persuade and connect emotionally with your readers.

Your home page is probably the most important page on your website.

Creating content to make it effective takes time, skill and quite a lot of know-how.

So, where do you start?

Well, although your home page is probably the page visitors are most likely to arrive on, it isn’t a main sales page.

If you think about it, when you walk into a department store (or any store for that matter), all the goods are set out in relevant departments to make it easy for you to find what you want.  Your home page should be the same; it is the place that directs the visitor to the section of your website they need.

Before you begin creating the content for your home page, you must decide what your objectives are. Do you want your visitors to:

• Buy something?
• Sign up for a newsletter/report?
• Fill out a contact form?

This will determine how you write and lay out your home page.

Let’s take a look at a few of the essential elements that should appear on your home page.

1.  The content

This must talk directly to the reader (i.e. be written in the second person) and tell them what your website is about. It should be obvious from the start what you do and, more importantly, what you can do for your customers. In other words it must show your audience how you are going to make their life better.

2. Establish trust

If you want someone to do business with you, they have to be able to trust you.

How do you create that trust?

Simply by being transparent – show your full contact details (email, postal address and telephone), have a photo of you so they know whom they are dealing with and show testimonials from past clients.

If that sounds a lot for one page, take a look the home page for my copywriting company:

3. Calls to action

You can also see in the above illustration the calls to action.

These are vital to make sure your visitor is taken to the area of your site that is relevant to their needs. You can have more than one, but make sure they are clear and not overwhelming.

4. Clear navigation

Although your content will contain calls to action that will take your readers further into your site, it’s also important to have clear navigation at the top of your home page (and all your pages) so users can easily get to other pages within your site.

5. Links

Your links are like the transport infrastructure of your website so it’s essential to test them to make sure they work. Broken links won’t do anything for your reputation and may lose you potential clients.

There are other elements you could also add in such as search boxes and videos etc., but the elements listed above are really the bare essentials you need to create a good impression, help your visitors find what they want and ultimately, make it easy for them to buy from you.

Over to you

What other elements would you consider essential for a home page?

Leave your comments below.

A short while ago I was asked to do an interview for Felixstowe TV for their Suffolk Women Owned Businesses (SWOB) channel.

If you’re slightly curious about how I got started, what I do and other bits and bobs about me, follow the link below, grab a coffee and watch the video.

Don’t expect an Oscar winning performance (I’m no Angelina Jolie), just a candid chat with a Suffolk copywriter.

Sally Ormond on Felixstowe TV

In our last post, we brought you the first instalment of our interview with Andy Maslen talking about copywriting.

In this second instalment, Andy talks about working as a freelancer.

Andy Maslen on Freelancing

1. What prompted your decision to go freelance?

I got sacked while on holiday and realised I didn’t want to be a marketing director any more.

2. How do you make sure you manage your time effectively?

I’m not sure I always do, but I try always to write copy between 8.30 and 11.00 a.m. because that’s when I do it best. I ensure we have deadlines for every project, then stick to or beat them. I have an office, not a space in the house. We have a dog and two children to look after as well, so there really is only a finite amount of time for working – that concentrates the mind, I find.

3. What would you say is the biggest challenge of working on a freelance basis?

It has to be money, doesn’t it? If you don’t work, you don’t make any. That would lead you on to selling yourself. So that’s the number one challenge. I happen to enjoy selling, but I know a lot of freelancers don’t.

4. What are the advantages of being freelance?

Where do we start? Freedom, up to a point. Earnings potential, ditto. No office politics. It’s very motivating running your own business, too.

5. Do you have any tips on how to network effectively?

To paraphrase JFK, ask not what this person can do for you; ask what they can do for your network. I’d also say, figure out who you want to work for then identify people who could help you enter that market. If you want to work for international oil companies, you probably won’t need to worry about your local business breakfast club. You might, though, need to fly to Dallas for a conference. And also, get over your shyness. Everybody feels a bit nervous, so practice your introduction: smile, shake hands and say, “Hi, I’m Andy. What do you do?” (You’ll get your chance to say what you do in a minute or two, but asking questions is an easy way to develop quick rapport.)

6. As a freelancer, which marketing tool have you found most effective?

These days, as MD of a copywriting agency, my reputation seems to open the doors. When I didn’t have a reputation, I used to telephone people I wanted to work for, or write to them. My newsletter, Maslen on Marketing, is a great marketing tool, and we devote a lot of time building our list.

7. What advice would you give someone who is considering going freelance?

Build up a six-month financial reserve. And either be good at selling, become good at selling or hire someone who is good at selling. I’ve written a book called Write Copy, Make Money that gives a lot more detailed advice, including interviews with some pretty successful freelance copywriters – you included Sally!

8. Just for fun, what little known fact can you tell us about Andy Maslen?

I once went on a summer holiday with John Mackay, who went on to play guitar for Souxsie and the Banshees.

9. Is there anything you have in the pipeline you want to share?

We’re launching a new venture called The Andy Maslen Copywriting Academy. It’s a website with a free resource centre and we’ll be running a ten-week online course in copywriting twice a year, in March and September. The 2012 course starts on 10 September. The site’s in beta just now but it will be at www.copywritingacademy.co.uk.

Thank you so much Andy for taking the time to do this interview. As for all you copywriters out there (established or just starting out), you can get your hands on Andy’s books here. Plus, you can sign up to Andy’s Copywriting Academy and receive his 5 free resources (including his newsletter) here.

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