Posts Tagged ‘marketing tips’

  If you think of a piece of copy, the main elements that you’ll immediately think of are the headline, body copy and call to action. These are all very important aspects of any piece of copywriting, but they aren’t the be all and end all. There are other elements that a freelance copywriter can use to get their message across to the reader. To get your copy noticed it has to stand out from the crowd. There are so many marketing messages out there today, if yours isn’t conspicuous it will fade away into the background noise. But to help get your message noticed you can use three very useful tools: Subheadings Captions Call outs Sub headings When you were a child and chose a new book ...

The press release is one of the most underused forms of marketing out there. And yet they are one of the most effective forms of marketing. Many companies don’t use them because they don’t think they have anything newsworthy to talk about. But what about that new website, the new product being launched, the new premises you’re moving into, the new boss taking over, the new fleet of vehicles you’re using, the charity bike ride you’re taking part in? All of that is news and should be broadcast. Admittedly getting past the eye of the editor can be a challenge, but if your press release is newsworthy and not a thinly veiled advert, you’ll stand a very good chance of getting it published. And of course, ...

If you’re not a copywriter but want to write some sales copy, where do you start? Well, the best place is with your reader. Your reader will be doing the buying so make sure their needs are placed before your own. That means forget great swathes of writing about how great your company is – your reader doesn’t care – and focus on what your reader wants. But, there’s more to writing sales copy than creating benefits orientated copy. Even the way you structure your payment offers will have an effect on the number of sales you generate. I’m not talking about a choice of payment methods (cheque, PayPal, credit cards etc.), but whether you let them try before they buy, buy now pay later etc. 6 sales boosting payment options You need to ...

Since setting out in the world of copywriting, there are two questions I am constantly asked: 1. What does a copywriter do? 2. How do you write? The first is simple to answer. Copywriting is sales writing. It is my job to look at a business, learn about its products, services, people and ethos and convey that in benefits orientated copy that speaks to the reader. A copywriter should not only be a good writer, they also have to be a great listener. Because you will only determine what your clients want and your readers need by talking, asking questions and listening carefully to the answers. Keeping your writing focused can be a challenge. When ideas start to flow, it’s very easy to get carried away. Before you know it, you would have ...

Help! I have just started an email campaign and it’s not bringing in the results I want. What’s gone wrong? Why isn’t it working? Sound familiar? Email marketing is an art that has several elements that work together. Miss one of those out, and you could be heading for disaster. If your email marketing campaign is to have the strongest chance of success (remember, there are no guarantees), you must ensure you have looked at all the following elements: 1. Content This is one of the biggest and most vital aspects of your email marketing campaign. Its ingredients include a powerful subject line to get your email opened, a strong headline to get your email read, an amazing offer to make your recipient want to buy and a strong call to action to help them buy. But, no ...

Psst. Come here – did you know there are millions of adverts everywhere you look? They’re on websites, in brochures, newsletters, emails… Do you want to know how to make yours stand out? Take a look at what your competitors are doing…and then do something completely different. I bet if you were to study the adverts in your industry you’d see a common theme running through them. It might be in the copy, it might be in the design, it’s probably in both. The problem is you are all selling similar products and services so if you want yours to be noticed, you have to be different – you have to stand out from the crowd. When you run a business, it becomes your life. You live and breathe it every day so it’s not surprising that you become blinkered in your ...

Creating copy for your marketing materials can take time. Getting your message just right takes thought, skill and a lot of practice. You marketing materials have to sell for your company without being able to speak. Their copy has to engage the reader instantly but without eye contact. That’s quite a tall order. But your marketing materials are not designed to stand the test of time. A marketing copywriter changes with the times Do you wear the same type of clothes all the time? Other than changing the way you dress to reflect the seasons, I’m sure you also change according to the latest fashions. You probably also make constant changes to your home, whether that’s redecorating or changing the position of your furniture. So if you do all that, why don’t you review your marketing ...

Isn’t that a wonderful sight? An out-stretched hand waving a credit card in your direction. Wouldn’t it be amazing if your copywriting (sales writing) made everyone do that? Products would simply fly off your shelves. People are more likely to buy from you if they trust you. Therefore your sales writing has to build a relationship with your reader. They must be able to instantly connect with you – and that’s not easy through words. After all, although you may have the vision of your ideal customer in your head,you never really know who is going to be reading your marketing materials. Writing in the second person (i.e. using you and your) is a great way to start to build that relationship. By talking directly to your reader you begin to build a rapport that ...

Is there a difference between when writing to a business audience and writing to a (personal) customer audience? That is a question that frequently causes arguments amongst freelance copywriters – or at least heated discussions. Before I begin, this is my own opinion on this particular conundrum, and one that has stood me in good stead for all the clients I have worked for over the years. As far as I’m concerned, B2B (or business to business) copywriting should be treated in exactly the same way as when writing for a B2C (business to customer) audience. I can’t think of any reason why it should be seen as different. After all a company can’t physically buy anything, it can’t get up and meet you for a coffee and it can’t sit down and sign ...

One of tricks of successful copywriting is understanding what your customers want. You might think that is obvious – it’s what they ask for. Well, it’s not always that straightforward. There is really only one way you can determine exactly what your customers are looking for and that’s through research. How to research As a copywriter, when I’m approached by a new client I try to gather as much information from them as possible. I ask questions – lots of them! – I listen and I make notes. This is the only way I can work out precisely what my clients want. So why should it be any different for you? Many businesses, if they have the budget, use a market research agency. They go away and return with loads of data about your customers’ habits, ...

Practically anything can be sold – products, services, information – so you would probably assume there is a vast range of different types of copy. Well, if you look deeper you’ll discover there are three types of copy that fulfil just about every possible use: Copy that sells to your reader Copy that attracts customers Copy that builds relationships Of course, copy doesn’t always just perform one of these uses; it normally has to achieve a combination of them. Copy that sells to your reader Although you could argue that all copy is designed to sell, the main formats involved in this category are: Direct mail/email Adverts Ecommerce websites (where the user can order online immediately calling for an instant buying decision) Each of these are used to get an immediate sale. Readers of this type of copy are persuaded to make a ...