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 company had been in business a fair while, they had a great sales team (apparently), and that they’d won an award.

They had made one fatal mistake – they had forgotten who the flyer was going to.

It wasn’t long before I was fed up hearing about them. They were in all probability very good at what they did, but not once did they tell me how their product would benefit me. Why was their glass so much better than anyone else’s? What benefit would that bring to me?

Rather than getting a:

“Wow, what an amazing product, I must phone the company right away” reaction, they got a “so what?” reaction and their flyer was filed in the rubbish bin.

All they had to do was produce a flyer that concentrated on the customer. I want to know the benefits – will their product help save me money on my heating bills? Will it help block out noise? Does it have a lifetime guarantee? These are the things I want to know. These are the things that are important to me – the customer!

Why am I telling you this?

The moral of this short story is that no matter what form your marketing takes, your writing must be centred on the reader.

Make sure you lead with the important stuff. Information about your company can come later. Always, always think of what your customers want to know – and I can guarantee how long you’ve been in business won’t be top of their list.

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter

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 hot news that will grab and hook your reader

What else does your product do?

Don’t just stop there. Your product will have plenty of other features and benefits you’ll want to use in your copy. To get the greatest impact, make sure you use the right information in the right places.

As you would expect, the most important stuff goes in the most prominent areas. Think traffic lights:

RED IS FOR HOT – information unique to you:

• USP – Guarantees – Freebies

ORANGE IS WARM – great benefits but also offered by your competitors:

Saves money – saves time – makes you more attractive/younger looking

GREEN IS TEPID – basic features such as:

Colour options – texture options - sizing

Always start with the red, follow up with the orange and end with the green. But don’t forget to finish off with a huge red call to action.

Get this the wrong way round, and you’ll lose your reader!

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter

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 to read, if you opened the page to be faced by a solid page of text, did you put it back? I know I did. Solid text is not attractive – it looks as though it’s going to be hard going and therefore is unlikely to be read.

The same goes for your copywriting. If a reader lands on your website or picks up your brochure and immediately sees row upon row of text - they ain’t gonna read it!

The use of sub headings will make your text easier to digest. They will act as little sign posts, showing your reader what information is where so they can dip in and out at their leisure. It will also generate more ‘white space’ on your page which makes it more attractive to the eye.

Captions

Captions are the short pieces of text you’ll find that accompany a graph, photo or drawing. They serve 2 purposes:

• The identify what the illustration is
• The link the illustration to your copy

Linking it to your copy helps the reader make sense of your image. For example, if the image was of someone using your product, your caption would describe to the reader what the picture was showing. If it was a chart, it would explain its meaning – such as: 85% of people asked expressed a preference to Miracle Clean compared to the leading brand.

Callouts

Call outs help you emphasis pieces of information. They are great for when you don’t want to interrupt the flow of your text. Also, if the information is so important you’ll want to draw special attention to it.

To do this you can use: bursts, callouts and sidebars.

What’s the difference?

A burst is a colourful graphic that attracts your readers’ attention to a particular point. These can be used to show a special offer or perhaps to emphasize a special feature:

A callout is a section of text, often in a different font or colour, designed to come across as a  ‘stage whisper’. They are frequently used to give customer quotes, important information, or important reminders:

A sidebar is a box of copy which is set to the side of the main text area. hese are ideal when you need to include larger sections of text without it interrupting your main body copy. They are ideal for customer testimonials, quotes, shipping details, statistical information etc.

So as you can see, a copywriter has a number of tools available to them which can be used to create interest and hype around a product.

Using these three features will compliment your text and simplify your message. The result will be a clear sales message enhanced by eye catching features which will help convince your reader to buy.

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, don’t forget the online press release outlets. These are not only easier to get published on, they also provide those much coveted one way back links to your website that are so important for search engine optimisation.

To help you create a great press release, I have put together 8 simple steps for you to follow:

1. Check it

This might sound obvious but it is vital. Check, check, check – this press release is representing your company. If it is full of grammatical and spelling errors, it stands little chance of getting past the editor. If you are putting it online, it will give an awful first impression of your company.

2. Power from the start

It must kick off with a powerful message. Your headline, summary and first paragraph must sum up your news and contain your keywords (very important for online publication). The rest of your release should contain detail. Also add your web address at the beginning. Often press releases are truncated so if all your important information is at the start, the resulting published release will still pack a punch.

3. Be professional

Don’t write with hype, slang or jargon. Direct address and excessive exclamation will show it as an advert rather than a press release.

4. So what?

Think about what you reader will find interesting. Focus on elements that set you apart from your competition. If you can tie your news in with current affairs that is even better.

5. Case studies

Using a real life situation can be very powerful. People love to read about other people so if you can show how you helped someone, it will resonate with them and draw increased interest to your company.

6. Shout about it

The British are renowned for their reserve. In marketing there’s no place for it, so if you’ve done something, launched a new product or won an award, shout about it as loudly as you can.

7. Tease a bit

If you’ve brought out a new product/service, just give a few tempting details and your web link. That will drive more traffic to your website, pushing them into taking action.

8. Be active

The words you use in your press release are very important. Keep your voice active and use strong verbs. Be economical too with your words – every one must count. Your press release needs concise powerful copy.

So there you go. These 8 tips will help you create stronger press releases that really work. Next time you have something to shout about, make sure you issue a press release. Your company is great – make sure everyone else knows that too.

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 use as many techniques as possible to get people to buy from you. Therefore it’s important to pay attention to details. Payment options are often overlooked because people believe that readers are already committed to buy by the time they reach your call to action.

But for many readers, your payment options could be the deciding factor. Therefore I have put together a list of 6 suggestions that will help you boost your sales.

1. Try before you buy

This shows you are so confident in your product, you want them to get a taster before committing to buy. Give them a free sample or shortened version of your product. Make sure it offers a few benefits, but of course, they’ll need the full version reap all the benefits. Being able to use your product before buying will give them the confidence to buy the real thing.

2. They choose the price

Don’t worry, I’ve not gone mad. This technique involves listing your product and price, but also offering other products at a slightly higher price. For example, a basic software package, the enhanced version and the super-dooper version. Then your readers can choose the one that’s right for them.

3. Free trial

An old one but a good one. The main thing that prevents people from buying online is confidence. There is no human interaction with online sales and that often makes people overly cautious. By offering a free trial you are showing your confidence in your product and that confidence will rub off on them too.

4. Give them something back

Cash backs are very popular. At the point of sale, show that they can obtain a 10% cash back by returning a coupon. You’ll boost your sales and, most probably, there’ll be a number of people who don’t remember to send off the coupon.

5. Buy now pay later

The ‘buy now pay later’ offer will help you hold onto those customers who may not be able to afford your product straight away. Rather than letting them go, this offer will grab them, get them to buy now and pay for your product at a specified time.

6. Drip, drip, drip

As well as the buy now pay later option, you can enhance this further with paying in instalments. It’s an offer you frequently see used by furniture companies. For many people this type of offer is very attractive.

Of course, the method you use will be determined by your products/services on offer. Why not test one or two of the above to see what difference it makes on your sales?

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 created the next best seller. To suppress the urge to be like J K Rowling, constantly remind yourself why you are writing your copy.

Kiss it better

Sales copy exists to help someone’s problem. Yes, it is also designed to sell, but you’ll be selling to people who need your product/service to solve a problem they have. They are hurting and are looking for someone to take the pain away – just like you did when you were a child. When you fell over, you’d run to your mum – she would offer kind words, disinfectant, a plaster and a kiss. Ultimately, it was the kiss that made everything better.

Before you get excited, I’m not suggesting you dash out and kiss all your readers! But your writing has to emulate it; it has to take their pain away by providing the solution they’ve been searching for. By keeping ‘the kiss’ in your mind as you write will help you keep on track.

Sometimes people may not even realise they have a problem. It’s there, but they’ve buried their heads in the sand pretending it isn’t happening to them. Therefore your copy should always refer to the problem:

Do you have enough life insurance? Are you sure? What will happen to your family when you are gone? Is there sufficient insurance to clear the mortgage, pay university fees, cover the monthly bills?

A bit extreme, but you get the picture. By juxtaposing the problem and the solution, you are adding weight to your sales pitch. Your product/service will take away this pain – act now!

So remember, when creating your copy always think about your reader, who they are, what their problem is and apply your client’s product/service as the solution to that problem.

The video above gives you an idea of what a freelance copywriter can do for your business. Everywhere you look, someone is trying to market something to you. In newspapers, via email, newsletters, in banner adverts, flyers etc., sales messages are everywhere.

Copywriting is all about getting a creative message in front of your customers. It has to be focused on their needs, it has to be relevant, interesting and compelling enough for them to take action and buy.

Anyone can write, right?

Possibly, but not everyone can write in a way to make someone else take an action. When you are writing to sell, you always have to consider what your reader wants. After all, you want them to buy so you must ensure your copy convinces them that your product or service is what they need to solve the problem they have.

You have to consider the tone and voice you should use, what the main benefits to them are, how you’ll convince them to buy. Then there’s what media should you use? How will you engage with them?

Considering the ever growing number of adverts out there, getting yours noticed is harder than its ever been.

Copywriting is an art and a science – for the best results, ask a professional.

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 one likes to think they are being sold to, therefore your copy has to be engaging, friendly, personable whilst still getting your sales message across strongly and in such as way as they feel compelled to buy.

That’s quite a tall order which is why you should probably consider getting a freelance copywriter on board to work with you.

2. Your offer

Get this wrong and you’re dead in the inbox. If your reader doesn’t find it irresistible, it won’t work. Please note, that was your reader not you. Just because you think you’ve come up with an amazing offer doesn’t mean your reader is going to think the same. You already think your product/service is the best thing since sliced bread, but you have to convince your reader of the same thing. If you don’t you’re heading straight for the deleted box.

3. Your list

Who you are sending your email to is incredibly important. Even if you have the best offer possible written by a world class copywriter, if it goes out to a ‘bad’ list it won’t work. The best lists you can use are ones you’ve built in-house.

4. Aesthetics and browsers

Most companies these days opt for HTML emails because they look great. And they do. You just have to remember that not every browser will display your email in the same way. So, if you want to avoid some of your recipients receiving ‘broken’ emails, make sure you test it in multiple browsers before hitting send.

5. Time

Believe it for not, when you send your email can have an effect on your open rate. Mondays and Fridays are generally not good because they are either wading through stuff from last week and the weekend, or they are on the wind down after a long week. Therefore Tuesdays and Thursdays are better days.

Although these are crucial factors there are others you will have no control over. Your recipient also has a life so they might just be too busy to read your email, you may have sent it to the wrong person in the company (and there are no guarantees that it will be forwarded to the right person), or you may have sent it when they don’t want or need your product/service.

Remember one thing – an email campaign is called that because it is exactly that – a campaign. One email won’t do it. You have to drip feed regularly over a period of time. But don’t just send constant sales messages, mix in useful information too. If you are seen as a company that adds value you will increase your chances of a sale.

Whether you are talking direct mail campaigns or direct response adverts – this is one form of copywriting that is set to stay.

Many people think that direct response copywriting doesn’t work, but if it doesn’t, why do so many companies continue to use it?

The key to ensuring your direct response campaign works, is to ensure that your copy is compelling, interesting and relevant enough to grab your readers’ attention.

If your writing takes on a friendly tone, it is far more likely to be read than something that is hard sell or ‘high-brow’. As for whether your copy should be long or short – quite simply, it should be as long as it needs to be to get your message across.

The magic formula

This is the science bit – there are 3 main elements to any direct response letter:

1. Headline
2. Offer
3. Postscript

Your headline must be attention grabbing, your offer must be amazing and your postscript will provide the incentive needed to buy.

Other important elements that will help your readers reach a buying decision are testimonials and case studies. People are naturally sceptical about unsolicited offers through the post (or by email) therefore you must earn their trust. And the best way to do that is to show them how other people have benefited from your product or service. But make sure they are genuine.

With a captivating headline and powerful offer, you should be almost at the sale point. But to give an extra push, use your postscript.

Your incentive to buy now could be a time limited discount, or the first 500 customers receive a free bonus…something along those lines.

The key to your direct response letter or email is to get the recipient to take action immediately, and that is what your postscript is designed to do.

Can you guarantee success?

The answer to that is probably no. There are so many factors that come in to play, there can be no guarantees.

However, you can maximise your chances by using a professional copywriter to write your letter. But you must also consider who you are sending it to (an in-house list is likely to bring in a greater return than a bough-in list), when you are sending it, how you are sending it.

If everything goes in your favour, direct response can achieve great results.