Posts Tagged ‘marketing tips’

  If you a business owner today the likelihood is that you dabble in email marketing, or at least have started to think about it. Email has opened up a new and effective way of keeping in touch with your customers quickly and relatively cheaply. You can use the emails to give great information, keep them up to date with industry news as well as new products, services and offers. It only takes a few seconds to communicate with thousands of people. Because email marketing is a hot topic, I have written numerous posts about it, such as: How to build your email marketing list Email marketing – Welcome How to be an email spammer

  If you are an avid reader of marketing blogs you’re bound to have come across the old saying ‘content is king’. Internet marketers across the globe have been telling us that if you want more organic traffic to our websites we need to generate more content—but not any old content, targeted content containing relevant keywords. As a result many companies are now adding content to their sites, but it’s not always good content. One of the easiest ways of getting loads of content is to use a copywriter. But there are loads out there so it pays to do your research and find a good

  Loads of companies are now using social media – applications like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and blogs are transforming the way they interact with their market. Are you using social media? Are you monitoring its effectiveness? I’m guessing you answered yes to the first question and went quiet, or whispered no to the second. Blindly using social media without monitoring it is a bit like driving your car blind folded – your message is delivered quickly but it’s likely to hit a brick wall any second. In the olden days you only discovered there was a problem with your products or services when someone picked ...

  What is the one vital aspect of copy that is often missed? The call to action. It’s true that copywriting is about building rapport with your readers—you have to get to know them, understand what makes them tick and befriend them. Perhaps that’s why people shy away from actually telling them what to do. But if your copy doesn’t shout “Oi! Get in touch and buy now” (OK perhaps a bit harsh) they’ll just swan off and read someone else’s website, brochure, email or letter. So how do you go about driving your reader towards your call to action? Start softly Good copy ...

  Businesses everywhere are beginning to appreciate the benefits of email marketing. It is a form of marketing that can be done cheaply and on a massive scale. It’s never been so easy to get your message out to your market place. But not only is it fast, its results are also measurable. With today’s sophisticated software you can track who opens your emails, what links they click on within the email, what they do once they’ve made that click. This kind of transparency helps you hone your email marketing, constantly improving it to make sure it’s giving your customers what they want. Testing the effectiveness of ...

The brochure – once the main marketing force of many companies, has now become a bit of a dinosaur. With more businesses than ever turning to online marketing, is the humble brochure about to be consigned to the annuls of history? As more people turn to the internet to find goods and services (both locally and nationally), companies are investing heavily in search engine optimisation. And with 85% of all search traffic clicking on organic listings rather than the paid ads, it’s hardly surprising that’s where the money’s going. But is it really too late for the humble brochure? I don’t think so. It still has a valid place within your marketing armoury, and here’s why… Leaving it behind When ...

If you get it right, email marketing can be one of the most effective marketing tools available to businesses today. Yes everyone’s doing it but that doesn’t mean it’s easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. If you want it to work you must give each email a lot of serious thought otherwise it will simply end up being deleted. Every email must count and convert. That may sound simple enough but in practice it can get complicated. To help you out, here’s my top 3 tips to boost your email marketing conversion rates: 1. Tell them what they need to know You’d be amazed at how many businesses that don’t. Just as with website copy, many companies insist on using their emails as a way of telling their customer ...

  Hey, I’m a copywriter so I know exactly what my audience wants, right? All they want is an incredible offer and they’ll be putty in my hands. If real life was like that it would be amazing and my job would be very easy. But sadly in the real life creating copy that sells isn’t quite that easy. Sometimes there is a problem with your sales pitch—they simply don’t want to buy your product. You can’t lead a dog of a tablet… Well that’s a well known saying in my house anyway. I have two dogs—one very large chocolate Labrador that’ll ...

  Every marketer’s dream is to come up with a piece of collateral that markets their business forever. Wouldn’t that be amazing? Well, not only is it an amazing thought, it is also possible to achieve. Don’t believe me? Read on. Eternal online marketing In years gone by most of your marketing would have been done off line – so we’re looking at things like leaflets, brochures, magazine adverts…that sort of thing. The main problem with these are they only reach a limited audience and they are soon forgotten about. Once your brochure is binned or the magazine recycled, your content is lost forever. ...

Although there are many different uses for the direct mail letter, they all have common characteristics that make them successful. Of course, your list and your offer will also have a big impact on your success rate but the characteristics I will be talking about are those that make the letter powerful, engaging – a sales force to be reckoned with. So, that must mean the copy. How you write your letter will determine whether you successfully engage with your reader. A lot depends on the words you use… Be personal When you are in a face to face selling situation, the first thing the sales person will try to do is build rapport. That is exactly what your letter has to do. Use language that will engage your reader ...

    Direct mail has always been a very effective marketing tool – but only if you get it right. It won’t have a place in every business, especially with the advances in online marketing. But it is still very much alive and well. If you dabble in direct mail and want your campaigns to be successful, there are three elements you should use to maximise your chances of success:   Make sure the content of your letter appeals to your target market Make sure it is written to inspire your audience to take an action Make sure you can monitor its effectiveness ...

Is there really a difference between producing copy for on and offline purposes? Well, let’s think about that for a moment. What’s the most important thing to focus on when producing sales copy? Your reader. Once you know who you are writing for, what do you have to remember? To sell the benefits of the product or service you are writing about. There is only one question your audience wants answered – What’s in it for me? This is true whether you are writing website copy, brochure copy, newsletter content or direct mail. Essentially the elements for on and off line copy are going to be the same – it should always be focused on your reader. The basic formula There is a basic formula to keep in mind when you are writing sales copy. You may have heard of it already ...

  Clever copywriting as opposed to what? Well, a while back I was asked to take part in an online Q&A session with The Guardian about copywriting as a career. During this discussion the question was asked whether copywriting should be clean or clever. Clean copywriting is all about producing very tight, concise and compelling sales copy. Where as clever copy is there to impress. Which is best will stem from personal experience and what your audience dictates. As a copywriter, my career to date as mainly seen me involved in creating copy for commercial print or web based media, so here is my point of view. Always short and sweet ...

  Are freelance copywriters the only people who can write persuasive copy? I would love to answer that with a yes, but anyone can write persuasively if they have the time and inclination. But as time is a rare commodity these days it is often more cost effective to use a professional copywriter. Creating a magnetic force in your writing uses 9 techniques. Used in isolation they’ll have little effect, but combine their power and you’ll produce captivating copy that will make your reader buy. I guess you want to know what the 9 elements are… 1. Be direct I don’t mean write “Buy it now!” – that won't work. I’m thinking ...

The chances are, if you’re reading this you have a website and do a fair amount of online marketing – or at least you’re beginning to. Local search is becoming a very important tool for many businesses. Twenty or Thirty years ago, if someone wanted to find a local service provider, they’d look in the Yellow Pages or local press. Today more and more people are turning to Google and the other search engines to find local businesses. Which basically means, you need to make sure your website and online marketing activities are geared up to make the most of these local searches which means owning more of the web. Boost your share of the web There are many facets to search engine optimisation – website structure and ...

There definitely is one – an enormous one. To give you a clue, it is something you should be thinking about even before you pick up your pen or strike a key on your keyboard. Have you worked out what it is yet? Purpose Everything you write must have a purpose. If it doesn’t, what’s the point writing it? Every piece of copy you write – website copywriting, newsletters, brochure copy, advert, case study, press release…everything has a purpose – it’s there to generate something – sales, leads, interest, traffic… You’ve put a lot of time and effort into it (and quite possibly money if you are using a freelance copywriter) so you must make sure it actually does something. Before you begin to write (or give your copywriter ...

  If you are scratching your head trying to come up with the answer to that question, I can confirm it is not… “Once upon a time…” (Just in case you were wondering) Copywriting is sales and marketing writing. It is designed to persuade the reader to buy a product or service. But when I asked ‘how does copywriting start?’ I was thinking more about the process a copywriter goes through. So what do you reckon? Copywriting begins when you start writing? Or… Copywriting begins when you get an assignment? It begins from the very first phone call, email or conversation with ...

  OK you men out there – we know what’s on your mind. Don’t try to deny it, I read somewhere that you think about sex every six seconds so it must be true. The problem with that is, as a copywriter, it causes a bit of a problem. No matter what I write, there’s a fair chance your mind is going to be elsewhere. For example, if I write a sales letter  that takes about five minutes to read, my beautifully crafted sales pitch will be interrupted by your carnal thoughts fifty times! The point I’m trying to make is that when anyone picks up your sales letter, there’s a good chance they’ll be focusing on something ...

  The humble press release is one of the most effective ways of promoting your business online. Being online it will hang around in cyberspace for a long time. So if you’ve written it including your keywords it could potentially send targeted traffic to your website for eternity – or at least for as long as it appears on the internet. But many people don’t issue press releases because they don’t know how to write them. Well if that’s all that’s holding you back it’s well worth learning. There’s a vast amount of information on the web about how to write a press release, but to help you out I have listed below some common ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 – ...

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 ...

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 ...

As a business owner, you know people aren’t going to buy from you just because you tell them how marvellous your product is. If they did there would be no need for freelance copywriters like myself (a very bad thing) even though it would make your life easier. To get someone to come to that all important buying decision, you have to make them believe your product is the greatest thing since Concord. You have to persuade them that it will make their life easier, it will be more fulfilling and quite possibly it will make them richer (but only promise things you can deliver). Great! That’s simple then. No? OK, to give you a helping hand, here are a few things you can try to help them make the ‘right’ decision. The main thing people want is ...

Probably one of the most effect, and yet the most under used forms of marketing tools available to businesses ins the press release. Over the past 12 months, how many press releases have you made on behalf of your company? 20…15…..10…..3….? None? When’s the right time to issue a press release? At one time or another your company will go through some sort of change. Although it may seem fairly mundane to you, it could be news to others. Therefore it is at times like these when you should release a press release. Below are just a few of these scenarios that would be considered news worthy. When you launch new products or services on your web site The results of an industry survey that you’ve conducted A forthcoming seminar that you’re hosting that you want to ...

What is the one marketing mistake I see companies making time and time again? It’s all over their website, brochures, leaflets, email marketing – in fact every piece of marketing spiel they produce. Give up? They talk about themselves. Who’s doing the buying? I know you think the world of your company and its products and services, bit to be honest, your customers only care about what you’re going to do for them. A few days ago a sales flyer appeared on my mat along with my post. Normally I don’t bother reading things like that, but this one was particularly colourful and had some good images on it which were quite eye-catching, so I thought ‘why not’. After reading the first paragraph I realised ‘why not’ – the only thing I learned was that this particular window ...

What is unique about your company? What is it that sets you apart from the competition? In other words what is your Unique Selling Point? Before you attempt to write any marketing materials, you must identify your USP. It can be anything, such as: Guaranteed next day delivery worldwide Your product guarantees a boost in intelligence Your product is guaranteed to make people look younger OK, some of those may be a little far fetched, but you get the picture. Your USP must be something that makes your product or service stand out from everyone else’s. Plus, it must be of value to your customer. Flaunt it Once you’ve worked out what it is, flaunt it for all you’re worth. Make sure it goes in your headlines because it will be your most important benefit for your customer. It’s red ...