Entries Tagged 'Facebook pages and timelines' ↓

Whether you need someone to work on an off line or online project, it’s essential the copywriter you choose has certain qualities.

The ability to write is obviously right up there, but being an effective writer goes a lot deeper than being able to string a few sentences together.

Creative

Really? OK, a copywriter rarely gets involved in design, but they must have a creative side to be able to look at your project from a number of different angles. They must be able to come up with concepts that will make your project stand out.

A bit of nous

Because copywriters usually are not industry specific, it is imperative they have the ability to grasp a subject quickly. Frequently, copywriting projects only last a few weeks or months (especially when it is in relation to website copy or brochure content), so they have to get up to speed with your product/service PDQ in order to write about it in an intelligent, coherent and persuasive manner.

Understanding

You’ve undoubtedly heard many copywriters talking about ‘speaking to your audience’. But to make their copy resonate with your customers, they have to show empathy for the issue they have (and the reason why they need to buy what you’re offering). Only when they place themselves in the shoes of your customers can they create copy that will deliver the emotional connection needed to make the sale.

Great listeners

Although your copywriter knows how to write to sell, it’s important they also listen to your goals. After all, riding roughshod over your ideas is hardly going to ingratiate themselves to you.

A good copywriter will listen first, weigh up the project and then provide feedback. After that, the collaborative process begins so a mutually approved course of action if determined.

Organised

Not only do they have to be able to work to deadlines, they also must be able to follow direction, manage multiple tasks and be completely focused on the details of your project.

The last thing you want it to have to be constantly chasing them up to see how far along with the project they are.

Your copywriter should drive the project through to completion.

Not afraid to stand their ground

A copywriter won’t bully you (a good one, anyway), but they have to manage your expectations, so, should you want to take the project in a direction they know won’t work it’s important they have the guts to tell you.

After all, if they follow your instructions like a sheep knowing it’s not going to work, the project will be doomed. And, because they wrote it, it’ll be seen as their fault.

Therefore, any professional writer will point out when you are wrong and tell you why. Listen to them; they know what they’re talking about.

Simple

That needs a bit more explanation. Simple, as in writers of simple language. They’ll steer clear of any jargon or technical mumbo-jumbo and create content that is clear, concise and easy to understand.

They are not there to make you look intelligent by littering your content with long words no one understands.

Consistent

They will also produce content (especially if you commission them for multiple projects) that is consistent in voice and tone, keeping your marketing materials on brand.

Unassuming

When you’re a copywriter there’s no room for ego. Everything you write is for others, so it’s essential it follows the customer’s style and brief. It is essential your write can cut and edit the material without any emotional attachment to it. Its purpose is to sell, not gain kudos for the copywriter.

Understand the web

If your project is an online one, it’s also essential your copywriter understands how to write effectively for the web. That means they understand the use of hyperlinks, internal linking structures, search engine optimisation and how to cultivate a persuasive momentum that will keep the reader hooked.

Other than that, it’s also important you gel with your copywriter. Give them a call and have a chat to get a feel the type of person they are and whether you can work together.

It’s really important the client/copywriter relationship works to get the best out of your project.

Sally Ormond – Briar Copywriting Ltd, Twitter and Google+

Did you know about the Facebook for WordPress plugin?

Well, in June it became available to help self-hosted WordPress users to easily integrate Facebook features (e.g. social publishing and mentions) through their WordPress platform.

Basically, it allows you to cross-post content published to WordPress to your Facebook timeline and the Facebook Pages you manage.

To find out more about how to instal and use this plugin, pop over to SocialMediaExaminer who take you through a step by step guide.

Here’s the link: How to Use the New Facebook WordPress Plugin: A Complete Guide

A facebook Business Page is great for your business.

Once indexed by the search engines, it gives your business greater visibility, you can tell your fans about special offers and events really quickly and you can engage with them. Plus, as there are 500 million users (and growing) on Facebook you can drive an awful lot of traffic back to your website.

And that’s just for starters.

But how can you maximise your chances of your Facebook Business Page being found in the search results?

Well, Facebook have posted a video on their website, created by Distilled.net, to teach you the basics of SEO along with a few suggestions on how to improve the ranking of your Facebook Page in the search engines. You can view it my clicking on the image below:

The video lasts about 7 minutes, but is well worth watching.

Distilled.net have also put together a PDF on SEO for Facebook Pages, which you can find here.

Thanks guys.

Facebook has come up with the biggest change ever made for page owners – the new timeline layout for business pages. The timeline is divided into two parts – the top part is known as the Cover and the remaining part is known as the Heart. The Cover contains your personal information along with your friends, photos and the likes and is based on the concept of a book cover. The Heart of the timeline is similar to a line graph symbolizing important events in your life.

Facebook Business Page before Timeline

Before the invention of timeline, businesses used to create a Facebook Fan Page in order to generate “Likes”. The page owners could upload photos and videos of their products and services for advertising as well as for communicating with prospective customers. The visual aspects of Facebook could not be fully optimized because of the limitations in the form of thumbnails and albums or tagged photos being hidden in the wall.

Business Opportunities with Facebook Timeline

The timeline is a very good visual platform and attracts attention because of the basic human tendency of paying more attention to pictures rather than text.

The concept of Facebook timeline is based on photos and videos. Thus, the earlier practice of posts and blogs, which gave rise to lots of spam, is now being replaced by visual content. Previsously, the news feed used to appear only for a day or two, but the infinite scroll of timeline stays for a longer period of time. Businesses will be able to create an emotional bond with the fans through their timeline by sharing quality content like photos, videos, real time mobile pictures and also by posting regular updates.

What has changed with Timeline?

Default landing tabs have been removed in timeline. The visitors need to go over the content first before viewing the features or the apps meant for fans. Direct messages can be sent to the fans and this feature will enable a business to build a better relationship with their customers.

The tabs have also become wider at 760 pixels. The main highlight is the addition of a cover page image. There is also a new admin panel which has many more tools for doing better social research and also for keeping track of all the timeline activity.

What must not be done with the cover page?

The cover picture must not contain any information about product prices or any promotional discount offers like “50% off” or “Download now”. Avoid putting contact information in the cover image because these details are supposed to be in the “About” Section. There should not be any references to “share” or “like” any feature or content. And most importantly, phrases like “Call us today” or “Click on our Welcome tab” should never be used on a cover page.

The timeline is a major setback for the spamming marketers on Facebook. It presents an exciting opportunity for creative businesses who believe in being more and more interactive with their customers for achieving success. All these changes can be a little deluging for some small companies with little presence in Facebook but they will soon realize that the timeline feature is the future of almost every business.

About the author: Brianne is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and luxury. Beside this she is fond of gadgets. Recently an article on porsche 959 attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on honda city diesel.

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.

Love it or loathe it, it’s arrived.

The timeline format for Facebook pages has landed – whether you like it or not.

If, like me, you’re still trying to get to grips with it, take a look at this info graphic courtesy of Hubspot