Once upon a time, after writing your press release, you’d send it out to a few local newspapers or magazines. The fate of it was then entirely in their hands.

Today, you can send your press release out to numerous online services, re-post it on news websites, add it to your blog or use it as part of your email marketing campaign. Plus, social media tools mean people can also share it with others therefore widening its readership.

But before you get too carried away, if you publish it online you still have to do some work to make sure it gets seen.

6 tips to make your press release stand out

1. Keywords

If you want to be found online you must use keywords. Use 2 or 3 well chosen words or phrases that are highly specific to your business. For example, ‘Daisy’s Tea Rooms, Ipswich’ shows  the company name, what it is and where it’s located.

2. Headline

Your headline also acts as your title tag (or page title) so it’s vital your primary keywords and company name appear in it. The title tag is the first thing Google reads to determine what your content is about.

3. Short and punchy

Just going back to your headline for a moment, Google only displays 65 characters as the title tag, including spaces, so it mustn’t exceed that limit.

And make sure your keyword is at the start of your heading.

4. First paragraph

This is very important so it must contain all the most important and relevant information for your release. Yup, you guessed it, your primary keyword also needs to be in there.

5. Hyperlinks

Writing for online pubilcation means you can include hyperlinks. By linking your keyword back to your website, you’re letting Google know that it is a website that’s highly relevant to your copy.

6. Newsworthy

Even though this one has nothing to do with SEO, it’s still very important.

If you put out a press release that’s just a thinly veiled advert, you’ll do all sorts of damage to your company’s repuation. Your press release has to be genuine news if you want it to be read, add value and build confidence in your business.

Once you’ve published your press release, don’t expect overnight results. SEO doesn’t work like that. Have patience and eventually you’ll see your release appearing in the search results. And of course, another major plus of it being online is that it’s there for ever, constantly driving traffic to your website.

As a copywriter a lot of  my time is spent educating potential clients of the value of what I do.

Many ‘get’ what a copywriter does and the value that they bring, but some simply come to me because they were told by a colleague they needed a copywriter without really understanding why, or the difference a professonal writer will bring to their project.

Hiring in outside hellp will obviously mean you get great copy, but it also means your marketing materials will ‘speak’ to your reader because a copywriter can be objective; they look at your company from the outside so they get the same perspective as your customers.

So what? Well it means they will write about the benefits of your products and services, not the features.

The other day I came across a job advert for a junior position, looking for someone with the following skills:

• Copywriting
• PR
• Events
• Social media

I’m sure you’ll agree that’s a big ask for someone so junior. So, is there really going to be someone out there with expertise in all those areas who will be able to deliver the results the company wants?

Speaking for myself, although I can definitely cover the copywriting, I wouldn’t call myself an expert in the other fields (although I do use social media a lot for my own business).

Devaluing skills

In the current climate, we can all understand why companies want to find multi-talented people who can do the jobs of 3 or 4 people, but  creating a position that lumps together diverse skills like that has the effect of devaluing the professional copywriters, PR people, events and social media experts out there.

To master each of these disciplines takes time and experience.

By not bringing in experts in each field (either on permanent contracts or on a freelance basis), the company is running the very real risk of not being represented well in any of the fields and will end up with:

• Copy that doesn’t sell
• PR that won’t generate the coverage they want or need
• Events that are dull and lifeless
• Social media activity tahht doesn’t engage

When you look at it that way, you begin to understand the true value of each skill set.

 Over to you

If you are a copywriter, PR, event organiser or social media person, what is your take on this? Can one person really be an expert in them in all?

Leave a comment below and let’s get a debate started.

Fantastic, benefits heavy copywriting is great, but it is better when coupled with a powerful call to action. And yet, you’d be amazed at how many people completely forget to add one.

For hours, they slave over their copy, analysing every word until it is as strong as possible only to forget the call to action. The result? The reader is convinced by your copy, is ready to buy, but then reaches the end and wanders off – all because you didn’t tell them what to do next.

If you don’t have a call to action, your conversion rate will take a nose dive.

Many would argue that you should give your customers some credit and they’ll know what you want them to do. Well, if that was the case, why is your conversion rate so low? And besides, what harm is there in a call to action? Even if your customer knows you want them to buy, why not reinforce it by having a simple sentence that tells  them to do exactly that?

To make sure your call to action works it should be:

• Relevant
• Clear
• Part of your copy
• Visible

Let’s take a look at those in more detail:

1. Relevant

Make sure it actually asks them to do what you want them to do. If you want them to sign up for your newsletter, ask them to; if you want them to call you, ask them to and add your phone number etc.

2. Clear

Don’t make them hunt down your call to action. Make sure it stands out and is commanding. A line like ‘If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind giving us a call, when it’s convenient…’ is no use to man nor beast. But adding something like ‘Call us now on xxxx’ or ‘Register now by clicking here…’ shows them exactly what you want them to do.

3. Part of your copy

Don’t leave it until the end of your web page, newsletter or email. You can dot them liberally throughout the text (where they fit the context) in locations where they would be expected.

4. Visible

The best way to make them stand out is to place them in bold text and to have them in a paragraph of their own.

Expanding the previous point, by adding them in several locations, as soon as the reader has reached a buying decision, they can take action. And  if they are highly visible, they won’t be left hunting around for your details.

The best calls to action are:

• Clear
• Simple
• Commanding

Make sure you make it very clear what you want your reader to do.

Have you ever had someone turn round to you and exclude you from a conversation with the missive – “It’s OK, you wouldn’t understand.”?

OK, there would be occasions where it is quite possible you wouldn’t have a clue what they were talking about, but that doesn’t make their assumption any less irritating. After all, surely it’s their job to explain the topic clearly and in such a way that anyone could understand it.

It’s a bit like copywriting – everyone can write, but writing persuasively and clearly isn’t something everyone finds easy. That doesn’t mean to say they can’t, it just means they are not practiced in doing it, which is why many companies hire in the expertise of a copywriter.

The value of a copywriter

What’s the difference between a copywriter and a company owner?

The company owner knows their business inside and out, whereas the copywriter knows how to put that across in writing in a way that is interesting and relevant to its customers.

You see, when writing for your own business, it’s very easy to get lost in how great your company is, its achievements, how long it’s been trading etc. All very interesting to you, but mind-numbingly boring to your customers.

That’s why professional copy works; because the copywriter looks at your business from  your customers’ point of view and writes about what they’re interested in, i.e. the benefits your products/services offer.

What do we mean by benefits? Well, not the number of colours you offer or different sizes – they are features. Your customer wants to know about how they will:

• Improve their lives
• Save them money
• Save them time
• Make them money
• Make them more attractive…

Only by placing yourself in your customers’ shoes can you convince them your product or service is for them.

The heart of your marketing

At the end of the day, the only way to make sure your marketing works is to place your customers at the heart of it.

With your unwavering focus on them, you will be able to convince them they need your product or service and get them to buy.

Q: Should you be using social media?

A: Yes.

Q: Should you be selling through social media?

A: Yes.

Q: Should you be connecting and engaging with your customers/audience through social media?

A: Yes.

Yes, social media is a great way to connect, engage with your customers, find new clients and promote your business.

But many businesses fall at the first hurdle because they use it solely as a promotional tool. By constantly tweeting or updating fans about your latest promotions, news, what you’re up to and a few more promotions, you’ll lose followers hand over fist.

Why?

Because you’ll come across as being ‘spammy’.

Social media as a marketing tool

Through social media you can encourage people to sign up to your newsletters, promote your eBooks and give-aways and encourage them to visit your website. But if that’s all you do, people will get fed up with you. The key is to also use social media to connect and engage with people by:

• Listenting to what they are talking about, you may be able to help
• Find out what they’re saying about your business (great customer research)
• Engage with your followers and find out what they are looking for
• Build relationships with people you wouldn’t normally come across
• Give advice and ask fo help

Plus, use it to promote other people who’ve help you because social media is all about marketing, connecting and reciprocity.

Be generous with your information, connect, engage and build relationships. if you do that, social media will prove to be a powerful tool in your online marketing strategy.

For those of you who are still not convinced about having your business on Facebook, take a look at a few of these stats that show the levels of engagement with customers you could be enjoying:

• Worldwide, 175 million people log onto Facebook every day
• 66% of comments on company pages are from consumers (34% are from other businesses)
• 35% of consumer comments on company Facebook pages are compliments
• 8% of consumer comments on company Facebook pages are complaints
• 17% of company responses to consumer comments call consumers by name
• 15% of company responses to consumer comments invite further conversation
• 89% of consumer replies on company Facebook pages go unanswered

Stats from Socially Awkward Media

Having a business page on Facebook makes sense as it’s where your customers hang out. So, if you want to engage with them, you’ve got to join the club.

But having a successful Facebook page is one thing, but how do you encourage your fans to visit your website?

How to get your fans to your website

A lot of businesses are obsessed by how many fans they have; they treat is as a populatrity contest.

But what good are thousands of fans if you’re not interacting with them and not encouraging them to visit your main website?

Ben Pickering’s post in SocialMediaExaminer.com takes a look at this issue and suggests the following 5 tips for driving Facebook fans back to your website:

• Use of tabs
• Sharing blog posts and articles
• Using teaser content
• Running contests on your brand website
• Special offers on your brand website

Each of these tips will not only actively encourage your fans to visit your main website through various calls to action, but they also add value to your Facebook page.

By providing a ‘two way street’ like this, you win because you get more traffic and your fans/customers win because they get a higher level of interation with you.

Regular newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your customers and add value to your relationship. They can be used to convey information, opinions, top tips and offers. But generating a regular stream of information can seem daunting and is one of the major factors that puts businesses off using this valuable sales tool.

But it doesn’t have to be daunting, all you need is:

• A great template that looks professional
• An easy way to generate a constant stream of valuable content

Is there really an easy way to produce a continuous stream of content?

Keeping your ideas flowing

The creation process follows 5 simple steps:

1. Choose 3 topics for the main body of your newsletter (or as many as you wish)
2. If your design has a side bar, find about 3 regular topics to fill it (e.g. recent testimonials, tips, quotes etc.)
3. Interview industry experts or research a specific topic of interest to your readers
4. Write your own articles
5. Proofread it several times before sending

1. Main topics

The main articles will make up the bulk of your newsletter. In the above list I suggested 3, but you can use more or less if you prefer. One thing to remember though is the length of your newsletter. Ideally, it would be around the 400 word mark. So if you have a lengthy article that you want to include, why not just include the first paragraph and then link through to the complete article on your website or blog.

Of course, they don’t have to be long articles. They could just talk about the latest news or events that are coming up.

2. Side bar

This is the ideal place for quick snippets of information. You could use this space for regular items such as most recent testimonials, thought for the month, announcements, top tips etc.

3. Interviews or research

An interview will really add depth to your newsletter by adding an expert’s insight into a particular topic that your readers are interested in. Likewise, researching and writing article is a great way to add value to your readers, and don’t forget to add any external links to information they might find useful.

4. Writing process

Always write your articles in the second person to build rapport with your readers and don’t forget links out to other websites that will provide useful and relevant information. To keep the ideas flowing, keep a pen and pad with you at all times, you never know when inspiration may strike, or when a conversation will spark ideas.

Another important element to your newsletter is your call to action. Whether it’s a link back to your website, a competition, or a piece asking for their opinion, your call to action will make your newsletter a two way street whereby you offer great information and your readers interact with you.

Of course, they can only get in touch if you show your contact details prominently – and if you’re a limited company, make sure your registered address and company number are also included.

If you can, write it several days before you want to broadcast it. That way you will have time to review it to make sure the content provides the message you want to convey.

5. Proofread

This is the final and probably most important step.

The last thing you want to happen is to hit send only then to find a typo.

By writing your newsletter a few days before you need to send it, you’ll have time to review and proof it properly.

Done well, your regular newsletter will help build relationships, add value and maintain regular contact with your customers.

You have a website, so you’ve got this Internet marketing malarkey nailed – right?

Well, that depends on your traffic. You do get traffic, right?

How many leads do you get through your website every week?

At a recent networking event I was deep in conversation with a business owner about websites. I asked how his was working for him, how many leads it generated from his traffic. This was his response:

“No, I don’t have an ecommerce website so that doesn’t apply to me. My website is there because a business is expected to have one. I means, it’s not as if a business like mine will sell through a website, that’s simply not possible.”

That kind of attitude to online marketing will mean that he’ll probably never sell through his website. And the fact that it’s not generating any leads would strongly suggest that his website’s structure and content is pretty poor.

If your website is built with your SEO strategy in mind, easy to navigate and contains professional SEO copywriting, it will attract visitors and convert them into customers. But there are also other factors that can reduce your conversion rate that are often ignored. Let’s take a look at one of them.

Your website’s loading speed

Did you know that if your website is slow to load, you will lose 7% of your potential conversions?

According to a post on Bryan Eisenberg’s blog, a one second delay in your download speed could result in:

• 7% fewer conversions
• 11% fewer page views
• 16% reduction in customer satisfaction

So what factors will affect your download speed? Well it could be image size, social media buttons or simply the size of your webesite.

The optimum download speed is under 2 seconds, so how do you get your site to load faster?

1. Check your speed

Tools such as Google Analytics will help you find out what your download speed is. In his post, Bryan also recommends The Web Page Speed Report, Yahoo’s YSlow plugin, Google’s Page Speed plug-in, Loads In and WebPagetest.

Although you’ll want to pack as much functionality as possible into your website, remember that for every button and image you add there will be a knock on effect for your download speed.

2. Coding

This is probably one to discuss with your designer. Regardless of the type of coding behind the scenes, it can also affect your download speeds. So if you are concerned about it, give your designer a call.

3. Images

Images are great for websites and I’m certainly not suggesting that you shouldn’t use them. To make sure they have a minimal impact, condense them, make sure you use the right format and use them sparingly – in this case less is definitely more.

Why this is important

After investing in your website, it’s essential you get a return in that initial outlay. Your website is not, and should not be viewed as an online brochure – it is so much more than that. It has the potential to sell 24/7, reaching customers and markets you could only have dreamed of before.

If your website isn’t generating leads as yourself why not. Review its structure, content, load time, keywords and analytics.

A website that doesn’t perform is like a High Street store with its doors locked.

Take a look at your website now and make sure it is performing for you.

When SEO (search engine optimised) copywriting is done well, it will boost your search rankings, attract targeted traffic to your website and convert those visitors into sales.

Done badly, it could harm your rankings, keep people away and it won’t sell anything.

So how do you make sure you get it right?

5 signs of good SEO copwriting

1. Written for your reader

When people think of SEO copy, they instantly start stuffing keywords into places they really shouldn’t go. This is probably because they’ve heard the term ‘keyword density’. If you have heard of it, forget it NOW. It’s a complete myth.

If you want copy that helps your rankings and attracts customers (and makes them buy), it needs to be written naturally and for the reader. Concentrate on selling the benefits, writing in the second person (lots of ‘you’ and virtually no ‘we’), make your reader believe you want to help them.

2. Don’t repeat yourself

Repetitive copy means it has too many keywords in it, or that you’ve over used a favourite phrase.

Read your copy out loud to make sure it makes sense, you haven’t repeated yourself and that it flows naturally.

3. Linking out

You already know that links into your website benefit your SEO hugely, but don’t forget to link out too. Placing a link to authoritative articles will not only add to your readers’ experience, it will also keep Google happy (and it could attract inbound links).

4. Structure

Make sure your copy looks attractive. Lay it out in short paragraphs with plenty of sub headings and bulleted lists to add interest.

Also, make sure it is logical and has a beginning, middle and end.

5. Be natural

Above all, write naturally. There is a lot of software out there that will help you generate loads of articles by ‘spinning’ them. Although it might seem like a great idea, they often lead to badly structured articles that no one will read – and that’s bad.

Don’t be tempted to take shortcuts.

So, what it all boils down to is write naturally, for your reader and don’t stuff your copy with keywords.

That’s all there is to it.

In an ideal world, when selling to your customers, the process would go something this this:

You – This stereo is the latest thing onth market. It blows its competition out of the water. Every house in the UK will own one soon so make sure you’re the innovator in your street and buy yours today.

Prospect – Fantastic, I’ll have one!

The problem is, life just isn’t like that. No one can be sold to that easily (well, very few people). Normally, you’ll experience something more like  this:

You – This stereo is the latest thing onth market. It blows its competition out of the water. Every house in the UK will own one soon so make sure you’re the innovator in your street and buy yours today.

Prospect – It’s quite expensive.

You – But it’s the latest technology.

Prospect – Hmmm, not sure I really need all those features.

You – But it’s cutting-edge.

Prospect – Hmm, think I’d better ask the wife.

You – But…wait…its great…hang on…come back!!!!

In the world of copywriting, writing great copy isn’t just about getting your customers to say yes, it’s also about stopping them from saying no.

So when you’re with your client to take their brief for your next assignment, don’t just focus on the benefits, also take the time to find out why a customer may not believe your magic words and say no.

Yes, but…

When you’re stood in front of a customers, teh last thing you want to hear is “Yes, but….” because it means they are not convinced and you could lose them any second. But at least if you’re in front of them, you stand a chance of overcoming their objections.

When selling through copy, that’s not an option – your copywriting has to address their fears and wash them away

Common objections

The 3 most common objections are:

•  It’s too expensive
• I need to talk to someone else
• I don’t really need it

Let’s look at each in turn.

Too expensive

Although one of the most popular reasons, it’s seldom the reason for not buying – it’s just an easy one to target.

To get round it, you must demonstrate the value of the product to your reader – show them it will actually save them money. The best way to do this is to refer to it as an investment. It sounds a bit grander than ‘cost’ and it implies there will be a payback of some sort.

Talk to someone else

Again, another little white lie that’s a nice let-out from having to make a buying decision.

This one implies they’re not convinced by your product so you can counter that through your copy with testimonials and case studies. These real life examples will give them the reassurance they need.

Don’t think I need it

If this one crops up it means your copy hasn’t done its job because it’s not ‘sold’ the idea.

There’s only one thing to do, go back to the drawing board. Take a look at your copy – have you told a story? Did you cover all the benefits? Did you explain how your reader will benefit (with facts)?

Also, go back to the product/service and find out exactly what it does for the reader – not its functions and features, its actual benefits; how it will make your readers’ lives better.

Over to you

There will always be objections to overcome so make sure you list every potential objection before you start writing your copy.

If you can dispel those doubts you are much closer to getting the sales you (and your client) want.

What other objections have you come across and how did you overcome them? Leave a comment below and share your experiences