Adam Oakley - Express Writers

When to Release a Press Release for High Response

January 1, 2021October 19, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Timing matters in love, conversations, and in PR distribution strategies like deciding when to release a press release. What you want is to be at the top of the inbox the moment a news editor sits down to begin his search for the newsworthy. When asked when to release a press release, we always say there is no guarantee, but you can increase your chances by making sure your perfectly-written PR is not buried under loads of spam. 10 Factors To Consider When Strategizing The Best Times To Release a Press Release Let’s start our discussion on when to release a press release with a couple of fast facts about editors (your first audience). The information below may seem obvious and silly, but they will impact your PR distribution strategy. Most people, including editors, are at sleep at 4 A.M. People don’t check their emails and read PRs while driving. Very few check their emails while they are eating. Sunday is a rest day. Other countries may be in different time zones. People hate working at the end of the business day, which is sometime between 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. People check their email first thing in the morning, but not before they’ve had their first cup coffee. Holidays are not business days. People love holidays, so they think about holidays the day before holidays. Most people are asleep by midnight. If they’re not, they’re doing something more fun than reading PRs and checking emails. The best tips on when to release a press release are the painfully obvious ones, and the same is true when deciding when to release a press release. If you were an editor, on what day and at which time are you likely to be checking your email in search for an interesting new story? In strategically planning when to release a press release, remember that editors usually begin the business day by checking emails, but if you send your PR too early, expect to be outranked by other emails within an hour. Entrepreneur writes that 23.63% of all emails are opened one hour after they are sent, and the rate drops as the minutes pass. This tells us that very few editors make the effort to dig into the bottom of the pile. You should be distributing your material within the hour that it is most visible to your target audience when strategizing when to release a press release. The same Entrepreneur article adds that 8 to 9 in the morning is when click-through rates are at the highest. This is an advice that GetResponse echoes so 8 A.M. to 9 A.M. is a pretty safe period when to release a press release. Distributing a PR sometime before 9:30 A.M. is especially critical when you are writing a material that impacts stocks trading. You have to be able to send it in before the Wall Street bell rings. Is there an ideal day when to release a press release? Definitely. Editors will check their emails all throughout the business week, but you should try to avoid three things: 1) Heavy communications traffic 2) Holidays in other regions which you may not be aware of 3) Days when editors and virtually all types of workers are eager to skip out Mondays are busy days for everyone, not just editors, so prepare to be elbowed out by a ton of competition. Because of the influx of all types of communication on a Monday, working people have developed the habit of cleaning out their inbox on this day. If your PR title and email subject are not as strong as they should be, there is a greater chance of your work ending up in the virtual trash bin. So Monday’s not exactly the best day when to release a press release. The problem with Fridays is that most people are thinking “Thank Goodness!” TGIF. In their eagerness to end an exhausting week, most editors are not keen on going through a long roster of PRs. In the case of paper publications, press releases picked out on a Friday are published in the weekend edition, so that’s not an ideal situation either. Saturdays and Sundays are slow days for press release engagements. Unless you historically have a high success rate on weekends, don’t go for weekends in deciding when to release a press release. Finally, you have to take note of all the holidays that might affect your PR distribution strategy. In deciding when to release a press release, you should avoid releasing PR the day before a holiday and the holiday itself. The key is to catch editors when they are in work mode, which means they want to seek out great and informative PRs to publish. On holidays and the day before one, people are thinking about rest and recreation, and quality time with their families. So even if you have a brilliantly written PR, your target is just not in the mood for it. Include international holidays in your Smartphone or computer calendar so you get instantly alerted as you decide when to release a press release. Especially if you are targeting a global audience, you should be aware of time differences and special holidays. What time is it in London? What day is it in China? Deciding when to release a press release also involves studying business schedules in other regions not just your home city. The consideration when to release a press release has become an integral part of PR distribution especially now that competition is tough and audiences are global. If you don’t develop a keen sense when to release a press release, your well-written PR may never get the attention it deserves. Timing may not be everything in love, and conversations, but in PR distribution, strategy is everything in knowing when to release your press release. The best pointer on when to release a press release is to religiously track your own success, and … Read more

Why You Shouldn’t Make Your Copywriting About You

December 31, 2020October 18, 2013 by Adam Oakley

A successful website is one with compelling content. It showcases the brand, adds personality, and makes the reader want to stay on the site and see more. Most businesses use content as a way to fluff their own ego and talk about their products and services with buzz words in a way that brags to the world why’re they’re the best. Naturally you want to be the best, but when it comes to copywriting it’s not about you — it’s about the reader. My Copywriting Is ALL About Me! No. Copywriting services can take content about your company, products and/or services and spin them in a way that is about the reader, even though it’s really about your company. This effective method is what drives conversion rates and makes customers stay on your site. After all, why would they stay on a site that doesn’t benefit them? So how does a copywriting service turn your content into something that isn’t about your company? By answering three important questions: What problem do you solve? Why should the reader pick your solution over competitor solutions? Does the content really solve the problem? These questions are crucial to conversion rates and it takes skill to answer them. It requires your content to interact with the world, understand what the consumer’s issues are and offer a solution that they cannot pass up. Creativity is important. You need to captivate your readers and inform them while entertaining them in the same piece of content. Copywriters are skilled at being sociable and informative. They get to know your products from an outsider’s perspective and write to the customer about you, while making the customer feel as though it’s all about him. What’s the Problem? How Do You Solve It? Your company solves something — if it didn’t, you wouldn’t have a company. Before you can sell your product or service, you need to decide what problem you’re solving. Do you offer financial advice for struggling consumers? Are you a fitness guru helping people lose weight? Define the problem and solution based on your company and the products/services you offer first. A copywriting service can take the “problem” and help connect to readers who are suffering from that problem. They write content that is geared toward your ideal customer and make the reader feel as though you “get it.” Then, the copywriter packs in the solution — all bundled up pretty and ready to buy. This solution comes at the perfect time within the content — usually after the writer has developed a rapport with the reader. By the time the reader sees the solution, they’re already amped and ready to purchase. How Do You Solve It Better? Just because your company has a solution doesn’t mean the customer will think your solution is the better one. It is up to your content to sell the customer on your solution and a copywriting service can help with that. Copywriters can highlight how your products benefit the customer and how it improves the customer’s life. Instead of telling the customer a long list of features, copywriters can spin the features of your products and answer the customer’s question of “Will this help me?” Does Your Content Really Solve the Problem? Just because you have a problem and a solution doesn’t mean your content conveys that to the reader. Readers need to walk away from your content thinking that your solution is for-sure and will solve their particular issues. Copywriting services identify what your readers are struggling with and provide empathy, support and write content that makes the reader truly believe your solution is the only solution out there. A Balance Between You and the Customer Copywriting services can strike an equal balance between talking about you and talking about the customer. Copywriters do this by giving insight into the company, so that readers have a sense about who is behind the products or services they’re buying. But, copywriters don’t write about you directly, because you don’t solve the problem — your product or service does. Copywriting services can also help build your authority and reputation with the readers. They can integrate your expertise and help build trust with customers, but in a way that benefits the customer — not your ego. Don’t Forget the Search Engines! While it’s all about the customer when it comes to your “solution,” your website must also be about the search engines. It is hard to find a balance between content and SEO, but search engines do consider a website’s content when ranking a page (see more about how search engines rank on Search Engine Watch). According to Search Engine Land’s “Local Consumer Review Survey,” only 15% of consumers don’t use the Internet to find potential products, services or business. That means potential customers see your website first, before they contact you or visit you in person. You’ll need SEO to attract the search engines and get traffic, but from there you need high-quality content to keep the customer on your site and interested in what you have to offer. Copywriting services can help you do both by integrating targeted keywords into your content, but still marketing the benefits of your services to human readers. If you want more traffic or higher conversions, copywriting services is a valuable investment that can do just that. Copywriters know how to make content about the target customer — making them crave your products/services. And, copywriters know how to attract search engines so that you can take advantage of the potential 85% of customers out there trying to find a solution just like yours for their current problem.

Not Investing In Copywriting Services Is Wasting Money

January 1, 2021October 17, 2013 by Adam Oakley

When companies establish their websites and work on promoting their brand, they spend money on everything except copywriting services. For some reason these services are at the bottom of the to-do list, yet they’re one of the most important branding tools a company could ever use. Your Copywriting Haste Means Company Waste Think of your favorite brands. What is it that makes you interested in them? Most likely it’s their awesome taglines, catchy content, and unique play on words. Obviously, these companies paid for professional copywriting services. A lot of brands, however, don’t pay enough attention to the copywriting that markets their company, and this is unfortunate. Today content marketing is crucial to attracting and sustaining customers; therefore, brands need to shift their attention from other marketing tactics and start spending it on content. If you’re not using copywriting services to market your company, you’re losing out on potential business. #5. Copywriters Get It Copywriters are real people. They have no affiliation with your product, no passion for your product and they weren’t there to build your product from the ground up. This is a good thing! They come from the outside perspective, and by taking on that perspective; they can communicate to a customer who is on the same side of the wall. Copywriting services can tell a customer what you do, why you’re better at it, and why the customer should chose you over the other guys. They don’t use abstract reasoning – they use campaigns that deliver your message to the public. Copywriters are skilled at delivering messages that are succinct and to the point, which produces results. #4. Your Content Needs Help Copywriters are writers. Writing is a skill and niche for them that comes naturally. They don’t have to force the words on paper (or screen) — it comes easily to them. By hiring a copywriting service, you’ll get a writer who can generate content that packs a powerful message and persuades readers to take action, but also you’ll get content that enhances your brand. With Google having such a high emphasis on high-quality copy, it’s imperative your quality is better than the rest of the similar companies out there. High quality copy is what drives readers to convert into customers and a copywriting service has employees the writers who have that persuasive touch. Copywriting, contrary to popular belief, isn’t just writing. Writers don’t just mash sentences together—they draft compelling content that gets the attention of readers, embeds product benefits into the readers’ minds and attracts your target audience. Copywriting services stay up to date on the latest advertising and industry trends, customer behavior and what content marketing strategies actually work. They also understand how search engines rank websites and can tailor their content accordingly (for more information on how websites are ranked, visit this article by SearchEngineWatch.com). They deliver sales-driven copy that can attract your ideal customer. And, copywriters do this on a day-to-day basis — something you or your staff is unlikely to brag about. Therefore, they practice their skill and can hone in on techniques that you can only get from years of practice. #3. You Need Consistency Copywriters are consistent. They can generate content that appeals to your audience but also helps develop the appeal of your specific brand. After all, a brand is all about its personality, which means content needs to be written in a unified voice that promotes that brand. As long as customers read a consistent message and note a consistent personality, they’ll continue to follow a brand. Copywriting services can revamp your entire website and all of your printed content so that it has a uniform personality and voice. This promotes your brand and helps customers connect with your company better. #2. You Need to Enhance Your SEO SEO is important, and often when a website generates its content, it either focuses on SEO or writes content — but rarely does a website have a healthy mix of both. Copywriting services not only provide your website with high-quality content, but they can integrate much-needed SEO so that your site is attractive to readers and search engines alike. Copywriting services can integrate your targeted keywords into your content naturally, even difficult words, so that your content is reader-friendly. #1. You’re Wasting Your Time and Money Writing Your Own Content Sure, you might think you’re saving a bundle writing your own content, but when you stop and think about it, you’re not saving much. If you’re like some companies you’re actually spending more money writing your own content. How so? A great copywriting service writes content that sells. Bottom line. If you cannot educate and sell a product to your customers with the content you’ve just written, then you just wasted time and money on a useless piece of content. In addition, search engines require high-quality content. That means no grammar errors, spelling mistakes or improper use of keywords. If you’ve copied work from other sites, you will notice a significant drop in your search engine rankings. In addition, search engines look for value. Therefore, you have to be creative with your content and offer something readers can’t find sprinkled all over the Internet already. With the release of Google Panda, a lot of websites (including sites like WiseGeek.com and Examiner.com) were dinged for poor-quality content. See a full list here at Search Engine Watch. These sites had poor-quality content, repeated information and even some copied information. If your site has committed any of these errors, it can be difficult to recover and cost you much more than it would have to hire a copywriting service from the get-go. Bottom line, professional copywriting services save your organization time and money. They promote your products to the people you want buying your products. If you’re not using a copywriting service on your website, you might just find you’re losing money compared to the competition using copywriters.

What’s Copywriting? 5 Ways to Add Flare to Your Copy

January 1, 2021October 16, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, you’ve likely heard about the importance of effective copywriting. But, what is copywriting exactly? You’ve been told time and time again that you need it, but pinning down what copywriting is can be a lot more difficult than it may sound. Copywriting, in its most basic form, is a marketing tool that is crucial for your business’s success. Having well-written, compelling content can be the difference between converting a reader to a buyer or watching them move on to the next guy. Transform Your Copy Into Copywriting Unfortunately a lot of websites don’t understand how powerful efficient copywriting is and that not everyone can do it. Article writers and general SEO writers cannot always break into the copywriting industry, because copywriting is a skill that needs to come naturally. Well-thought copy doesn’t need an obnoxious sales message, embellishments or over-the-top messages to get the job done. Instead it uses a technique that gets the reader’s attention, sparks interest and makes them compelled to act. To know the answer to “what is copywriting?” you must know how to make effective copy without being over the top. 1) Exploit Benefits — Your Readers Want Them When it comes to effective copywriting, it is all about the customer. You need to exploit the benefits not for yourself, but for the customer. Tell the reader how your product/service helps them and why you’re better than the other similar products or companies out there. 2) Don’t Be Afraid to Exploit the Competition’s Faults Just because you tell the reader you’re better than the competition doesn’t mean they won’t go over there and buy from them anyway. You need to also tell the reader why the competition isn’t the solution. Your copy must explain the weaknesses of your competitors so that your readers know that buying from your competitors could be a costly mistake. While you want to tear the competition down, you need to back up the faults you list with actual proof. Don’t make up competitor faults just to gain an edge — it will back fire. 3) Understand Your Readers As a business owner or inventor, it’s hard to really know your audience. After all, you come from the product/service perspective — not the buyer perspective. Effective copywriters flaunt your products, but do so from the perspective of the reader and consumer. They can tailor your content to speak the lingo of your target audience. For example, if you’re marketing to young teens or adults, a copywriter can use terminology that your audience uses on a day-to-day basis. 4) Flip the Perspective to the Other Side Your readers don’t care about the “we” or “I” of your company. If most of your website’s copy refers to what “we do” or “we offer,” it’s time to switch. Switch your perspective from the “we” to the “you” and write directly to the audience. 5) Get Aggressive and Stop Being Passive Actionable content results in actionable moves from the readers. If you just say “call us if you want” then the reader really doesn’t feel compelled to call, now do they? If, however, you say “Call now for your offer!” you’re going to get readers jumping on the phone to call your company. Passive voice doesn’t sell, and it doesn’t make readers react to your content. What is Copywriting and Why Should You Hire a Pro? There are a lot of books and websites out there that tell you what techniques to implement to create effective copy. Strong statements, compelling calls to action, bullet points, and awesome headlines. So, with all of this information out there, no one should ever have the need for a professional, right? Well, this isn’t true. There are times DIY projects make sense, but there are also times when professional help just makes sense. So, instead of asking what is copywriting? You should be asking, when do you need copywriting services? You’re Not a Writer Natural writing talent accounts for about 90% of copywriting, while 10% accounts for the personal connection with the product or service you’re selling. Also, if you don’t have the time in your schedule — how could you when you’re running a business, right? — You need a professional to help you out. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 64% of businesses don’t have the time to generate the amount of content needed for their website. Writing can feel like a chore to someone who doesn’t do it on a day-to-day basis. If you feel as though it’s a boring task, it will show in your writing and your readers will notice. Bottom line, it won’t matter how amazing your company is or how revolutionary your product/service is if you cannot tell the readers about it. Powerful copywriting delivers your message. You Don’t Have the Necessary Writing Experience You know your product and you know your company. So, you might be able to generate awesome content for your company newsletters or even your blogs, but when it comes to sales letters, landing pages and marketing material you need to be able to write well enough to move people from readers into buyers. An SEO writer or copywriting service can write your sales content so that it not only increases your conversions, but ranks your website higher with search engines too. It’s Hard to Be Objective When you’re close to your company it is really hard to be objective about what you’re offering customers. After all, you think about the time, resources and personal effort you put into creating what you’re selling. You know all of the behind-the-scenes details that most customers will never know about and unfortunately most customers don’t care to know about. A writer from the outside can put aside those background details and write about what matters to the customer. Your Brand is On the Line Your brand’s reputation is always on the line. Since 80% of customers connect with brands through social media, … Read more

Why Poor Quality Copywriting Makes for Sad Landing Pages

January 1, 2021October 16, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Landing pages are powerful. They can convert a casual browser into a buyer in a matter of seconds. Literally. Since a landing page isn’t riddled with other texts or navigation options, users who stumble upon these pages are forced to read your sales message and only your sales message. Sales Intent of a Killer Landing Page You have a message embedded within your landing page, whether it is to buy, sign up, subscribe, etc. Your landing page is important, but if it’s poorly written, people who stumble upon it will quickly pick up and move on, leaving your landing page in the dust. It takes skilled copy to convert readers to buyers. Your landing page’s copywriting needs to go beyond “sell, sell, sell” and find a way to market to customers without annoying them. Today’s internet reader isn’t easily fooled by text or flash images and promises of success. You have to write something that reaches deep within them, gets them excited and makes them ready to jump on any action you request of them. Promise, Then Follow Through Landing pages are designed to tell the reader what they’ve found and they should be able to instantly understand how this page will benefit them. Since a reader doesn’t have time to read your entire copy to determine this, you must catch them with your headers. Promise Something ASAP! Your reader needs to know what you’re offering. Don’t just spout out what the product is, make a promise with your header that intrigues the reader. For example: Beat Debt, Avoid Bankruptcy Lose Weight Now Work-from-Home Today These headers promise something for reading. Now the reader is compelled to continue on to see how you will deliver on these promises. But, before you dive into the content, you need to follow up with a sub header that delivers even more. Using the same headers above, we can add: With Just a Spreadsheet and Book Working Out 15 Minutes Per day With These Guaranteed Opportunities You have followed through by telling the reader a little bit about how you will fulfill that promise. You need to be clear with what you’re promising readers, and you need to push the limits without sacrificing your integrity. Never lie to the reader or misrepresent what you can do. If you cannot fulfill your promise, don’t make that promise. You do, however, need to make a promise that entices the reader to keep going. Sell to the Reader Not Yourself Landing page copywriting should be written for the reader, not yourself. No one cares about you, your company or even what you’re offering. They care about themselves; therefore, you need to tell them how YOU can help THEM. Write in the second person, which means using “you” and “your” in your content. Tell the reader how you can help and avoid saying “I can” or “We can” because, again, they don’t care. Persuade, But Don’t Be Obnoxious Have you ever seen a landing page riddled with exclamations and overly sales-like copywriting? It’s obnoxious, and you can’t wait to get off the page. Quality landing page copywriting should not showcase or hound the customer about your product. Instead, it should be clear and persuading. You should tell the reader what to expect when they continue to read, how your product benefits them and ask a few direct questions that can spark their interest. For example, you’re selling a weight loss program that offers weight loss solutions in just 15 minutes per day. You could tell the reader how you can save them time, save them money and help them lose weight without wasting their days at the gym or with useless diets. Your benefits are simple, so keep them simple in the content. The reader should walk away from your landing page knowing how the product will benefit her and not be filled up with useless questions or content that confuses them. Write as Much as You Need, but Not Too Much Landing pages are notorious for going on and on, and eventually they repeat themselves. Your copywriting should be as long as it needs to be to sell the product, but it shouldn’t drag on. Readers will continue to read a long landing page as long as it is motivating and the message stays strong. If you’re selling a product or service, your copy will be longer than someone selling a subscription or sign-up. When you devise your copy, remember that readers skim through it first. So, your most important points should be at the start of each paragraph. Critical points should also be at the beginning. Don’t be afraid of bullet points — they can help break up your content and give the reader an instant answer to the question, “How will this help me?” Clearly State Your Goals People reading your landing page are not mind readers. If you don’t tell them what you want from them, they aren’t going to guess. Have a clear goal in mind when you develop a landing page. It should progress smoothly from your header and promise down to the benefits and finally down to the offer. Don’t digress or fluff the content with information not pertinent to what you’re selling right then and there. According to Marketing Sherpa, 48 percent of landing pages contain multiple offers, which distract readers. Also, provide a clear call to action so your readers know what you need from them. Tell them directly what to do, don’t just place a signup form at the bottom and hope they’ll fill it out. A landing page should (ideally) have two calls to action or up to five if your content is long. When you combine a clear call to action, sell in a clear way, and avoid the overly sales-like content, you’ll notice your landing pages provide you with better conversion rates. Landing pages … Read more

Oh Man! Google Hit Me Again: The New Google Penguin 5 & The Spam-Filtering Algorithm

January 1, 2021October 15, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Forget the furry animals. Forget all that has to do with the word “fuzzy,” “animal,” or “cute” —all adjectives to describe the Google Panda and Penguin, names Google has given their recent & biggest algorithm updates. The latest one, Google Penguin 5, has nothing to do with cute. The newest and latest algorithm update is a vicious version of the old Penguin, cutting down on spam and causing a lot of grief to website owners who are now experiencing a heavy loss in traffic from Google Penguin 5 as a result of the algorithm updates taking place. If that includes you, there’s one comfort: you’re not alone. Even the best of the best, including copywriting websites, were affected by the change and lost rankings inside the space of one night. Google’s baby, original content, wasn’t overlooked in the battle—it was affected too. How bad were the effects? A simple hyperlink that Google didn’t approve of could mean entire de-ranking for a quality content article, which could consequently mean an entire keyword ranking loss. Matt Cutts Confirms Matt Cutts officially confirmed the latest Penguin update on October 4 with a simple tweet: Penguin 2.1 launching today. Affects ~1% of searches to a noticeable degree. While he says it will affect 1% of searches, search engine gurus are saying it has affected more than 3% of all websites. That’s a LOT of websites when it comes down to the count. Literally thousands of websites with some investment in SEO tactics will feel the change, with an expected fluctuation in their rankings—with more people experiencing loss of rankings than an increase. Why is it Penguin 5, Not Penguin 2.1? Cutts calls it Penguin 2.1, but SEO blogs, forums and hubs around the Internet are putting it better by titling it Penguin 5. There have been so many numerous “mini”, “large” and “add-on” updates to Penguin. But if the researcher pays attention, this is the fifth most impactful one and so it just makes sense to call it that. (Sorry, Cutts.) What’s Happening to Others? Many concerned conversations between website owners occurred all over the web, after Google Penguin 5 hit. The updated Penguin de-rankings cost a living for many. National website owners lost 70% of their traffic, commenting on the Webmaster World thread concerning their misfortunes. Many felt they had no reason to experience the drop in rankings—they just suddenly lost all their traffic and rankings, even after practicing methods (like disavowing bad links) that Google seemed to favor and restore rankings because of, prior. So What Really Is Google Penguin 5 Targeting? OK, so what really happened that night where 3% of website owners felt their rankings affected? Here’s a lowdown from some experts. Biggest tweak ever made to Penguin. Chris Crum of WebProNews is saying that Penguin 2.0/5 is the biggest tweak ever made to the entire Penguin algorithm since it launched, and the word is a lot of webmasters were affected. The entire algorithm is a penalty. Bruce Clay, of Bruce Clay, INC, is calling it Google’s Angry Bird. (We love it, Bruce!) He says a dip in traffic could indicate you were hit by the new Penguin, even if no keyword rankings could appear to be lost. He also clarifies that the new algorithm is a penalty. (Really, Google? Your entire latest update is a penalty?) It’s an attempt to devalue all “manipulative links” in Google’s search engine ranking algorithm. The purpose of Penguin 5 is to eliminate spam. Sage Lewis of Clickz recounts some sad stories of entire livings lost because of the update, and confirms that the purpose of the mean new bird was to eliminate as much “spam” as possible. Paid links are the target of the heaviest penalizations. Danny Sullivan of SearchEngineLand says that the new Google update particularly goes after websites that bought “paid links” to gain their rankings. This is what Google defines as spam-filtering, in this particular algorithm change. All the link types that can be de-ranked by Google: Links achieved quickly on a short time period, imbalanced anchor text, a paid link with exact match anchor text, spammy blog comments, questionable guest blogs, and article marketing links are now all disqualified. Danny Goodwin of SearchEngineWatch delved even deeper on the link issues that Google’s algorithm affected to describe this. What Can I Do Right Now (and Later)? Now that you know the entire Penguin 5 is a “penalty” targeting any kind of links that Google thinks are spammy, here are some good practices you can start implementing yesterday to get better rankings and satisfy the angry monster savvy Google Penguin 5. Step 1. Understand you cannot trick the algorithm any more with paid cultivation of backlinks. This is a knowledge thing, and can take 5 minutes to 5 weeks to get over, depending on how close to your emotions this principle lies. Simply understand that you cannot—cannot use paid cultivation of links to rank anymore. You cannot game Google and pay an Indian SEO company pennies for thousands of links. Google will know…and catch you in your sleep. (Not really, but it will hurt you, bad.) Step 2. Fix Your Links. Now that you’re smart and have taken away all psychological barriers and last pretenses that paid links have any value, it’s time to fix the links that are potentially killing your rankings. How do you do this? The Google Disavow tool can be a lifesaver. It is a way to tell Google Penguin 5 to stop counting bad links pointing to your site. If you want to get really nitty-gritty, the SearchEngineJournal resource article on how to know which links to disavow is a huge help. Remember, once you’ve disavowed, you’ll need to wait till Google updates again for the links to be disqualified. Step 3. Practice Good SEO Methods. Diversify. If all you did was organic SEO tactics, invest in Adwords. Look into Facebook ads. Consider email marketing and more regular/scheduled/routine content marketing with a social plan as … Read more

Turn Up the Volume on Your Call to Action

December 31, 2020October 14, 2013 by Adam Oakley

You’ve probably heard the term “call to action” a thousand times. Maybe you’ve even tried to write your own calls to action, but found them less than inspiring. If you’re like most marketers, you’ve often wondered if the call to action, or CTA, is just a fancy name for something that isn’t that important. The truth is, though, that your call to action is critical. By compelling your audiences to (you guessed it) take action, a great CTA can spell the difference between thousands of conversions and a few ho-hum reads. Lights, Camera, Call To Action! The reason your call to action is so important is that it performs a job that no other part of your website does. By inspiring your visitors to take a desired action, like clicking your content, filling out a form, or entering their email addresses, a great CTA helps make your content more compelling and interactive. Still not convinced CTAs are all that critical? Let’s look at some statistics. Unbounce reports that 90% of the visitors who read your headline will also read your CTA. As if that weren’t enough, WordStream reports that emails featuring just one call to action increased click-through-rate by 371% and sales by 1617%. HubSpot has also found that personalized CTAs convert a whopping 42% better than standard CTAs. The good news is that there are many ways to create a successful call to action, but you’ve got to create a good foundation first. This involves having enough web content to input a CTA, developing a quality product, and having some level of social following. Once these things exist, you can get to work optimizing and improving your CTAs. 10 Essential Ingredients for an Irresistible Call to Action Every call to action must contain certain elements. These elements make them more compelling, interesting, and exciting for readers. Here’s what each great CTA needs: 1. Images One dilemma many business owners face is whether to use text or graphics in their call to action. While text is critical to a good call to action, many people assume visuals aren’t. Wrong! Visuals are an essential part of the most effective CTAs. The human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than textual information, so including a great visual in your CTA can be exactly what it needs to tip readers over the edge. For best results, look for an image that’s relevant to the CTA (a picture of the cover of the offered book or guide, for example, is a great option) and won’t be distracting to the reader. Remember: visuals should enhance rather than detract from your CTA. 2. A Powerful Color Scheme To be as successful as possible, your CTA needs to fall in line with the rest of your brand’s color scheme. For an example of what this looks like, check out this HubSpot CTA: HubSpot is known for its orange and white color scheme, and the CTA buttons throughout the site are generally blue. This CTA aligns with that color scheme and provides a sense of continuity and reliability for the reader. If your brand doesn’t have an established color scheme yet, now is a good time to consider how colors are used in marketing, and to pick a few options that convey the messages you’re aiming for. Once you’ve got your color scheme hammered out, be sure to integrate it into your current and future CTAs. Here’s a color diagram from HelpScout to help you decide: No matter what you choose, remember that color, like visuals, should accent rather than overwhelm your CTA. While you may love lime green and orange together, few people want to click on a CTA that looks like a mess of melted glow sticks. 3. The Right Words The wording of your call to action matters. The best way to do this is to use actionable language. Distinct and hard-hitting verbs like “find,” “download,” “discover,” and “get” will help improve your CTAs conversion rates and make it more exciting to readers. Don’t go overboard though: you want to use fewer than four words in your CTA to keep the reader’s interest. 4. The Right Placement Where you place your call to action can make all the difference. What if your page is already full of important information that you want your visitor to see? The general rule of thumb is to place the call to action in a spot that’s easily accessible, uncluttered, and highly visible. This enhances the likelihood that your readers will see it and that they’ll act, as a result. 5. An Understanding of the Reader’s Questions Regardless of what you’re selling, your visitors will be asking one thing as they make buying decisions involving your company: “What’s in it for me?” Your CTA should anticipate this and respond accordingly. When developing your CTA copy, think about what you’ll need to give your reader to justify their action. For example, would they be willing to share your Facebook page with 10 of their friends for the chance to win a contest you are putting on? Is the promise of a complete guide enough to win their email address? By tailoring your CTA offering to your CTA “ask,” you can make your material more compelling and exciting for your readers. What’s more, you brand your company as one that understands and cares about your customers, which makes you more appealing to work with. 6. A Consistent Tone Today’s customers are smart, and they’ll get confused if the content of your CTA is drastically different than the content elsewhere on your page or social profiles. With this in mind, keep the voice of your CTA consistent with that of the rest of your content. In addition to strengthening your brand perception, this will also help your visitors make sense of your CTA and take the action it’s proposing. 7. Personalization The more you can personalize your CTA, the better. When you think about it, CTAs are asking your reader to … Read more

Copywriting Services’ Number One Tip

January 1, 2021October 12, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Are you a small business owner and have made up your mind that you are going to try your hands on a piece of copywriting for a marketing article? Well, that is a bold move, but by all means, not an impossible task. If you have the time, patience, and a creative brain, then this maybe a good idea. Having the Right Copywriting Services For Your Business is Everything I will give you one tip – not 5 or 10 just one. Confused? Well trust me on this one, because this is the most important tip that can get customers or any random viewer interested in your article. Perfect Headline for the Article There it is. Now you must be thinking “this guy must be crazy”. Well, not necessarily, as it has been found that statistically, 8 out of 10 people on average read the headline, but only 2 out of 10 will actually read the rest of the article. Still think I’m overreaching with this? Thought not… It is pretty sensible if you consider it, because many people do not have the time to even skim through the content and some may just be killing time by surfing the internet. A good copywriting headline that catches a person’s attention will greatly improve your chances of getting readers to continue to the important part – the body. Of course, a good headline alone will not guarantee success. Once the reader gets to the body, a good introduction and well thought-out content should follow – with each sentence enticing the reader to keep on reading, eventually bringing them to the all-important ‘call to action’ at the end of the article. Convinced enough to move on to the next bit of the all-important tip? Working on the Headline Now that we have said that the headline is immensely important, the next question is how do we write it? A majority of copywriters would say to start with the headline before moving to the content, for reasons like avoiding going off-topic or to guide you in what your body should consist of; but I think that may not be the case for a good marketing piece, as each person has his/ her own style of writing. For example, when you start writing the article you may have all the ideas in the world about the topic and feel confident that you have everything organized, ready to be put together, so that it will be an awesome piece viewers will want to read. More often than not, you will – like most copywriters – come across a common issue called writer’s block, which basically means getting stuck somewhere down the article and not knowing how to continue from there on – due to no information to write about or that the article has gone on a wrong course. When this happens, read from the top and you might have to delete some of the paragraphs/ sentences you have written that don’t really fit in with the rest of the article. That is, you must be ready to change the article and give it a new shape as you proceed. Thus, it is important that you leave the headline for last in copywriting because your marketing piece may not go in the direction that you were expecting it to when you initially started working on it. If you had already thought up of a great headline before moving to the body, but found out that it does not really match up with the body, your time and energy would have been wasted on the headline. However, do not mistake ‘being open to change the same thing’ as ‘rambling on’ in your article at free will. On the contrary, the article should be tightly written with clear objectives in mind, accessible and easy-to-read for readers to go on reading it. For more tips and tools in writing perfect articles, visit Copyblogger which has some useful tips for copywriters. How to Write the Headline Now that you have written a good piece of marketing, it’s time to look into a catchy heading that will make your efforts worthwhile and attract readers to actually read what you have written. Start by reading through your article and highlight the key messages that you want to get through to the readers and/ or what the readers will be most interested about. This could be, for example, some problems that people face and how these can be avoided or rectified if they use your product/ service. Now that you have a list of key areas in your article, analyze and prioritize them in order of importance and pick the most important of the lot. Next is to use the most important aspects of your article that you have picked and combine them in a manner that doesn’t tell the whole story, but gives a good hint as to what the article is and how the problem can be solved. Now, you may have some content and long sentences that make little or no sense, so the next step is trimming it down while playing around with where each word fits, adding a rhyme to it possibly, and hear how it sounds when you read it. Guidelines in Copywriting the Headline Ask a question Give a guarantee Give a ‘how-to’ Provide well-known phrases or sayings Provide percentages and/or hard figures Shock, intrigue, or amuse Command or instruct Just fiddle with it till you are 100% happy and if not, discard it and start over. I understand this is hard work, but getting it right will make a huge difference. Too Much Work? After reading this, you may think this is too much work for you, which is understandable because it is not easy to pull off a great marketing piece. That is why we recommend getting copywriting services from professionals in the field such as us; Express Writers, who has the knowledge and experience to handle any copywriting task. Remember that … Read more

Our Copywriter Services at Express Writers: What You Need to Know

September 5, 2022October 11, 2013 by Adam Oakley

A copywriter on your side is an integral piece of the content marketing puzzle: Copywriters understand how to integrate SEO seamlessly into your content to scoop up targeted traffic. They know how to write the words that win leads, conversions, and sales. They’re nimble content creators who can seamlessly slip into your brand’s voice and talk to your audience effectively. Most importantly, copywriters will help you stand apart from the pack. Think about this: There are nearly 2 billion websites online today. Over 2 million blog posts are published daily. According to ConvertKit’s 2017 survey covering the State of the Blogging Industry, most pros published more than one blog per day, which adds up to about 1,000 posts over the course of a year from just one creator. To stand out in this content shock environment, you need somebody who knows how to put together sentences and paragraphs, images and stats, and research and creativity in a way that grabs attention. It’s not just about standing out, though, either. There are lots of situations where hiring copywriter services can save your life. According to Copyblogger, you need a copywriter if: You don’t have the time to create consistent, amazing content that will work as assets for your business. You hate writing, or you know your weaknesses, and writing is one of them. You need an expert to help you reach a specific goal – ranking in Google, getting more conversions, etc. You find it hard to write about your business objectively, and need an outside perspective (and a copywriter’s brain) to zero in on aspects you take for granted – ones that are vastly interesting and important to your customers. The content is high-stakes (i.e. associated with a campaign or launch) and it’s essential to get it right. Of course, it’s really easy to say you need a great copywriter for your content marketing. Finding the right copywriter services is another story. That’s why, at Express Writers, we make it easy. We have dozens of vetted copywriters who are experts in niche industries. Each and every one of these great writers are trained in SEO best-practices, storytelling and editing, formatting, research, and more. Whatever your online writing need, we can probably fill it. Take a look at our services, below, and see what we can do! Our Copywriter Services from A to W: Authority Blogs to Whitepapers and Web Content Expert Industry Copywriting Our team at Express Writers can handle your expert industry copywriting, whether that means writing your next case study or whipping up an expert blog that matches your voice in your industry niche. We have a huge pool of expert writers to choose from, all of whom are vetted experts in specific industries. We can cover everything from technology to pet care, to legal, real estate, medical, SaaS, and more. Just tell us what niche you’re working in and we’ll match you up with an amazing writer who can craft incredible written content. Web Pages Our custom web page copy is written to SEO standards and helps position your online business presence for success. Your content will have a better chance at ranking, and your readers will find the information they need. We can write for most industry niches, and can optimize your web pages for local search, too. Blogs Our trained copywriters understand online writing intimately and can create the best original blogs for your keywords, topic, target audience, and brand voice. Our team has written hundreds, if not thousands, of SEO blogs on an incredible array of topics – anything from dentistry to skincare, buyer’s guides, pet food, outdoor furniture, content marketing, medicine, and much, much more. These are blogs readers will love and search engines will index and rank – the best of both worlds. Monthly Blogging Packages Blogging can be the cornerstone activity at the front of a high-ROI content marketing strategy. Publishing high-quality blogs regularly can boost your traffic numbers and get your brand in front of new leads. Let us take care of the writing, research, and publishing with our monthly blogging packages. These are SEO-ready, professional blogs posted on your specified blogging schedule. To build even more authority, choose to upgrade to one of our expert writers who knows your niche. Content Planning/Consultation Take your blogging strategy one step further with our content planning/consultation services. This is done-for-you content strategy, and includes keyword research, topic research, and planning for your blog or web content moving forward. Our Content Strategists use top industry tools like BuzzSumo, SEMrush, and KWFinder to comb through the data and discover the best topics and profitable keywords for your industry and brand. You can also book a call with a Content Strategist, who will spend a 45-minute session with you discussing the details and guiding you on your next content steps. If you don’t know where to start with your content strategy, let us lay out the high-ROI roadmap you need to reach your goals. Authority Content If you want to become a leading voice in your industry, you need Express Writers’ authority content services. At this level, our authority writers are primed and ready to write content that seamlessly fits your brand voice, nurtures your leads, establishes you as an authority in your field or industry, and guides your readers to profitable action. Every authority content order includes keyword research and optimization, in-depth topic research, and original images designed just for your piece. Each authority content piece is a high-ROI asset that will work for you long after it’s published. This is how you differentiate yourself, head-and-shoulders, above the pack. Custom Images Including images in your content and blogs is proven to increase your shares and make your audience stay on your page longer – both of which can help you rank higher! We provide three options for boosting your storytelling power with custom images: We can choose high-quality, royalty-free stock images for you that match your topics. Our designer can create a custom … Read more

Blog Content Writing Doesn’t Have to Reinvent the Wheel

January 5, 2021October 10, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Any blog content writing expert will tell you that sometimes, it can feel as though every piece that you write is your first. What’s most baffling about this is that any writer can experience this phenomenon, whether they’ve written the same type of content 10 or 1,000 times. And while we can’t explain why this happens, we can tell you that blog content writing doesn’t have to begin from that unknown place, or make you feel like an amateur. But simplifying this process may mean trying more than a few things before you find one that works for you. How to Simplify Your Content Writing Techniques 1. Calls to Action Aren’t Just for Sales Letters Believe it or not, that seemingly short and tiny blog post has more parts to it than you may think. In addition to the title, which it goes without saying, should do enough to inspire the reader to keep reading, a blog post also needs a call to action, which usually appears at the bottom of the post. What’s interesting about the call to action on a blog post is that you have far fewer chances to get the reader to perform the desired action than you would with the call to action in a sales letter. A long-form sales letter may have 5, 6, or even 7 calls to action, each more insistent in their urgency than the last. But with a blog post, you may only be able to reiterate a call to action twice. A common type of call to action used on blog posts is to ask a question that’s relevant to the content the blog post discusses. So for example, if your blog posts talks about the benefits of Internet access for businesses, you might end your blog post with something like: “How has internet access benefited your business? Are there any advantages you’d like to add besides the ones listed above? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please post your comment below!” Your call to action can also take a different form, such as with a banner or sidebar. 2. A Photo Speaks a Thousand Words If you want to make sure that as many people as possible not only see, but also read and retain your blog content, consider including an image in your post. Images can cause a number of things to occur in the mind of your reader. Not only can they help clarify the points you make in your post, but they are also a convenient way to visually sum up of the ‘mood’ of your post. 3. Headings Matter Just when you thought that headings were only for sales letters comes the news that they are just as important in your blog content writing. This is due to the fact that headings add to page structure, which is vital for successful search engine optimization. Headings serve to illustrate your content’s most important parts, as well as illustrating how one part connects to another. Not only that, but there are rules to follow as far as headings in blog posts go. First, there is only room for one H1 heading on any page. But which part of your post should contain this heading? The part that carries the most importance, say the experts. Second, any subheading should be an H2, a subheading under that an H3, and so forth. In addition to being the proper size and indicative of the importance of your content, headings should also include those keywords that you consider to be valuable. By not including keywords in your headings, you are wasting many SEO opportunities. Finally, keep in mind that headings also offer convenience to your readers, as they can use your headings to skim through your blog post to find the information they want. 4. Use More SEO As well as entering keywords into your headings, it’s important that search engine optimization tactics be incorporated into the your blog content writing. Google is the biggie here, and getting found by the heavy search engine hitter requires knowing a few things about how it works. Those who can be considered experts can score big with Google. Ensure you have at least a few guest post articles published so they can link your name with your post. Formatting is another thing that Google looks upon favorably — so headings and structure are king. And although a photo is a good thing, try not to overdo it with the images. The freshness of your content is also important, so keeping it as current and relevant as possible will only help you. Accessibility is another way to please Google. This means doing all the things that make your site understandable by those with seeing, hearing or developmental challenges. Telling Google where you are located is a great way to get noticed. Where possible, also include outbound hyperlinks, as well as links on your blog page to the other pages on your site. 5. Add Design Elements The beautiful blog is one with design that not only pleases the eye, but serves both the reader and the search engines. And there are certain design elements that will help your blog to realize success. Among them, buttons to allow reader to instantly share your posts on social media, the encouragement of comments on your posts and “flat site architecture.” The latter means to reduce the number of clicks it takes for readers to get to your blog content. Other elements that can greatly influence your blog’s page views, bounce rate and conversions include ensuring that the best content is located ‘above the fold’, or at a point on your page before the reader has to begin scrolling. 6. Get in the Zone Finally, it’s important that you are in the right mindset for blog post content writing. Whether inspiration hits you while you’re driving, walking or even sleeping, ensure that you have the tools you need to get your ideas down before you forget … Read more