You could write the most interesting copy known to man, but if it isn’t laid out in an eye-catching way it won’t get read.

We humans are a fickle bunch – if we are going to take time out of our precious lives to read something, we want to know it is going to be interesting and (more than likely) benefit us in some way or another.

Therefore your copy has to look attractive. Hands up all those of you who have browsed the shelves of your local book shop and chosen your next read by its cover? And when you flick through the pages have you been put off when faced with an impenetrable wall of small text?

The look of your copy is as important as the content itself. By following these 10 tips you will be able to create eye-catching copy.

• Colour – without going overboard, use colour graphs and charts (if appropriate) or pictures.

• Highlight – if you are using incentives and guarantees, make them stand out.

• Simple – keep your sentences simple and short.

• Be bold – place your important words and phrases in bold.

• Pictures – visuals can be attention grabbing. If possible use ‘before and after’ images.

• Headline – this is your opportunity to grab your readers’ attention. If in doubt use ‘free’ or ‘new’ in your headline as they always make people sit up and take notice.

• Stand out – your keywords and phrases need to be obvious so use them in headings and sub headings which are in a larger font to the rest of your text.

• Bullets – make your benefits stand out by listing them as bullet points.

• Divide and conquer – breaking up your copy with sub headings makes it easier to read and navigate.

• Adjectives – use these to make your product stand out – incredible! High power! Sizzling! Just don’t go overboard with them.

Sally Ormond (Briar Copywriting) is a freelance copywriter offering a comprehensive range of copywriting services to businesses locally, nationally and internationally.

While I was browsing the internet the other day I came across this blog post on CopyBlogger by Sonia Simone.

It really struck a chord with me. As an internet marketer, I have come to understand the power of content and when it is coupled with social media…wow!

It is such a powerful way of getting your opinions out there into cyberspace and of course, an incredible vehicle from which to promote you and your business.

Take it away Sonia…

Why Content and Social Media are a Powerful Match

Creating stellar content for your marketing is great. But great content doesn’t (quite) distribute itself. It needs vehicles for people to pass it along, discuss its merits, argue over its controversies, blog it, mash it, tweet it and even scrape it. Which is, of course, where social media comes in.

Social media didn’t create content marketing, but it’s an unsurpassed tool for getting it distributed. On the flip side, great content gives social media life, by giving people something more interesting to talk about than what they’re ordering right now at Starbucks.

Social media is the third tribe’s sacred hearth

The third tribe—the new breed of smart, savvy online entrepreneurs—are creatures of the social web. Gathering points like forums, Twitter and Facebook are the campfires that pull the tribe together. Some of us have been convening around digital campfires for a long time. (I found my first in 1989, before the invention of the World Wide Web.)

Social media has grown so explosively because connection is probably the deepest drive we have. The campfire gives us a place to share information about the day’s hunt, a forum to air out the tribe’s differences, even a place for us to consider new and better ways to build campfires.

No, it’s not a utopian picture. Our campfires are places for bickering and malice as much as for inspiration and community. But without a connecting place, without a central spot to bring us together for conversation, there is no tribe.

Our gathering places are never perfect. They’re human. Which is what makes them so extraordinary.

Great content is the third tribe’s saga and story

It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about the Yanomamo in the Amazon rainforest or friends at a barbecue in Teaneck, New Jersey. Anywhere people gather around fires, they’re going to tell stories.

It’s in the nature of the human animal to play with language, to create fables and songs and nonsense to entertain ourselves with. And it’s in our nature to make beautiful objects and embellish anything that will stand still long enough.

These instincts are alive today in great writing and imagery being shared all over the Web. The impulses that make us reweet a blog post or a fantastic Flickr image are the same ones that bring a superb Navajo weaver renown across four states.

Wonderful words and beautiful images capture our attention, no matter who we are or what technology we might have at our disposal. Our impulse to create, and our desire to remark on skillful creations, haven’t changed much since we started walking upright.

The third tribe is on the move

In addition to our passion for connection, the other remarkable human trait is adaptability.

No other animal can adapt to as many different ecosystems and environments as we can. We’ve built dwellings in Antarctica and in space. We’ve survived the Ice Age and world wars, tsunamis and earthquakes, and even Joan Rivers winning Celebrity Apprentice.

When the environment is stable, we get complacent. We settle into calm, self-satisfied habits for thousands of years at a time.

But when the earth starts to shake, we wake up again: the same smart, watchful, inventive and dangerous monkey we’ve always been at heart.

I’ve heard the current economic meltdown described as “economic climate change,” which I like a lot. We don’t know where it’s going to get unbearably hot and where the temperature will plunge to permafrost. The system is too complex to predict, except we know it’s going to change and it’s likely to change fast.

But some things won’t change. If we can sing a remarkable song, others will gather to hear it. And now, digital campfires connect us from Kuala Lumpur to Iceland to Dallas.

If I create content that’s worthy of attention, the world will show up and talk about it. I don’t know how they’ll show up in 5 years (or 5 months), but I know they will.

My job is to make something amazing, then use the global network of digital campfires intelligently to find the people who will love and appreciate it.

How about you? What songs and legends are you bringing to your campfire

What am I talking about?       

OK, let me ask you this. What is the purpose of copywriting on your adverts?

The answer is simple – it is designed to make your reader buy. At times though, your readers may need a slight nudge to get them to arrive at that buying decision. So, the words that you use within your advert are really important.

There are 10 words in particular that can make your reader change their minds in your favour.

Curious?

I thought you might be. Prepare yourself, here we go…

• Limited – People love to think they are getting something ‘exclusive’. Tell them your product is in limited supply and they won’t want to miss out.

• Discount – Don’t you just love to think you’re getting a bargain? Well, your readers will too. They could be time limited, BOGOFs, money back schemes etc.

• Guaranteed – This is the all important peace of mind. It will give your readers confidence in your company knowing you believe in your product so much you’re prepared to give a guarantee.

• New – Every one likes to have something that is new that will improve their lives whether its information, technology etc.

• You/Your – These are so important. Talk to your reader directly and you’ll build rapport and make them feel special.

• Fast – Whether it’s fast delivery or fast results, time is an extremely important commodity these days.

• Testimonials – Seeing is believing. Your readers will be reassured if they can read from others that your product works. Just make sure the testimonials are specific and reputable.

• Easy – People are inherently lazy. They want easy ordering, easy instructions, easy to pay and easy to use…

• Important – This is one word that makes people sit up and take notice. They won’t want to miss out on important information that could affect them.

• Free – This doesn’t mean you have to give your product away. Free information or a free trial is a great hook and incentive to buy. People love to get something for nothing.

Although these 10 effective words are great for adverts, they can be used in virtually all your sales writing on and off line. They are incredibly powerful and can alter your readers mind in your favour.

Sally Ormond (Briar Copywriting) is a freelance copywriter who specialises in website copywriting services. Visit her website today for further details about her full range of UK copywriting services.

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.

Your call to action is probably one of the most powerful parts of your advert. Assuming your copy has been compelling enough to keep your reader engrossed to the very end, you want to make sure you end with a bang not a whimper.

The following list shows 8 desire drivers that will convince your reader (if they aren’t already) that your product is the one for them.

Your call to action is your last opportunity to get your reader to buy. By utilising the power of these desire drivers you will optimise your chances of making that all important sale.

1. End on a high note – tell them how better their lives will be if they buy your product. Use the most powerful benefit your product has as the example.
2. End with a warning – this is the opposite of number 1. Tell them what will happen if they don’t use your product.
3. End with a short review of your advert – repeat all the major benefits and features they will receive.
4. End with a deadline – restrict your product with a limited time offer or closing date.
5. End with a guarantee – this will add peace of mind. If you guarantee the product it shows that you have faith in it and that so should they.
6. End with a testimonial – use one or two of your customers’ testimonials but make sure they are believable and contain specific results.
7. End with a free bonus – this could be a free sample or a trial period. Whatever it is, it will add to the perceived value of your product.
8. End with a discounted price – further up in the body of the ad you can show your normal price but offer a discounted price if they order straight away.

Using desire drivers is a simple but highly effective way of achieving a sale. Why not try it out on your next ad.

Sally Ormond is a professional freelance copywriter. She works with businesses covering a diverse range of industries helping them save time and money while enjoying higher visibility in their market place and increased sales.