copywriting services Archives

Copywriting Services: The Ultimate List of Content Tasks Every Marketer Should Be Delegating

by Adam Oakley | Oct 5, 2021 | Content Marketing

Here’s a big, BIG truth about copywriting:

The right words, whether in the form of copy or content, can make a huge difference for your marketing.

In fact, good copywriting can change everything. ✨

If you speak to your audience in a way that moves them, inspires them, informs them, or clarifies complicated ideas for them, you’re far more likely to be successful (read: more of everything — more traffic, leads, sales, the works).

Good writing serves as a foundation for any brand voice. Without that foundation in place, you’ll never move leads to become loyal customers.

Here’s the question: Do you even have TIME to pull off that kind of writing consistently?

Most marketers don’t – and that’s okay. Instead, they rely on copywriting services and expert talent. They delegate and outsource to people who write for all types of audiences in all types of industries persuasively, day in, day out.

Don’t put your hands in too many pots at once. Don’t forfeit writing quality in favor of just “getting it done.” Your entire content marketing strategy will suffer. ❌

So, what types of copywriting services can you outsource? What should you invest in for better results for brand or your clients? We’ve compiled a complete guide, including pricing averages, right here. Want the cheat sheet to save for later as a PDF? Grab it here.

Copywriting Services: The Master List of Content Needs for Your Marketing

1. Social Media

Social Media Copy for Each Platform
Branded Images

2. Onsite Copywriting Services: Blogging

Keyword Research
Audience & Topic Research
Starter Blogs – Shorter Expert Pieces
Authority Blogs – Skyscraper Pieces

3. Onsite Copywriting Services: Web Pages

SEO Keywords for Your Web Pages
Key Landing Pages
Service-Specific SEO Landing Pages

4. Email Content

Email Sequences
Single Emails to Your List

5. Ad Copy/Sales Pages

Conversion Copywriting

6. Copywriting for Marketing Content

Ebooks & Lead Magnets
Whitepapers
PPT/SlideShare
Flyers/Brochures
Press Releases
Video Scripts
Product Descriptions

Download this guide as a PDF.

Your Total Content Needs List: Copywriting Services to Delegate and Invest In

Copywriting in social media, onsite blogging, onsite web pages, email copy, marketing copy, and ad copy can and should be on your list of marketing tasks to delegate.

Improve your marketing and focus on these copywriting services in each category, starting with social media.

[bctt tweet=”The right words, whether in the form of copy or content, can make a huge difference for your marketing. But do you have the time to write consistently? ⌚ Find out what you should outsource for better results! #copywriting ” username=”ExpWriters”]

Social Media

Social media content forms the base of any promotion plan. It’s a key part of a content strategy because it helps you connect, engage, and build relationships with your audience and followers.

While you can and should hand the social media copy reins to an expert, one aspect you should never outsource or automate is personal engagement with your audience.

When it comes time for interacting, building relationships, networking, and engaging, this should always be personal. Whether you’re responding to comments, taking part in a Twitter chat, or commenting on someone else’s post, your personal interaction is essential. Don’t rely on a copywriting service to do this for you.

The basic tasks of writing solid social posts, however, can and should be delegated. Here are the main types you need as a marketer:

1. Social Media Copy for Each Platform

Average price per post: $12 – $14+

For promoting content and building brand awareness, social media copy is essential. You not only need to post regularly on each platform you invest in, but also create social content that uses your brand voice and tone to connect with your target audience.

Of course, writing for each platform requires different standards, types of posts, and copy. All of this can be a headache and a half to juggle, which is why it’s a fantastic idea to invest in copywriting services.

Here are just a few basic, current standards for the top platforms:

On Facebook, short posts with cleaner copy (think: 0-1 hashtags and 0-1 emojis) are proven to work well, according to data from CoSchedule. Including an image or link with your posts is a given, and video content is huge for engagement. Too many overly promotional posts are a no-no.

On Instagram, you’d think the emphasis would be on the photo you post, but the caption actually matters a ton, too. The written copy here is a great place to tell stories, engage with your followers, and generally provide added value with your images.
- Example: Tagging other accounts related to your post, especially influencers/brands, as well as using relevant hashtags both encourages discovery and helps your followers find more content like yours. (A good copywriting service will know and use all the current best practices.)
On Twitter, your post copy should be engaging but strategic. Each post should include an image for 150% more engagement, according to data Buffer collected, not to mention a few well-chosen hashtags. When relevant, you should also tag partners, influencers, and related accounts.

On LinkedIn, a slightly more professional tone is needed, but posts can still retain your brand voice – just dialed back a little. Longer posts and articles about industry news, events, and developments are great fodder for engagement.
On Pinterest, much like Instagram, it isn’t necessarily all about the images. Captions will help users find your pins, not to mention give your pins more context. In particular, writing captions that will stay relevant for the life of a pin (which can be a long time!) helps encourage pinning and re-pinning, not to mention continued clicks to your content from that pin.

Express Writers offers copywriting services for ongoing social media posts on the platform(s) of your choice. Our social media writers are up-to-date with best practices for every type of post and know how to create engaging copy that wins.

[bctt tweet=”While you can and should hand the social media copy reins to an expert, one aspect you should never outsource or automate is personal engagement with your audience. ❤” username=”ExpWriters”]

2. Branded Images

As you may have noticed, images play a huge role in your social media posts. You need a corresponding image for posts on almost every platform, in most cases.

Here’s an example of a branded image from one of our own blogs:

Express Writers offers custom branded images along with our social media posts so you get the best of both worlds. Find this add-on option for social media copywriting services on our social media posts page.

Onsite Copywriting Services: Blogging

Blogging is the cornerstone of content marketing. In fact, blogs are now the 5th most trusted source of information on the internet! However, to earn your place among the cream of the crop, your blogs need to be consistent, high-quality, and authoritative in tone to build trust and rankings.

Can you honestly say you have the time to devote to this kind of blogging? It can get pretty rigorous without help, and many marketers throw in the towel far too soon to see the type of ROI that can and will happen with consistency.

Bottom line: If you can’t commit to blogging with your heart and soul, you won’t see results – unless you outsource.

These are the major blogging tasks and copywriting services to invest in for stronger results.

1. Keyword Research

Average price for one keyword research report (one keyword & one blog topic): $60+

Reaching your SEO goals is a lot harder without strategic keyword research. The right keywords targeted in an expert, thought-leadership-style blog can mean the difference between content success (traffic, page views, engagement, backlinks) and content failure (cue crickets chirping).

Generally, keyword research for your brand (or your client’s brand) involves:

Searching for broad industry terms related to what you do/sell
Finding long-tail keyword variations of those broad terms that hit the right balance for three metrics:
- Keyword difficulty (KD, or the competitiveness of that keyword)
- Relevancy (to your brand, industry, products, or services)
- Search volume (high numbers are not necessarily better)

Keyword research requires some knowledge of your industry, an understanding of what high-ROI keywords look like, and an ability to analyze keyword data to find the richest opportunities for rankings.

Needless to say, keyword research is a valuable copywriting service, but lots of writers simply don’t offer it.

At Express Writers, that’s not the case. We offer done-for-you keyword research and strategy that includes comprehensive keyword and topic reports using top tools like SEMrush and BuzzSumo. We analyze the data for you and come up with the top keyword opportunities to use in your content.

2. Audience & Topic Research

For brand awareness and audience reach, you need the double-whammy of audience and topic research. These actions help solidify the direction of your onsite blogging, giving it the power it needs to reach your ideal buyer on a personal level.

Without these types of research, you’ll have no clear idea of who you’re writing for, not to mention what you should write about.

Audience research is a process that helps you figure out your main target audience as well as what moves them, their pain points, where they come from, where they want to go, and who they want to be.
Topic research is how you find blog and content topics your audience actually wants to read. Instead of pulling random ideas out of thin air, you start with what you know about your industry, your brand, and your audience. You work outward from there to find relevant topics that connect to your brand goals.

Writing content that uses both audience and topic research as a foundation ensures two things:

You’re always writing to the right people.
You’re always writing about topics that move you closer to your success benchmarks.

(Luckily, I teach both skills in my in-depth course, The Content Strategy & Marketing Course. Check it out and see for yourself.)

3. Starter Blogs – Shorter Expert Pieces

Average price per word: $0.18 – $0.20

Average price for four 500-word blogs per month: $500 – $700

The blogs you publish, whether on your website or your clients’, are fundamental to content marketing. Onsite blogging is the #1 way to build authority, trust, and backlinks. Continuously and consistently publishing great content drives more traffic and brings in more leads.

In specialized industries, expert knowledge behind your content matters. To be high-quality and high-authority, written blogs and articles need the most cutting-edge, up-to-date knowledge behind them. That should include current strategies, statistics, and studies.

In short, industry expert blogs need writers who can:

Slip into different brand voices seamlessly
Speak on a personal level to different target audiences
Write with authority and accuracy about in-depth industry topics

Great expert blogs are readable, informative, useful, and speak to your readers’ most pressing pain points. The right copywriting service should cover all of that.

Express Writers offers industry expert blog packages for niches across the board including health & wellness, technology, finance, real estate, SaaS, SEO/digital marketing, and more. We also offer ongoing topic research as an add-on service so you’re never left scratching your head wondering what to publish next.

4. Authority Blogs – Skyscraper Pieces

Average price for a long-form, 2,000-word blog: $750 – $1,000

Authority behind your content matters more than ever in this age of information overload. People often don’t know who to trust or which sources are legit, just because there are so many scams, tricks, and fake news cycles out there.

In fact, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer report, trust in most online information sources has declined across the board, which includes search engines, traditional media, owned media, and social media.

Authoritative, long-form blogs are therefore essential trust-builders that help shape your online gravitas positively. These aren’t just blogs; they’re MEGA blogs:

Content is written by an authority in your industry
Content aligns with your brand voice, tone, and style
Content is backed up with compelling facts, studies, and current research
Content is written around a high-opportunity, long-tail keyword that will rocket you into the search engine rankings
Long-form content provides depth and breadth on a relevant industry topic

In short, authority blogs aren’t just content pieces – they’re content assets. These powerful blogs will work to draw in traffic and leads for months, maybe even YEARS, after they’re published. Even more importantly, they will help build trust and loyalty with your audience.

Express Writers offers authority content for entrepreneurs, marketers, and agencies who want to level up their content. You KNOW what authority blogs can do if you invest in this level of content creation.

I created this copywriting service after a year spent listening, watching, and studying content trends. I saw a winning formula emerge, and I wanted to offer that to our clients – the BEST content possible that will stand tall in a swamp of billions of blog posts.

[bctt tweet=”Every copywriting service you should outsource, in one place. ? Get the list here and find out which writing tasks every smart #contentmarketer delegates. ?” username=””]

Onsite Copywriting Services: Web Pages

Think of your onsite content – your web pages, about pages, service pages, landing pages, etc. – as bridges and roads.

Each of these pages has the potential to lead your audience to that ultimate destination, the conversion. Of course, if you build your roads and bridges with weak materials and shaky foundations, fewer people will want to cross them.

Here are the copywriting services you need to invest in to build the best web pages possible, ones that will serve to welcome your audience and guide them to action.

1. SEO Keywords for Your Web Pages

Average price for one keyword research report: $60

You don’t just need the right keywords in your blogs. You also need web pages optimized for industry terms and phrases that your ideal customers are typing into Google. This is how you get organic traffic and leads from search to land on your main site pages.

At Express Writers, we can find the best keywords for your web pages with our keyword strategy services.

2. Key Landing Pages

Average price per word: $0.15 – $0.20

Average price for one optimized, 800-word web page: $150 – $250

Web page content is one of those copywriting services most marketers can’t do without, as each page must be unique and persuasive to pass muster with Google AND users. Web pages can run the gamut from home pages to “about us” pages to service pages optimized for local SEO.

Much like blogs, industry expert web pages need to be consistent with brand voice and tone, convey authority, help your audience find the information they need, and use keywords strategically for high search engine rankings. The best copywriting services should deliver all of the above.

Whether you need unique, keyword-optimized web pages for your site or you have a lot of service pages that need local SEO and/or some fantastic copy, Express Writers can help with our custom industry expert web pages.

3. Service-Specific SEO Landing Pages

Average price for one 500-600-word page: $90 – $125

SEO landing pages are simply designated places where your visitors land after they click one of your links. Service-specific landing pages usually direct traffic to your site from local search. Here’s how that works:

A user opens Google and types in a keyword for a local service they want to find (i.e. “dentists in Austin”).
On the results page, your webpage pops up as an option because it’s optimized for that location-specific keyword.
The user clicks your link and is taken to your local service landing page, where they can learn more and potentially book an appointment/hire you. Here’s an example of a service landing page in action:

For best results with service landing pages, it’s essential to hire an expert writer who knows your industry. Express Writers hires specific field experts for this exact purpose from industries like legal, finance, marketing, and more. When you order copywriting services like web page copy, we match you up with one of these experts to write your pages.

Average just doesn’t cut it anymore when it comes to web content. Every single page on your site needs to be optimized for search and expertly written to stand out from the pack.

Email Content

The power of email content is undeniable. 87% of marketers use email as a top channel in their content strategies to reach the 4.03 billion people around the world who use it.

That’s not all. A Litmus survey of over 350 marketers revealed the ROI of email marketing is $38 for every dollar spent – Whoa.

However, these results only happen when your emails are targeted, well-written, persuasive, and valuable to your user base. To hit all of these bullseyes, these are the types of email copywriting services to delegate to the experts.

1. Email Sequences

Average price for an email sequence of 5 emails: $400 – $500

Launching new products? You need an email sequence. This is a series of targeted emails sent out at specific times over the course of a few days or a few weeks. Usually, the sequence is triggered by a customer action:

Signing up for your newsletter
Downloading a PDF
Abandoning a shopping cart
Browsing your site

An email sequence tells a continuing story. Each email builds upon the last email sent, culminating in a whammy-punch that ultimately moves the reader to follow your call-to-action (whether you want them to download an ebook, sign up for a webinar, or buy your new product).

This is an example of an email from a sequence I sent to my own list:

Only an expert writer who truly understands persuasive, conversion-focused copy has the chops to create a successful, conversion-driving email sequence.

Express Writers’ copywriting services include done-for-you email sequences. Our email experts will write your sequence to appeal to your readers and gear them up for that all-important CTA.

2. Single Emails to Your List

Average price for short single emails (200-400 words): $75 – $200 (The American Writers and Artists Inc. copywriting price guide also mentions average pricing for standalone sales emails, which can run as high as $2,000 – but that’s because they’re conversion-focused and expected to be high-performing.)

For email marketing, single emails can be just as effective as email sequences, but for different reasons.

Single emails are a fantastic way to build trust and rapport with your audience. Think of it as another way to connect with them and build a relationship. Additionally, single emails are perfect for sharing new content. Who better to appreciate your new blog post than your list?

Here is an example of a single email promoting a new blog post for the Write Blog:

EW’s writing staff includes email experts who can take care of this copywriting service for you. Whether you need on-brand single emails or irresistible email sequences, we have you covered.

Ad Copy/Sales Pages

To nab the sale or ace the conversion, not just any kind of copywriting will do. Instead, you need expert copy written by a pro who understands the sales process. Enter conversion copywriting.

Marketers: This is something you shouldn’t do yourself unless you’ve been schooled in writing direct response copywriting.

1. Conversion Copywriting

Average price for one conversion-oriented sales page: Industry experts rate this copywriting service as extremely high-value – $0.50 – $1 per word is the going rate.

Conversion copywriting is all about creating copy that engages a specific audience and pulls in the buyer’s interest. Conversion copy can be found on web pages, Facebook/social ad copy, and emails. Most of all, it has the potential to make you serious $$$.

With that in mind, not just anybody can write conversion copy that actually delivers. Only a serious copywriter will do, one who understands buyer awareness, the marketing lifecycle, and how to appeal to the decision-making process.

For a good example of conversion copy, take a look at this landing page from Grove Collaborative. Every sentence is aimed at making their offer irresistible:

Express Writers offers sales and conversion copywriting services from our Copyhackers-trained, persuasive sales copywriters.

Copywriting Services for Marketing Content

What types of marketing copy should you delegate, and which types can you write yourself?

In general, these are the copywriting services you can hand off for excellent ROI.

1. Ebooks & Lead Magnets

Average price for one designed ebook, 3-5 pages: $415 – $650

Lead magnets are high-value content pieces that you offer exclusively to your audience in exchange for a few personal details, such as their name and email address. Lead magnets are often created in the form of ebooks to pack in a lot of useful information – bonus points if they’re beautifully designed.

Much like blog content, ebooks and lead magnets build your authority and expertise in your industry, not to mention trust with your audience.

Watch me explain lead magnets and ideas for lead magnets in this video:

And check out one of our lead magnets at EW: How to Rank in the Top of Google & Win Traffic, Prospects, & Buyers (Free Checklist).

We offer both ebook copy and design at Express Writers. Let one of our industry expert writers whip up a high-value ebook for your brand that will help build your clout AND your email list.

2. Whitepapers

Average price per page: $100 – $200 (not including design)

Whitepapers are great content assets to have on hand for any brand. These in-depth reports provide thorough information about specific problems and step-by-step information about how you solved it.

The most common types of whitepapers showcase client testimonials. For example, a good whitepaper will present the client’s problem clearly and effectively, then show how your brand (or your client’s brand) solved that problem and went above and beyond for the customer. Most importantly, these types of whitepapers showcase client satisfaction and serve as powerful social proof for other potential buyers.

Another type of whitepaper that’s pretty common: thorough, well-researched guides to industry problems. HubSpot has a good example of this type:

Whitepapers can be incredible authority-builders for any brand. EW offers this copywriting service, whether you just want whitepaper copy or a fully designed product.

3. PPT/SlideShare

Average price for one slide: $25 – $30 (not including design)

Slides for PowerPoint or SlideShare can be surprisingly difficult to write and create. Which key points about your topic should you include? How do you make slides attention-grabbing yet easy to read and understand?

Include this type of content in your list of copywriting services to delegate and you’ll get high-quality, expertly written slides that accomplish all of these goals.

To drive home how effective slides can be, check out this example of a SlideShare created from one of our blogs here at EW:

Why Does Content Work? 39 Reasons to Invest in Content from Julia McCoy

Need marketing copy for slides on PPT or SlideShare? EW does that, too.

4. Flyers/Brochures

Average price per 400-500 words: $120 (not including design)

If you’ll be advertising your brand locally (think tradeshows, events, etc.), flyers and brochures are a great print marketing asset. They are:

Relatively low-cost
Easy and fast to distribute
Effective for in-person marketing events

The most successful flyers and brochures will have copy that’s succinct, to the point, and impactful. They will clearly explain your products/services/offers in a way that appeals to your target audience.

If you want an expert creating your flyer/brochure copy, add that to the long list of copywriting services we have available at Express Writers.

5. Press Releases

Average price for one press release: $175 – $250

For announcing key news and happenings at your company, nothing does the job better than a professionally written press release.

Of course, when we say “professionally written,” we mean written by a professional journalist. With this kind of expertise behind your press releases, your news is more likely to be distributed through a network or picked up by a news outlet.

For expert, journalist-written press releases, check out this copywriting service from Express Writers.

6. Video Scripts

Average price for a 2-3-minute script: $450

Video is huge these days online. According to Wyzowl, 87% of marketers say video brings them positive ROI.

The secret to producing successful, attention-grabbing videos? A clear message conveyed with confidence. How can you do that? With a well-written video script.

It’s true: Even though video is hot, hot, hot. You won’t get anywhere by pushing out low-quality videos with lots of awkward pauses and stammering. Your video production will be much smoother with a script.

Tip: If you don’t have time to create them, Express Writers can write your video scripts for you and take care of video production.

7. Product Descriptions

Average price for one 200-word product description: $38

Product descriptions are an essential copywriting service for ecommerce businesses selling their wares. These descriptions not only persuasively sell the online product, they also describe it in a way that answers customer questions and overcomes any objections to clicking “add to cart”.

A worthy product description is both visceral (i.e. you get a good feel of what it would be like to use/wear/try the product) and practical (including dimensions, settings, features, etc.). Ideally, it should also be optimized for search so buyers can find that product when searching on Google.

For a tried-and-true example of product descriptions that fit all of these criteria, look at ModCloth, the online women’s clothing store. This PD for a hooded yellow coat includes both fanciful details that will appeal directly to its young target audience, not to mention practical details about the coat material, fit, and sizing.

If you need product descriptions that both tell and sell, let our writing team at Express Writers take care of them for you with our copywriting service for product descriptions.

How to Work with Copywriting Services to Produce Content That Wins

A huge part of winning marketing has to include winning copy. To put it bluntly, there’s so much to write and so little time. As you can see, copywriting services can lift a lot of that pressure off your shoulders.

Whether you’re a time-crunched marketer, an entrepreneur striking out with a new product/business, or an agency strapped for good writers, getting help is always a good idea. It WILL 10x your marketing!

To wrap up, here are a few tips to make your copywriting services go the extra mile:

1. Invest in Quality

Expert, amazing writers charge more for their services because they’re good. Their work gets consistent results and ROI. Period. If you want those results, you need to invest in expertise.

2. Provide Instructions, Guidelines, Ideas, Etc.

For copywriting services, you can’t provide too many details. Give your writer the best starting point by giving them all the information you can about what you need. Examples, style guides, links to content you want to emulate – all of it will help your writer produce a better end product.

3. Communicate

While working on your content or copy, your writer might have questions pop up. They might need you to clarify an instruction or help them refine the voice and tone you want them to use, for example. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep communication lines open. Be responsive and work with your writer if you want the best from them.

Copywriting services can lighten your to-do list, but more importantly, they can improve your marketing by leaps and bounds.

Have you made the investment in expert copywriting yet?

Copywriting Services: How to Choose the Best

by Adam Oakley | Feb 8, 2014 | Copywriting

Choosing a service is all about choosing value. You want a service that meets your needs, but doesn’t break your piggybank. However, your true interest is in value. Your business, your very brand, is in need of development. It’s time to trust the work to an expert, not an amateur hobbyist.

Copywriting is as much a skill as it is a talent and art form. The market is chalked full of copywriters and agencies, all dedicated to what they label as “quality copywriting.” Unfortunately, all too often the bulk of these freelancers and businesses lack what it takes to deliver quality copy. How can you ensure you choose premium copywriting services?

The Art of the Two-Way Conversation – Key to Quality Copywriting

Choosing the best copywriting services to hire revolves around communication. During initial contact, you will likely provide basic information regarding your business and copy needs. Once you have received a response and open one-on-one communication with an agency or individual, there are some topics and questions that you should cover:

How much do you know about my industry? It’s important to determine whether or not your prospective service provider has a working knowledge of your industry. This question is especially significant if you are hiring an industry copywriter who claims to specialize in your industry. Since you’re in search of value, it’s important to determine whether or not the service provider has the aptitude to understand and write in the genre of your industry.
What do you know about my business? Prior to posing questions to the service provider, you should have already been prompted to supply preliminary information regarding your project and business. Now, you have an opportunity to test their knowledge. Did they review your submission fully? If they can’t tell you much about your business or don’t have several questions ready to ask about your business, chances are they are lazy. Lazy service providers never deliver quality because their focus is getting paid; not delivering copy that fully meets and even exceeds your expectations.
In your opinion, who is my target audience? Whether you provided audience specific information or not, if your project details held enough information about your project and business, the copywriting services provider should be able to offer an educated opinion regarding your target audience. If they can’t, they either don’t understand your audience or didn’t take enough time to study up. In order for copy to do the job, the writer must understand who your target audience is and why your product or service should be important to them.
What are the top three benefits I offer my target audience? Your goal with this question is to weed out the lazy copywriting freelancers and agencies. The professional, quality-producing copywriting services will answer this question correctly and likely say they noticed a few other benefits to convey to your target audience.
How would you describe my brand’s voice? You have a voice. You know how your business sounds and how you want it to sound in the future. Be sure the service provider has recognized your voice and is able to project it.
Have you produced any projects similar to mine? This question opens up the door to asking for samples. Any legitimate copywriting services providers will be able to supply samples similar to your project when asked. If they shy away from the topic, they probably aren’t capable of delivering quality work.
Why should I hire you? The ultimate question to test the copywriter’s skill! If they can’t sell themselves, then they certainly can’t produce copy that will sell your product or service. This is their chance to highlight their experience and explain what’s in it for you. If they can’t answer this question with value, then chances are they can’t create copy with value.

The questions you’ll be asking prospective copywriting services providers are designed to help you interview them. The interview should be a two-way conversation in which the service provider asks you some of their pertinent questions as well. Questions you should be prepared for will likely include:

Have you worked with a copywriter or copywriting agency before? Every copywriting service provider should ask this question. It gives them the opportunity to ensure you understand how the writing process works, and it gives them the chance to explain how they will work with and for you.
What is your budget for this project? If a copywriter asks this question, don’t think it’s because they want to max-out your budget. Likely, they want to ensure your budget offers a little breathing room. If it doesn’t, then they should double their efforts to ensure they get the job done right the first time—although, this should be their attitude no matter what.
Do you have existing marketing materials you are happy with? Copywriting services that ask this question understand the need for consistency. If your clients are used to seeing something, then that consistency needs to carry over to the copy they produce. Be ready to supply samples of your marketing materials and any other copy that reflect your company’s established voice and style.
Have you conducted market research, and what have you learned regarding your target audience and competition? Even if the copywriter has a basic understanding of your target audience and competition, they should take the opportunity to get as much detail as possible. A good copywriter will not only ask for market research results, but they will understand what they’re looking at. This question indicates they are far from lazy. They’re willing to sift through any data you have to glean more intelligence on your audience and competition.
Can you supply three to five descriptive words that define your company values? The copywriter asks this question when they want to hear you discuss your company values in your words. Don’t feel like you need to supply $50 words. Be blunt. Be honest. The copywriter can work magic when you give them painfully truthful information.
Do you have any examples of the copy style you prefer? If this question comes up, you can safely answer it with a “yes” or “no.” If you’ve seen a competitor’s website and you like their copy, don’t be afraid to tell the copywriter. They’ll visit the website and use it as a sample. They’ll likely probe with more questions to determine exactly why you like a particular piece of copy so they can incorporate similar qualities in yours.
Who is the primary contact, and will there be a secondary contact? A professional understands that while a primary contact may be the big decision maker, they aren’t always available. Be sure to have a couple contacts in place so that any questions or concerns arising during the creation process are promptly and accurately addressed.
How many people at your company will be involved in this project? Two heads are better than one! Every seasoned writer knows this. Don’t be afraid to involve multiple people from your company in the project, but be sure they’re qualified to be involved. For example, you might involve your Advertising or Marketing Director, Website Programmer and/or Designer, and anyone who works with your website, online profiles, marketing strategies or sales material creation and upkeep.
Who delivers final approval? This is a good question to be asked. It shows that the agency or writer knows there is a chain of command. Once they know who final approval is issued from, there won’t be a possibility of copy being approved and a project closed by someone who isn’t qualified.

Customer Reviews Speak Volumes

When choosing the best copywriting services to hire, take the time to do a little research. The most profound and helpful research will result from reading customer reviews. What are people saying about the service provider you’re interested in? If you have trouble finding reviews or testimonials online, ask the provider for references. Legitimate copywriting agencies and writers won’t have trouble referring you to two or three professional references.

The Truth about Copywriting Services…

…is that they are not created equal. Do you consider an athlete to be as skilled, talented and experienced as another? Of course not! Some athletes are amateurs; they lack experience, grooming and real world knowledge. Other athletes are mediocre; they’ve played professionally and understand the sport, but their skill could use sharpening. And then there are Olympic athletes; they are masters of their sport and capable of competing and winning at the highest possible level.

Copywriting agencies and freelance copywriters are similar. Some are amateur. Others have mediocre skill. The best are Olympic performers: capable of producing the most compelling, quality copy in the industry. The only way you can tell the difference is to ask questions and probe for information. By using the questions we’ve discussed here, you can gather enough information to determine whether or not a particular service provider is worth the investment. However, one thing is certain: investing in professional copywriting services is a time and money saving way to produce the kind of quality copy that sells and builds your online presence.

Don’t Settle For Less Than Premium Copywriting Services

by Adam Oakley | Nov 23, 2013 | Copywriting

Copywriting services are everywhere, but most of us are hardly aware of it. How many times have you stopped to wonder who wrote the words on the cereals you have for breakfast, who authored the description of the product you’re about to order using the catalog you got in the mail yesterday, or who penned the homepage on the website you happen to be browsing right now? If you’re not an industry insider, the answer is that you have probably never thought about where this copy comes from. However, the words, or copy, on every product packaging or service, whether online or offline, you use daily were thought over and rewritten at least several times by a copywriter. What Makes Copywriting Work?

The answer is simple: copy. And copy is the result of an act of copywriting.

Without quality copywriting services, the world would be a cluttered, Babel-like place. Business owners are becoming increasingly aware of the critical impact of copy on their business performance. When it comes to content marketing, the importance of professional copywriting services cannot be understated. To understand why copywriting services are vital for business success, let’s see what makes copywriting effective and why you should never settle for less than premium copywriting services.

Successful Copywriting Is an Act of Persuasion

Copywriting is both an art and a science, which means it involves creativity and exactness, imagination and rigor. Essentially, writing copy for online marketing is about causing people who visit your website to take action. A good copywriter has many gifts, of which the ability to persuade through copy is the greatest. He or she is like a film director who silently says action and everyone on the set starts doing what they’re supposed to. Similarly, quality copy is meant to make readers follow the call to action that was launched. Therefore, the first layer in our stratified answer to what makes copywriting work is: copywriting works if it is a successful act of persuasion. What Does This Act of Persuasion Involve?

The 2 T’s of Copywriting

1) Copywriting Is about Temptation and Troubleshooting (TT)

Effective copywriting is all about tempting the audience and offering troubleshooting services. People read your content with a purpose: either to fulfill a desire or solve a problem. Therefore, to be effective, your copywriting needs to be able to tempt the audience and fix what is wrong. As a copywriter, you are like a guide for a group of tourists, showing readers the sights of this new and unexplored land that your product or service embodies. You convince them that the journey they’re taking is not only worthwhile, but that it can take them to an unexpected, fascinating place where they can get what they want. And they are not alone in this exploratory journey. You are there to show them the way and guide their steps, but in a discreet, non-intrusive manner.
TT copywriting never gives prospects the feeling that they’re assisting at a sales pitch. If your content makes your readers suspect that you’re trying to sell them something, you’re likely to lose them. Compelling copywriting tempts the readers with the features of your product and persuades them that its benefits can troubleshoot their problem.

2) Copywriting Is a Seduction Game: You Either Learn to Dance or Get Left Out

The world of online marketing is like a dance floor. It’s diverse and uneven. Some dancers are more skillful and graceful than others; others are clumsy, but they’re trying; still others are completely off beat. If you want to find yourself an able and talented partner to rock the dance floor, you need to learn to upgrade your performance. (That is your copy. And you can do that by using quality copywriting services.) And you’d better do that quickly or you’ll be left out. To be engaging and seductive, to have that je ne sais quoi or indescribable something that keeps readers interested, your copy needs to be both meaningful and fascinating. Outstanding copywriting services can create mesmerizing copy that readers find irresistible.

3) Copywriting Is about Defamiliarization

Defamiliarization is an artistic trick that makes something old and familiar appear new and surprising. Basically, it’s the ability to look at something ordinary and see it in a new light, restoring its forgotten luster, which has worn out in time or as a result of excessive exposure. It’s that aha moment when you discover that something common has a dimension you haven’t been aware of until that minute. This is precisely the effect of compelling copywriting: it turns something average and commonplace, like shoes, into something special and rewarding: think Zappos.
Or to give another example, which involves a service, not a product, therefore an experience and not merchandise—you don’t have to be an incurable romantic to feel there’s something new in every sunrise or sunset. But if you’re selling a vacation to an exotic island, let’s say, you have to use engaging copy to convince prospects that the sunrise or sunset they’ll get to see if they pick your offer is more spectacular than the one offered by your competitor next door who may be selling discount sunrises.
Summing it up, as an act of persuasion, successful copywriting has the power to tempt and engage readers, by promising (and living up to the promise!) that it will solve or troubleshoot their problem or fulfill their need. Moreover, great copywriting is a seduction game that uses defamiliarization as a strategic advantage.

What Are the Features of Premium Copywriting Services?

Premium quality copywriting services can make a difference in your business strategy.

Their key features include:

Talented pens at work always creating original content
Fresh, unique and consistent content that serves clients’ specific needs
Commitment on following the highest quality standards in each and every copywriting endeavor
Promptly delivering projects, according to clients’ terms

To conclude, never settle for less when it comes to copywriting services. Check for the above and make sure you get premium copy that takes your business to the next level.

4 Steps To Recruit Pro Copywriters for Your Projects

by Adam Oakley | Oct 21, 2013 | Copywriting

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.

Copywriting Services’ Number One Tip

by Adam Oakley | Oct 12, 2013 | Copywriting

Are you a small business owner and have made up your mind that you are going to try your hands on a piece of copywriting for a marketing article? Well, that is a bold move, but by all means, not an impossible task. If you have the time, patience, and a creative brain, then this maybe a good idea.

Having the Right Copywriting Services For Your Business is Everything

I will give you one tip – not 5 or 10 just one. Confused? Well trust me on this one, because this is the most important tip that can get customers or any random viewer interested in your article.

Perfect Headline for the Article

There it is. Now you must be thinking “this guy must be crazy”. Well, not necessarily, as it has been found that statistically, 8 out of 10 people on average read the headline, but only 2 out of 10 will actually read the rest of the article. Still think I’m overreaching with this? Thought not…

It is pretty sensible if you consider it, because many people do not have the time to even skim through the content and some may just be killing time by surfing the internet. A good copywriting headline that catches a person’s attention will greatly improve your chances of getting readers to continue to the important part – the body.

Of course, a good headline alone will not guarantee success. Once the reader gets to the body, a good introduction and well thought-out content should follow – with each sentence enticing the reader to keep on reading, eventually bringing them to the all-important ‘call to action’ at the end of the article. Convinced enough to move on to the next bit of the all-important tip?

Working on the Headline

Now that we have said that the headline is immensely important, the next question is how do we write it? A majority of copywriters would say to start with the headline before moving to the content, for reasons like avoiding going off-topic or to guide you in what your body should consist of; but I think that may not be the case for a good marketing piece, as each person has his/ her own style of writing.

For example, when you start writing the article you may have all the ideas in the world about the topic and feel confident that you have everything organized, ready to be put together, so that it will be an awesome piece viewers will want to read. More often than not, you will – like most copywriters – come across a common issue called writer’s block, which basically means getting stuck somewhere down the article and not knowing how to continue from there on – due to no information to write about or that the article has gone on a wrong course.

When this happens, read from the top and you might have to delete some of the paragraphs/ sentences you have written that don’t really fit in with the rest of the article. That is, you must be ready to change the article and give it a new shape as you proceed. Thus, it is important that you leave the headline for last in copywriting because your marketing piece may not go in the direction that you were expecting it to when you initially started working on it. If you had already thought up of a great headline before moving to the body, but found out that it does not really match up with the body, your time and energy would have been wasted on the headline. However, do not mistake ‘being open to change the same thing’ as ‘rambling on’ in your article at free will. On the contrary, the article should be tightly written with clear objectives in mind, accessible and easy-to-read for readers to go on reading it.

For more tips and tools in writing perfect articles, visit Copyblogger which has some useful tips for copywriters.

How to Write the Headline

Now that you have written a good piece of marketing, it’s time to look into a catchy heading that will make your efforts worthwhile and attract readers to actually read what you have written.

Start by reading through your article and highlight the key messages that you want to get through to the readers and/ or what the readers will be most interested about. This could be, for example, some problems that people face and how these can be avoided or rectified if they use your product/ service. Now that you have a list of key areas in your article, analyze and prioritize them in order of importance and pick the most important of the lot.
Next is to use the most important aspects of your article that you have picked and combine them in a manner that doesn’t tell the whole story, but gives a good hint as to what the article is and how the problem can be solved.
Now, you may have some content and long sentences that make little or no sense, so the next step is trimming it down while playing around with where each word fits, adding a rhyme to it possibly, and hear how it sounds when you read it.

Guidelines in Copywriting the Headline

Ask a question
Give a guarantee
Give a ‘how-to’
Provide well-known phrases or sayings
Provide percentages and/or hard figures
Shock, intrigue, or amuse
Command or instruct

Just fiddle with it till you are 100% happy and if not, discard it and start over. I understand this is hard work, but getting it right will make a huge difference.

Too Much Work?

After reading this, you may think this is too much work for you, which is understandable because it is not easy to pull off a great marketing piece. That is why we recommend getting copywriting services from professionals in the field such as us; Express Writers, who has the knowledge and experience to handle any copywriting task. Remember that you will be in control as to what needs to be in the article but of course, do not have to waste your valuable time and energy in getting those ideas on to a marketing piece.

Once you have the perfect marketing tool on the web, use marketing analytic software such as MOZ to see how effective the marketing piece is, whether you wrote it yourself or got a professional to do it, this is very important feedback.

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