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10 Key Tips to Help You Build a Rockstar Copywriting Portfolio

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10 Key Tips to Help You Build a Rockstar Copywriting Portfolio

As an online writer, whether new or seasoned, do you hear the word “copywriting portfolio” or get the potential clientele email demanding your “best samples,” and break out in shivers? It doesn’t have to be such a scary thing, but I understand. Copywriting clients and employers want to see many samples of your work. They look for your best pieces before considering you. These samples show what you can do. When they review them, they judge and assess your work. I was once an online writer applying for jobs in 2011. Now, Express Writers judges incoming writing applicants. The key value we provide is to evaluate writing talent.  As writers, we all shake just a little at the thought of this—a judgment placed on our entire repertoire of writing skills, based on the samples we feature. After all, writing is pretty subjective, isn’t it? What I may think is an incredible piece of content you may see fit to hit delete on immediately. This is exactly why getting your copywriting portfolio nailed down is so important. Especially right the first time since, as we all know, you only get one chance to make that great first impression. 10 Ways to Create a Knockout Copywriting Portfolio Interestingly, when I sat down to write this piece, I came across a great many blogs out there full of tips on how to build your portfolio with simple and general ideas, i.e., “get experience.” There aren’t many guidelines out there telling you what to actually include in your portfolio once you’ve got that experience – or even if you’re starting out. My blog is (hopefully) an answer to these missing questions. So, without further ado, here are my top tips for building your best online copywriting portfolio. Tip 1: Select Your Best Samples to Showcase Here are a few pointers on how to start picking out exactly what to put in your freelance writing portfolio. What: When it comes to writers, there is not one of us who doesn’t have pieces that are close to our hearts for whatever reason. But when it comes to designing your portfolio, push all nostalgia away, and think about your strongest pieces in terms of the skills required to write them, the performance of the content and how well your copy fit the particular brief. If you find yourself torn between, say, two pieces, think about who your end client was – the person or company you wrote the content for. Also think about how big the audience for that copy was and how you are able to assess the copy’s performance. Those are good general rules for assessing your best samples. It’s all about objectivity, not subjectivity. Your favorite piece might not be your best piece. How Many: Also, if you’re planning on sending in your copywriting portfolio with a job application, try and stick to a maximum of five pieces. This gives the potential client or employer just enough to get a feel for you as a writer, your skills and diversity, but not too much that you overwhelm (or bore) them. Where: If you’re creating your online portfolio (and there are some great free sites out there you can do this on), you can take the number of samples up to 20. But remain selective about what you’re putting in there and don’t be afraid to replace those pieces as your writing becomes stronger and more diverse. Tip 2: Showcase Your Diversity, But Pin-point Job Application Samples When it comes to the copy you want to include, I always advise writers to try and select a diverse range that shows off your skills, diversity and talent. What I mean by this is try to include copy on not just a few different subjects, but also a few different styles, such as on-site copy, blogs, press releases, eBooks, web copy and so on. If you don’t have much experience just yet, go ahead and practice a few different styles and get an editor or trusted friend to look them over and help you pick the best. The more diverse your copywriting portfolio is, the stronger it is going to be. And that, of course, means, it’s going to be more appealing. That being said; if you are applying for a copywriting position in a specific industry and you have experience in that sector already, make sure you pinpoint what they’re looking for, and then send them directly or include in your application a couple of examples that relate directly to the industry and position in question. It’s a great way to show the potential employer that you are a step ahead of other copywriters because you have the required knowledge and experience they want. Tip 3: Have The Answers Ready When it comes to every aspect of your copywriting portfolio, you absolutely have to be clued up on every piece you’ve put in there and completely ready to answer any questions that could be fired your way. Prior to being interviewed (be it in person or online), make sure you familiarize yourself with each piece of content, why you wrote it, why you chose the particular style or keywords you did, who the audience was you were writing to and how successful the piece was (remember, in the online world, it’s a lot about measurability). Speaking of which, these days it’s all about links and social shares. If your client posted what you wrote, find out where it’s posted and track down the counts. Work on knowing accurate figures of how often your pieces were shared on the likes of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Your share counts are always a great metric to share with a potential client or when you write up a brief portfolio summary of the piece you wrote: “…my blog about Google’s new update was shared on the client’s marketing blog and earned over 500 shares across Twitter and Facebook.” You can use BuzzSumo to find a direct amount of how many shares your content piece got. For example, using BuzzSumo, I can type … Read more

25 Best Books To Help You Learn Copywriting

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25 Best Books To Help You Learn Copywriting

Mastering the art of copywriting can take years of experience. It’s important to enjoy writing, if you’re going to make this your trade. Copywriting can be an amazing career, especially today. In today’s digitally focused world of marketing, where great online content can generate serious income, top-notch writing skills are critical to attracting and converting customers. For those who need to polish and perfect their writing skills, we have a list of 25 best copywriting books and resources that will bring your writing abilities to current standards. Ready? Learn and get started with techniques taught by the greats right away, and watch your own copywriting skills come to life! Enhance Your Copywriting Skills With These 25 Awesome Books for Copywriters 1. The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Copy That Sells — By Robert W. Bly Robert Bly’s copywriting handbook helps you turn bland copy into persuasive and meaningful content. He also offers advice on web marketing, e-mail marketing, and multimedia presentations. The book includes 15 techniques to ensure that your e-mails are opened, and 11 ways to make your copy more readable. The Copywriter’s Handbook serves as a valuable book of reference for common copy writing needs. 2. Everybody Writes: The Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content — By Ann Handley The power of superior content writing is at the turn of every page in Ann Handley’s book. She offers practical advise for publishing content that makes an impact, along with the secrets behind content that helps bring businesses to authority status. For a copywriting guide that packs a punch, Everybody Writes just might be the right choice for you. 3. The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America’s Top Copywriters — By Joseph Sugarman Looking to learn how to motivate your buyers? The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman is yet another solid reference source for writing top-notch copy. Joseph demonstrates how to write effective copy that sells product, but he doesn’t skimp on the creativity. This book is easy to follow and serves as the perfect guide for writing snappy and creative ad copy. 4. The Online Copywriter’s Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Write Electronic Copy That Sells — By Robert Bly Yet another hit by Robert Bly, The Online Copywriter’s Handbook is an all-in-one demonstration guide to writing copy that turns into conversions. Catering to multiple online media platforms, Robert focuses in on the best copywriting techniques for websites, landing pages, e-mail marketing, and more. Don’t miss out on this handbook if you are looking for an all-inclusive guide to online copywriting. 5. Creating Fat Content: Boost Website Traffic with Visitor-Grabbing, Google-Loving Web Content — By Dr. Andy Williams Dr. Williams’ book on web content emphasizes the power behind content that feeds the search engines. In order to get the most mileage out of your online copy writing, you should aim for a balance between pleasing both your audience and the search engines. He gives clear examples for content that converts and content that falls flat. Creating Fat Content explains exactly how to write great content all while boosting traffic. 6. Empower Your Writing: Skills for Today’s Content Creator — By Farnoosh Brock Content creators come in all forms these days. This author breaks down includes 22 errors to avoid when writing content, along with 9 tips for empowering your writing skills. The author takes this book a step further and includes 28 honest questions for discovering your own writing voice. As a content creator, you are the voice of your brand. This book will help you find that voice and empower your writing skills. 7. Kickass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps: Build The Buzz And Sell The Sizzle — By Susan Gunelius Everyone loves a step-by-step guide, especially when it comes to copywriting that will sell your products and services. This kickass copywriting book helps small business owners understand the methods behind powerful writing. Susan offers clear concept on how to effectively market small businesses with content, and she also uses real-world examples with emotional triggers. This book is a must-buy for small business owners who are new to content writing. 8. 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love — By Rachel Aaron Nearly everyone wants to write better, but what about writing faster? With content essentially flooding the market, serious writers need to keep pace with the endless stream of demand. 2k to 10k demonstrates exactly how writers can take their ho-hum daily word count to beyond what they have imagined capable. Rachel shows her readers how to double their word counts while still maintaining the quality of their writing. For busy bloggers to newbies, 2k to 10k can help you write better and faster. 9. Breakthrough Copywriting: How To Generate Quick Cash With The Written Word — By David Garfinkel Looking for a few inside secrets in the copywriting industry? Breakthrough Copywriting gives business owners the know-how to writing copy that generates a profit. The book outlines exactly how to craft world class copy that sells your products almost every time. Breakthrough Copywriting helps you zone into your target audience by establishing emotional connections and tap into their subconscious. 10. This Book Will Teach You How to Write Better — By Neville Medhora This book is short, sweet, and gives great guidance for helping yourself write stellar copy. At only 56 pages long, this book is highly reviewed for its conversational tone and straightforward approach to copywriting. This book emphasizes the importance of the human touch in copywriting, while steering readers away from writing like robots. It will help inspire new bloggers and startups while giving specific examples of quality content writing. 11. The Idea Writers: Copywriting in a New Media and Marketing Era — By Teressa Iezzi The Idea Writers offers copywriting tips from a unique angle. Teressa dives deep into the new rules of copywriting in the form of the … Read more

6 Super Simple Tips for Writing Clear Sentences

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6 Super Simple Tips for Writing Clear Sentences

In content, there’s not much worse than bad writing. Bad writing can turn a great idea into muddled gibberish. Bad writing can make you sound silly or unintelligent – even if you’re a smart cookie. Bad writing is easy to spot but notoriously difficult to fix if you don’t know what you’re doing. As it turns out, writing clear sentences is both an art and a science. When you get it right, your content sings. On the flip side, when you get it wrong, you end up complicating simple ideas. You lead your readers down confusing paths and lose your overall impact. What’s a writer to do? Learn how to write clear sentences. Learn how to cut the fat from your writing to improve clarity, but keep your unique voice intact. Today, we’re sharing our best tips to help you do it. Ready to tighten up your writing? Your Guide to Writing Clear Sentences: Our 6 Top Tips 1. Beware Meaningless Filler Words If you’re not paying attention, meaningless filler words can sneak into your writing. Like so: If you’re not paying attention, there are meaningless filler words that can sneak into your writing. These bloat your sentences with useless gunk. The most common perpetrators include the phrases you see in bold above, plus their variations: “It” or “there” + “be” verbs: There are There is There were It is It was Relative clauses: That Which Who Generally, most sentences can live without “it” or “there” + a “be” verb (is, are, was, were) followed by a noun and a relative clause (that, which, who). These types of phrases are called expletive constructions. In other words, they have no meaning. They don’t help your sentences. Get rid of them! Another example: It was my favorite time of year because of that crisp weather and falling leaves. Slash those filler words, and you get a sentence that’s much more concise and to the point: My favorite time of year has crisp weather and falling leaves. Once you’re cognizant of filler words, you’ll start catching yourself using them. Pretty soon, your reflex will be to nix them altogether. You’ll be writing clear sentences unconsciously rather than cluttering them up. 2. Self-Edit & Bring in an Outside Editor The best ways to catch and eliminate those filler words from point #1? Self-edit AND bring in an outside editor to check your work. Why both? Because ruthless, constant editing is one of the best methods to clarify and simplify your writing. Multiple editing passes help distill your thoughts and ideas down to their clearest forms. This is also a top tip from one of my copywriting heroes, Henneke Duistermaat. In my interview with her for The Write Podcast, she mentions paying attention to the corrections your editor makes. Listen to their feedback! That way, you’ll learn as you move forward and avoid committing those errors again. You’ll be writing clearer sentences in no time. 3. Write Shorter to Write Clearer Do your sentences tend to go on… and on… and on? To write clear sentences, write shorter. Slash your sentences in half. Insert periods instead of commas. Take this example from a fashion blog: I’ve been wearing a lot of old favorites and remixing closet classics this season, but if there’s one thing I can’t resist buying every autumn it’s a cozy knit! It’s unnecessarily long. The main idea gets lost along the way (she can’t resist a cozy knit). If we shorten this up, we can make it clearer and more impactful. For instance, we can start by splitting the sentence in two. All we have to do is look for the comma and add a period, instead: I’ve been wearing a lot of old favorites and remixing closet classics this season. But, if there’s one thing I can’t resist buying every autumn, it’s a cozy knit! Better. Now we can omit filler words and cut this down even more: I’ve been wearing lots of old favorites and remixing closet classics this season. But, every autumn, I can’t resist buying a cozy knit! The shorter sentences help us follow this train of thought better. The whole thing is clearer and less meandering, so we get to the point quicker. (This helps hold your readers’ interest!) Speaking of the main point, that’s another great tip to remember: 4. Don’t Bury the Lede (The Main Subject of Your Sentences) In journalism-speak, the “lede” is the main subject of your writing. (Copy editors and journalists started spelling it “lede” to help distinguish it from the “lead” in typesetting.) When you “bury the lede,” you unintentionally hide the main point of your writing. Not good. Why? Because clear sentences begin with the main subject. This is a good example of burying the lede from The MLA Style Center: “Known for her unmatched skills as a hostess – after all, she had been a debutante who became a socialite whose husband sat on the boards of half a dozen of the city’s most prestigious cultural organizations – Mary felt right at home discussing her plan for the summer fund-raising luncheon with the museum director.” The subject of this uber-long sentence is Mary. Where is Mary? We can’t find her in the sentence until 209 characters have gone by. She’s buried. Another good example of burying the lede in a sentence: using the passive voice. For instance: Her plan for the summer fundraising luncheon was discussed by Mary and the museum director. Passive voice buries the subject of the sentence at the end. We have no idea who is discussing the plan for summer fundraising until the very last words. Instead, we should put the subject at the beginning: Mary and the museum director discussed her plan for the summer fundraising luncheon. That way, our readers won’t have to play detective to figure out who (or what) we’re talking about. This is a major key to writing clear sentences. 5. Avoid Redundancies to Improve Sentence Clarity Redundancy can … Read more

How to Start Your Career as a Freelance Copywriter

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How to Start Your Career as a Freelance Copywriter

If you enjoy writing of any type, a career as a freelance copywriter could be a good choice for you. When done right, a career as a copywriter can be satisfying and lucrative. It is also a great way to take control of your career and work-life balance. Freelance writers typically set their own schedule and choose the amount of work they do, a significant bonus for anyone looking for more flexibility in their careers. If you have ever wondered how to get started as a freelance copywriter, this guide is for you. What Is a Freelance Copywriter? A freelance copywriter is a writer who works for clients on a project or contract basis. You are not an official employee. As a freelancer, you choose the clients you want to work with, set your own rates, create your own schedule, and hold yourself accountable. Freelance writing is one of the most in-demand types of freelance work. After the general upheaval in the working world in recent years, many people want to be more in control of their money, work-life balance, and the type of work they do. Choosing a freelance position is a great way to get all of that. As a copywriter, you can choose what type of work you take on. Accepting jobs from various clients allows you to diversify your portfolio, potentially leading to better, more lucrative work in the future. Copy is the written content used to market brands and products. Copywriters create content for promotional and commercial use. Copy can be used for advertising, websites, billboards, email campaigns, newsletters, and blogs, just to name a few. As a freelance copywriter, you may find yourself creating catchy taglines for magazine advertisements or creating an optimized blog article for the web. Copywriters are an integral part of the marketing industry. How to Get Started as a Copywriter Luckily, freelance copywriters do not have to invest in too much equipment or education. Most writers can get by with a computer, internet access, and some word-processing software. While having a formal degree or certification can give you an advantage, it is not necessary for most freelance writers.  Just like any other job, as you gain experience, you will get better. The main difference for freelancers is you must seek out these opportunities on your own. With the endless supply of online classes and content, finding these opportunities has never been easier. 1. Read Everything One of the best ways to become a better writer is to become a better reader. The more words, content, and ideas you expose yourself to, the easier it will be for you to create creative content on your own. Find blogs, websites, magazines, and books that you love, and dive in. Figure out what type of writing you find the most compelling and try to model that on your own. 2. Get Organized As a freelancer, you will need to make your own schedule. While this can feel exciting and freeing, it can also quickly become overwhelming if you don’t have a strategy. There are a few ways to go about this depending on your work style. Keeping track of your writing schedule, particularly your deadlines, will be critical if you want to be successful as a freelance writer. While you can keep it old-school and use a paper planner, an online calendar or organizational app might be a better option. That way you always have access to your schedule no matter where you are. There is also a possibility that one or more of your clients will want you to use a specific app or tool while creating content for them. Here are some popular organizational and workflow apps used by freelance writers: Notion: Notion is an all-inclusive workspace where you can keep track of your schedule, collaborate with others, create content, and manage your project. It comes with a variety of features including an idea database, a weekly overview, and a calendar. Image Source: https://www.notion.so/ Clockify: For some freelancers, they find that work hours suddenly take over all parts of their lives. If you want to give yourself focused work time so you have the freedom to do other things in your life, an app like Clockify could be a great option. As you monitor your work hours, you may realize how long projects really take and this can give you a more realistic expectation for your costs. Perhaps you were undercharging clients because you were underestimating your time. Best of all, this app is free. Image Source: https://clockify.me/ Asana: Another popular project management tool is Asana. Freelancers can use this tool to help them meet their goals, make plans, and monitor project progress. It also integrates with many other popular business tools. Image Source: https://asana.com/templates/work-log 3. Get Experience  While you can have a successful, profitable career as a copywriter, most writers will need to start on a small, less lucrative path. Clients will not pay you top dollar for content if you don’t have a good reputation and writing samples to share.  When first starting out, you may have to do some unpaid writing. This could be in the form of your own blog, writing content for family and friends, or contributing to websites. Once you have a good supply of quality writing, you can put it together in your portfolio. This is what you will share with potential clients. As you build rapport with your clients, consider asking them to share their experiences working with you in writing. You can add these recommendations and reviews to your portfolio and personal website, if you have one. 4. Hone Your SEO Skills  At its core, copywriting requires you to be a skilled writer. However, there are many trends and industry trends to keep up with, depending on the type of jobs you take. You will need expert level research skills to keep up with all the information you need. Most freelance writing happens on the internet. If the content you’re producing … Read more

How to Do a Content Audit to Maximize Your SEO

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You regularly visit the doctor for checkups, even if you aren’t sick. You go to the doctor to PREVENT you from getting sick. By keeping up with these visits, the doctor can give you a status report on your health and catch any issues while they’re still minor and easy to solve. Without those checkups, you might not receive medical care until an issue has begun wreaking complete havoc on your system and causing irreparable damage to your body. Your website also needs regular checkups, which marketers call content audits. They are a crucial website health checkup that gives you the status of your website’s performance while also alerting you to any issues before they cause more significant problems. Without a content audit, you’ll miss out on vital health updates and won’t know there are issues until your site shows severe damage, such as a drop in traffic or conversions. It also alerts you to what’s performing well and new opportunities to continue growing your site. Let’s unlock the secrets of the content audit through this guide so you can begin giving your site its much-needed regular checkups. What Is a Website Content Audit? A content audit is a complete check of your content. Content includes all the assets on your website, such as blog posts, landing pages, and web pages. Leave no page overlooked. Yes, that does sound like it takes time. That’s why most people perform these at least once annually. About 61% of marketers perform content audits two or more times in a year. But, it’s not a task you want to skim over as you may miss crucial signs of issues or new opportunites. What exactly are you looking for? Here are a few signs of issues: Errors Outdated content Repetitive content Poor content As you perform a content audit, you will decide what needs fixing, updating, or deletion. Ultimately, you’ll create a more positive user experience as readers encounter fewer errors and confusing or outdated content. The regular updates also keep your content relevant and running smoothly, boosting your search engine ranking. Why a Website Content Audit Is a Must Could you run a website without a content audit? Technically speaking, yes, you could. But that would be like living in a house without ever cleaning it. The house might remain standing, but the dust buildup and grime will scare away visitors and even cost you your health. A content audit keeps your website looking updated, active, and valuable to your target audience so they feel welcome and eager to explore further. Here are the top benefits of conducting regular content audits: Performance Insights: You’ll gain insights into your content performance. If you want a successful website that attracts monthly traffic, you need to create content with high-performance rates. Reviewing your analytics during your audit builds a clear picture of your topics and formats that generate the most traffic, engagement, and conversions. Audience Understanding: Knowing your audience drives your content, and your final goal is to connect and convert that audience. You want to understand their interests, pain points, motivating factors, and life changes. Understanding what content your audience engages with gives you glimpses into those details and what they might find most valuable. Improved Ranking: When you refresh and update content, it becomes more appealing to both your audience and Google. High-quality, valuable content ranks higher in search results, boosting organic traffic. These benefits offset the time and effort you invest in content audits. You’ll see better traffic, higher search engine ranking, and improved visitor impressions. One SEMrush report found that about half of those who regularly updated their content saw higher engagement and ranking. How to Do a Content Audit to Maximize Your SEO Are you excited to start enjoying those benefits on your website? Dive into the five steps of performing an SEO content audit to get you started. Because of the time a content audit takes, we highly recommend scheduling it in your calendar so you have enough time blocked out to dive into your content performance and make the most of your findings. If you’re a small site, a day may be enough. Larger sites will require several days to fully analyze. 1. Define Your Goals Before you invest a single dime or hour in your content audit, you need to answer the why behind the audit. Your goals will provide context to your audit and focus on what you hope to accomplish. Without goals, your audit would easily take several weeks rather than days because of reading through hundreds of articles and pages. You don’t need to read through everything. Just the data that’s most relevant to your goal. Some ideas to inspire you include: Improving your SEO Fixing technical errors Identifying missing content Understanding website visitors Boosting engagement Increasing conversions Once you have set one or more goals, you will also know what metrics to focus on so you don’t drown in all the data you’ll uncover during your audit. 2. Take Inventory of Your Site’s Content It’s time to roll up your sleeves and begin the hard work. To truly understand your content and its performance, you’ll want to inventory what content currently lives on your website. It’s the only way to ensure you review every page for quality, value, and optimization. The longer you have had a site with regularly published content, the longer this step will take. We use spreadsheets to keep your content organized. You can detail the key points you want to track on the sheet and easily share it with relevant parties. Start by adding these columns to your spreadsheet: URL Date audited Title Description Content type Keywords Alt tags Last updated Internal links Some other columns you might add, depending on your goal, include: Shares Comments Word count Content goal While you can type this information manually, we highly recommend exporting as much as possible. If you work with HubSpot, it can export much of your website content for you, … Read more

Copywrite vs. Copyright: What Copywriting Is (And Isn’t)

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As someone who likes to travel, I love to pick up fun tourist shirts and souvenirs. One especially humorous shirt said, “No, we don’t have kangaroos in Austria.” It’s funny how just a few letters can make a world of difference in meaning. The terms copywriting and copyrighting often receive the same mix-ups. Though, no one has made a shirt about it yet, at least that I have found. As a copyWRITING business, this copywrite vs. copyright mix-up is a little more personal, as we are not prepared to take on copyRIGHTING jobs. So we wanted to remove any confusion between the two. The Difference Between Copywrite vs. Copyright While they sound very similar, the two terms have entirely unrelated meanings. Let’s break those meanings down for you: Copywrite: Copywriting is creating marketing, advertising, and other business-related text. Copyright: Copyrighting is acquiring the legal rights to intellectual property. Here’s an easy way to differentiate copywriting vs. copyrighting. CopyWRITErs are people who WRITE content, usually for businesses. They are very knowledgeable about business, marketing, and the proper use of the Oxford comma. Meanwhile, a copyRIGHTer is a legal expert who helps people obtain the RIGHTS to their intellectual property. Even the term copy has different meanings. For copywriters, copy refers to materials or content that they write. However, copyrighters deal with people who want to duplicate another’s property, so copy in that sense refers to the legal right to duplication. Now that you know the basic difference between copywrite and a copyright, let’s go a little deeper into who a copywriter is and why they might just be the person you didn’t know you needed most. What Is Copywriting? Are you confused yet? Hopefully not, because we will break this down even further for you. Copywriting does not fit neatly into a box and often overlaps with its many content cousins. Here’s a look at some of the other terms you might have heard before: Copywriting: Writing with the intent to persuade, sell, or move the reader toward an action. Content writing: Writing with the intent to entertain and educate the reader. Technical writing: Writing industry-specific content that requires a knowledge on a deeper level than a Wikipedia article. Can a copywriter be a technical writer? Yes! Can a copywriter be a content writer? Yes! Can someone be all three? Absolutely! The name might change, but the person doesn’t have to. The category that content falls into depends on the content you are creating. For example, manuals and guides would fall into the technical writing category. However, you would hire a content writer if you wanted an eBook. Marketers want to work with copywriters because they are people who understand the subtle nuances of content marketing. Here’s another interesting fact: all copywriters are content writers, but not all content writers are copywriters. In other words, all copywriters should know how to entertain, engage, and educate the reader since those are pillars of content marketing. However, not all content writers understand how to transform educational content into content that converts. Psst, Express Writers are trained in ALL THREE: copywriting, content writing, and technical writing. What Types of Content Do Copywriters Create? Copywriters can create any type of persuasive content. If there are words, and those words have a persuasive goal, a copywriter most likely wrote them. An eBook on marketing? Yes. A blog post on exercising equipment? Yes. A billboard? Yes. The ingredients on your soup can? Probably not. However, a copywriter most likely helped create the label content so it’s appealing and marketable. Here are some of the most common projects our clients order: Blog posts Case studies Website pages Emails/Newsletters Social media posts eBooks Whitepapers While these are the projects we receive the most, we have also had fun creating slogans for clients, developing branding content, and even creating food label text. There really is no limit to what content you can have a copywriter help you create. What Is a Copywriter? What does a copywriter do? Based on the VERY brief definition we gave at the start, you might picture a copywriter as a keyboard warrior who likes writing up overly verbose emails or spending fifteen minutes throwing together a blog post. Let’s scrap that image and start fresh. While a copywriter’s primary function is writing copy, the job involves much more. A copywriter is also a: Researcher Data analyst Editor Avid coffee drinker While the last one is optional, it does help copywriters handle the sheer volume of work that comes with even a single blog post. A quality blog post is not simple at all. 2020, the average blog post took 3 hours and 55 minutes to create. What’s even more surprising is that the time it takes to craft a blog post has grown. But so has the writer’s job description.   Here is another way to think about it. If you live in a small town with only one restaurant, and that restaurant serves mediocre food, what’s the chance you’d still go there? Probably pretty high because if you need a meal and don’t have the food or energy to cook, that’s your only option. But what if a dozen other restaurants had much better quality food? You would probably go somewhere else. As the internet has grown, so has the digital content available. There are about 1.13 billion websites online. Creating mediocre content just won’t cut it. Not only is there more competition, but audience expectations are rising. People expect more personal experiences, niche content, and engaging interactions. Copywriters aren’t just putting words on paper. They’re helping businesses stand out from the crowd, building relationships through those words, and crafting experiences that will keep those readers engaged, ultimately converting them into customers. Here’s a breakdown of some of a copywriter’s specific tasks: Researcher Before a copywriter adds a single word to their document, they research. The purpose is to understand the business, audience, and content fully. They also want to understand the content’s … Read more

Unlock Your Content Empire with White Label Ebooks: A Game-Changing Solution for Any Business, Any Industry

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You might not see white label ebooks every day on the latest content marketing sites, but that doesn’t mean they are irrelevant. In fact, ebooks are still a powerful marketing tool that any business, regardless of industry, should be utilizing in their marketing strategy. If your company is not using an ebook, you are missing out on the opportunity to educate and retain potential customers and position yourself as an authority. Hubspot Uses Ebooks – and Savvy about it Too Take Hubspot, for example. They publish ebooks throughout the year and put them on their site. “State of Marketing 2023,” is a popular one that they release annually, telling you what’s new, what’s trending, and what they see in the future. Yes, these are all free, but that doesn’t mean Hubspot is not gaining something from using them. To download the ebook, you must give Hubspot your email.  Once they have your email, you are part of their marketing funnel. You will get email marketing campaigns, some of which you might click on or even act on. All for a free download.  What is a White Label Ebook? Hubspot creates its ebooks in-house, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Hubspot is a major corporation with the means to hire in-house writers to tackle the research and writing of their ebooks. You are more likely to benefit from a white label ebook for your business than trying to hire an in-house writer. Ebooks as “white label,” are ebooks written by a third party, such as a writing agency you have hired, but published under your company’s name or even your name. You are the author. You didn’t research or write it, but you get all of the credit. By no means is this misleading.  You are a busy business owner and need to outsource things like content creation – including ebooks – to help your content marketing strategy and build your business. With these white label services, you get the expertise of a writer in your niche that can research, create, and edit – with some companies, like here at Express Writers, you can even get the book designed so it is ready to publish the moment you get it. You are a busy business owner and need to outsource things like content creation – including ebooks – to help your content marketing strategy and build your business. With these white label services, you get the expertise of a writer in your niche that can research, create, and edit – with some companies, like here at Express Writers, you can even get the book designed so it is ready to publish the moment you get it. A Quick Note on White Label Ebooks and AI AI is here, and it is writing content for a lot of businesses. However, we’d like to share a little caution when it comes to using AI to create an ebook – whether it is 4 pages or 40 pages. AI is NOT creative. It is not original. Yes, sure, your ebook might pass on Copyscape as “original” copy, but the reality is that your copy was generated by stringing together phrases and keywords already on the web – meaning content written by someone else already out there. So, your ebook is not white label if you opt for AI as your means to creating it.  The only way to protect your brand and ensure you have a genuine, white label ebook is to hire a writer and have them create that ebook from scratch using their words, their research, and of course, your branding. The Benefits of Purchasing White Label Ebooks on a Platform Like EW At Express Writers, we understand the importance of a worthwhile ebook. In return, you want to flex your knowledge and gain something from your ebook. If you’re on the fence about outsourcing, let us discuss with you a few reasons customers purchase ebooks from our team rather than turning to a content mill or even AI. You Build Credibility and Authority with Your Audience Yes, long-form blog posts, such as our Authority blogs, help build your authority (an important part of E-E-A-T), but ebooks can do it even faster and better. After all, no one wants to read a 10,000-word blog, but they will read a 10,000-word ebook. Ebooks are the epitome of long-form content that help establish your brand’s credibility and authority in a single piece of content. You can share case study information, in-house statistics, and even more in-depth information about the products or services your company offers. It doesn’t matter if your target audience is a consumer or another business – ebooks build credibility all the same. Inexpensive Compared to the Return on Your Investment The return on your investment with an ebook is well worth it. Not only can you use ebooks as a gateway to capture emails and expand your potential customer pool, but it only costs a few hundred dollars for you to unlock leads that are actually interested in you. A single ebook locked behind providing an email address could give you hundreds of potential customers all for a few hundred you spent writing that one ebook. Purchasing leads will never generate results like that.  Easy Distribution White label ebooks are digital; therefore, you don’t have to find a publisher or even worry about going through the demands of a digital publisher. Instead, you have a download-ready ebook you can put on your website, link in social media, create a landing page for, etc. Distribution is only limited by what you are willing to do to market the ebook.  Likewise, your readers can access and download the content on any device – computer, phone, tablet, and more.  Use Your Ebook as a Guide to Educate Even Further You can use an ebook as a “guide” to help your readers better understand your products or services. It works in any niche. For example, you sell custom resin pen blanks (quite the … Read more

How to Write Infographics: Your Complete Guide to Stellar Copy

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How to Write Great Content for Your Infographics

Infographics are an incredibly popular online resource. According to HubSpot, they are the fourth most popular type of content used by marketers. The popularity of infographics comes from several factors: They’re visual and textual, making them a powerful vehicle for education. They’re easy to share and simple to skim, so they’re perfect for our instant-gratification digital world. If you haven’t used an infographic in your marketing before, now is the perfect time to get started. Today, we’re breaking down how to write great content for your infographics, so you can start developing custom visuals your readers will love to share. What Is an Infographic? Infographics are a visually appealing way to share interesting information. While their use has grown exponentially in recent years, it might surprise you to learn that infographics have been in use for hundreds of years. One of the earliest infographics appeared in 1626 and illustrated the movement of the sun. Today, infographics are used as a marketing resource to generate leads and build site credibility with backlinks. Consider this example below from a recent email we sent about Express Writers University While it might seem like an infographic is just an alternative way to deliver information, imagine how this information would look if it were simple text. It would be dense and wordy, and people might skip reading it. The addition of images makes the information much more effective and accessible. Researchers have found that about 65% of the population are visual learners. Beyond that, content with visuals is 40 times more likely to be shared than content without images. With these statistics, it just makes sense to add infographics as a resource in your content marketing strategy. Types of Infographics As infographics have increased in popularity, so has their versatility. With a graphic layout, there are near-infinite ways to present your information. Here are some of the most popular types of infographics: Timeline: A timeline infographic shares key moments from your subject in chronological order. List: This infographic shares important points about your topic. You should include some context to tie each point together. Flowchart: In a flowchart infographic, each point leads directly to the next. These charts often use arrows or other types of images to show the flow of information. Mixed Chart: A mixed chart infographic includes multiple types of charts like pie charts, bar graphs, and density maps. Your copy should concisely describe the data for each chart. How-To: This type of infographic explains a process in detail with as few words as possible. Hierarchical: A hierarchical infographic stacks information into defined categories. The information is commonly presented in a pyramid shape. If you use this type of infographic, make sure you organize your information correctly.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              10 Steps to Writing Winning Content for Your InfographicsEven if you’re not a visual design expert, you can still write attention-grabbing text for your infographics. Here’s how: Strike a Balance Between Text and Visuals There are two parts to an infographic – data (information) and design (graphics). Both are important, so striking a balance between the two is imperative. If you have excellent text and boring design, or vice versa, your infographic won’t work. Creating a cohesive experience gives your infographic the chance to perform as well as possible, so make sure your visuals and text work together. Keep It Concise  While infographics can be long, the independent elements within them don’t offer a lot of room for text. As such, you need to be careful with your choice of language. Writing copy for Infographics is a great way to learn to say complicated things in simple terms. Aim for small sections of copy that are no more than 100 words. Anything longer and your readers might lose interest. Be sure all the language you choose supports your main points and helps readers understand the “meat” of your infographic. Improving your concision is easier said than done. Here are two ways you can try eliminating unnecessary words: Rewrite your copy: Doing your work twice might seem unappealing but working through it again can offer impressive results. Once you finish your initial copy, walk away and come back later. Wait at least two hours or even overnight to give yourself a fresh perspective. You will likely notice small errors and make improvements in the clarity. Check each sentence individually: Every sentence in an infographic carries a lot of weight. Read each sentence separately and look for any words you can eliminate without affecting the meaning. These will be fluff words, like ‘really,’ ‘in order to,’ ‘very,’ and ‘that.’                                                                     Create a Narrative Arc Although an infographic might just look like random bits of information stuck together in a graphic, it’s anything but. In fact, all the best infographics have a narrative arc that helps the reader make their way through the information. This narrative arc may rely on sections, a series of chronological events, … Read more

12 Crucial Copywriting Skills Every Writer Needs to Succeed: Beyond the Basics

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6 Of The Best Copywriter Skills: Every Copywriter Needs To Possess These

Being a successful copywriter requires a specific set of skills. Understanding those copywriting skills is important when you’re a business trying to hire a writer. Your goal should be finding a copywriter that can go beyond the basics of strong writing, creativity, and excellent English language skills. The Express Writers team knows what it takes to be a successful copywriter because we work with them every day. That’s why we’re sharing 12 crucial copywriting skills you should look for when hiring your next copywriter. With these 12 abilities, a copywriter can deliver creative, high-performing writing that can improve your conversion rates and keep your customers coming back for more. 12 Copywriting Skills Businesses Need When Hiring Writers The best copywriters work hard to turn their raw talent into incredible writing, earning money for every word they produce. A copywriter with these 12 skills will deliver the superior writing that your business needs. 1. Stellar Research Skills Most copywriters are writing experts first and may have one or two other areas of expertise. However, with stellar research skills, a copywriter can quickly learn the information they need to knowledgeably write about a variety of subjects as they navigate between clients and industries. To establish your business as an expert in your industry, you need a writer that knows how to find credible, reliable resources. Good copywriters can tell the difference between a high-quality, authoritative resource and an unreliable one. Plus, they know how to cite trustworthy studies and statistics to back up their claims. So look for copywriters that know where they need to look to find the right information, whether online resources or somewhere else. If you regularly interview subject matter experts, you’ll also want dedicated copywriters willing to interview them to improve their content. 2. A Good Understanding of the Target Audience  Knowing the intended audience for a piece of writing can have a major impact on how it is written. For example, an article written for experts in your field will look very different than one written for beginners. When choosing your copywriter, make sure they know who your intended audience is. A good copywriter should have no problems adjusting the tone and language of their writing to fit your industry and audience. Consider the words of renowned copywriter David Ogilvy: “If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think.” 3. Adaptable Writing Skills  Frequently, a copywriter has clients from multiple industries with vastly different content requirements. Being able to quickly adapt their writing style and voice for different clients and audiences is a crucial skill for any successful copywriter. Writers who lack this skill will find themselves frustrated with continually changing demands and strategies. The best writers can quickly pivot to new requests without breaking a sweat. 4. Knows When to Stop When a copywriter is unfamiliar with a topic, they can use their expert research skills to learn more. However, some writers may inadvertently research too much. They get caught up in learning every detail instead of focusing on what they need to know now. The best copywriters understand their limits and know when they have gleaned enough information to effectively write about your products for your audience. If you have tight turnaround times for your copy, you need a writer who knows when they’ve done enough. Knowing when to stop also applies to perfectionists. If a copywriter is solely focused on creating perfectly finished copy before submitting it to a client, they risk missing deadlines and losing a lot of sleep. You want a writer who takes pride in their work but doesn’t get lost in the minutia of creating industry-focused content. While most professional copywriters seek to create a career-defining, perfect piece, the best copywriters understand that the pursuit of perfection is fruitless. 5. Knowledge of Modern Marketing Principles  Copywriting, unlike creative writing, is solely meant for selling or promoting something else. Some copywriters, especially when they are first starting out, may make the mistake of trying to add their own personality and unique style to their copywriting. They may try to add extravagant language or unnecessary creativity to their copy to make it seem more literary. This kind of writing distracts from the purpose of copywriting. On the other hand, copywriters have a firm grasp of modern content marketing best practices. They understand the short attention spans of readers, have a handle on SEO concepts, and realize their writing targets specific audiences who need a product. This allows them to save their creative efforts for projects outside of work. 6. Can Take Criticism Well To write is to create. When the times come to edit your creation, many writers struggle with the idea of “killing your darlings.” Doing this eliminates potentially self-serving language with the goal of improving the overall message. In the copywriting field, copywriters need thick skin to accept feedback from editors and clients. If a writer continually rejects criticism, their productivity will likely suffer and they won’t get repeat clients. The best copywriters understand that everyone thinks about ideas differently and know it’s important to work with your client to create a piece that matches their vision. Plus, keeping an open mind means leaving space to improve your own writing. Sometimes critiques can sting, but it’s part of being a successful team player and brand copywriter. Express Writers, for example, believes that feedback from our clients is the only way to improve and align writing style and brand vision. We don’t think it’s a negative and train our writers to be open when someone else has a different idea. 7. Is Confident but Not Driven by Ego While copywriters should be open to accepting criticism, you want them to know when their ideas are worth sticking up for. There are times when your writer will have a different way of thinking than you do, and … Read more

What Is Direct Response Copywriting?

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What Is Direct Response Copywriting? 6 Real-Life Content Lessons From This Form Of Copy

Direct response copywriting is the antithesis of the ad copywriting you see on TV. Those TV copywriters are focused on a long-term game. They want you to remember their product if or when you see it on supermarket shelves. In contrast, direct-response copywriting focuses on the immediate moment. This is copy that’s about inspiring the buyer to take action as soon as they’re finished reading. It can be an important tool to improve conversion rates on landing pages, blogs, and other types of content. With direct response copywriting, you’re trying to get them to complete an action like: Making a purchase Signing up for your newsletter Downloading a freebie Following you on social media To do this, you must craft copy that tugs at your reader’s emotions and, most importantly, addresses their worries, fears, pain points, or immediate needs.   The Art of Deeply Understanding Your Reader Renowned copywriter David Ogilvy is perhaps the best-known direct response copywriter. In fact, he is frequently called the father of modern advertising. Ogilvy headed up incredibly successful and memorable campaigns for some of the top brands in the 1950s and ‘60s, including American Express, Rolls Royce, Hathaway, Shell, Dove, and others. Ogilvy understood that the most effective direct response copy isn’t just directed at your target audience – it speaks to them on a personal level. The combination of this deep understanding and direct, personal approach is the engine that runs this form of copywriting. X Direct Response Copywriting Takeaways from Real-World Examples How do you write great direct response copy? There are a few key principles you must follow: Write a powerful, compelling headline Use long-form copy Add an irresistible CTA Stay customer focused Follow K.I.S.S. principles Cultivate a sense of urgency To understand these principles better, we will look at a handful of real-world examples 1. A Great Headline Snags Your Readers The first and most important principle of direct response copywriting is to craft a powerful, compelling headline. Your headline should snag your reader’s attention and entice them to keep reading. A recent study by Microsoft showed that the average human attention span has dropped to just 8 seconds. With such limited time, crafting the perfect headline is even more important. The right headline sparks their interest and encourages them to continue reading, helping you overcome that 8-second barrier. Here is a classic example from none other than David Ogilvy: “At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.” Ogilvy described this headline as the best he ever wrote. This headline was so effective, other world-class companies like Shell specifically requested Ogilvy for their campaigns and wouldn’t settle until he agreed. They refused to even consider another copywriter. Why is this headline so effective? It follows the proven headline formula: The benefit is cleverly hidden within the headline. It’s not stated but implied. When you’re driving 60 mph on the highway in this car, it’s so quiet, you’ll only hear the clock. It’s simple and to the point. It doesn’t use any hyperbole or fluff to pad it out. It only states facts. It states something exciting and provocative. When this ad came out, most cars had loud and obnoxious engines. Readers might think, “I would love to enjoy a quiet highway drive.” It’s useful information. For anyone looking to buy a new car like this, the headline offers helpful information – it’s quiet. It sparks curiosity. The headline makes the reader want to learn more. What kind of car is this? How can it be so quiet? What else can it do? Headlines are crucial because they convince someone to read everything else. You must write a headline that makes readers want to know more. This is the keystone of writing direct response copy. 2. Long-Form Copy Informs, Persuades, and Convinces  Most direct response copywriting is long form. Why is this? To be more persuasive, you need to give the reader a lot of information. It is easier to convince someone to buy something with an entire page’s worth of information than a couple of sentences. To quote Davie Ogilvy again, “The more you tell, the more you sell.” The more information you can give your reader, the more likely they will want to follow up on the desired action. For a good example, let’s look at this sales page for Adobe Photoshop: It starts out with a solid headline – Everyone can. Photoshop. This plays on the prevalence of Photoshop in today’s world. The brand name has practically turned into a verb. Along with the headline, there is some compelling introductory copy and an eye-catching animation. Keep scrolling down the page, and you’ll see real-world examples of how professionals use Photoshop today to make their visuals more powerful. Near the middle of the page, Adobe offers a captivating CTA in the form of a quiz. The page continues with a how-to section with links to learn more, highlights of the latest new features and improvements, and then a selection of frequently asked questions. There’s a lot of copy of this page, but it’s all useful, informative, and persuasive. It helps you make that purchase decision. Most importantly, it keeps you scrolling, learning about each feature, and then entices you to click “Buy now.” If the only copy on this page was the first paragraph, it becomes a lot less convincing. There isn’t enough information to help you decide if you want to buy the product. Beyond this visual example, there is data to back up the case for long-form copy. Conversion Rate Experts ran a case study for Crazy Egg that compared a short vs. long landing page. In the case study, they compared the original “control” landing page to a new page nearly 20 times longer. They ran an A/B split test to gauge which page had a higher conversion rate. The results: the long-form content outperformed the short page by 30%. These results make sense. With more … Read more