Marketing

You know what it's like, your boss calls you and the rest of the marketing team into his office and announces: "Right guys, big push this quarter, we're going to create a viral video - any ideas?" While his enthusiasm starts to bubble over the rest of you sit in despair because you know that's not going to work. After all, it's not you that will make the video viral, that job is reserved for the viewing public. So, it's time to take your boss to one side, sit him down and explain what viral marketing is all about.   What is viral marketing? Viral marketing happens when a video captures the imagination of your audience and they share it like crazy using social media, which boost your brand awareness (and sales). So, if you want to have a viral hit on your hands you have to produce something that your audience will love and feel compelled ...

You mean they're not the same thing? Nope, advertising and marketing are two very different animals. The whole world is full of adverts; they are everywhere you turn, on the TV, radio, on buses, the Tube, in magazines, in newspapers, everywhere. Wherever you look there's a company somewhere trying to grab your hard earned cash from you with their incessant "buy now, buy now" messages. But is that really the most effective way of selling? The problem with that method is that you're thrusting your product or service at someone without actually knowing what they want. These days the buying public are far more canny and want to be wooed rather than ordered to buy. The subtlety of marketing There are far more avenues available to today's marketers through which they can reach their potential customers. Social media, video, article marketing and ...

For many, content marketing is seen as one of online marketing's necessary evils. Yes, it brings greater visibility, higher rankings (with a bit of luck) and a potential boost to customer service, which all helps your bottom line. But it does mean you either have to find the time to write the stuff yourself, delegate or hire in the services of a copywriter. The other big aspect is that it will only work if people can find your articles, so how can you make sure your writing is being found and being read? On the surface that sounds like a tough one, but the following points should help. Over here! If only your blog posts and articles could jump up and down to grab the attention of potential readers. Well they can't, but by checking your Google analytics you ...

Words are very powerful things. The way we speak, the phrases we use and the words we choose all say something about the people we are. Within seconds the person you're speaking to would have made a judgement about how approachable or friendly you come across as being, whether you're a chatty informal type or slightly more staid, in fact they would have summed you up by the time you've finished uttering your first few sentences. That's why you should be so careful about the words you choose in your marketing. As a copywriter, I spend a lot of time talking to my clients about the tone and voice of their marketing copy because its essential that what I write reflects them and their company's image. You see, copywriting isn't about sitting down and stringing a ...

YES. I could leave it there, but that wouldn't really convince you to take the plunge if you're still hovering around the fringes of the social media world. One of the main arguments is the time factor (we covered what to tweet in our last post). It's yet another thing you have to squeeze into your already hectic day. But let's look at that issue from a different angle. I'm guessing you find the time to promote your business, chat to your customers and offer them a great service, so if you're already doing that, you're pretty much there because you just have to do the same thing but online. I bet you even go out to networking events - well that involves leaving your office, arriving at a location where you won't be entirely sure about who will be there, probably not talking to everyone in the room and just leaving ...

Why oh why do so many companies feel the need to fill their marketing materials with jargon? Do they think it makes them appear clever? Perhaps they're under the impression their clients want to be faced with unintelligible ramblings because then they'll feel as though they're dealing with experts? Well they're wrong. Using jargon in your sales material is a complete turn off. All your customers want to know is how you're going to make their lives better in plain and simple language. Language speaks volumes The language you use says a lot about your company - even the salutation you use in your letters and emails: Dear customer - 'we don't really care who you are, just give us your money.' Dear Mr Smith - 'see, we do you know your name 'cause it's in our database, but we don't really want to talk ...

Networking is an essential part of business life, but it is also one of those activities that you either love or hate. Walking into a room full of strangers and having to break into a group's conversation can be one of the scariest things out, and if you're like me, you'd probably rather swim with Great White Sharks than go through that on a regular basis. But it doesn't have to be that way - or so I'm reliably informed. The social side of networking Social media has opened a whole new way to network, which can be enjoyed by everyone. It’s almost as though, because you’re not all cooped up in a room, people relax and chat more. They don’t feel as though they must leave with at least one sales lead (which is never the best mind-set for networking). And before you shout "Ah yes, but social networking is full of spammers pushing their ...

Is that right? Only 1% of SMEs use social media (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) in their marketing activities? That's what The Drum reported in a recent article. The startling revelation came from a survey from TalkTalk Business.   From the 500 SMEs surveyed, 43% said they weren’t comfortable using social networking sites. As a copywriter, I’ve been using social media for a while to offer advice, promote my business and make new contacts. It really isn’t scary – it’s just like chatting with friends. But I'm guessing that for many companies, the sheer immediacy of social media is quite daunting. After all, it gives their customers unprecedented access to them 24/7 and a very large stage from which to proclaim their displeasure (or pleasure) Today queries and complaints can be made quickly and very publicly, leaving companies feeling vulnerable. But that transparency can also be used to their advantage; the way a company ...

You hired a copywriter because of at least one of these reasons: You wanted to work with an experienced sales writer You needed an expert in their field You don't have the time to do it yourself You don't have the skills needed to create effective copy You wanted to make sure your copy worked In other words, you're serious about your business goals and you wanted to make sure you had the best team on board to help you realise them. So, what will your copywriter bring to your project? The role of a copywriter After you've briefed your copywriter, what do they do next? Well, first of all, they'll spend a lot of time getting to know: You Your company Your style Your products and services Your customers and their needs Your brand After that they'll research your competitors, find out what's happening in your market and, if necessary, make ...

No, we're not talking about what you think we're talking about - this post it all about how to keep your copywriting message on target. On the face of it, writing copy may seem simple, but it's not. For a start, you have to take a big step back from your business and look at it through the eyes of your customers. It has to be powerful and persuasive and it has to flow. That means meaningful paragraphs that slip from one to another without sounding like a load of disjointed ideas. So how do you achieve that? Well, here are 7 tips to help you out. 7 tips to retain clarity in your copywriting 1. Focus This is very important. Think of your ideal customer and write to them. If you try and write something for everyone, your message will become garbled. So, ...

Yes. OK, leaving it there would make this the shortest blog in history, so let's expand on that a bit. The belief that you can't sell through social media holds many businesses back. They are under the impression that it's full of people talking about what they had for lunch or what they're up to at the weekend. Granted, there are those that do that, but there's a lot more to social media than that. You see, social media is all about building relationships and that's another thing companies can't get their heads round. They tend to set up accounts, dabble for a week or two (usually sending a constant stream of sales messages out that turn people off faster than the fastest thing you can think of on roller skates), and then wonder why nothing has happened. Selling through ...

Social media is a fantastic way of promoting your business and building relationships - but you don't need me to tell you that. But to get the most from it, you need to have it 'married' to your website rather than running everything as a separate entity. Uniting the power of two If you want to stand out from the crowd, you've got to make the most of your online exposure. Simply having a website, a blog, Facebook page and Twitter account isn't enough. If you want to get ahead of your competition, you've got to make sure all your online efforts work together. This cross-linking will your promotion potential, impressions and sales. So how can you make that happen? Socialmediaexaminer.com has produced an excellent post that gives you the low down on how to ensure your business website and social media platforms are working together to maximise their online exposure. Grab a coffee and take ...

The whole world is going Facebook crazy. Now with 1.01 billion active users its' amazing anything gets done any more, especially when you read that 50% of active users log in every day. When do we find the time to fit in work? Although that might not be comforting reading for employers, it is for business owners because you know where your market is hanging out.  That's why more and more companies are looking to advertise and engage with their customers on Facebook. But there is one question at the forefront of their minds - how do they measure their return on investment? Facebook ROI Never an easy one to calculate, but before you even start to consider number-crunching, you have to think about the goal of your campaign and what you need to measure. Hubspot offer some great advice here in their post: 20 Facebook Ad Metrics Marketers Should Know. You can ...

Warning: This post doesn't follow the usual pattern of copywriting and marketing tips, but that doesn't make it any less relevant to all you business people out there. Running a business (or marketing campaign for that matter) requires numerous qualities, but determination is probably the most important. Lots of people out there know where they want to take their business, but can't be bothered to push through the bad times and give up. But there are others who have such a strong desire to achieve their goals, they'll do whatever it takes to make them happen. Setting targets If you want to grow your business (or create a successful marketing campaign) you must set targets - achievable targets. Wanting to become a millionaire over night is a nice thought, but highly unlikely to happen, so I suggest you opt for something more realistic. Take ...

There are lots of companies out there who generate loads of white papers. These documents are used to outline a particular issue faced by their customers and how it can be resolved. The are a mix between a brochure that highlights the benefits of a product or service and an educational article, conveying technical information in a marketing format. But once published they are all too frequently left to gather dust in an archive somewhere. The information contained within the white papers is hugely valuable,  so surely it makes sense to make the most of it? Make your white papers go further White papers can be relatively short, or they can go on for 50 pages or more; that's a lot of information. One of the best ways to get a bit more mileage out of them is to re-purpose the content for your ...

This post first appeared on or other blog, www.freelancecopywritersblog.com, but we wanted to share it with you here too. Copywriting Motivators What is a copywriting motivator? Well, before I answer that, think for a moment about what it is that makes you decide to buy something. First off, you’ll have a need (whether you’re conscience of it or not). Whether it’s a party coming up that you need a new dress for (and shoes, bag, make up etc.), or a problem with your business that you need a solution for, something will trigger a potential buying decision. Last week, I was leaving my Accountant’s office at about 5pm. It had been a long day and I’d not had a lot to eat. As I walked back to my car, my stomach was beginning to complain bitterly about the lack of food it had seen that day. To reach my car, I had to ...

Over the years the trend for many companies has been to move more and more of their marketing activities away from print in favour of digital formats such as websites, emails, e-newsletters, QR codes, video or social media. Although brochures, leaflets and other print marketing still holds a valid place in your marketing armoury, you do begin to wonder how long that will remain so. After all, consumer behaviour would suggest they will soon become a dim and distant memory, just like the pound note and vinyl. Consumer dictation If we look at the music industry as a case in point, we all started off buying tapes and vinyl singles. Then the new kid on the block arrived, the CD. Now, they too have been overtaken by iPods, MP3 players and downloadable music. The same is happening to books. As a lover of ...

If you're going to blog for your business, you must make sure every single post you publish makes an impact. The reasons people read blogs are: They want to learn something They enjoy reading people’s opinions They can connect with the reader on a personal level They are informative and entertaining But the main reason is that they are personal. Every post is written by a person, they are full of personality. So, if no one is reading your blog posts, there probably isn't enough of you in it. Getting personal Every reader that comes to your blog is building a relationship with you. You'll probably never meet them, but they believe they know you. They can tell a lot about you and your personality through your writing. The style you use, your opinions and subject matter all help them build up a picture of what you’re ...

Every day we are surrounded by marketing messages. There's no getting away from them; they're on the  TV, in magazines, on the radio, plastered along the sides of buses, taxis, billboards etc. everywhere you look, everywhere you go, someone is trying to sell you something. There lies the problem for marketers: with so many messages out there, how do you get yours to stand out and be noticed? That particular feat comes down to the presentation of your information. As a copywriter, my focus is always on the message, but colour, graphics and layout also play a big part in the way an advert or message is received. Information presentation Here are my top 5 things you can do to make sure your message isn’t ignored. 1. Verb Don’t worry, I’m not about to launch into a grammar lesson. But starting your heading with a verb instead ...

This post originally appeared on our other blog, www.freelancecopywritersblog.com, but we also wanted to share it with you here.   The written word is a powerful tool when used correctly. The effectiveness of all your written marketing communications, whether they are web pages, blog posts, white papers, case studies or brochures, relies entirely on engagement. If they don’t strike a chord with the reader they will have little or no effect. Writing marketing materials within your organisation can often lead to text that is full of jargon, unclear and downright boring, which will reflect the reader’s perception of your company. And that’s not good. Yes, I know what you’re thinking – you’re a copywriter, you’re going to say that aren’t you. Yes I am, and I make no apology for it. And that’s because over the years I’ve seen a lot of marketing materials produced in-house and, pretty much all of it (with ...

Everyone thinks they're a comedian, but few can actually pull it off. I'm sure you've experienced a night out with friends when one of them starts cracking jokes or making (what they think are) funny remarks. They think they're hilarious, but the rest of you are cringing hoping they'll shut up because what they think is funny is very far removed from what the rest of you class as a laugh. The same can happen of you try to use humour in your copy - just because you find something funny doesn't mean everyone else will too. Admittedly, there are times when brands manage to pull off humorous copy, but before you try it think long and hard about the image you've worked to hard to create for your business. And if you're dead set on being funny, ...

How on earth can you sell without selling? Well, if you want to sell well, it's a concept you need to get to grips with. You see many companies that write their own marketing materials tend to do one of two things: Create content that's full of 'we' Write a blatant sales pitch that tells the reader to BUY RIGHT NOW OR ELSE The problem is, your reader isn't going to buy from you just because you tell them to. They want to be wooed and comforted that your product is just what they've been looking for and that their lives will be so much better if they owned it. When companies take the direct approach, they usually end up listing the features of the product, announce now utterly amazing and brilliant their product (without any reason as to why ...

SEO and SEO copywriting is a vital part of any business's marketing, but it can also be one of the biggest pains. Not because it can be a bit complex, take a lot of time and investment, but because of the unsolicited emails that most companies are bombarded with each day. Every company claims to be able to get you on the front page of Google (not a claim that can be believed). And yet, if they were as brilliant as they claim why do they have to cold email thousands of businesses? Although when you delve into it search engine optimisation can be daunting, there are several things business can easily do to help them get found in the search results. So, grab yourself a copy and take a look at the following posts that have featured on my other blog Freelance Copywriter's Blog: Simple SEO checks any ...

LinkedIn is undoubtedly the most powerful of all professional social networking sites. Completing your profile could open up a wealth of opportunities for you from employers and potential clients. But how can you make sure you stand out from the rest? It's all about getting noticed, so here are some tips on how to give your profile a much needed boost. 7 tips to boost your LinkedIn profile 1. Headline The headline is the most important element of any sales or marketing tool and it's exactly the same with LinkedIn. It needs to be short, to the point and very clear and it must tell  the reader: Who you are Who you can help How you can help them This benefits lead copy will instantly show them what you can do for them or their organisation. 2. Be real A lot of profiles out there are boring, corporate and incredibly ...

What is the one thing that will make your blog stand out from all the rest (other than great content)? Your voice. How you put across your information, your style, personality and voice will all me major factors that attract people to your blog and encourage then to stay. You must make sure your voice and personality are 'heard' and not an imitation of your favourite blogger. Be you, be proud How do you make sure your personality shines through? 1. Think about how you want to come across Before you start blogging, think about how you want to present yourself. Do you want to be seen as being: Formal or informal? Conversational and chatty? Amusing? Factual and to the point? Once you've decided on the best fit for you make sure you continue in the same style for all your posts. 2. Inject your ...

Have you ever wondered how a copywriter is able to write about lots of different things? Every day they write copy about a vast range of products, services and industries, convincing the public to buy things. They must be creative geniuses with massive brains to store all that information. Of course, they could also be great researchers.   How to research your way to genius status When you think about a copywriter's day, you probably visualise them sitting in front of their computer writing. And that's all  they do until it's time to go home. Wrong. When starting a project a copywriter doesn't write straight away, before that happens they have to research. If someone asked you to build a house,  you wouldn't just rock-up at the site and start laying the foundations. You would have meetings to discuss the type of house ...

This post first appeared on our other blog www.freelancecopywritersblog.com, but as it's extremely relevant to any type of content generation we decided to re-post it here for you. You’ve finally done it. It was a job that remained on your to-do list for months, but finally, you’ve completed your new website copy or brochure content. Your copy is error free (well, as far you can see), reads superbly and most importantly, can now be crossed off your to-do list. Once it’s been uploaded or your shiny brochures have been received back from the printers (smelling divine), you sit back and wait for your phone to start ringing and the deluge of emails to pour into your inbox. Strange, nothing’s happening…   Dogs can teach you a lot about copywriting These lovable rogues are my dogs – Jerry and Scooby. As all dog owners will understand, they ...

Content generation is vital if you want to boost your online presence. But how can you make sure people find your content? If it can't be found people won't read it, and if people don't read it there won't be a constant stream of traffic to your website. A bit of a problem. Well, this post looks at how you can make sure people find your content. Making sure people find your stuff 1. Research You are writing for a specific audience, therefore it's essential you research that audience and find out what they want to read about. What is it that interests them? What problems are they facing that they need help with? Basically, you can't start writing for them until you know the answers to those questions. 2. Call to action Once they do find your content, remember to ask them to do ...

If you are still a blogging sceptic, take a look at this statistic: Companies that blog get 55% more website visitors than those that don't and 57% of companies with a blog have acquired a customer from it (Hubspot) So you see, blogging isn't a waste of time. It really can do wonders for your business. But once you've taken the plunge and set up your blog, what then? This post looks at how to get started in the wonderful world of blogging. Why do you want to blog? If you've decided to  take the plunge, you've probably worked out that: It will help your search engine rankings It will position you as an expert in your field It's a way of getting fresh content our there and strengthen your web presence Fantastic. But before you get going you'll need a strategy. Starting out First, you must decide what ...

The one thing stopping a lot of people offering a guarantee is the though that, if they do, loads of people will use it as a way of getting their money back, which will cost a fortune. True, there may be one or two people that do that, but by offering a guarantee you will be rewarded with far more benefits that if you don't. Advantages of offering a guarantee The prevalance of internet scams has caused people to be very sceptical about online retailers. People buying from High Street shops have the added peace of mind of knowing they can easily return items should things go wrong. But when buying from the internet that isn't the case. Plus, too many internet companies make it very difficult for customers to get in touch with them when things do ...