Copywriting – Page 18 – Express Writers

The Call to Action in Copywriting: How to Create Yours

February 7, 2024January 27, 2014 by Adam Oakley

In the business and online marketing worlds, the goal is to motivate customers with potent calls to action. While a call to action may sound like a complex and hard-to-master thing, that’s more of a misconception than a reality. If you strip away the fancy name, a call to action is just an “ask” of your readers. When you look at it that way, the only question left to answer is “how do you ask them correctly?” While it takes some time, effort, and skill to master the call to action in copywriting, doing so can earn you more sales, more customers, and a bigger bottom line, so it’s well worth your while. The Basics of a Great Call to Action in Copywriting: 7 Essential Techniques Remember the magic word we learned early on in life? Please. The epitome of politeness, please had the power to earn us things, to make people help us, and to strengthen bonds with our friends and family. In the world of marketing, it’s no different. Today, most marketing tactics involve asking readers for something, such as their email address or a share with their social following. That’s made difficult, however, by the fact that today’s customers are protective of their privacy, money, and personal information, and rightfully so! While there’s no getting around the fact that most of modern marketing is one big “ask,” there is a right way and a wrong way to ask people to do something for you and your brand. Push too hard, and you risk scaring your readers off. Whisper too timidly, and you’ll come off as confusing and indecisive. To be effective with your call to action in copywriting, it’s critical to master the following CTA techniques: 1. Provide Value It doesn’t matter if something is free or costs thousands. If the customer finds it valuable, price is no object. Unfortunately, most of today’s copy fails to take this simple fact into account. The most effective CTAs work because they offer a clear value proposition. They tell the reader exactly what’s in it for them and what they’ll get for sharing their personal information, clicking, or subscribing. This clarity is essential for great CTAs, and can go a long way to make yours more compelling. 2. Address Objections Head-On Good businesses familiarize themselves with the objections their potential customers will have before they begin marketing. After all, the only way to generate sales is to address and overcome objections. Fortunately, you can use your call to action in copywriting to nip customer objections and concerns in the bud. By addressing and solving customer objections before the customer has a chance to offer them, you can encourage trust in your brand and your company. Simple things, like offering money-back guarantees, providing social proof (stating how many people have already taken advantage of a product, good, or service) or including reviews are ideal for anticipating and addressing customer concerns. 3. Pique Customer Curiosity Curiosity is human nature and it leads us to try new things. Piquing curiosity is a great way to build the customer’s anticipation and encourage them to fulfill your “ask.” Including language like “VIP” or “top secret” can make your CTAs more enticing and exciting for your readers. 4. Tailor the CTA to Your Reader You’ve heard it once; you’ve heard it a thousand times: know your audience. Creating a compelling call to action requires that you custom-design the CTA copy and content for a select portion of readers. By setting up different CTAs and landing pages for different campaigns (rather than re-using the same ones) and ensuring you’re using personalized language, like “you” and “your” in your CTAs, you can offer your customers a truly customized experience. 5. Offer Social Proof Power exists in numbers. This is especially true when it comes to a proper call to action. Your potential customer probably doesn’t want to be the only one trying a product or service. You can entice them into action by leveraging social proof. Check out how Tim Ferriss does this in a CTA on his website: By stating that more than 100 million episodes have been downloaded, he inspires trust in his product and encourages a herd mentality, wherein people want to be involved because so many other people are already interacting with said content. 6. Make it Urgent People are more likely to take action when they feel a sense of urgency. You can weave this sense into a call to action in copywriting by saying things like: Limited time offer! While supplies last! Act now to receive… Only X days left! 7. Offer An Incentive You can make your CTA more compelling by offering your reader something exciting in advance. The way you sweeten the deal will depend on your business and industry, but can take the form of offering a free piece of content, a coupon, or even a voucher for services. In addition to showing readers you value them, offering an incentive makes your CTAs feel like gifts. Using CTAs in Copywriting: Foundational Tips Now that we’ve discussed the seven critical tactics of all good CTAs, let’s talk about how to use them in your copywriting: Tailor Your CTA to the Type Of Content. The CTA you’ll use on a web page varies from the one you’ll use on a blog. By tailoring your CTAs to various pages and approaches on your website, you can make them more effective and compelling. Keep Them Informative. Your CTAs should always be simple and informative. They should tell the reader exactly what they’ll get and why it matters. Information inspires trust, and trust is critical to high-performing CTAs. Personalize, Personalize, Personalize. The goal of a CTA is to speak directly to the customer. By personalizing your CTAs with words like “you” and “yours” and ensuring that each CTA you publish lines up with a specific, targeted offer, can shorten the distance between you and your customers and make your “asks” more compelling. Keep … Read more

Writing for the Customer: The Artful Copywriter

January 1, 2021January 25, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Who doesn’t love a good secret? I know I do. I can’t help but feel excited when someone leans over, lowers their voice, and says, “Hey, can you keep a secret?” My imagination begins to concoct at warp speed, and I find myself feeling like a giddy little schoolgirl. I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I’m pretty good at keeping secrets, which is why I hear so many. I especially like hearing secrets about my craft: copywriting. Every so often one of these secrets is worth passing on to the upcoming generation of writers and marketers. If you’re a copywriter, marketer, business owner, or up-and-coming in the industry, move a little closer to the computer screen. I have some secrets to share with you… Copywriter and Copywriting: A Textbook Definition The dictionary defines a copywriter as “a writer of copy, especially for advertisements or publicity releases.” The word originates from 1910-15, but writers have been around for eons in comparison. For the writer, copywriting is simply another tool in our satchel. Wikipedia says that copywriting “is writing copy…for the purpose of advertising or marketing.” The purpose of the copy is “to persuade someone to buy a product or influence their beliefs.” Copywriting: The Art Textbook definitions of the copywriter who performs copywriting are educational, but they fail to convey the art of the trade. Writing copy is like sculpting. Have you ever worked with clay on a pottery wheel? It can be an incredibly relaxing experience, or so I was told the first time I attempted it. A few years ago, I was on a stress relief kick. A friend of mine who sculpts for a living recommended pottery class. Initially, I found the activity to be more of a stress causer than releaser. But after a lot of practice, I learned a bit about the art behind the craft. I was able to work the clay on the pottery wheel, and it became something that was somewhat recognizable. The experience taught me a valuable lesson: to become proficient at a craft one must not only learn the art behind the craft, but also have some amount of talent that can be developed into precision skill. Copywriting for the copywriter is no exception. After spending over a decade on my craft, I’ve learned the ultimate secret—the secret that dates back to the very creation of the writing craft: The secret to amazing [copy]writing is ensuring that every sentence makes your reader want to read the next. Here’s another secret: I learned the above secret very shortly after starting a career in literature and writing. However, it took me years to truly understand the ins and outs of it. Writing copy is like growing up again. The day you begin, you write as an infant. As your career grows, you learn new techniques and take in different forms of criticism. At first, you respond like an adolescent, convinced you know best. Eventually, you mature. As your mind opens, you begin to learn proficiency and discover how the tools at your disposal can be wielded to create unique, compelling, and breathtaking copy. One day—if you’re lucky—you’ll take your place among the masters, the very writers you looked up to and idolized. The Number One Mistake New Copywriters Make We’ve established the purpose of copywriting: to create copy that persuades. In most cases, copywriters are writing advertising and press release material. The number one mistake new copywriters make is writing like a cheap advertisement. Don’t get me wrong; sometimes you’ll be called upon to write a piece that is pure advertising. The client’s instructions regarding this will be quite specific, though. These projects will be some of the simplest you undertake as a copywriter because the creative requirements will be low. On the other hand, most copywriting projects require the art of copywriting: writing without advertising. The Artful Copywriter’s Toolbox How does a copywriter write without advertising? It isn’t easy. In fact, it can be just as frustrating as that first pottery class I mentioned earlier—or any “first” for that matter. In order to master the art, you’ll need to use every tool at your disposal with skillful technique. Let’s take a look at three of the most powerful tools copywriters can use: “Speak to one person.” I quote this from a superb Mashable article about startup copywriting and writing compelling content. A lot of writers mistakenly think that they must write for a large, diverse audience. If you try to take this approach, you’ll likely overthink and stifle the piece before even writing it. Here’s a secret about your audience: they’re all human. What should this mean to you? It’s important to understand your target customer. You need to know the issues that are important to them and the solutions they’re seeking, but at the end of the day, every potential customer in that giant audience is human. They all respond and connect to the same basic things: emotion, need, desire, want, and resolution. Speaking to one person means speaking to these basics. Grab attention and hold it. If you use the first tool, you’ll have a head start on grabbing your readers’ attention. Seizing attention when writing copy is about more than crafting a gripping introduction. In today’s world, people are skimmers. They look at a piece of copy and first see the headline and subheadings. If those perk their interest, they pick a place to start reading. You can write a gripping introduction that rivals the opening scene of a Cinemax film, but it might not be where every reader starts reading. This is why every sentence must make the reader want to read the next. Focus on positives. Most good copy contains positives and negatives. It’s important to balance any negatives with positives, and focus more heavily on the positives. Copywriting should focus less on product or service features and more on benefits. Potential customers connect better to benefits because … Read more

5 Copywriting Rules to Turn You from Hack to Writing Hacker

January 5, 2021January 24, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Everything in life or work has rules attached. Copywriting is no exception. Make no mistake: This is not an instance where breaking the rules will lead to better results. Rule-breaking may work if you’re writing a novel or creating fiction, sure. In stark contrast, copywriting is all about speaking to specific audiences and moving them to act. There are tried and tested ways to do this. In other words, don’t try to reinvent the copywriting wheel. There’s a right way and a wrong way to write copy. Following these simple copywriting rules will ensure your words have a fighting chance to make an impact on the audience you’re targeting. [bctt tweet=”‘There’s a right way and a wrong way to write copy. Follow these simple copywriting rules to ensure your words make an impact on your audience!’ – @JuliaEMcCoy on #copywritingrules” username=”ExpWriters”] 5 Copywriting Rules You Should Never Forget Ready to learn the “write” stuff and create copy that gets results? These 5 copywriting rules are ones you should always remember: Copywriting Rule #1: Simplify In the world of copywriting, complicated is NOT better. Your goal always should be to communicate ideas and information in the clearest way possible. You want every single person who reads your copy to understand it perfectly. That means you need to simplify as much as possible. Write concisely and avoid redundancy. This example from Michele DeLima shows what I mean. The first version of copy is full of fluff – unnecessary words that add nothing to what she’s trying to say. When she omits the fluff, we get down to the meat of that first loaded paragraph: Michele was able to cut the first paragraph down from 50 words to 9 and say the exact same thing. While doing your initial editing passes for your copy, look for nonessential words and phrases that pad your writing. Then, cut them ruthlessly. Here’s the nonessential stuff from the above example. I’ve highlighted them so you can see exactly what was cut to get to the final, clean and simple version. [bctt tweet=”Copywriting Rule #1: Write concisely and avoid redundancy. Read more about @JuliaEMcCoy’s top 5 #copywritingrules” username=”ExpWriters”] Copywriting Rule #2: Spend as Much Time on the Headings as the Body Copy This next copywriting rule is not just referring to the H1 (also known as the title or headline). It also alludes to your humble H2s, H3s, and even your H4s – the subheadings. Yes, technically the latter is less important. However, that’s just from an organizational standpoint. The H1 conveys the overall main idea or takeaway, while the lesser subheadings sum up the major ideas that contribute to the overall main idea. From a copywriting standpoint, though, ALL of the headings in a piece need to be creatively and intelligently constructed. They need to grab the eye, inform, and sum up the content for a scanning reader. They need just as much care and attention as the body copy. If instead, you dash them out carelessly or neglect to include some subheadings, your entire content piece will suffer. It will be flatter, less interesting, harder to scan, and more difficult to understand. For inspiration on making ALL of your headings interesting, creative, and engaging, look at this blog post by Brian Dean of Backlinko: Not just the H1 is compelling – each and every subheading draws your eye, makes you think, and effectively outlines the piece. Even your sub-subheads should get this kind of attention if you truly want to create a winning content piece. [bctt tweet=”Copywriting Rule #2: ALL of the headings in a piece need to be creatively and intelligently constructed. Read more about @JuliaEMcCoy’s top 5 #copywritingrules” username=”ExpWriters”] Copywriting Rule #3: Focus on Benefits, Not Features Think of this next copywriting rule as the Golden Rule of online copy. Drill it into your head and practice it everywhere you possibly can. Benefits over features. To see what I’m talking about, look at Evernote’s homepage. Here, you’re presented with the benefits of using Evernote straight out of the gate: Evernote will help you feel organized without any effort. Evernote will help you record all your ideas, projects, and to-do lists wherever you are, so you don’t miss a thing. The focus, as you’ll notice, is on YOU – not Evernote. If Evernote instead focused on features, this page would look very different. Let’s imagine that for a second. It might read like this: Evernote has organizational features like Notebooks and tagging. Evernote has both desktop and mobile apps. Features are great, but they aren’t personal. They don’t relate this product to your life. That’s exactly what makes features forgettable. Here are the differences between features vs. benefits spelled out in black-and-white: Benefits show you how a product or service will benefit your life – A.K.A. make it better. Benefits are personal and memorable. Features tell you what a product or service can do (without reference to what it can do for you). That’s it. To sum up, when you stay benefits-focused, you stay focused on your audience’s human needs. You tell them how your product or service fulfills those needs. You relate it to them and make it personal. Of course, when your copy is personal to your readers, it’s more compelling – and that’s the entire point. [bctt tweet=”Copywriting Rule #3: Focus on benefits, not features. Read more about @JuliaEMcCoy’s top 5 #copywritingrules” username=”ExpWriters”] Copywriting Rule #4: Don’t Write AT Your Audience – Write TO Them What’s the difference between writing at someone and writing to them? Hint: It ties into copywriting rule #3, above. Still stumped? Here’s the answer: One is impersonal and cold. The other is personal, warm, and engaging. Writing at your audience is similar to the way flight attendants go over the safety guidelines at the beginning of every flight. They aren’t really talking TO you or engaging with you; they’re talking AT you. They’re presenting information – nothing more, nothing less. In contrast, think of writing to … Read more

The Art of SEO Copywriting: Tricks of the Trade

June 19, 2024January 13, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Copywriting is a skill, no question. When it’s mastered down to a science, it can drive readers and prospects to take action that is profitable for businesses. But, at its heart, copywriting is also an art. Here’s how Copyblogger defines it: In many ways, the art of SEO copywriting is the art of written persuasion PLUS the science of search engine optimization. Optimized copy is simply copy that people can find through online search. The “art” comes in when people read that copy and are moved to act. It’s a one-two punch that can take a business everywhere. So, how do you nail both the art side and the science side? Let’s dig in and explore. Nailing the Art of SEO Copywriting: 3 Tips 1. Follow the Famous Saying: “The more you tell, the more you sell.” Famed ad man David Ogilvy advised copywriters to write more, not less, to convince customers to act. Dr. Charles Edwards is responsible for saying “The more facts you tell, the more you sell,” but Ogilvy is the one who made it famous. Why is it true? Because you, as the copywriter, have a single chance to convince your prospect – when your copy is laid out in front of them. If you put all your cards on the table, the customer will become better-informed, will feel smarter about the product/service, and thus will come to a decision more easily. So, always remember to list those benefits, go into detail, and really give the prospect all the information they need. This will help them feel ready for the action you’re trying to pull from them. Do not, however, confuse giving more information with being wordy or redundant. (Do not be like Ron Swanson with his typewriter.) Keep your copy concise, but provide plenty of facts and benefits. 2. Light Up Their Imagination with Stories If you’re a writer, you’re a storyteller. You can and should use that skill in your copy to help persuade and convince your prospects. It works because: Stories make your readers feel real emotions, which are powerful motivators. Reading stories versus lists of facts helps your readers remember what you’re saying better. For a great example of storytelling in copywriting, look to Modcloth, the women’s fashion retailer. In each of their product descriptions, they tell a mini-story about the item in question to help their readers imagine what it would be like to own and wear it. The story also makes the item memorable. Here’s a story about a bright yellow raincoat, which Modcloth has us imagining wearing during rainy commutes or “misty midnight jaunts”: Here’s another about a breezy wedding dress, which the retailer wants us to imagine ourselves wearing right at that pivotal moment before the ceremony begins: As you can see, stories are powerful. They make emotional connections between your reader and the product/service you’re trying to sell. When you use stories in your copy, your readers will look like this: Which will make them want to do this: Or this: Via Envato Which, in the end, will make them feel like this: 3. Relate to the Reader The road to brilliant copy must always curve back to the reader. To do this, first, you have to know who your reader is. Then, address them in your writing with these principles: Use second person voice. The reader is “you,” not “he” or “she.” Pretend you’re having a conversation with them. This becomes far more interesting and engaging when you’re writing for a specific target audience member. For example, how would you strike up a conversation with a middle-aged stay-at-home mom versus a millennial entrepreneur? Put yourself in your reader’s shoes and approach your copy from their point of view. Never for one moment forget who you’re talking to – each facet of your copy should speak to your target reader. Finessing the Science of SEO Copywriting: 3 Tricks The art of copywriting needs to be bolstered with the science of SEO. Here are some key basics: 1. Optimize for Keywords If nobody reads your copy, all your work will go to waste. To make sure it finds an audience, you must optimize it for search by using the right keywords in the right places. Here are the places your target keyword needs to hog the spotlight: At or near the beginning of your headline/title Once in the first paragraph In at least one of your subheaders Inside your meta description, preferably at the beginning Before you start inserting keywords into your copy willy-nilly, first remember that you should always use them naturally. This means if your copy sounds robotic and not like normal human speech, you need to rethink it. For example, say I wanted to optimize my copy for the keyword “fiction books dogs”. I would not want to write something like this: Fiction books dogs are compelling – who doesn’t want to read about man’s best friend? Instead, you need to make sure your keyword fits seamlessly into your copy. The reader shouldn’t even know it’s there: Fiction books about dogs are compelling because dogs are man’s best friend. Note how we inserted the conjunction “about” to help make the keyword mesh with normal English. For funny-looking keywords, little grammar modifications like this can help in a pinch. Feel free to use helper words like and, but, or, about, with, at, etc. within your keyword phrases – Google will ignore them and understand that you’re going for “fiction books dogs” rather than “fiction books about dogs.” For example, the listing below is ranking for “fiction books dogs” even though it has a helper word (“for”) sandwiched in it: 2. Make Your Copy/Content Really Good You would think good copy is a relative idea, but it’s not. No matter where you look, all good copy has some key features in common. These are essential for SEO and ranking well. According to Search Engine Journal, good copy is: Helpful and useful. It keys into user search … Read more

Why SEO Copywriting Services Are Essential To Your Internet Marketing

June 19, 2024January 10, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Today, it’s impossible to have a good digital strategy without one crucial thing: SEO. SEO or search engine optimization is the cornerstone of highly visible, highly relevant online content. And the best brands know they need great SEO copywriting services to help them climb to the top. Why, you ask? Simple: ranking on the web requires a lot more than just having great content. Think of it this way, even if you made the most beautiful shirt in the world, would you be able to sell it? If you only made one of them, and you didn’t know how to get it to a place where customers could see it — probably not! Even if your content is outstanding and your brand is reliable, that’s not always enough to rank. Instead, you need the help of a good SEO copywriter to give your content the finishing touch it needs to shoot to the top of the SERPs. Read on! The Value of SEO Copywriting Services SEO copywriting combines two things that, unfortunately, most brands aren’t great at: SEO and copywriting. Even if you have a strong team of in-house writers, SEO is a specific industry that takes a lot of time and attention to learn. This means not everyone knows it, and even the people who do don’t always know it well. This is why it’s so critical to seek help from a professional. When it’s done right, SEO copywriting services can do the following things for your brand: Boost Your Search Rankings. Great SEO makes your content more visible and will help it claim more prominent spots in the SERPs, which is important since these spots claim the majority of the clicks and attention. Save You Money. If you’ve been relying on paid advertising or paid placements to bag customers, SEO copywriting services can represent a real cost-savings. Instead of taking a “spray and pray” approach, SEO copywriting targets the customers you want to connect with, and gives your content a path to ranking organically. Keep You on the Cutting Edge of Content. Search engines are claiming an increasingly larger market share, so featuring more prominently within them is a very good idea. The easier it is for customers to find your business, locate your content, and have meaningful interactions with your brand, the more sales your company will enjoy. Help You Remain Competitive. If you’re not working on your SEO, but all your customers are, you can bet you’re going to fall behind. Everyone’s doing it nowadays, and you can’t afford to be the last one on the bus. What Is SEO Content, and Do I Need It for My Business? A lot of business owners don’t understand why they need SEO copywriting services. This is primarily because these business owners aren’t familiar with the process of search engine optimization, or the effect it can have on online content. SEO content is copy written with the aim of drawing new visitors to your site. The more traffic your website gets, the more sales you make and the more authority you earn. To create effective SEO content, copywriters use a variety of strategies, including placing keywords and phrases throughout the copy, optimizing meta content and images, and formatting the headline so that it’s easy for readers and search engines to understand. 10 Smart Reasons to Hire SEO Copywriting Services Powerfully written web content can boost your conversions, earn you more customers, and even increase your Google rankings. With that in mind, it’s clear this is one thing that’s too important to ignore. Here are the ten biggest reasons to hire an SEO copywriter: 1. Good Research that Boosts Your Content’s Value A good SEO copywriter knows how to do research and incorporate it into an article. This is important because links and backlinks are influential ranking factors in the world of SEO, and having links to relevant, reputable third-party sources throughout your content can help it earn higher search rankings. 2. More Compelling Calls to Action Remember: SEO copywriters are copywriters first, which means they know how to craft a mean CTA. We’ve talked before about why calls-to-action matter, and how creating better ones can help boost your conversions, but did you know that simple SEO tactics, like including keywords and phrases in your linked CTA anchor text can also help your site rank and produce more qualified leads? An SEO copywriter can deliver all of this and more. 3. Enhanced Page Focus Unless you have a good understanding of SEO, learning to focus a page can be difficult. Fortunately, SEO copywriters understand exactly how to narrow, target, and position your content so that it ranks most efficiently for your chosen keyword. 4. Better Keyword Research If you’re targeting crappy, short keywords and phrases and being disappointed by your results, SEO copywriting services can help. While keyword research is a major factor in good SEO, not everyone knows how to do it. And rightfully so! It requires the intelligent use of several tools and approaches laypeople don’t have an excuse for knowing! Hire SEO copywriting services, though, and you’ll get solid keyword research that will improve your rankings. 5. Natural Keyword Inclusion Once you’ve tracked those keywords down, what do you do with them? Do you just stuff them into your copy wherever they fit or do you include them naturally? The answer is, of course, the latter. SEO copywriters will weave keywords into your copy, so readers don’t even notice them, but search engines can rank them. 6. SEO-Friendly Meta Tags and Descriptions Do you know how to write meta tags and descriptions? Do you even know what they are? If your answer is “no,” that’s okay! These are the perfect example of difficult yet essential SEO tools that only experienced copywriters know how to handle. Used by search engines to rank and interpret your site, meta content is too important to ignore, but too challenging and specific to farm out to just anyone. 7. Pages that Are the Perfect Length Did you know that even length plays into the SEO … Read more

Today’s Fabulous, Growing Career: Copywriting

January 1, 2021January 9, 2014 by Adam Oakley

Because of the Internet, the copywriting profession has blown from a small existence of professionals being paid exorbitant rates in a journal or media based career to dozens of people working from home in any given American city. Sitting and typing away with a baby or two in the other room… a tea break or two midday… and yes, this is a career, folks! Copywriting? What’s that About? So let’s talk about it. What is this wonderful work-at-home-opportunity all about? Being a copywriter is thought to be a very inviting and easy way to make money; this is true to a great extent. You can work from the comfort of your own home with no specific work hours, rest when you want in a comfortable bed – not having to dose off on your office chair worrying about getting caught–go on long vacation, and on top of all these, get paid well. What more can you ask for? In fact, it might even seem too good to be true – but this is one instance where this saying does not apply. The ONE problem here: not many people are aware of what a copywriter is exactly. The common mistake that people make is that they confuse it with ‘copyright’ which is a totally different thing. So these people assume that you come up with copyrights to protect peoples’ inventions and discoveries from being stolen by others. This is far from the truth, as copywriters are basically people who write marketing materials and other business copies that bring in new prospects for the business through more customers, leading to sales and profits. The job of a copywriter is very much a part of the marketing aspect of an organization. Copywriting Explained So what is copywriting? Copywriting work involves producing brilliant articles specifically for advertising and promotional activities, both online and offline (although a huge percentage now is online). You see the various billboards, promotional emails, catalogs, and other advertising material out there – well, the wording on them is written by copywriters. It is estimated that copywriting is a $2.3 trillion industry, according to the AWAI, and a fast growing one at that. Unlike informative writing like the news and editorial articles, copywriters focus on getting readers to take action by persuading them to want a product or service and finally buying it. They are essentially a salesperson, trying to sell business though the power of words. On the contrary, the word copyright, which so often is applied to the job description, is completely different. Copyright is having legal rights to use, reproduce, sell, publish or distribute a person or a company’s work. Unlike copywriting, the purpose of copyright is to safeguard these knowledgeable assets of a person or company from being used or taken advantage by some other party. Factors That Attract People to the Industry For many who are fascinated by copywriting, it is because they are very much interested in working from home such as for mothers with infants or anyone who hates going into a corporate office every day. A huge aspect here to remember is that everyone who actually succeeds was innately gifted in writing in some way or another. In other words—it was their calling, their God-given gifted talent. And the other parts can be learned. Today, let’s face it, who doesn’t want to work from the comfort of their home? Another attractive aspect of copywriting is you really do not need a large investment to get started – all you need is a good Internet connection and computer. And, best of all, there is no education qualifications specifically required – although some skills are needed which are explained later. This industry is growing rapidly, and people employed within it are able to pull 6 figure salaries working full-time, while many part-time works are still enabling them to earn the full-time salary of an employee in another industry. Qualifications Needed for Copywriting As mentioned earlier, there are no specific qualifications that you need to acquire to be a copywriter. To be successful, you won’t need to possess any degree or even a high school qualification. Unlike most jobs that require a specific degree in that area and extensive experience in a certain age, copywriters do not need any of these. There are successful copywriters who have no formal education above high school, while there are some who have not even made it through high school. Moreover, there are still many teenagers who are only 18 and yet, make a considerable earning through copywriting. All you need as a qualification is the ability to write an article and even that doesn’t need to be in formal writing styles that are taught to us in school. On the contrary, it is believed that copywriters write the way that normal people talk – as it helps to communicate with them on their own level and get the message directly. If you have and know how to use a computer and Internet then you are set. The rest of it is self-learned through various online guides and tips. Is the Six-Figure Salary Margin Really Achievable? This is completely possible and if you search on the Internet, you will come across many who claim to be doing so. It depends on how much effort you put into it and the way you go about it. There are copywriters that have been able to negotiate some very valuable contracts with top companies that bring in an income of around $300,000 per annum for the copywriter. To be successful you have to be business-minded and have good negotiation skills along with the ability to spot and react to opportunities that come your way. Even if you work part-time or work during the holidays or in your spare time, you can still make a considerable amount of money. The beauty of copywriting is that you have no targets other than your own for how much work … Read more

Don’t Settle For Less Than Premium Copywriting Services

January 1, 2021November 23, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Copywriting services are everywhere, but most of us are hardly aware of it. How many times have you stopped to wonder who wrote the words on the cereals you have for breakfast, who authored the description of the product you’re about to order using the catalog you got in the mail yesterday, or who penned the homepage on the website you happen to be browsing right now? If you’re not an industry insider, the answer is that you have probably never thought about where this copy comes from. However, the words, or copy, on every product packaging or service, whether online or offline, you use daily were thought over and rewritten at least several times by a copywriter. What Makes Copywriting Work? The answer is simple: copy. And copy is the result of an act of copywriting. Without quality copywriting services, the world would be a cluttered, Babel-like place. Business owners are becoming increasingly aware of the critical impact of copy on their business performance. When it comes to content marketing, the importance of professional copywriting services cannot be understated. To understand why copywriting services are vital for business success, let’s see what makes copywriting effective and why you should never settle for less than premium copywriting services. Successful Copywriting Is an Act of Persuasion Copywriting is both an art and a science, which means it involves creativity and exactness, imagination and rigor. Essentially, writing copy for online marketing is about causing people who visit your website to take action. A good copywriter has many gifts, of which the ability to persuade through copy is the greatest. He or she is like a film director who silently says action and everyone on the set starts doing what they’re supposed to. Similarly, quality copy is meant to make readers follow the call to action that was launched. Therefore, the first layer in our stratified answer to what makes copywriting work is: copywriting works if it is a successful act of persuasion. What Does This Act of Persuasion Involve? The 2 T’s of Copywriting 1) Copywriting Is about Temptation and Troubleshooting (TT) Effective copywriting is all about tempting the audience and offering troubleshooting services. People read your content with a purpose: either to fulfill a desire or solve a problem. Therefore, to be effective, your copywriting needs to be able to tempt the audience and fix what is wrong. As a copywriter, you are like a guide for a group of tourists, showing readers the sights of this new and unexplored land that your product or service embodies. You convince them that the journey they’re taking is not only worthwhile, but that it can take them to an unexpected, fascinating place where they can get what they want. And they are not alone in this exploratory journey. You are there to show them the way and guide their steps, but in a discreet, non-intrusive manner. TT copywriting never gives prospects the feeling that they’re assisting at a sales pitch. If your content makes your readers suspect that you’re trying to sell them something, you’re likely to lose them. Compelling copywriting tempts the readers with the features of your product and persuades them that its benefits can troubleshoot their problem. 2) Copywriting Is a Seduction Game: You Either Learn to Dance or Get Left Out The world of online marketing is like a dance floor. It’s diverse and uneven. Some dancers are more skillful and graceful than others; others are clumsy, but they’re trying; still others are completely off beat. If you want to find yourself an able and talented partner to rock the dance floor, you need to learn to upgrade your performance. (That is your copy. And you can do that by using quality copywriting services.) And you’d better do that quickly or you’ll be left out. To be engaging and seductive, to have that je ne sais quoi or indescribable something that keeps readers interested, your copy needs to be both meaningful and fascinating. Outstanding copywriting services can create mesmerizing copy that readers find irresistible. 3) Copywriting Is about Defamiliarization Defamiliarization is an artistic trick that makes something old and familiar appear new and surprising. Basically, it’s the ability to look at something ordinary and see it in a new light, restoring its forgotten luster, which has worn out in time or as a result of excessive exposure. It’s that aha moment when you discover that something common has a dimension you haven’t been aware of until that minute. This is precisely the effect of compelling copywriting: it turns something average and commonplace, like shoes, into something special and rewarding: think Zappos. Or to give another example, which involves a service, not a product, therefore an experience and not merchandise—you don’t have to be an incurable romantic to feel there’s something new in every sunrise or sunset. But if you’re selling a vacation to an exotic island, let’s say, you have to use engaging copy to convince prospects that the sunrise or sunset they’ll get to see if they pick your offer is more spectacular than the one offered by your competitor next door who may be selling discount sunrises. Summing it up, as an act of persuasion, successful copywriting has the power to tempt and engage readers, by promising (and living up to the promise!) that it will solve or troubleshoot their problem or fulfill their need. Moreover, great copywriting is a seduction game that uses defamiliarization as a strategic advantage. What Are the Features of Premium Copywriting Services? Premium quality copywriting services can make a difference in your business strategy. Their key features include: Talented pens at work always creating original content Fresh, unique and consistent content that serves clients’ specific needs Commitment on following the highest quality standards in each and every copywriting endeavor Promptly delivering projects, according to clients’ terms To conclude, never settle for less when it comes to copywriting services. Check for the above and make sure you get premium copy … Read more

Website Copywriting for Dummies: A Crash Course

June 19, 2024November 19, 2013 by Adam Oakley

In the middle of the 1800s, the world of advertising began to take shape. As time went on, businesses were beginning to pop up around the globe and a number of advertising-based professions emerged. There was the advertising agent, the researcher, the commercial illustrator, the account executive, the creative director, and many more. (If you’ve ever seen Mad Men, you’ve gotten a taste of many of these occupations in action.) But out of all of the professions that arose from the early days of the advertising industry, it was the copywriter who would become the most highly regarded. As advertising icon Julian Sivulka put it in her book, Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes: “It was obvious that the copywriter was the most prominent member of the advertising team, since illustrations and photography seem almost interchangeable.” Following these early days, the copywriting profession began to take off. Copywriters like David Ogilvy and Leo Burnett became legends by helping generate hundreds of millions of dollars for major corporations like McDonald’s, Pepsi, and Rolls-Royce. And yet, even as these luminaries paved the way for the future of copywriting, it’s still one of the most misunderstood professions in the world. That’s why we’re here, with today’s website copywriting for dummies guide. What the Heck Is a Copywriter? If you Googled that question, you’d get an answer that looks like this… That’s an awfully bland answer. But the better way to answer this is to first ask the question, “What is copywriting?” Copyblogger provides a much more intriguing answer for this: So, in its simplest form: a copywriter is someone who uses the art and science of strategically delivering words in order to get people to take action. [bctt tweet=”To put it simply based on @Copyblogger’s definition of copywriting: A copywriter is someone who uses the art and science of strategically delivering words in order to get people to take action. ✍️ @JuliaEMcCoy explains more.” username=”ExpWriters”] What Type of Work Does a Copywriter Do? Copywriting is such a broad profession that there are literally hundreds of things that a copywriter could work on or specialize in. So, for the purpose of not being too broad, we’re going to focus solely on web copywriting. As far as a web copywriter goes, you’ll find them working on things like: But, while all of these tasks eventually require putting the fingers to the keyboard, writing is far from the only work that a copywriter engages in. What Types of Skills Does a Copywriter Need to be Successful? Unless you’re a part of a large copywriting agency with tons of resources, today’s copywriters need to be a jack-of-all-trades. They research. They edit. They proofread. They track and report data. They manage projects and campaigns. They do everything necessary to get to the point where they’re able to compile words that get people to take action. Some of the skills that they need to be well-rehearsed in include: And that’s not even the half of it. 5 Steps to Becoming a Copywriting Superstar While it will take some time, anybody can become a top-notch copywriter. Even if you’re not a solid writer, following through with the steps listed below can help you work your way towards eventual greatness in the field. 1. Focus on Research Research is the foundation of great copywriting. While authors and generalist writers talk frequently about their challenges with writer’s block, a copywriter is never unprepared to the point where they don’t know what to say. As David Ogilvy famously said, Image Source Ogilvy understood the necessity of research before ever even thinking about the actual writing process. He spent many of the early years of his career working for Gallup Polling, a market research agency. From that experience, Ogilvy understood the power that extensive research gave him when it came to crafting compelling copy that could get people to take action. How to Research Effectively Researching effectively comes down to two things: Gaining a deep understanding of your product or service Gaining an even deeper understanding of your audience In the Definitive Guide to Copywriting, which Neil Patel co-authored with Joe Putnam, they talk about the importance of understanding the product or service first. In order to do this, Patel and Putnam advise that you ask yourself five main questions: How would you describe the product? What’s unique/special about this product? What big benefit does it provide? What pain does it alleviate? What features are included and what are the benefits of each? Defining and Understanding Your Audience Not every project that a copywriter engages in is going to be aimed at getting the reader to immediately purchase a product or service. But there’s little doubt that every project WILL involve the need to speak directly to a specific audience in a way that can get them to take action. Maybe you want to educate or entertain them so they become followers of your blog. Or maybe you want them to join an email list. Whatever the goal, defining and understanding your audience is crucial to achieving it. Forbes contributor Jayson DeMers says that, in order to decode your target audience, you should ask six questions. They include: Who are they? What’s their most pressing issue, problem, or desire? Where do they get their info? What benefit of your product solves their problem? What sets off their BS detector? Who do they trust? By answering these questions thoroughly, you’ll have the foundation you need to craft compelling copy. [bctt tweet=”The foundation of good copywriting? Research. How do you do it? By understanding your product or service and your audience. @JuliaEMcCoy shares the questions you should ask to build your content foundation.” username=”ExpWriters”] 2. Shut Up and Listen One of the greatest quotes you’ll ever hear about copywriting is by the iconic Eugene Schwartz. He said, And he couldn’t be more right. If you research properly, you’ll never have to worry about writer’s block. But research doesn’t just mean typing a bunch of words into Google and … Read more

The Two Main Formulas of Successful Copywriting

January 1, 2021November 18, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Many formulas never offer exhaustive answers or solutions to questions or problems in general copywriting, since there are always variables and uncontrollable factors that can change the envisaged outcome. But, they can help as frameworks on which you can build or which you can customize and improve, according to a particular context and specific needs. Two Leading Formulas of Successful Copywriting Here are two tested formulas of copywriting that should improve your copy if employed correctly. These are the 4 U’s and the 5 S’s of copywriting. Together, they make the US which defines successful copywriting. The 4 U’s of Copywriting To be compelling and effective, copywriting needs to integrate the 4 U’s in Michael Masterson’s formula: urgent, unique, useful, ultra-specific. 1) Urgency To persuade and convert, your copywriting should instill a sense of urgency, determining the reader to act. It’s that step which turns intention into action. This is done by building momentum throughout the copy and by finishing with a firm and clear call to action. 2) Uniqueness To persuade and convert, your copywriting should make the reader believe that your product or service is unique, and that you’re the only one who can offer it. It’s not all about creating links. Don’t confuse content marketing with link building if you want to create unique, quality copywriting. The purpose of copy is not to cover hot topics, hoping to attract linking. You may increase brand awareness on a short term, but if your content doesn’t address the specific needs and desires of your users, your endeavor is in vain. Link building plays its role, but you need to know how and when to use, and moreover, not to abuse it. To turn your prospects into loyal followers, you need to integrate your content into your marketing strategy. This means that you need to identify the type of content that has the ability to increase conversion rate. 3) Usefulness To persuade and convert, your copywriting should inform, instruct, educate or help. In other words, it should contribute to achieving the definite outcome projected by the reader, which is to solve a problem or fulfill a desire. 4) Ultra-Specificity To persuade and convert, your copywriting should focus on something specific. If you want to build credibility and become an authoritative figure in your niche, you need to concentrate on that and that only, proving that you can be trusted. Copywriting is not mindless chatter. Do yourself justice and write every line thinking that you are a prospect reading what you are writing. People click on your link because they need something – a product, an answer or a piece of advice. If your content doesn’t include a response to their needs, you’d better delete it before it goes online. What Is Copywriting All About? The 5 “S” Words It is not about writing for writing’s sake, but writing keenly aware of your customers’ needs. You are not writing to keep being read, you are writing to become indispensable. How exactly can you produce useful content that can become very important for your customers? By paying attention to the following: Solicitude Selflessness Specificity Stickiness Solidarity Why solicitude? The first and most important word means that your client’s needs and aspirations matter most for you. Your prospect’s needs and wishes must always prevail. But sometimes people don’t have a clear picture about what they need; that’s when copywriting comes in. Quality copywriting has the ability to uncover your prospect’s unknown needs. They may not be aware that they lack something, but they still come to you looking for an answer. Effective copywriting is intuitive and anticipates readers’ indefinite wants. That is why you must offer them useful and thorough information, so that they can choose, deliberate and decide what to do. Why selflessness? The second word is meant to draw attention on the amount of copywriting published that is uniquely focused on your business. Reduce the space allotted to the description of your company, of who you are. A monologue will only isolate you. What you can do is more important. If you focus on your customers’ problems and needs more than on your own self-presentation, this will result in a virtual dialogue: they ask, you answer, they solicit, you provide. Why specificity? This element in the 5 S’s pattern of copywriting overlaps with ultra-specificity in the 4 U’s formula. Your content must be everything, but not general. There is no general problem. You must have clear solutions to particular problems that your readers are confronting. People are looking for solutions to their specific problems; they don’t need to read a large amount of information about different problems that different individuals may encounter. How can you have a sticky website? Your content should be interesting, in-depth, which means well-documented, supported by clear examples. Relevant testimonials are always good to read. Your prospects need expert opinions. They will stick with you provided that you offer them real-life solutions. How can you show your prospects your solidarity and why? They must understand that you share the same aims and values, so that they can trust you. To turn them into your friends, you need to help them get to know you, like you and confide in you. Successful copywriting permanently tries to establish a connection with readers, with the purpose of creating a dialogue. You can attain that by informing, helping and entertaining through copy that is worth reading content because it serves the reader and adds value to his life, one way or another. Copywriting – A Dead Serious Matter In conclusion, copywriting is a great tool, which if used well, allows you to create remarkable copy that can boost your sales. To achieve that, your copy must be compelling, yet balanced and specific. Provide useful and valuable information, but make sure you constantly prove that your prospects’ needs are your top priority, and that the main … Read more

5 Things Most Copywriting Clients DON’T Tell Their Writers

August 4, 2022November 13, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Copywriters may not be the most obvious people in the world; they are frequently hidden behind computer screens, books, and their own brainstorming sessions. So, when their clients get something they read and realize they didn’t want, it’s easy for the client to totally overlook the (real) chance that some of the fault could be a lack of direction from said client. How NOT To Screw Up Your Order For The Copywriter Surprise, surprise! It’s not always the copywriters’ fault. In all honesty, most clients (especially those just hiring a copywriter) just aren’t sure how to work with their copywriter. They have questions but don’t know how to approach or ask them. They aren’t perfect people, and they may mess up when they order. And when that happens, its not your copywriter’s fault – it’s YOUR fault for erroneous directives. Let’s see how you as a copywriting client can avoid these pitfalls, shall we? It’ll make for a happier writer and an end product you’re happy to get. Problem Clients in Copywriting There are some clients who are just difficult. Plain and simple. They change their minds, demand the unattainable, and don’t treat their writers with respect. This is rarely the case but without proper communication, the writer can feel as though every new client is one of these impossible clients. Using their verbal communication skills can be difficult for writers because they are accustomed to writing. But as a writer, it is a great idea to communicate via email and chat platforms. According to Francesca Nicasio at MenWithPens.ca, being up front both with clients and writers can be the best way to preserve a future relationship. As a writer, if you have a client that seems too hard to please, there is nothing wrong with stepping out of the project. Better to back out than to string the client along and give them false hope about what you can deliver for them. For the most part, clients make simple mistakes that can be worked through and there is no reason not talk to them in hopes of producing an amazing product. Here are five common problems copywriters run up against: 1) They Forgot Something. This is the #1 BIGGEST problem. They forgot to specify a word count, they forgot to tell you to skip that keyword in the list, they forgot to give you a specific topic, they forgot to give you that resource to link to and talk about, they forgot to give you the right model name for the product description. The best way to get over this obstacle is to recap all the order details with them at least once before you start working. 2) They Don’t Know What They Want. This is the #2 biggest problem, and in some cases, it wins the big blue ribbon for first place. They only know what they want when they get the work back. That’s right…after you’ve done all that labor, they finally realize what they want. The worst part? It’s not your deliverable. The way to avoid this is by scheduling an interview with the client, with their writer or project coordinator to go over their ideas for writing and hammer out an outline, and then send the outline to them after polishing it up post-phone call. DON’T start copywriting without approval on the outline. 3) Defining The Specifics Can Get Gritty, But Shouldn’t. It doesn’t have to. Note to Clients: Keep the instructions and input simple—as LONG as it is what you want. We got a 30 -tab Excel instruction sheet for a set of 10 binary options articles. The results? Everything had to be revised—and it still wasn’t what they wanted. Expecting that your writer should be able to use adjectives, pronouns and adverbs that you want—and only those—is a little too much to ask. Giving elbow room and trusting your writer for creativity is much more of a vehicle to achieve an inspired, original, and readable article. 4) They Don’t Trust the Writer. They think they know grammar better than the writer. “I KNOW there should be a comma there…my GRANDMA always told me so!” You actually might be wrong, if you’re not in the copywriting industry 24/7 like your writer is. Trust your writer to be up on the rules in the grammar world. If you see an obviously misspelled word, that’s another story, but when it comes to the minute details of grammar try to trust your writer. 5) They Get Impatient On A Deadline. Once you give a deadline to a writer, one of the worst things you can do to that writer is come back and say you want it sooner. Tight deadlines is the #1 enemy of an accomplished, talented writer. Rushed work can transform an eloquent Shakespearean author into a non-native sounding writer. It’s true. Think about it yourself: could you write that 10 article order in 24 hours? Try not to push your writer too much. If quality is your desired outcome, place that above a turnaround time. Every profession will have its own share of problems, and copywriting is certainly no exception. The good thing about this market is that writers have an ability to communicate, even if they are stronger via email, it is still within their grasp to solve problems and work with clients. As a client, you have the ability to create outstanding content by avoiding these mistakes. Admitting when you’re wrong is the adult thing to do and should be part of the team effort made by both sides.