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Posts Tagged ‘copywriting’
Sunday, May 15th, 2011
Copywriters in the Internet age are hard to find. Good copywriters are much more rare. But they are out there. So how do you find a good copywriter at the right price point for your business?
First, determine your goals. What do you want to accomplish with your copywriter? Remember, your copywriter will work for you so establish some realistic goals about what you want your copywriting to accomplish. Will it be information-only type writing or does your copywriter need a solid sales background?
Next, go to where the copywriters hang out. You can find good copywriters in places like Guru.com and elance.com. In fact, it’s an easy way to test copywriters to see who meets your standards. If you hire a copywriter to write a small article or a press release, then you can test their skills. If it doesn’t work out, don’t use them any more. You haven’t risked or sacrificed much.
You can also hang out in copywriting forums.This is a good way to meet writers on their own turf. In professional forums, people tend to let their hair down a little bit more so you can meet the copywriters “at the bar” so to speak. It’s a bit more personal and allows you to develop a relationship before you commit to any work.
Run an ad on Craigslist. Definitely put an ad on Craigslist, but don’t put all your hopes on it. You’ll likely get a lot of responses and you’ll have to wade through them for the best prospects. Give your responders a test before you commit to big projects.
There are a ton of other ways to find a suitable copywriter. These are just a few. Be sure you interview them and make sure they have the skills that are just write for the job you are hiring them for.
Tags: copywriters, copywriting
Posted in Business Writing | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011
Ever wonder how effective copywriters manage to get people to click their links and read their content? It’s really no mystery. It’s not a carefully guarded secret or anything, although some copywriters would have you believe it is. Rather, effective copywriting techniques are a matter of doing the right things in the right way. Then, watch your site visitors drool over your words.
There are many more effective copywriting techniques than just these, but I thought I’d share 3 of my favorites with you today:
- Write for scanners - Online, people don’t read voluminous works. They scan them. So write for the scanners. That means using graphics, images, bullet points, page layout, headlines and subheads, bold and italics, and other page elements to make your words stand out. Use short sentences and short paragraphs.
- Use power words – Do you wonder why copywriters like the word “free?” It’s because it’s a word that gets attention. People love getting things for free. Veteran copywriter Robert Bly calls it the most powerful word in the English language. Use it in your copy and see what happens. Of course, there are hundreds of other power words too: “Easy,” “guarantee,” “sexy”, etc. Learn the power words and watch your words shine.
- Rely on lists – Lists work. They are memorable. And they get people’s attention. Top 10 things …. 21 ways …. Bullet points. Ordered lists. Unordered lists. They are visual and they’re easy to read. Use them.
So there you have it. My top 3 favorite copywriting techniques. They’re powerful, they’re easy to use, they’re short, and they work. Try them.
Tags: copywriting, writing
Posted in Business Writing | 4 Comments »
Monday, November 30th, 2009
It can be easy to get sidetracked and forget about the really important stuff – or even what the important stuff really is. No matter whether you are marketing your business online or off line, you’ll need to consider two very important aspects to every marketing campaign: Copywriting and Graphic Design. Which is more important?
First, it’s important to understand the goals of each. The purpose for copywriting is to get the prospect to take action. If your copy isn’t moving your prospect toward some meaningful action that you want them to take then it isn’t effective. Plain and simple, copy persuades.
Graphic design’s job is to support the copy. Does that mean it is less important? Not at all. It is equally important, but it isn’t the primary goal. If you have pretty graphics and no copy then no one is going to take action. That’s art, not marketing.
It’s important that you focus on the needs and desires of the consumer. Write great copy that persuades and enhance your message with great graphics. You’ll close sales in no time.
Tags: copywriting, Graphic Design, marketing
Posted in Business Writing, Graphic Design | 1 Comment »
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
At the heart of every piece of copy that sells is one thing, and trust me when I say it isn’t good writing. That one thing, if you copy has it, will do more to sell your product or service than all the great writing in the world. Do you know what it is? Well, do you?
It’s real simple. The answer is (drumroll) …
Rapport.
That’s it. Simple. Right?
The most important part of your copywriting is to build rapport with your readers, but not just any reader. You’ve got to build rapport with the right reader. The right reader for your product or service.
Let’s say you are building a website that sells green widgets and you know the only people in the world who would have any use for green widgets are red midgets. If you write your content to sell green widgets to anybody other than red midgets, you can have the best copy in the world and it won’t matter. You might make a few sales, but you’re targeting the wrong audience. On the other hand, write mediocre content that connects with red midgets – I mean content that really appeals to their deepest need – and you’ll sell a lot of those green widgets.
Think about that the next time you write a web page. Appeal to the right audience and build rapport. It’s the most important thing to remember about good copywriting.
Tags: building rapport, copywriting, target marketing
Posted in Business Writing | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
There is no substitute for good copy. Copy sells. And if you don’t have the right copy, or the best copy for your business, then you may not make the sales you want.
A good copywriter will pay for herself over and over. A bad one will cost you. Whether online or off line, it is very important to ensure that your copy is the best that it can be to sell your business and attract new customers. But what does that mean?
Here’s a short list of what good copywriting can, and should, do for you:
- Be honest about who you are and what you stand for
- Brand you and your product or service so that you are recognizable at a glance
- Sell the benefits of your product or service to new clients
- Make existing clients confirm in their minds that they chose the right business
- Answer every question your prospects will have about your product or service
- Present the best features of your product or service in the best light
- NOT be deceptive
Is your copywriting passing the test? Why or why not?
Tags: business, copywriting, marketing, sales
Posted in Business Writing | 3 Comments »
Thursday, August 7th, 2008
Have you ever tried to communicate without words? Unless you and the receiver of your communications understand the same signals – whether they are hand signals, facial expressions, dots and dashes, or fire and smoke – then communication is impossible. Written communication is based on the same principle. In order to facilitate real communication, both parties – writer and reader – must understand what all the symbols (letters, punctuation, etc.) stand for. But sales writing has an added dimension that information-only writing doesn’t. That is, persuasion.
Sales is all about persuasion. Whether you are selling through oral communications or written communications, you are trying to persuade your audience – whether it be one person or a mass of people – to some action. You want your listener, or reader, to respond.
Words are powerful. Written or spoken, they can inspire action, positive or negative. Online, most of your communications will be written, although you can make some powerful statements with audio and video. Still, the most effective use of your online communicative efforts will be in writing. And that’s why hiring a good copywriter is perhaps the smartest thing you can do. Because content is king, and online most of your content will be written content, if you expect to close sales then your chief communicator must be able to lead your site visitors down the right path to close the sale. In other words, copywriting is your best sales tool. Do you have the right copywriter?
Tags: copywriting, online marketing, sales, small business
Posted in Business Writing, Small Business Internet Marketing, Tools for Small Business, Traditional Marketing for Small Business | No Comments »
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
James Chartrand reminds us that life is full of stories:
A good story grabs anyone’s attention. We love stories. We listen to the tale and imagine everything in our mind’s eye. We experience emotion and are compelled to take action because of the stories we hear.
In fact, as Seth Godin says, “All marketers are liars,” That is, story tellers. If you are trying to market a product or service then you need to develop the story first. Then tell it.
Make sure that when you create your story that you are not just writing for entertainment. You are writing to sell. And there’s a difference between storytelling for selling and storytelling for entertainment. That’s not to say that sales stories can’t be entertaining, but at the end of the day it’s all about closing the sale. Make sure that every element you put into your story moves the reader in the direction of that sale.
Tags: copywriting, marketing, sales, storytelling
Posted in Business Writing | 1 Comment »
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