Does it seem like everyone else is blogging except for you?

There’s an exclusive club out there and you’re not part of it.

So what is blogging all about anyway and why are so many people doing it?

What on earth do they have to write about? What on earth would you write about? Does any one really read blogs anyway?

The answer to that last question is yes – after all, you’re reading this one!

What is a blog?

A blog is quite simply a web page that’s full of articles – known as posts. They can be on a variety of subjects from personal inane ramblings to industry specific topics.

The posts are arranged in chronological order (with the latest one appearing first) and each carries a permanent link which can be referred to by others who want to link to your post.

They are a great communication tool and give you a platform from which you can write about anything. For me, I use this blog for copywriting and marketing articles. But others can be used as tools to review new products, personal diaries…all sorts of things.

For search engine optimisation they are a great way of producing back links to your website. Just add in your keyword and use it as an anchor text link. Although it has to make sense within the context of your post.

Why you should blog

Anyone who’s tried to get something published will know how difficult it can be. But a blog will allow you to publish anything you want, when you want. And that’s pretty powerful.

There is also a lot of freedom with blogging. Most blogging software (such as Wordpress) offers numerous designs and layouts and its structure makes it really simple to get it looking just the way you want.

But more than aesthetics, blogging is a great way to promote your business online. I’ve already briefly mentioned its SEO capabilities. If you write your posts with your search engine optimisation strategy in mind, you will attract readers and drive traffic to your main sales website.

Blogging software

A blog is free to set up using tools such as Wordpress or Blogger. But if you want your own with your own domain name, you can get one set up and hosted for not a lot of cash.

With a very intuitive WYSIWYG editor, even the most technically challenged person would be able to use one.

All you need is a stream of ideas to get started. Whether you want to blog daily, weekly or monthly you can publish anything, link it to your website and enjoy more targeted traffic.

Why not set one up today? Who knows, you might enjoy becoming part of the blogging community.

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter and blogger

Tweet This Post

How many times have you opened a new Word document ready to start writing only to end up staring at a blank screen for hours on end?

Starting a piece of copywriting is always the hardest bit. What sort of opening should you go for? What direction should it take?

Even if you get off to a flying start and come up with a cracking headline, producing anything else that does it justice can be difficult.

The best way to start is to plan what you want to write. Think back to your school days and the three elements of story telling that your English teacher constantly banged on about.

Remember what they are?

• The beginning
• The middle
• The end

Writing sales copy follows exactly the same process.

Tie in your copy with your headline

The best headlines will include the primary benefit of your product or service. If you manage that, get the same benefit into your copy straight away:

Headline: Miracle Glow removes all stains first time – guaranteed!

Copy: Fed up with washing clothes again and again because of stubborn stains? Well now’s the time to take action…

Get the idea?

The beginning

Your copy should start with a problem that needs to be solved. As with the example above, the problem was having to rewash clothes because of stubborn stains. This indicated to your reader what you are talking about and the purpose of your writing.

But it doesn’t always have to be a problem. The flip side is if your product or service is going to give pleasure (e.g. make them wealthier or more attractive), start with that benefit.

The middle

Your headline and initial paragraph would have drawn your reader in. Now you need a section that will convince them to buy.

This is the time to introduce the product or service that will overcome the initial problem or provide the favourable outcome. Taking the washing powder example again, you could say something along the lines of:

Now you can remove all stains first time with Miracle Glow. Second washes and extra products will become a thing of the past. Just one product will give you ultra clean laundry every time.

The end

This is where your reader enters the story. Up to now you’ve told them the problem they have and how you can solve it for them. Now’s the time to ask them to do something.

This is your call to action and is one of the most important aspects of your writing. It has to be commanding – tell them precisely what you want them to do:

Get your free sample of Miracle Glow now by calling xxxxxxxxxx

Your reader is left with no doubt that they have to call you to try out this amazing new product.

So, as you can see, being a copywriter is a lot like being a story teller. By following this simple format you’ll draw your reader in. Your compelling copy will convince them your product is for them and your call to action will make sure they buy.

Why not give it a try next time you’re staring at a blank screen.

Tweet This Post

Hands up if you know, without a doubt, what a copywriter does.

You do? Congratulations, you are one of the few.

When some people ask what I do and I tell  them I’m a copywriter, the normally say ‘Oh, really?’ nodding until  they have to give in to their curiosity and ask ‘what’s one of those then?’

The term copywriter often conjures and image of me sat at my desk surrounded in paper, copying text from one piece to another.

That’s not what I do.

Basically,  a copywriter is a person who writes marketing materials. It is sales writing – that which is mainly concerned with persuading someone (like you or me) to part with their hard earned cash and buy a particular product or service.

To make that happen your writing has to be invisible. No, that doesn’t mean using invisible ink. By invisible I mean it shouldn’t be showy. You writing has to be secondary – it is the sales message you want the reader to see, not your amazing prose.

To help you create something that sells rather than shows off, here are a few useful tips to follow:

1. You do not exist

Of course, you do really exist. If you didn’t you wouldn’t be able to write. But what shouldn’t exist is your hidden writer…that part of you that is longing to show off your literary skills. If your sales writing is to be successful you have to focus on your reader. Forget your own flare, you have to think about the readers because they are the ones that will be doing the buying. Think about what they like, their age, their likes and dislikes etc.

2. Simple

Small words and simple sentences are a copywriter’s best friend. Impressively high-brow writing won’t endear you to your reader. The best writing is simple and concise. Oh, and another thing, don’t use jargon, that’s a real turn off.

3. Who’s your customer?

Some people argue that writing to sell to a customer (B2C writing) is different to writing to sell to a business (B2B writing). In my book they are the same. At the end of the day, whether you are writing to a customer or a business, it will be a person reading your sales pitch. Companies can’t make buying decisions but people can.

4. The F word is banned

The primary aim of your sales writing is to convince someone to buy your product. To do that you have to show them how much better their life will be if they buy it. Which means telling them the benefits. Yes, the benefits not the features.

So as you can see, copywriting is all about simple, well written English that is designed to sell. No matter what format your writing is to take, keeping your language and structure simple is the best way to achieve sales.

By following this advice you will be able to get your readers’ attention (through a great headline), grab their interest (by using the benefits), make them want it and get them to buy (this is your strong call to action). Language can be a very powerful thing when handled correctly.

Tweet This Post

Before you all start scrolling down to add a comment telling me the title of this post is grammatically incorrect – I know, it’s meant to be.

I want to talk about a common mistake in website copywriting, but first a short illustration.

It is the school summer holidays so I am trying to juggle work whilst entertaining my sons. When they’re not glued to Top Gear on Dave I can usually hear them bickering…

Son number 1: “How fast did you run the 100 metres?”

Son number 2: “About 12.3 seconds, how about you?”

Son number 1: “I did it in 11.9.”

This kind of ‘trying to get one over each other’ conversation continues for most of the day. The problem is it gets them absolutely nowhere

You are probably wondering what all of this has to do with website copy. Well, I’ve written blog posts in the past that show the importance of using the word you in your web copy.  This is because it is one word that allows you to directly address your reader and connect with them which, let’s face it, is the whole point of your website in the first place.

The website and I

Sooner or later, within your web copy, you will have to talk about your company. Not excessively though. But how you go about this is crucial.

If you are a sole trader it is very tempting to use ‘I’ but don’t. Refer to your business as ‘we’ or ‘our’ which will effectively make your business sound larger than it is generating an image of experience, stability and expertise.

After doing some research for a client the other day, I came across a photographer’s website. Paragraph after paragraph he talked about:

“I do…”

“My portfolio…”

“I visit…”

“I will…”

Argh! How egotistical does that sound?

At no point did he address his reader; he never told them what he could do for them. Instead the entire site talked about how amazing he was, where he’d been and the people he’d worked with.

So what? A prospective customer is going to know why they should chose him over someone else? What makes him so special? And if he can’t convey what he’ll do for them through his website they’ll hit the back browser and be gone for good.

Using the second person (you) will help you build rapport with your reader. It will have the effect of you holding a conversation with them. After all that’s what copywriting is all about – it is a one way conversation designed to replace the more traditional two way dialogue.

Your website copywriting is crucial if you website is to attract readers and convert them into sales. If you are in any doubt find yourself a good freelance copywriter who will listen to you and work with you to produce copy that will sell you to your reader.

Tweet This Post

Should a copywriter tell?

Let’s think about that for a second. A copywriter’s job is to sell products for their clients through the written word.

Instructions for a project will probably include phrases like ‘tell everyone about our product’, ‘tell them how amazing it is’. But telling is for journalists and teachers.

Copywriting is about giving so much more than that.

Sell, sell, sell

It doesn’t matter whether you are writing an advert, website copy, brochure or email, your writing should persuade your reader to do something. Generally that ‘something’ is to BUY.

Therefore your writing has to sell the product rather than just tell your reader all about it. To do this, your writing must cover three crucial elements:

1. Be benefits driven

‘What’s in it for me?’ – that’s the only thing your reader is going to want to know. It is the benefits that provide the motivation for your reader to buy.

2. Offer

The offer is important because if that isn’t attractive to your reader, they won’t buy. It could be anything from a ‘buy one get one free’ offer, to a limited price reduction, limited edition or bonus gift. Whatever it is, a well thought out offer will add weight to your sales message.

3. Be your customer

A mistake many companies make when writing their own copy is that they write what they think the customer wants to hear – invariably they are wrong. If you can identify the problem your customers are looking to solve, you can sell to them because you are offering them the perfect solution.

These three elements boil down the basics of sales writing. Understanding what your customer wants, identifying the benefits in your product that will give them what they are looking for and coming up with a killer offer will help you create copy that really sells.

So next time you sit down to write some sales copy, remember – benefits – offer – be your customer – make sure you sell to them rather than just tell them about your product.

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter

Tweet This Post

Time is the most precious commodity in society. It’s the one thing we all wished we had more of.

So what if told you there was a way that I could provide you with more of it? How great would that be?

Well, if you read on, you’ll discover how that is possible.

Picture this scene:

It’s a typical British summer’s day – it’s raining; I’m standing in a bus queue and start to chat to  a guy in a pink shirt:

Pink shirt: ‘Miserable today isn’t it?’

Me: ‘Yes, beginning to wish I hadn’t left the office.’

Pink shirt: ‘What do you do?’

Me: ‘I’m a copywriter’ [Pink shirt nods but has no idea what I’m talking about] ‘I write web copy, press releases, newsletters…’

Pink shirt: ‘Oh.’

Me: ‘But most importantly I save my clients time.’

That’s the killer – I save my clients time. That (as far as my clients are concerned) is one of the top reasons they higher me – other than my creation of eye-catching, persuasive copy and vast range of copywriting services of course.

Whether you run your own business you know how important time is. There never seems to be enough to get everything done.

Shall I tell you why?

Because you are trying to do too much.

If you own your own business you know the more successful you are, the less time you have which is why you hire people to help you out. Your time is precious so you need to ensure it is being used wisely.

A lot of business people are capable of writing their own copy (but many aren’t and the smart ones know they aren’t). But it is time consuming. To help your business flourish you need to let go of some of the work. A copywriter will help you with that.

By building a relationship with a good copywriter they will get to know your business and use their creativity to help devise new and innovative ideas.

Even if you are a large company with a number of staff, what would be best? Getting an untrained staff member to knock our mediocre marketing that doesn’t work, or invest in a copywriter who know their onions and will produce great copy that sells?

Try the latter and you’ll see the difference it will make.

Tweet This Post

Does your marketing pack a punch?

If not, it’s not working.

The effectiveness of your marketing strategy and materials depends on your persuasive copy.

Pretend for a moment you have a high street store. You use your shop window display to draw customers in. Once inside your highly trained army of professional sales guys are there to convert their initial interest or curiosity into sales.

This scenario also works for online businesses, albeit in a virtual way.

Instead of a shop window, it is your website that will attract visitors to browse.

Great SEO copywriting is the equivalent of the shop window display. Your copywriter has to utilise all their skills to create copy that will please the search engine spiders so your website is ranked highly for your chosen keywords, plus it also has to hook the reader and make them buy or get in touch by being persuasive.

Persuasive copywriting is a skill that uses 4 techniques.

• Evoking an emotional response – emotion is a powerful tool as it is the most important factor when making a decision about whether to buy or not.
• Persuasion – go for a hard sell and your customers will vanish. You have to persuade them that buying is the right decision without making it obvious your are selling to them.
• Be familiar with the website – a good copywriter will take time to familiarise themselves with your website to ensure the correct use of internal links to draw your reader deeper within your site.
• Understanding the products – many business still believe they know their products best and so don’t use a copywriter. The problem there is they immediately start talking about their business rather than thinking about the benefits of buying for the customer. A good copywriter will take time to understand your product thoroughly so they can convey specific instructions and descriptions.

Copywriting is all about attraction and persuasion. Persuasive copywriting is effective copywriting and the hallmark of a professional.

MZQ9YDA9EV4Y

Tweet This Post

After months of R & D you’re ready to launch a new product. You know your target market and you think you know what they want so you’re ready to start creating your marketing materials.

You are now sat in front of your PC. The screen is blank and your mind is blanker – HELP!

Does that sound familiar?

How do you start?

The best place to start is with your readers. So ask yourself what is it that they’re interest in. If you said your product, you’d be wrong. The answer is simple – they are only interested in themselves.

Get to know your reader

If you are going to sell something to someone, you have to get to know them. As a copywriter I spend a lot of time ‘inside the heads’ of the audience I am writing for.

Take a look back at some of the sales copy you’ve produced. If any on it spends time telling people what you are selling to them (in the first instance), you’re wasting your time. All your readers want to know is what it does for them. Basically tell them how your product will make their life easier, more rewarding and more complete – whichever is applicable to your product (and make sure it is genuine and can be proven).

So, how can you tap into your readers’ emotions? Well, you will need various keys to unlock their emotional desires:

Pride – Flattery will get you anywhere. Suggest that someone with as much talent for making the right decision as they have ought to be signing up for or buying your product.

Envy – If they think people are already benefiting from your product they’ll think they are missing out, and they’ll hate that.

Gluttony – We always want more, so if you can convince them they will feel contented when they ‘consume’ it you will be on to a winner.

Lust – Tricky, but if you convince them your product will satisfy their craving, they’ll snap your hand off.

Anger – The last time I was angry was over my mobile phone’s pathetic battery life. Give your readers a way out of their present frustrations and they’ll thank you.

Greed – A major motivator. Say no more.

Sloth – We’re all lazy so tell your reader how your product will save them time and effort and they’ll buy.

Being human, you reader will try and rationalise their buying decision. But all you have to do is give them enough reasons why your buying your product is the sensible option and they’ll hand over the cash.

Tweet This Post

Remember this guy?

Our old English teachers may have taught us a lot at school, but for many the ghost of English lessons past has curbed their ability to write compelling and powerful copy.

Why?

Usually it’s because as soon as their writing starts to flow, a little voice mutters in their heads. It’s the voice of their old English teacher – “No slang! No sentence fragments! No Contractions! No colloquialisms!”

Well I’ve got news for you Mr English Teacher, these are all perfectly acceptable in the copywriting world.

Here are a few examples to illustrate:

Sentence fragments

Apparently all proper sentences should have a subject-verb-object construction. But in my opinion,  if they communicate complete thoughts, they are a perfectly acceptable tool for a writer.

“Get your copy of About the Home today. Full of tips and secrets. Why miss out? Buy yours today.”

Contractions and slang

Why can’t I use contractions? It’s perfectly acceptable in my book. As for slang – why not? If it helps communicate a particular message to your audience, go for it. Obviously, over doing it isn’t a great idea, but if you are writing to a particular market that readily uses slang, incorporating it within your copy will help you build rapport.

And…But

If you thought you couldn’t start a sentence with the conjunctions “and” or “but” – hogwash!!

I was interested to read in Fowler’s Modern English Usage that this particular prohibition had been ‘cheerfully ignored by standard authors from Anglo Saxon times onwards’ (Fowler’s Modern English Usage, Third Edition, p.52). Even Shakespeare used it in King John.

If it’s good enough for Shakespeare, it’s good enough for me.

Talking of Shakespeare, he also paved the way for splitting the infinitive:

Root pity in thy heart, that when it grows

Thu pity may deserve to pitied be

(Sonnet 142)

And of course, another famous example will be known by all the Trekkies out there:

To boldly go where no man has gone before

(Sounds a lot better than “To go boldly where no man has gone before”)

Ending a sentence with a preposition

If you still believe this, you don’t have a leg to stand on. If you did, you’d have to write “I you still believe this, you don’t have a leg on which to stand” – I prefer my version!

It is perfectly OK to end on a preposition provided it’s not redundant – so you can ask “Where are you going?” but not “Where are you going to?”

At the end of the day, if your aim is to write great copy that will get your readers’ attention and sells products – write conversationally. This will immediately build rapport with your audience, gain their trust and their cash.

One last thing, ditch your Thesaurus – over use could mean leaving behind good, clear English in favour of gratuitously overblown hyperbole.

Simple is the copywriter’s friend.

Tweet This Post

Every freelance copywriter will know that every new project brings with it a whole new set of challenges.

Which is why it is vital that, before you start anything, you clearly understand the goals of your project. If you know where you need to end up, it will be a lot easier to get there.

One of the first questions you should ask your client is what is the purpose of the project?

For example, if you are writing a sales letter it is important to remember that what you are writing is going to replace a personal visit or face to face conversation.

Whereas face to face a salesman can make eye contact, gain clues from the customer’s body language and counter objections as they arise, your letter can’t do that so the copy within it has to satisfy any potential objections, engage with the reader, and convince them to buy. A salesman can run after a customer who’s about to walk and have another go – your sales letter can’t, so you have to get it right first time.

Therefore setting out your goals before you begin is vital. They could be anything, including:

• Making a sale
• Getting opt-ins for your email list
• Getting someone to open an account with you
• Increase a customer’s spending with you
• Renewing a contract
• Agreeing to a meeting

Whatever it is, make sure it is the goal that drives your writing and not your creativity.

Copywriters, like all writers, are creatives at heart so it can be very easy to allow your alter ego get the better of you.

How do you know if you’ve gone over the top? Simple, if you read it and it makes you smile; if you want to show it to everyone with a big grin on your face shouting from the roof tops ‘look how clever I am’, ditch it because you’ve most probably over done it.

Copy is there to sell – pure and simple. The writing should be almost invisible. I don’t mean so they are looking at a blank page but rather that when they’ve read it they think “Wow, what a great product I must buy it” rather than “that’s a great bit of writing, now where’s the bin.”

Staying focused is the key – never lose sight of your goals.

Tweet This Post