Entries Tagged 'UK copywriter' ↓

In the business world a newsletter is a great tool to keep in touch with your customers to keep them informed with what’s happening in your world and, of course, keeping your name in their minds.

But there are so many companies out there who are getting it badly wrong. In my post about newsletter marketing I gave you some tips about how to use a newsletter. Sadly, many companies are using them as glorified adverts.

That is such a bad idea.

Your newsletter should give added value to your relationship with your client. Granted, that would mean once in a while you may want to convey a special offer or details of a new product. But do that only once in a while.

Adding value is all about reciprocity. Give information, share tips, bring them some news that will benefit them. By doing this regularly you will earn your clients’ trust. In return, they will be more likely to come to you when they need your services.

The temptation to write a newsletter thinly veiled as an advert is too much for some people. I came across this post recently by inbox marketer explaining that Good Newsletters Aren’t Brochures which has some useful tips on this exact point.

Q: What happens if your newsletters are just selling, selling, selling.

A: The recipients will unsubscribe, forget who you are and buy from your competitor who has been providing them useful hints and tips.

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly what to say to make someone buy from you?

Well, that is pretty much what this blog post will do. I have mentioned in the past that people have to justify their buying decisions, so all you need to know is how they go about it.

Think for a moment – how many times have you bought something you didn’t really need but you wanted? Come on, own up how many pairs of shoes do you own – or gadgets – that you managed to convince yourself you needed even though you didn’t?

I have compiled a list of 10 reasons why people buy products – see how many you recognise.

1. They want to make money – more money makes them feel more successful
2. They want to save money – maybe investing for the future to make them feel more secure
3. They want to save time – hands up who wants to work less and have more leisure time to help them gain a better quality of life
4. They want to look better – perhaps lose a bit of weight, tone up their body or have the odd nip and tuck to make them feel more attractive
5. They want to learn something new – a new skill will make them feel more intelligent
6. They want to live longer – by getting in shape and changing their diet they will feel healthier
7. They want to feel better – finally getting shot of niggling aches and pains will bring them relief
8. They want to be loved – no one wants to be lonely, everyone wants friends because they like to feel wanted
9. They want to be popular – whether it is to the degree of wanting to be famous or just to be liked it will make them feel admired by others
10. They want pleasure – by satisfying their inner most desires they will feel more fulfilled

Did some of those sound familiar? Just think about it for a second who doesn’t want to be more successful, more secure, have a better quality of life, feel more attractive, feel more intelligent, feel healthier, feel wanted, be admired or feel fulfilled? Isn’t that pretty much what we are all striving for?

All you have to do is convince your readers that buying your product will result in at least one of these ‘wants’.

As a freelance copywriter, Sally Ormond has worked with many businesses helping them save time and money while increasing their sales and market visibility.

“Freelance copywriting is like a box of chocolates!” Has she gone completely mad?

No, not completely.

You may recall I have also likened it to a bowl of cornflakes so you should be getting used to my bizarre food analogies by now.

So what am I getting at?

Well, we all remember the famous line from Forest Gump when he sits on a park bench and tells us that “Life if like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get“, well that is just what sales writing is like.

Think of your readers as chocolates – they’re all different. Some have soft centres, some are nutty, some are caramel but the one thing they all have in common is that they are covered in chocolate.

Therefore, although your audience is diverse they all have one thing in common – they are all searching for a solution to their problem.

So, as a freelance copywriter, when I come to write an email, newsletter, direct mail or web page I focus on the fact that no matter who my readers are, they are all united by one thing – a problem. It is my job to convince them that the product or service I am writing about is the solution they’re looking for.

It all comes down to knowing how to make them buy and that means selling the benefits of the product.

Remember, it is the benefits that will make the sale, not the features.

There are numerous freelance copywriters out there and even more copywriting jobs, so there is plenty for everyone.

I often get asked by new copywriters how they can quickly find work to build up a portfolio. Well, as a starting point, there are a few websites that post jobs but you have to learn how to make sure to set yourself apart from all of the other freelancers out there.

First stop is www.elance.com – an online marketplace where customers post jobs for freelancers to bid on. It has a very strong following as more than 100,000 potential customers come by the website each week.  You are able to sign up to sell your services and the system allows you to upload your best work to sell yourself to potential clients.  There is also the facility to jobs that meet your criteria e-mailed to you on a daily basis.  There is a cost for subscription to this particular website, but with a ready market it’s worth it.

Next is www.guru.com, the largest online freelance marketplace on the Internet to look for online jobs including freelance copywriting jobs. It basically does the same as elance so both are well worth a look.

If you search Google, you’ll find a number of sites like these such as www.getafreelancer.com and www.directfreelance.com.

Set yourself apart

Now here’s a tip for you, when you are bidding on projects, companies that are looking at the bids will not be looking just at price but also at how their work will be done.  To do this you will want to set yourself apart.  To do that you could:

• Include copies of your best work
• Include testimonials
• Add a sales letter outlining why you are the best bidder on the project

This will help improve your credibility and firmly anchor you as a potential candidate who can get the job done.

Hopefully this article on freelance copywriting jobs has helped you.  It is important to know which websites you should use in finding work but it is also important to find ways to set yourself apart.  By creating a website as well as creating an advertising package that shows off your best side, you are setting yourself up to stand apart from other freelancers.

OK, I’ll admit it. Even though I am a freelance copywriter I do sometimes get rather carried away with my writing. Sometimes, when the ideas are flowing freely I have to remind myself that I am writing sales copy, not the next best seller.

It is very tempting to go overboard – somewhere deep down there is a Pulitzer Prize novelist trying to escape.

So how do I stop myself?

By remembering why I am writing.

Every piece of copywriting is designed to help someone’s problem. They are hurting and they need you to make it better for them – just like our mums did when we were young. Who was it we turned to when we fell over and cut our knee?

Exactly, good old mum. She was always there with a few kind words, some cotton wool, disinfectant and a kiss. And it was always the kiss that made it better.

So that is all I need to remember to keep my writing on track – I am writing about the mother’s kiss they want to take their pain away.

But what happens when the reader doesn’t realise they have a pain anymore? Can writing about the solution to a problem they don’t realise they have work?

Absolutely.

We are all guilty of burying our heads in the sand at times. So I just have to remind them, loudly, about the problem they have – do they have enough life insurance? What will happen to their family when they are gone? Is there sufficient insurance to clear the mortgage, pay the university fees, cover the monthly bills etc?

It can at times feel like you are wielding a sledge hammer, but if that’s what it takes, do it.

As a UK Freelance Copywriter, Sally Ormond (Briar Copywriting) can provide you with a range of UK copywriting services.