Striving to comply with the virtually unpredictable changes of dynamic online environments, numerous copywriters have the distinct impression that their white-hat SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tactics are inevitably compromising the substance of their copy. In fact, most novices are probably asking themselves the following question: Am I writing for living, breathing human beings, or am I crafting Web content for search engines?
Adam Oakley
Go Fishing Every Time You Release a Press Release
The Internet is a vast sea of information. One can only imagine the successful quantification of the information contained in the worldwide web. This sea of information, and the people accessing this information, is a great location for you to go fishing if you know when to release a press release.
How to Write a Press Release Format
If you’re marketing a new project, promoting a product, or driving awareness to an upcoming event, learning how to write a press release format is critical. A press release is a treasured tool that, when created correctly, can have a massive impact on the success of your upcoming merger, project, or launch. Unfortunately, however, many writers don’t know how to craft a great press release! If you’re in this boat, you’re not alone. While press releases are essential marketing tools, they can be difficult to write. Learning the ins and outs of creating great ones can help you differentiate yourself from the competition and make all your marketing efforts more successful – across the board. Here’s what you need to know. What’s the Purpose of a Press Release? Press releases are educational documents that, when done correctly, answer the five W’s: who, what, where, when, why? Designed to inform the press and the public about changes to your company, new and noteworthy products, goods, and services, or major mergers and acquisitions, a press release is a concise, informative piece of media. Unlike sales copy, press releases don’t try to sell something or approach anything from any angle. Instead, they only lay out the facts, use some quotes from influencers, and move on. How to Write a Press Release Format: A Step-by-Step Approach When it comes down to learning how to write a press release format, ALWAYS remember that a press release should be brief, go straight to the heart of the matter, and should contain only the necessary information. Bear in mind that a press release is meant to intrigue journalists and editors first, and your audience second. The media professionals who will read your press release are not looking for fancy formatting, industry jargon, or shiny graphics. They want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Here’s how to deliver it: How to Write a Press Release Format: Working from the Top of the Page to the Bottom! If you’ve never written a press release before, tackling the form can feel intimidating. Here’s a simple, step-by-step breakdown to help you: At The Top Of The Document The top of the press release is what people see first. As such, it’s one of the most critical portions of the PR. To make it instantly recognizable, include your brand’s logo and a headline that tells people what the press release is about and what they can expect to learn from it. For best results, your headline should contain target keywords. Headline. The best headlines are brief and to-the-point. The headline should not exceed 65 characters or else you risk losing reader attention and having the headline truncated by Google. Ensure you capitalize each word in the headline – making exceptions for words that have fewer than three characters or prepositions. While a press release is a more informative document than many you might be used to writing, the headline is no less important. This means attractive, attention-grabbing headlines rule, just like everywhere else. Sub-Headline/Summary. Your sub-header or summary should be a maximum of two sentences, and should provide a bit more detail about the “meat” of the press release. Again, keep it brief and intriguing. Contact information. Some press release writers input their contact information directly beneath their company’s logo, in line with the left margin of the document. Others place it after the body copy. This is up to you, just so long as the contact information is highly visible! Release Date. Release date helps people interpret the relevance of your press release. More recent = more relevant. With this in mind, include the release date at the top of your press release, just below the logo, aligned with the right margin of the release. Dateline. The dateline tells readers where and when your press release was published. It goes right before the body text and follows this format: CITY, STATE, Month, Day. The Body of the Press Release The body of the press release is the place where you can go into more detail about your chosen topic. For best results, you’ll need to use a minimum of 300 words and a maximum of 600 words. While it’s tempting to dive too deep and tell readers everything there is to know about your event, merger, or product, remind yourself that press releases lay out all the needed information, and nothing else. With this in mind, follow these tips for great body copy: Keep Paragraphs Short. For best results, the paragraphs of your body text should be between 2-4 sentences. No longer. Include Relevant Back-Up Information. If they’re available to you, use statistics, hyperlinks, quotes from professionals, and media content (like videos and images) in your body copy. This will enhance the reader’s experience and make your press release more valuable. Separate Block Quotes. If you do use block quotes, separate them to highlight them and draw them out from the rest of the text. To add depth to the press release, pull in quotes that offer a perspective that’s different from the writer’s. The Boilerplate Information Boilerplate information lives at the end of your press release and presents information about your brand or company. Designed to be used in various press releases, and picked up by journalists to provide additional context about your business, boilerplate information should provide some details about who your brand is, what you do, when the company was founded, and where people can find you. Include relevant social media links to connect people with your business across the web. End Notation At the end of your press release, signal to readers that you’re all done with the following symbol, centered in the middle of the page: ###. After that, you can input a final sentence inviting people to reach out to you or your company head with a name, phone number, and email address. Common Press Release Mistakes to Avoid No lesson on how to write a press release format is complete without pointing out the … Read more
Organizational Teamwork Is the Way to Cook Up A Press Release
Business owners and writers these days are agog over when to release a press release, what with internet information allowing seconds-speed access to an infinite sea of readers, critics, bloggers and business competition; it’s understandable to be somewhat overwhelmed. There is one thing that could help manage the tides and keep your press release on the right track: organizational teamwork.
5 Keys To Choosing Your Content Writer Before You Start Interviewing
Over the past decade, the incontestable power of the Internet has brought millions of business owners from all parts of the globe together in investing their time and money in cutting-edge websites and suitable web content, elaborated according to their needs, specifications and expectations, with the pen of a content writer making their content happen. When it comes to articles that actually draw visitors and serve a higher purpose, most company owners spare no expenses and do everything in their power to identify the best content writer or team of writers available. Here are 5 important things that you should know about talented, active, sociable, Internet-savvy and creative freelancers who have what it takes to guide you towards business success. Your Ideal Content Writer Candidate Should: 1) Write On a Daily Basis We’ve all heard this lesson a thousand times: practice makes perfect. A content writer who spends more than a couple of hours a day writing informative, educational, entertaining materials for different clients with different needs and requests will always respond better to new challenges, unlike novices or other freelancers who only write every once in a while. 2) Be well-organized, do a lot of research and always Google before they tweet. Extensive research is part of the job and professional content writer always take this important phase very seriously. The worst mistake one could ever make is writing and distributing inaccurate, outdated, ambiguous content. In such cases, readers flag low-quality web material and start looking for trustworthy sources of information, so make sure you count on content writers who check and double-check the information before making it public. 3) Have an amazing, writing style which is audience-friendly and engaging Your content writers should make the most of their unique set of skills and their inexhaustible talent and creativity to promote your brand, services and products in an engaging manner, while embracing a truly accessible writing style. 4) Be great at social media. Would you really trust a freelancer who refuses to profit from amazing opportunities available on social media platforms? Would you hire a writer who doesn’t spend at least an hour a day on major social networking sites, like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn, where all the important elements go viral and all the most relevant trends are anticipated and widely commented? Make sure you hire a social savvy writer. 5) Is proud of their masterpieces, charges the right price Reputable content writers won’t hesitate to link their most relevant content pieces for you and promote their professional services in an effective manner. Perhaps in the near future business owners will be able to count on different ranking systems allowing them to determine the real value of a particular writer. Until then, Google Authorship will enable you to identify some of the most active, talented freelancers who might have what it takes to complete your writing assignments in a more than satisfactory manner. Make sure you pay the right price for unique content writer to create your pieces; an insignificant fee could trick you into opting for low-quality writing services – a big mistake which could impact the profitability and popularity of your online business for a long period of time. Neil Patel, a top Internet marketer, says that you should expect to spend $100-200 per post. Conclusion A content writer could be the biggest boon for your business this year and beyond. It’s the era of the Internet; and the Internet thrives on content. Don’t just throw this job on anyone. Make sure your writer meets the criteria above, and you’ll find yourself a good one. Hire yours today!
A Friendly PR Reminder: The Buzz Says When to Release a Press Release
The format most (if not all) companies use when they release a press release can be simplified by their answering these questions: What’s the buzz? Where’s the buzz? Who’s in the buzz? When did the buzz happen? and How did it happen? A skillful combination of all or some of the answers to these questions makes up the entirety of your press release. Moreover, notice that all of these questions ask about one thing: buzz.
How to Write Emails That Will Astound Your Readers
Writing emails seems like an easy task, for some.
For those of us who actually care that our emails get read, there are rules to live by, unfortunately.
There are tips on how to write emails that will ultimately get our message across to our readers. And when we say across, we mean that they will digest every bit of the content of our emails and not just the parts that strike them.
How to be a Good Copy Editor: 5 Critical Traits
In the world of online content, copy editors are many things. They’re the referees, the quality control, the champions of great writers, the seekers of incredible topics, and the organizational force that keeps the entire thing running. In many ways, copy editors make the internet go around, except that you’d never see them doing it. This is because copy editors work largely behind the scenes, and they only come out at choice moments, like when they’re written up in The New Yorker and congratulated for their lifetime of work, for which they’ve earned the title of “The Comma Queen.” This is rare, though, and copy editing is largely a thankless job. That being said, though, it’s also a critically important one, and good copy editors are worth their weight in gold. With that in mind, I want to take today to talk about how to be a good copy editor. It’s an essential skill, and even people who work in different sectors of online business could stand to learn a thing or two from these powerhouse professionals. Read on. Why Good Copy Editors Matter If nobody was out there enforcing comma standards, the world as we know it would fall to shambles. Alright, while it may not be as dramatic as all of that, copy editors have an incredibly important job: they make sure that the copy that gets to major publications, blogs, and platforms in hundreds of industries is readable, relevant, and informational. They act as quality control for thousands of pieces of content each year. Imagine if the New York Times, the Washington Post, or CNN refused to hire copy editors. High-brow journalism as we know it would change, and it would be exceedingly difficult to control the quality of content in any publication. With this in mind, it’s clear that copy editors do an important job every single day. Now, let’s explore the traits that separate a great copy editor from a so-so one. How to be a Good Copy Editor: 5 Must-Have Traits While copy editors work in varying industries and specialties, each great copy editor shares the following characteristics: 1. Passion for the industry and the content within it You can’t be a copy editor without a real, authentic passion for the sector within which you work. If an editor doesn’t eat, breathe, and sleep copy, excelling at the job will be difficult, and low-quality content will begin to seep in around the edges. This is evident in the way Mary Norris, the copy editor for The New Yorker talks about her position is a recent essay in the magazine itself: “Then I was allowed to work on the copydesk. It changed the way I read prose—I was paid to find mistakes, and it was a long time before I could once again read for pleasure. I spontaneously copy-edited everything I laid eyes on. I had a paperback edition of Faulkner’s ‘The Hamlet’ that was so riddled with typos that it almost ruined Flem Snopes for me.” Good copy editors do what they do almost compulsively, and they do it because they love the quality of well-written, error-free content. Without this deep-seated passion, it’s tough to integrate fully into the position. 2. Some type of formal training While a copy editor doesn’t necessarily need an English or Journalism degree, they do need some level of formal training in grammar, spelling, writing, SEO, newspaper methods, reporting, computer science, graphical programs, and more. While much of this can be learned on the job, a copy editor’s job would be trial by fire without at least a passing level of prior knowledge in these areas. Since a copy editor’s job is to ensure published content fulfills the purpose it’s meant to achieve, be that driving sales or informing readers, a broad knowledge of all things writing is essential. 3. Creativity and a healthy willingness to think outside the box Sometimes a copy editor is given a piece that’s too long. Sometimes, a 500-word article doesn’t get to the heart of the topic. Sometimes, a piece needs to be cut, but there’s no right place to do it. In these situations, being able to develop creative solutions is critical. While copy editors are, first, professionals, they’re also artists who must know how to execute surgical maneuvers on pieces of content every now and again. Creativity is as important to editors as it is to writers, and the best copy editors out there will understand how to integrate creativity with professionalism to create outstanding content that leaves its mark on readers. 4. Ability to see the connections between things If a piece is related to another issue that’s recently come up in pop culture or current events, a copy editor must be able to locate the connection. If an article might perform better in a separate section of a publication, a copy editor must be able to bridge the gap mentally and ensure that the content winds up where it will make the most impact. In other words, it’s critical for copy editors to have a keen sense of connections. In addition to allowing the editor to make smart content decisions, this also helps boost the editor’s efficiency and ensure that each piece of content published falls into the greater web of things just as it should. 5. Flexibility and a willingness to bend Copy editors work with dozens of moving parts on a daily basis. Between the writers, the publishers, and the design team, there are dozens of opinions, challenges, and conflicts to be navigated, and any copy editor who will become successful in the business must be flexible and willing to adapt. Since each publication, writer, and editor has different expectations, guidelines, and concerns, copy editors must be fluid enough to navigate the different crags and outcroppings of the industry gracefully. Without these traits, the job is simply too stressful, and few people can hack it. This is yet another reason why great copy editors are so very rare, and so very, very skilled. How to … Read more
4 Reasons You Need Professional Content Writing Services to Reach Your Business Goals
This post was updated September 2019. Over 60% of all businesses agree their main problem is generating enough leads and traffic. But why is it so difficult? ☹ The days where you could throw money at ads and expect results are over. A staggering 96% of American users don’t trust ads, and they’re not alone in that. Clearly, you need a more organic approach to generating leads if you want to grow your business, which is where expert content can help. Websites that publish new content consistently increase their traffic by 3X on average. We’re talking 15+ articles a month, which is no small feat. That effect only compounds as you publish more and more content. Blogs with over 300 posts get 3.5X times as much traffic as those with fewer than 50, just to give you an idea. Here’s the problem though. If you run a business, your time has a cap. You can’t spend all your time researching and writing, or the rest of your business will suffer. Maybe you don’t even like to write, and that’s okay. After all, one key aspect of running a successful business is knowing what aspects of it to outsource and that’s where (professional) web content writing services come in. [bctt tweet=”Many businesses are having a hard time generating leads and traffic. Ads aren’t even helping too. The solution? Publishing new content — consistently. @JuliaEMcCoy explains why you need web content services.” username=”ExpWriters”] 4 Reasons Why Hiring Professional Web Content Writing Services is a Smart Business Move 1. Pro Web Writers Have a Strong Grasp on SEO Best Practices 2. Expert Voices Have Fresh Takes on Your Industry 3. Professional Content Writing Saves You Time and Money 4. Seasoned Content Writers Can Help You Develop a Content Marketing Strategy Right now, you’re probably asking yourself, “How can a web content writer for hire save me money?”. It’s true – hiring experts can be expensive, but the benefits of content writing are all too real. The numbers speak for themselves – businesses that take content marketing seriously get up to 6x more conversions than their counterparts. That’s because great content writers can help you find an audience, tap into their needs, and speak to them through your brand. In other words, the right web content writing service is worth their weight in gold. If you’re not convinced yet, that’s okay! Hiring expert services isn’t something you should do lightly. That’s why we’re going to dig deep and break down all the main benefits content writing can bring to your business. 1. Pro Web Writers Have a Strong Grasp on SEO Best Practices You’re probably familiar with SEO, at least in concept. Search engines use complex algorithms to determine which websites they show you whenever you run a search. Google alone weighs in over 200 factors in determining which results they’re going to show you and in which position they appear. We know what most of those factors are, but the precise formula search engines use is a secret as closely guarded as KFC’s mix of herbs and spices. Plus, search engines update their algorithms often so you can’t get around them. Here’s the problem – as a business, you want your web content to appear as close to the top of the search engine result pages (SERPs) as possible. On average, the first three results for any search get around 68% of all clicks within the first page. The first result alone gets 48% of all clicks, which makes it a goldmine. As if those numbers weren’t scary enough, 90% of users don’t make it past the first page of results. Your business might as well not exist if you can’t make it to those first spots. Getting there takes more than good writing, though. The competition for those top results is fierce across the board and popular websites are locked in a cutthroat game of optimization to outpace each other. To become relevant, your web content writer needs to follow best practices, such as: Targeting the right keywords and knowing how and when to use them Structuring and formatting content for the web Having a specific audience in mind and optimizing your content for them It sounds pretty simple when you break it down. However, SEO is a science, and if you want to publish content with a fighting chance of making it to the top of the result pages, you need expert writers in your corner. [bctt tweet=”The ideal web content writer needs to know how to target and use the right keywords, how to format web content for online readers, and how to optimize your content based on your target audience. – @JuliaEMcCoy ” username=”ExpWriters”] 2. Expert Voices Have Fresh Takes on Your Industry No one knows your business better than you do. That’s a fact. Whatever product or service you sell, it’s probably something you know inside and out. In theory, that means you’re the best person to write about it. When you bring a new writer into your team, they’ll need to play catch-up – there’s no way around it. However, a seasoned writer knows how to take your ideas and find the perfect words to express them. Sometimes, they’ll also have fresh takes on just what your audience wants to read about. Just being a talented writer isn’t enough, though. What you want are web content writing chops, and here’s why: Pro web content writers know how to get your business the attention it deserves. You know how to run a business, but writing is their business. A professional web content writing service will know how to take your products or services and find the right words to lead readers through your customer journey. Coming up with new content ideas is hard. Writing an occasional blog post is hard enough. Now imagine doing it twice per week or more, for months and months on end. It’s enough to burn anyone out, but a seasoned content writer for … Read more
Infographic: The Copywriter’s Brain
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