Copywriting – Page 19 – Express Writers

5 Secrets to Web Copywriting

January 1, 2021November 12, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Web copywriting is not rocket science, but it’s not as easy as it sounds either. There are no hard and fast rules, but there are things you have to avoid. Sounds confusing? At first, it must be. However, there are ways to circumvent this confusion and turn it into something good. Here are some secrets to great web copywriting. Web Copywriting Starts With Proper Research And no, I don’t mean just knowing about your product. I mean knowing about why people would buy your product, market trends, competition, the nitty-gritty, that kind of stuff. You need to know what will cause your customers to buy your products and what will cause them to turn away. In other words, not only do you have to know the strengths of your product, but you have to know its weaknesses as well. Don’t write your content with SEO in mind, because there are currently SEO problems in Google that even you can’t circumvent. When you delve into research, not only will you find out what your customers want and need, you will know how to speak their language. That is something that effective web copywriting is successful at. What is the most successful way to find out this information? Why, ask them yourself! Customer surveys are a great way to gather information, as old-fashioned as it may seem. Begin by asking them the basics. Age, job, where they live, lifestyle, preferences, etc. These things will sound simple but they will tell you a lot about the demographics about who might be interested in your products and, more importantly, how you should write about your products. Remember, you are writing FOR them. 1) Find A Unique Selling Proposition Your product must be unique in some way, or else why sell it? Find an angle that you know will sell and sell it that way. There are two steps you need to take here: Define the problem: what do customers want fixed? How do they want their problems to be fixed? Explain the uniqueness of your offer: what is in your offer that your competitor doesn’t have? For this part, you have to have an intimate knowledge of your competitors. (See what I meant about research?) Let’s face it, you didn’t just re-invent the wheel, did you? Of course your product is unique, but just how unique is it? You have to find an angle that your competitors haven’t thought of yet and that is where you will strike. The best way to incorporate your unique selling proposition into your website is through a value proposition. A value proposition explains the benefits and values that the customers can get by availing of your product. Of course, a value proposition isn’t just a chunk of text that you put on your website. There is a format to it. First, there is a headline. This is where you talk about the end-benefit of your product. It’s a one-liner that should grab the reader’s attention. Then there’s a sub-headline. The sub-headline is a 2-3 sentence paragraph that explains what your product does and what problems it fixes. Next, put three bullet points. These three bullet points should be the points that your customers told you about in your research. You should list the most important benefits of your product here. Keep it to only three bullet points to make it short and sweet. Lastly, put a visual at the very end of your webpage. Web copywriting that uses images can increase customer response significantly. Content is important , but so are images. Images will attract users and it will make your site more attractive anyway. 2) Be Human Don’t write like a robot. The best way to know if your content will be read is to write the way that your customers do. Are they upbeat, funny, enthusiastic? Or are they laid-back, relaxed? If you did your research, you should know this by now. Avoid jargon as well. Write the way that your customers would. So avoid jargon unless you are writing for a very specific group of people. If you work in the technical field, for example, then maybe you can write highly technical articles if you are writing for technical people. However, if you are writing for laymen, write like laymen do. Web copywriting has transitioned from simple web content writing to now integrating social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Use these tools wisely and they will serve you well. 3) Be Grammatically Correct Nothing will turn off readers more than bad grammar. That will show them that you are not credible at all and that the information that you are presenting can’t be trusted. After all, if you are selling a high-end tech gadget and you can’t even speak proper English, how can they trust that they gadget that you are selling is indeed authentic? Know what you are writing and how you are writing it. Also, mind your punctuation as well. Don’t put too many exclamation points!!! It will sound off as if you are screaming at your readers, and that is not something that you would like to do. 4) Stay Focused On Your Consumers I know you’re trying to sell your product, but you’re trying to sell to customers, so focus on them instead. Focus on how it will benefit them instead of focusing on your profit. Once you add value to your product, profit will follow flawlessly. Stay focused on what you are trying to give instead of what you are trying to get. This will pay off enormously in the long run. It’s better to give than to receive, as the saying goes. 5) Don’t Be The Salesman Refrain from being too much of a salesman. Instead, be a friend and strike a conversation. Be a consultant and take a friendly tone for your web copywriting. It will pay off. A conversational tone is always preferable to a robotic tone of voice in any situation. This goes for … Read more

7 Essential Tips for a Successful Copywriting Career

January 1, 2021November 2, 2013 by Adam Oakley

In school, our teachers work hard to make sure we become grammatically correct through proper use of punctuation and styles of writing when we write essays and other articles. But what may not have been realized then is that these rules may not apply to a copywriter and thus, abiding by these rules for writing marketing materials, ads, and commercial copies will not work in reality. Why School Learning Doesn’t Apply to Copywriting? This is because marketing materials and business copies are not aimed at showing a high standard of writing skills, but to help market a business and its products or services. In order to do this, a connection must be made with everyday people who, more often than not, don’t speak and write with proper English. Thus, for copywriters to put out good marketing material, they have to speak the language of the people and connect with them on a level that they are comfortable with. That is, copywriters should be willing to stray from the hard rules of correct English writing and concentrate more on effective marketing pieces rather than correct ones. Tips for Copywriting that Bend the Rules 1) Write In Third Person? It is a highly-regarded trait to write articles in third person, especially for professional writing; but ditch this standard rule, as it should not be used in copywriting if you want to be successful at it. Think of yourself as more of a salesperson when writing a marketing material, and write in second person so you will be talking directly to the person reading the material; because, in essence, you really do fit that role as you are trying to persuade people to buy the target business’ products or services. Use words like you, your, yourself and even write in first person where appropriate, keeping away from third person writing style, unless you believe it is absolutely essential for the particular article. 2) Get To The Point! Another deviation from proper English writing is to use command language and not worry about hinting or implying things. Get straight to the point and give out instructions, orders and persuasive wording to get the readers to do what you want them to. For example, you can use teasers like ‘look inside’, ‘read immediately’ or ‘be quick’ to make them curious. Also, try commands like ‘read on’, ‘turn to the next page’ or ‘complete and mail today’ for order forms. This is crucial because people do not have the time to read carefully and figure out what you are trying to get at, so getting directly to the point and telling them what needs to be done is the best way to go about it. We are told that using complex sentences that connect two or more sentences should be used often in articles. However, research has found that readers cannot grasp the full idea of long sentences in one go if it is too long. Usually a sentence should be less than 16 words long and not have too many points in it. 3) Keep Short Paragraphs In Mind Another great tip is to stay away from long paragraphs. It is acceptable for educational articles and professional ones, but for marketing pieces, sticking to short paragraphs is the way to go. Short paragraphs are more attractive and will not discourage the readers from continuing on. To add more flare to the article, add a one-sentence paragraph every now and then. Have a look at some newspapers to get an idea as they also use this tactic to get readers interested on newspaper clips. 4) Advisable Prepositions Preposition usage is another area that deviates clearly from proper English usage, but one that works for copywriters. The idea behind this is that copywriters must write in a more freestyle way, like the way people normally talk. It is advisable to write as if you are having a conversation with some people and not adhere strictly to written language. In doing so, incorporate words that people use often when talking such as ‘sure thing’ or OK for example. 5) Using Redundancy Effectively Use of intelligent redundancy is also something that would be frowned upon by English teachers. For example, keeping it simple with phrases like “call anytime for a free booking”, “get a free quote today”, etc., will not go down well with proper English users, but it does work with the average person who reads the article. 6) Writing Headlines Headlines are very important for an article or blog. In fact, it has been found that it is the most important part of a marketing piece as readers are attracted to read the rest of the article based on how persuasive the heading is. Using punctuation on headlines is not advisable, as it commands the reader to pause and in this little time, the reader could be dissuaded from reading on. Grammar should not be strictly adhered to, but it does have to make sense nonetheless. 7) Learning The Arts Finally, keep in mind that copywriting is an art form and like any other art, it requires free will and creativity and should not be bound by standards. You do not have to be a good writer and adhere to the laws and norms taught to you in English class, but should have the basic writing skills which are more than enough. What you must have is creativity and be able to think like a salesman, communicating on the same level as the target audience for your marketing material. More Information and Assistance For more great tips on copywriting and improving your skills in this area, visit the very popular Copyblogger site. If you are in need of a professional copywriter’ assistance in brewing up your next marketing plan through some quality material for your website. A guide to copywriting in 10 slides is a great place to start. To check how well your articles or any other marketing material work for your business by the … Read more

The Secrets of Website Copywriting Masters – Reasons Some Sites Don’t Suck

January 1, 2021November 1, 2013 by Adam Oakley

There are some blogs and websites out there that stand out for their awesome content, catchy headlines and creative personality. We all strive to be like them, but it’s hard to crack open the code and know just how to offer your readers that same genius website copywriting. While there are literally hundreds of steps you need to take to offer SEO-dominating content, there are a few essentials that you need to know now if you plan on boosting your content for the future. 11 Website Copywriting Secrets (That We Will Tell) 1. Quit Being So Complex Why is your website so complex? It’s unlikely your readers are that complex. Using abstract statements, hidden meanings, and confusing your audience with irrelevant fluff isn’t going to keep them coming back. People like it simple. In fact some of the best website copywriting is ridiculously simple. When you’re writing your core message to your audience, convey your message, but do so without your readers needing a thesaurus to figure out what you’re saying. 2. Show Your Readers, Don’t Just Tell Them You must show your readers through dialogue, pictures and facts. No matter how great your opinion is or how knowledgeable you are, you still need to show your readers there’s salt to what you’re spouting off. Write personal stories and share your experiences with readers. Use case studies (if applicable) to show how others see a product or service you’re writing about. And, use credible statistics—don’t just pull numbers from thin air. 3. Be Super, Not Superlative There’s nothing more distracting that sentence fluff. Superlatives and adjectives don’t drive as much punch as you would think, instead, they distract the readers from your core message. Use facts, images and figures to add that extra “something” to what you’re saying. 4. Write About What You Know, Only What You Know Great website copywriting is written that way because it is well researched and thoroughly thought out. Even the best writers have to research. You’ll get a stronger message and teach your readers more if you write from expertise. 5. Take the Imaginative Road The Internet is teaming with sites that don’t offer much creativity. In fact most are drowned in facts and boring language, which makes the average Internet user click through to find something else. When you’re thinking up your copy, be imaginative and step out-of-the-box. Look at your competitors sites and avoid doing the same thing they’re doing. Offer your readers something out of the ordinary and something creative. According to the Custom Content Council, 61 percent of consumers buy from companies that showcase personality and uniqueness above the competition. 6. Be Organized and Think Ahead of Today’s Post There will be days your creativity isn’t there or you can’t come up with something brilliant and that’s okay. If, however, you’re not organized those days are going to hurt your content strategy. Awesome website copywriting starts with organization. Create a content calendar that outlines what topics and days you’ll post those topics. When you’re feeling creative, write more than one post a day—tackle those topics—and get ahead. That way, if you have a slow writing day you’re not hurting your content or your readers. 7. Quit Using the Exclamation Points! No One Likes to be Yelled At A well-written sentence doesn’t need an exclamation point to deliver a powerful message. In fact, using too many exclamation points can ruin the message you’re trying to say and it’s downright obnoxious. Website copywriting is all about using the right words and understanding when exclamation points and punctuation matters. Punctuation should enhance a message, but it shouldn’t be the boat that delivers the message. 8. Deliver the Unsayable A website copywriting professional is hired to say what cannot be said. They speak to the reader, articulate and deliver a message that was otherwise undeliverable. If your website copywriting doesn’t deliver the right message, it won’t be as powerful. In fact, according to Social Media Today, one of the top five reasons people follow companies and brands on social media is because they write entertaining content. 9. Don’t Skimp on Quality Whether you’re writing the content or hiring out, quality matters. Low-quality content not only discourages readers from continuing on, but it can impact your search engine ranks too. High quality website copywriting is free from errors (including grammar and spelling) and offers readers quality information. In addition, it isn’t copied. Copied text (that copied/pasted from other websites) can damage your website’s rank. 10. Compare Yourself to the Rest Good website copywriting is honest, even when it means comparing yourself to the rest. If you’re going to compare your company, product or service to the competition, you need to be honest. Naturally you want to mention the differences that put you ahead of the competition, but don’t short change the competition or make up negatives they really don’t have—that tells the reader they can’t trust what you have to say. 11. Edit or Hire Someone to Edit for You Poorly-edited website copy can be the death of your website. No one wants to read things that don’t make sense or that is riddled with typos. Sloppy content just puts your website and company in a negative light. If you’re not the best editor, hire someone or ask a friend for assistance. Website copywriting is certainly a skill, but not an impossible feat. There’s nothing wrong with trying to write your own content and plenty of website owners write their own content. As long as you follow these tips, you just might have the best content on the virtual block.

Is Your Website Copywriting Spook-tacular or Just Plain Frightful?

January 1, 2021October 31, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Ghastly website copywriting is a sure fire way to frighten your website or blog’s visitors. Whether you’re in advertising and marketing, or you’re just writing your own blog, you have to always be a step ahead of your readers and the expectations of consumers. That means staying on top of events and holidays, especially those that generate buzz. You might already be prepared for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s and you might have killer content ready to go, but one of the most missed events is Halloween. Website Copywriting Gone Wacky: When It’s NOT Good Halloween is technically the first holiday of the “season” and it’s a prime opportunity to spice up your website’s content. According to National Geographic, 158 million American consumers will take part in Halloween festivities of some kind in 2013. While Halloween isn’t an official holiday—banks still operate, school is in session and you’re not going to get the day off—it’s celebrated worldwide. So if you’re website copywriting doesn’t contain a little Halloween spirit, you’re missing out on a spook-tacular topic that is sure to generate a little buzz. Before you sit down at the keyboard and start typing away about pumpkins, your favorite trick-or-treating experience, or spout off a ghost story, you have to remember you’re still selling something. Integrating holidays and events into your website copywriting requires a little creativity. Avoid clichés or tacky puns—they’re just frightful. Trying using a couple of our tips to write great seasonal content without spooking your readers. Don’t Go Overboard Halloween web copywriting doesn’t need to be over the top, but it still needs to be present. Write just one Halloween-themed blog or a tiny series. Every sales message, call-to-action or general content post can have a few Halloween-themed ideas, but less is always more. Use seasonal events, like Halloween, to show a little personality. Have a Great Eye for Detail Mistakes can cost your business hundreds to thousands of dollars and they’re difficult to recover from. Your website copywriting shouldn’t scare people away. It should be friendly for your targeted demographics as well as anyone else who might accidentally stumble upon your site. While you’re at it, check your content twice. Take extra time to spot grammar or spelling errors in the process. If writing isn’t your thing, consider hiring a web copywriting service to brew up some creative, Halloween and holiday-themed content for you. Do Your Research If you’re going to write about Halloween, do some research first. Perhaps offer a few historical tidbits about where the stories about witches and brews came from or where the tradition of candy corn was born. Offering little tidbits that teach your audience something can take your web copywriting to the next level. Don’t Forget SEO You might be writing a Halloween-themed copy or blog post, but you still have to keep SEO in mind. People regularly look for your site and services based on keywords, and it’s unlikely your products happen to be named after Halloween themed items year-round. So before you swap out services, products, or useful keywords for Halloween-themed terms, remember what people will be searching for the other 364 days of the year. Remember the Purpose No matter what your Halloween website copywriting entails, remember the purpose of the content. Ultimately you are writing to sell, promote or get readers to take some form of action. Your content should be entertaining, but the reader should still know you expect something out of them in the end. Tie in Halloween When It’s Appropriate If you’re sale is because of Halloween, tie that into your content. If you have products that can be related to Halloween, tie those into your blog content too. Only tie in when it’s appropriate and avoid throwing products and services into your Halloween website copywriting just to throw them in there. Some Last Minute Blog Ideas That Don’t Bite Not sure where to get started? Here are a few last minute blog ideas that are frightfully awesome for any industry. Horror Movies – Everyone knows the classics and even if you’re not a fan, it’s likely the majority of your readers have heard of those classics too. Tie in a few well-known movie quotes to add a little pop culture to your content. Halloween Tunes – “Monster Mash” and “Thriller” are popular songs for Halloween. Quote them in your content or have them playing when visitors come to your site. Post a Halloween Recipe – Halloween-inspired recipes are a lot more versatile than you might think. Your website copywriting can share a favorite Halloween appetizer, dessert, snack or even a wicked cocktail in celebration of the season. You don’t have to actually make them yourself, but offering your readers a little something extra can go a long way to draw them in. Halloween copywriting should be fun as well as purposeful. If you need help, hire professional website copywriting services. Web copywriting services have a team of writers that can generate content that won’t scare away current or potential customers—no witchcraft required.

Freelance Writer: 4 Tips to Maintain Professionalism

January 1, 2021October 24, 2013 by Adam Oakley

You quit the 9-to-5 job and have gone out on a limb to create your own career from your home office as a Freelance Writer. Sure, that means the suit and tie and 7 a.m. alarm can be tossed out the window. It means you can sit at the computer with your Avengers coffee mug and your college t-shirt and lounge pants to start writing. However, there are certain things professional content writers understand they need to continue practicing in order to be respected. Most of these are true in any field. However, the world of the freelancer is a bit different, simply because of the way work is done and contacts are made. I’m a Freelance Writer, Now What? This particular blog will look at certain areas of freelancing that require care and professionalism in order to enhance your career. Those areas are social media, client interaction and combating stereotypes. Without some focus on professionalism in these areas, other efforts will be undervalued or completely ignored. Therefore, remember professionalism in the following ways, and have confidence that your career will move forward at the rate and in the manner you hope to achieve. Social Media Techniques as a Freelancer The first thing to remember is your profile picture on Facebook. If you are utilizing Facebook as one of your self-marketing tools, it is best to appear professional in that profile photo. While you may love to kick back at a party on the weekend and do a keg stand, or you are proud of the black eye and broken nose you received last time you engaged in a bar brawl, these moments are best kept away from your professional persona. Likewise, the status updates that chronicle those weekend free-for-alls or even your intense political views should be avoided, unless those aspects of your life contribute positively to your writing in some way. If you can’t refrain from those status updates, make sure your professional contacts are on one list and the friends you share those crazy moments with are the list you select to view that particular group of posts. One final aspect of your Facebook persona that you should keep in mind is the option to separate the personal page from the professional one. In this manner, the photos and status updates meant for college buddies or your weekend crew can be posted freely, while your clients are seeing the image you want to present to enhance your career. Facebook has made it simple to link a professional page to your personal one, so you can be an admin on the professional page and toggle between the two with a simple click or two. This provides the ease of access some feel would be lacking with separate professional and personal Facebook pages. Things to Remember When Interacting with Clients Interactions with clients, whether in the swank office of a Fortune 500 company or in your home office, should have some basic tenets that remain the same. For instance, do not have a television blaring or the radio overshadowing the client during a conference, even if that conference is taking place over Skype. As a mother, I recognize that noise levels are not completely controllable with children living out their lives in the living room nearby. However, having spent years in a newsroom at a small morning paper, sometimes it is easier to get the television turned down at home and the kids to take it down a notch than it was to have co-workers reined in on a particularly stressful or exciting news day. Also, for those video conferences, it is best to look semi-presentable. A three-piece suit is not in order, but combed hair and a work casual shirt would be a great way to let the client know you take their project – and them – seriously enough to prepare for those conferences instead of simply rolling out of bed and clicking the Skype button on the computer. Combating Stereotypes As a Professional Freelancer Being the creative element for a company where you may have no other contact can give them the entirely wrong impression. In general, freelancers are seen as unable to keep a “regular” schedule, unwilling to work full-time and even seen as filling time until they find a “real job.” This is the mindset that is held, rather than to see freelancers as an asset to be utilized when necessary that would otherwise be tied up at another company and out of the reach of that narrow-minded client. Since that client is still the one handing out the paychecks, it is best to combat stereotypes in a manner that does not result in a confrontation or battle. Instead of fighting over these concepts, show them your value in other ways. Be prompt or even early on a deadline, if that is feasible. Be available for communication throughout the project. Let them know you aren’t sleeping or aren’t out on field trips. Instead, you are working hard in your work area, regardless of where that might be. Be firm with your expectations and reasonable in what changes are allowed. As a freelance writer, you still have the right to put your foot down when things have been adjusted a few too many times and your time is being wasted. Finally, be prepared to turn down the clients that don’t see your value and continue to attempt to get quality work at subpar rates. You are making a living and are as professional as the client regardless of work space. If that can’t be understood and valued by one client, it will be by the next one. As professional content writers, sometimes we forget to present ourselves in the right light in a more public arena. If this area of your career is neglected, however, it can sorely affect the overall success. That isn’t to say you can never lounge in your pajamas at the computer, finishing up that project … Read more

Take Inspiration from 4 Old Marketing Campaigns to Power Up Your Holistic Inbound Marketing

December 31, 2020October 22, 2013 by Adam Oakley

Organic content marketing. Non-paid search engine optimization. Holistic inbound marketing. Whatever name you call it, this type of marketing is all you need to get noticed online. Paid search and advertising can only take you so far – you need to keep funneling money into these channels to keep them alive and working. You’re paying for a top spot on Google. The investment in organic content marketing, on the other hand, is up-front. You put money into content creation and SEO, publish your stuff, promote it, and then sit back. After a few months, with the right attention to quality and optimization, your content starts climbing the SERPs. That’s the major difference between paid, outbound marketing and organic, inbound marketing: One keeps building momentum as it nurtures leads. The other halts and drops dead the second the dollars and cents do. Okay, so paid search has its benefits (immediate visibility on Google’s first page), but it only lasts as long as you keep paying. So what about traditional advertising? Where does that get you? Well… Paid Ads and Cold Sells Do Not Nurture the Customer – Holistic Marketing Does Traditional ads are one-and-done. They’re the cold sell to end all cold sells. They appear in front of a target pretty randomly – when they’re driving by a billboard, when they flip to a live TV show, or when they read a magazine at the doctor’s office. Seeing an ad once is not enough to nurture a connection with a customer. That’s why you’ll see the same ads over and over – the companies want you to remember them, whether you want to or not. These days, that type of approach feels irrelevant, intrusive, and, mostly, annoying. Marketing as Holistic Relationship-Building Of course, the way a holistic marketing strategy works is to draw people to your brand who are likely to buy from you. HubSpot calls this crucial first step the “Attract” stage: You attract the right people with relevant, high-quality content that’s targeted for your potential leads’ state of mind. The value of the content you provide builds a relationship with your readers, one that stands on a foundation of trust. Ultimately, that relationship and trust are what lead to a sale. Newsflash: This Is Not a Novel Concept This idea isn’t new… In fact, it’s older than you may think. Let’s turn back the clock and take a peek at how content marketing blossomed during the early days of advertising. These old marketing campaigns from household brand names provided value that nurtured relationships with potential customers. More than that, they may just inspire you anew with your own content ideation and creation. Turn away from paying out your ears for ads or top SERP spots and follow me to… 5 Old Marketing Campaigns That Demonstrate the Awesomeness of Holistic Inbound Marketing Before the internet, there was print content marketing. Here are four outstanding examples. 1. John Deere’s News Magazine John Deere is a tractor and farm equipment manufacturer in the U.S. The company’s most famous marketing campaign might serve as one of the earliest examples of organic content marketing. John Deere has been around since 1837, but it wasn’t until 1895 that they launched their farming news magazine, The Furrow. Volume VI of The Furrow, published in 1901 This publication is a fantastic example of long-form content marketing. It’s still published monthly, in fact, because it is: Comprehensive Targeted for John Deere’s customers Informative/entertaining A relationship builder between the company and their audience Authoritative – it puts the emphasis on the company’s clout and know-how in the industry The 1976 Bicentennial Issue Today, the magazine still has an audience of about 2 million worldwide subscribers and is printed in 14 languages. Back issues are digitized on the magazine’s website: Readers and farmers can check out articles that address topics like land conservation, the food system, sustainable farming and best practices, and the importance of plant diversity for crops. This incredible content marketing initiative is undoubtedly part of the reason why John Deere is still a household name today. 2. American Express’ Travel Guides American Express is a world-renowned financial services company. How did it get there? With a little help from its comprehensive and user-focused content marketing through the decades. When the company opened in 1850, it was initially a courier service in New York state. Then, by 1915, it added traveler’s checks and travel agency services to its roster. (Additional banking services came later.) When it moved its focus to travel in the early 20th century, American Express decided it wanted to be the travel company of the United States. How would they do it? With some really great holistic inbound marketing. The company started publishing travel guides that became go-to resources for any traveler. They were informative, useful, colorful, interesting, and appealed to the average American Express customers – travelers, jet-setters, and professionals. Here’s an early example of a guide to the French Riviera from 1917: Check out this guide to Alaska tours from 1931: And this guide for Americans traveling to Europe, circa 1948: Later, the company moved from small guides to big publishing ventures. They bought the magazine Camera and Travel in 1968, which they later renamed Travel + Leisure. It went on to become a best-selling magazine. Today, American Express is one of the biggest companies in the world. Their travel/financial services have grown and expanded to include exclusive airport lounges, travel insurance, business credit cards geared for traveling professionals, and more. And, their content marketing has moved onto the digital sphere, of course, where they still offer travel guides and tips: 3. Sunkist’s Early “Infographics” If you want an early example of using infographics in marketing, look to Sunkist, the fruit-grower, and their early ad content. Sunkist started in 1893 when citrus growers in California banded together to better market their sweet crops. Back then, oranges and lemons were viewed as luxuries that people only ate on holidays or received as Christmas … Read more

4 Steps To Recruit Pro Copywriters for Your Projects

January 1, 2021October 21, 2013 by Adam Oakley

By simply conducting an online search, you could easily find thousands of copywriters providing a wide range of decently priced services for any type of project. In this context, how could you possibly identify the best content creators who have what it takes to put your brands, line of products, and services under the spotlight, on time and on a budget? One thing’s for sure: finding truly skilled, experienced, and reliable copywriters can be challenging and time consuming. Follow these 4 simple steps to stumble across real talents, who will spare no efforts in delivering outstanding content pieces, improving conversion rates in the blink of an eye. Pro Copywriting Tips From Pro Copywriters 1) First step: Analyze your real needs and requirements In other words, why do you need a content writer in the first place? Copywriters provide numerous services and some of them offer complete packages, including these extremely useful elements: a) Web content b) Press releases c) Sales brochures d) E-mail campaigns e) Slogans f) Speeches and presentations g) Newsletters While most first-class copywriters have the skills, the in-depth knowledge, the tools, and the techniques required to offer you a good mix, you have to be very specific in regards to your requests to make sure that your assigned writer will meet and even exceed your highest expectations. 2) Second step: Consult different sources for your decision making a) Offline sources Of course, you will need to conduct extensive research on both online and offline markets to find the best candidates for your job. Ask around; see who’s behind the beautiful, sales-generating content pieces helping your competitors stay on top of their game. Check out flyers, brochures, and printed ads that you like with an ingenious creative execution and an inspiring vision and find out who was involved in this project. b) Online sources Who are the best copywriters operating in your niche? Use discussion forums to find the best answer to this question. Also, count on Google Authorship to spot great copywriters who could easily address your needs in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner. Google Authorship was designed and implemented to promote writers who deliver high-quality content, while penalizing content creators who offer low-quality Web material, based on keyword stuffing or any other black-hat SEO practices in an attempt to manipulate search engines. Long story short, Google Authorship will help you make an inspired decision and find a reputable copywriter, bringing you one step closer to a solid online reputation and increased profit margins. 3) Third step: Find a copywriter with extensive niche experience There is no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” content strategy, especially when you’re trying to consolidate your position on extremely narrow niches. In such cases, it is highly recommended to collaborate with a skilled tech writer who: a) has more than a few years of hands-on experience in your line of work b) understands your current challenges c) already monitors the actions of your main competitors d) has the know-how required to be a great consultant and provide 100% effective marketing strategies before delivering your first content pieces In fact, Ken Hoffman from SiteProNews highlights the fact that a solid marketing strategy should always be considered a top priority; without it, great copy inevitably becomes useless copy. So choose to do business with an experienced content creator who could also be a full-time marketing consultant, guiding your steps in the right direction and helping you set realistic objectives in the long term. 4) Fourth Step: Ask to see the portfolio of your favorite candidates At this point, you most likely have a whole bunch of copywriters waiting for you to welcome them aboard. All of them are probably guaranteeing significant sales increases, triggered by their influential, SEO-friendly, ingenious, 100% original copy. Also, they seem eager to rewrite content pieces for free if they fail to attain their end goals. Doesn’t this sound incredibly tempting? It is probably counterproductive to hire an army of copywriters, so how could you put them to the test to identify the ideal candidate? Check out their portfolios. Does their creativity go hand in hand with white-hat SEO practices? Who do they work for: giant corporations or small-size, obscure companies that you have never heard of before? Do they have what it takes to maximize conversion rates? A little in-depth research will help you spot some of the most embarrassing, yet incredibly common lies most copywriters will try to tell you to make you pay for their services. Here’s an extremely well-compiled list of beautiful lies told by content creators, (provided by KISSmetrics.) All in all, follow these 4 easy steps to identify the best copywriters who are really worth your time and money. Don’t hesitate to pay the right price for premium copywriting services, as they are the central piece of the business success puzzle.

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