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1. Make your offer easy to understand at a glance
2. Ask for the order
3. Make your offer easy to respond to

Make your offer easy to understand at a glance:
If your market cannot understand your offer at a glance their attention will be lost, which means your offer will not get any attention.

Ask for the Order:
We do not get what we do not ask for, so Ask for the Order!  We continuously see sales pages with offers & no strong call to action.

Make your offer easy to respond to:
The more your market is asked to do the lower the conversion. People follow the path of least resistance, make the process easy & seamless for highest conversion rates.

One particular school of thought speaks to making your website one large online sales letter.  Continuing in this train of thought, this could present a great opportunity for you. You could write for both off-line businesses as well as for online business using the format of a sales letter.

Within a sales letter, there are three main components that will make a difference whether or not your product will sell.  The first component is the headline.  If you do not grab your prospects’ attention right away, you will have wasted your time in developing the rest of the copy.  The second component of a sales letter is the offer.  This part is important as you must be explicit with the offer to give the prospect what he or she now wants.  It must be something that will entice the prospect to take action upon the completion of reading the letter.  The final component of a sales letter is the postscript.  This is the second most read portion of a sales letter after the headline.  When you are writing this, this is the extra incentive that you will be using to motivate your prospects to take advantage of the offer that you presented right away. When you are focusing upon writing a sales letter, you should take each particular step of the sales letter in order.  You do not sit down and just writes a sales letter completely through but rather take it step by step.  This entails writing the headline followed by writing the offer and then followed by writing the postscript.  Following these copywriting procedures will ensure that you will have set yourself up for great success.

If you do not have a great deal of experience within copywriting, make sure to follow the examples of copywriting procedures set up by some of the foremost experts.  One of the key authors who you should look into is Dan Kennedy.  He has written some great books over the years and is a great resource for you to use.

Hopefully this article on copywriting procedures will help you in becoming a better copywriter.  The key behind successful copywriting is to use the formulas that have been developed while putting your own spin on what you’re writing.  Copywriting procedures are important because people have developed these in a certain method to be successful for a reason.  There is no need to reinvent the wheel because this will only be frustrating for you in the long run as you’ll find that you have less sales while putting in more effort.  By taking the time to follow operating procedures, you’ll set yourself up to maximize potential sales when developing a sales letter.

You will be working to get a message across but you also are working to provide instant recognition of a song.  A good example of this would be Beyonce’s new song, “Irreplaceable.”  In this song, one of the main lyrics within there is “To the left, to the left.”  If you are to hear this on the radio without knowing what the song sounds like, this provides instant recognition of the song.  This helps build the knowledge and awareness of the particular singer of the song.

Copywriting lyrics does not necessarily have to be just about the sales.  The ability to put words together in a manner that move people is a talent that very few people have.  Words have the ability to carry you to different places or to bring you down and this is what music can do every day.  When you are copywriting lyrics, you are sending a message to people if they are truly listened to the entire song.  Often we cannot remember the entire words to the song so that is where the hook or the chorus can come in.

Any time you are copywriting, you are working to persuade an audience in one form or another.  Copywriting lyrics is very similar to writing articles in a newspaper because you’re putting across a certain message.  When you’re writing lyrics, you are speaking from the perspective of a particular person and trying to get a certain message across to an audience.  This audience will be moved hopefully in that they will like the song as well as think about purchasing the album.  These are two critical steps that go in tandem with each other.

Hopefully this article on copywriting lyrics has given you some insight into the subject.  Copywriting lyrics is meant to achieve the same purpose as any other form of copywriting: build an awareness of a particular singer.  It is hard for someone to remember the words to an entire song but most people can remember a short phrase or statement from a song.  This can be a great way to help an artist’s sales.  Remember that copywriting can have several different focuses with the writing.  This is not something that is normally focused on but a message can be used in different manners.

The number of copywriting job is enormous. If you did a keyword search of “copywriting”, there were 509 open jobs. This is only a small part of the market and you could find many other copywriting jobs on other websites as well. With the evolution of the Internet, there are more and more jobs available to write good web content among other things on the Internet.  Often many copywriting jobs can be found where you will find a plethora of advertising agencies and a good example of this would be in New York.  Within your area, there will be a good number of smaller marketing agencies where you may be able to find work as a copywriter.  The number of opportunities for a copywriter is very high and this is a great feel to work in.

Copywriting salaries usually range from $41,000 a year up to $56,000 a year or more.  From this website, 41,000 represented what the 25th percentile are making on average within the field whereas the people earning 56,000 a year were in the top 75%.  This is a rough gauge on what you could potentially make if you decide to take a copywriting job.

To look just be on the realm of grabbing a job as a copywriter, you could also look at doing some freelance copywriting.  If you’re not happy with the amount of money that you could make within the copywriting field, you could look at supplementing this on the side by bidding for projects at either of these two following websites: www.elance.com or www.directfreelance.com. On either of these two websites, you are able to bid on projects that are listed as well as set up a profile to showcase your best work.  You can create search criteria so that jobs that meet what you want can be e-mailed to you.  This is a great way to supplement your income.

Copywriting jobs are out there for the taking.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, copywriting jobs will grow in line with the general economy over the next decade.  This means that you will see probably about average growth for the industry but you could see a great deal more growth if you focus on Internet copywriting.  This is a very flexible industry in which you have potentially a greater chance at dictating your terms and conditions and how you would like to work.  This is something that you can look into when you start talking with a potential employer.  Do not underestimate also the opportunity to work as a freelancer because you could command higher rates and this would increase the amount of flexibility you would have within your life.

There is always need for copywriters so no matter what happens within the country, companies will want to make sure that they have copywriters to work for them. There is a growing demand for copywriters in one particular forum and that would be on the Internet. With the Web up past four billion web pages, the demand for search engine copywriting has continued to increase. It is harder to get your web site indexed and search engine copywriting give you a better chance of being indexed. To do this, the search engine copywriters must write well to ensure that two audiences, the people searching and the search bots, are appeased so this provides more opportunities.

If you are looking into copywriting, there are a great many opportunities within this field. You can work for an advertising agency or you can decide to work for yourself. Many jobs are available all over the country for copywriters and you will find that this copywriting demand will stay at about the same pace and continue to grow with the pace of the economy.  If you go out to the website, www.monster.com, you will find that there are currently more than 500 jobs are available for copywriters. This is just a small piece of the job market.  There are many other ways that you can find copywriting jobs currently at this time. This should give you an idea of how there is demand for copywriters.

Hopefully this article on copywriting demand will help you out. If you are a copywriter, you should find that no matter the condition of the economy, you will always find work. Even when the economy is in a recession, some companies’ sales are increasing and they may have a need for more copywriting work. With the demand of the whole market, you should always find yourself needed by someone. Good luck in finding a copywriting job but you will find that this is something that will often not be needed because of copywriting demand.

2)  What goes in the business plan?

• executive summary
• company history and background
• clear description of the business concept and value proposition
• marketing analysis including competitive analysis and market development plan
• production and operations assessment and development plan
• financial assessment and projections
• management and human resources assessment and plan
• implementation plan
• identification of resources
• proposed deal structure for investors (if appropriate)
• survival strategy describing inherent risks and mitigation strategies
• growth strategy
• exit strategy
• appendices

Some of theses are optional depending upon the audience. The reader should be able to clearly understand what the value proposition is, why the business will succeed and how it is going to achieve this success. If the plan is being pitched to investors, the investor should understand as soon as possible what the proposed deal structure is and what the return will be. To do this you must support any claims and assumptions about what the business will do with realistic research. Unrealistic financial projections are a sure fire way to lose investors’ interest or for an owner to lose perspective.

3) How long should it be?
A typical business plan may consist of 20 pages although some business plans can be 100 pages or more, depending on the purpose of the plan, who the target is, and the nature of the business.

4) Should I use a template? Or a consultant?
It’s best for the owner(s) of an organization to write the plan.

A business plan is an easy way to communicate the business idea to the prospective audience, to assist in preventing problems, and to identify growth strategies, as well as a tool used in the search for funding. A business plan should be used as a tool for the entrepreneur to guide the business operations rather than a strict manual or blueprint to be adhered to and implemented exactly. The business plan can also be designed to help owners of businesses to clarify the strategy of a particular business and provide insight to manage risks.

Over 70% of new businesses do not survive after year two. Having a business and knowing what to do with it are very separate issues and creating a well-executed business plan for the right reasons will enhance the odds that your venture will be one of the ones to succeed.

There are many different online freelance marketplaces where you can acquire copywriting science.  There are three particular websites which stand head and shoulders above most others.  The first of these is www.guru.com. This is the biggest online freelance marketplace. He second of these three websites is www.elance.com. A third of these three websites is www.findafreelancer.com.  Each of these websites has a search agent which can e-mail jobs based upon the desired search criteria which you would like.  The third website is the European version of the first two.  It is the smallest of the three but is still a significant source of good copywriting work.  Most of the websites do usually charge a subscription fee, whether it be monthly or quarterly.  This can be a great investment because you will have access to copywriting assignments that you would not normally have seen.

Copywriting does have a great deal more flexibility than many jobs.  You do not need to worry about keeping set hours usually because the focus is upon you writing good copy.  This could allow you to live a full life in some ways because you can plan some events around the fact that you can make up more time in hours on certain days if something comes up.  This is something that many jobs such as banks or restaurants are not able to do.

Copywriting as a job also offers a great workplace environment.  Many copywriters work within an advertising agency, which can be a great place to work.  You often have many other creative people and there you can bounce ideas off of one another and these people often have high energy which you can feed off of.  This can be a great group of people to work with because you will often find that you are challenged due to the intelligence and creativity of this group of people.  There are many different sizes of advertising agencies see you could decide to work for a smaller advertising agency if you like a close-knit group of people or you could work for a larger advertising agency if you want more competition.  This could be structured according to how your mindset and makeup are.  There is a great deal of flexibility within your workplace environment as demonstrated here.

Writing good copy can be very challenging so you will find that this job will never grow boring.  If you work at an advertising agency, you often will have many different types of clients so the work that you do every day can change.  This is good because you’ll get a great variety of different things they would never get bored.

Copywriting as a job offers great benefits to you no matter how you look at it.  You are able to make very good money, considering that the average wage is right around $60,000.  If you are able to establish yourself as a master copywriter, you can obviously earn a great deal more money than the average salary.  The workplace environment often will be crackling with creative energy and the flexibility that you will have from the job is more than most other jobs can offer.

Perhaps all you need is a little medicine… and not major surgery. Take whatever sales copy you have now and modify it. Recast, rework and repackage what you’ve got.

Chances are you’re sitting on some solid (yet hidden) sales material. Often simple copy makeovers can work wonders in terms of response. So, before you crumple it up and toss your sales letter in the trash, try tweaking it first. You might be surprised at the result.

Here are 3 simple steps to complete copy makeovers…

Copy Makeovers — Strategy #1: Create A More Compelling Headline.

This is critical. The headline is the first thing your audience sees. It either “grabs” prospects by the jugular… or it doesn’t. If the headline fails, nothing else matters much because it won’t even get a fair reading.

Make your headline and/or sub-heading alluring. Talk to your prospect about what is most important to her. Think in terms of the BIG BENEFIT your product offers and deliver it in a captivating and compelling way.

Craft a handful of words that attract attention, identify specific target markets, and deliver enough interest and intrigue to pull true prospects inside. If you’re struggling with your headline, just think about the greatest advantage your product offers and promise it right up front.

Copy Makeovers — Strategy #2: Take The “YOU” Point Of View.

You’re weight-loss story might be admirable, but what does it mean to your reader or prospect? Talk about yourself and the audience turns off. Talk to your reader one-on-one about something important in her life… and you’ve got her undivided attention – at least momentarily.

If you could re-shape your story… if you could express it in a way that was more meaningful to your individual readers, you’d quickly capture their interest.

There’s a difference between telling your audience that you lost X number of pounds… and telling them how they can lose X pounds, enjoy the process, and feel terrific about their slim, new look.

Remember the old marketing phrase “What’s In It For Me?” Everything your prospect reads gets filtered through this frame of reference. With each statement you make, your audience is thinking… “So What? What does this have to do with me in my situation? How does this help me?”

If the answer isn’t obvious immediately, off they go and you lose the sale. Many times the decision to stay or go is made in the blink of an eye – and often unconsciously.

Copy Makeovers — Strategy #3: Turn Your Bullet Points Into Irresistible, Benefit-Packed Mini-Headlines.

Make each bullet a “grabber” in its own right. Prospects tend to scan certain segments of an ad or sales letter, to determine if it offers something they really want.

While many marketers use bullets in their sales letters, most settle for weak bullet point copy — copy that lacks enthusiasm and passion.

If you’re going to employ this powerful sales tool, you might as well make the most of it. Craft your bullet points with the same emotion and magnetic appeal, as you’d inject into a major headline. After a while, this gets easier to do.

Bullet points are one of those sales letter components that have the power to quickly stimulate intense reader interest. Use them for all they’re worth by making each point justify itself. Each and every bullet point should be capable of compelling the reader to read on — with heightened desire and interest.

Before you do anything else, try implementing these simple copy makeover strategies. You just might notice an immediate improvement in your conversion rate.

The truth is, copywriters range from the great to the not-so-great.  Just like any other profession, there are high flyers, under-achievers, rogue traders and young pretenders.  And even if you bag a top banana for your project, who’s to say they’ll gel with you?  Or your product?  Your style?  Your chosen media?

The answer, of course, is research.  Knowing what you want and sniffing it out is wiser than saying yes to the first person with a ready typing finger.  But remember, a copywriter is someone who can – and should – do more than write.  Their greatest asset is curiosity.

Copywriters want to know the ins and outs of every little thing.  They’re fascinated by human nature, knowing how to capitalize on motivations and get inside the consumer’s head.  A good copywriter will research your market inside out, then look at you critically through your customer’s eyes.  It’s their curiosity – not their way with words – that finally helps them see your business in a whole new light.

Whatever your project, this is the first quality to look for in your copywriter.  Curiosity is the key to persuasion.  And persuasion is the only reason copywriters exist in the first place!

So, your copywriter needs a way with words – fairly obvious!  And they have to tick the curiosity box.  But you still need to whittle down the field and find the one you can spark off.

Try asking yourself a few of these questions when you’re weighing up a candidate:

Who’s doing the talking?  Are they listening to you or talking about themselves?

How quickly have they grasped your business?  Not just your products, but also your marketplace?

Can they write passionately?  About anything?  Even the dullest product?  If they get you excited about sprocket valves, hire them on the spot!

Have they worked in your industry and chosen media?  If not, does their other work show they have a grip on your marketplace?

When you’ve chosen a suitable copywriter, you’ll know you’ve made the right choice when you start offering feedback.  Professional copywriters thrive on constructive criticism – it’s a surefire way of knowing they’re heading in the right direction.  That doesn’t mean they’ll roll over and accept any changes you make, but they will keep an open mind and listen to every point of view.

When you offer feedback, however, you should see it as a two-way street.  You may have to let go of some of your preconceptions.  Great copywriters can realise why your current marketing isn’t working, and won’t shirk from telling you.  They’ll be cruel to be kind.

But for now, these small measures should protect you against hiring the wrong person.  Of course there’s no guarantee – creativity by its very nature demands that element of uncertainty.

But if hiring a copywriter really is a lottery, you should be pretty close to scooping five numbers plus the bonus ball…

This is vital because copywriting is your “salesperson in cyberspace, in print and in the mail” … and great salesmanship produces great sales … average salesmanship gets only average or worse results.

Here are the copywriting tips that will improve your marketing results.  These are proven based on our copywriting work for over 450 businesses since 1978.

This is a list of what your prospect is thinking as he reads your marketing copy.  It’s important to make sure everything is addressed on this list.  If you do this, your marketing results will improve dramatically.

1.  You’d better have done your research to know what benefits I want most from your type of product or service.  If you don’t, I won’t even notice you, and if I do, I won’t even give you a hearing.

2.  What do you do?  How will it help me? I need to know “what’s in it for me” instantly or I’m gone.

3.  Why should I believe you?

4.  I already have a supplier for that – why should I listen to you?

5.  Make it easy for me to read, understand, navigate, and “scan” your marketing material.

6.  I want a specialized expert in your field for my situation or my needs or my type of business.

7.  Don’t bore me!  I’m sick of corporate talk, business buzz terms and mumbo-jumbo.  Almost all business marketing is very dull and boring and I won’t read it.

8.  I want ALL the details and specs, including product information, product applications, CAD drawings and plans, costs and shipping.  A ThomasNet.com study finds a very large percentage of buyers say these details are not readily available.

9.  I want to read copywriting from a real live person talking to me person to person, and not from some emotionless corporation.

10.  I won’t admit it on the record, but I make purchases based on my emotions.  Sure I need logic and features for verification, but if you can touch my emotions, I’m much more likely to buy from you.

11.  I badly want more from my life than just work.  I’m very interested in saving time, work and stress.

12.  Make it easy for me!  You list many different things I can do and I’m confused.  What one thing should I do now and why?

13.  Don’t overload your website or brochure with fluff – stick only to relevant and helpful information I need.  I’m tired of all the irrelevant “filler” information on the web and I won’t read through it anymore.

14.  Compare your product or service against your competitors for me if it is really as good as you say it is.  Be honest, as I’ll see through any favoritism.

15.  Be specific; generalities go right into my garbage.

16.  What’s your guarantee?

17.  How can I test your product, service or company first, in a low or no cost way, before I make a large commitment?

18.  Help me justify the investment to my boss on an ROI basis.

These copywriting secrets applied properly are a main reason one website, direct mail piece or ad can pull 2 to 3 times the response as another for the same product or service.  This is why the most successful marketers hire the best outside freelance copywriters they can afford.

1.Hand Written Letter. Write your ad on a piece of paper scan it, optimize it, then publish the ad on your web page. Your sales will always increase when you add a personal touch.

2. Publish Famous or Respected Customers. Listing famous or respected customers who have purchased from you on your ad copy spark interest and trust. Others will think that if these people bought from you then they should also trust your business and purchase your products. Make sure you get permission from your customers before listing them on your website first.

3. Show Before and After Photos. First show the problem picture. Besides this show the picture which show how your product solves the problem.

4. A Review. Including a review about you, your business and or your product will instill respect for you with you customers. Increasing credibility increases sales.

5. Show Value. When offering free bonuses in your ad copy also list the dollar value beside each bonus.

6. Hire an Endorser. Hire a famous person to endorse your product or service. Make sure the person is well known to your target audience. Include their picture along with their statement on your ad copy.

7. Include Your Picture. Showing people that you are not hiding behind your ad copy will increase their trust. Also include your contact information below the picture and a brief statement or quote.

8. Donate Percentage to Charity. Tell your potential customers on your ad copy that you will donate a specific percentage of their purchase to a specific charity. Doing this will show them you care about people. They may just buy your product to donate to that charity.

9. Ask Yes & No Questions. Ask potential customers plenty of yes and no questions in your ad copy. The questions should remind them of their problem, show how your product solves their problem and make them think what will happen if they don’t purchase your product.

10. Offer a Prize. Tell your potential customers they will receive a free prize if they find the five words in your ad copy that are misspelled or spelled backwards. The longer you can keep someone reading your copy the greater chance of them purchasing

Contents are the traffic producers of a website.  In this age of information technology, almost everyone needs to get some information. Likewise, it is always a must to hire content writers to fill in the page of a website.  The website might have a good design. It might also be interactive, however without something to read on it, the website is as good as nothing.

Being a content writer does not only entails that one knows how to write.  It also means that one knows how to keep in touch with millions of audience worldwide.  Here are some good tips for an emerging content writer who wants to pursue his profession in Internet writing

1. Write Clearly and Direct to the Point

If a content writer would consider the millions of audience who will be reading his articles, the important goal for him is to communicate to his audience in simple and understandable words.  Some audience are not native English speakers, likewise, local slangs should be avoided. Standard English must be the language to be adopted for content writers

While some writers has the habit of writing long paragraphs just like a treatise, in content writing, this is one of the pitfalls the article would not be read by the audience.  The audience does not care about explaining further just like in a term paper.  They need to know the facts directly.   Writing straight to the point is a must for content writers.

2. Know The Purpose of Writing

One mistake most content writers have in content writing is the inability for them to stick on the bread and butter of the content. The basic rule of content writing is to know the purpose of what a content writer needs to write. The ideas must be centered on that purpose.

Some content writers are take so much time in the fancies to the extent that a reader will be detoured on the its purpose.  If one would like to sell a product, a content writer must write something that would make it sell a product.  If promoting an event is necessary, a content writer must write something interesting to the audience that can help promote an event.

3. Style of Writing

One of the most important aspects of a content writer is his style of writing his piece. Some writers are just contented enough to write anything about the subject matter to the extent that coherence and transitions are ignored.  While content writers might have different style of writing, it must always take into consideration the organization of the written piece.  In this way, the audience can better understand if the written piece has the form and the substance.

Most of the content writers in the Internet are writing in a conversational tone.  Indeed, this is very helpful to readers. However, personal clichés and expressions must be avoided by the content writers. In this way, the written piece can be understood universally.

Perhaps, these three guides will help a content writer in his profession of pursuing his writing career in the internet.  But the most important thing a content writer must possess is his passion.  It is passion that drives him to do his thing.  One’s creativity is crafted because of the passion for the thing.  Likewise, it is a must for writer to have be passionate in his writing endeavor.

This article will try to tell you about the basics of copywriting and its advanced application on the SEO aspect. This article aims to provide the beginners in the Search Engine Optimization industry, an in-depth but friendly guide to seo content writing, as well as providing the more advanced copywriters with a guide to remind them of the several tricks they might have forgotten about the craft.

This guide shall be divided into the three parts of the copywriting process: the before, during, and after. This is the first part of the guide dealing with the things a copywriter must do BEFORE writing the copy. Succeeding parts shall be posted separately because of the size.

Before Writing

Before doing any writing you should first know the purpose why you’re writing that content. Your purpose should be clear and definite so no equivocation of ideas will exist that might confound your readers. Is the writing for sports? Is it for entertainment? Is it educational? These things should be clear on your mind before you write your copy, so a natural flow will exist as you write.

Another thing to consider is to know whom are you writing for and who are the people you wish to convey the message to? Knowledge of your audience will give you many benefits: people with different cultures only respond to a specific approach you use, technical terms would be very trivial when talking to beginners while spelled out and explained details would be very time consuming for experts. The internet is used by a vast network of people and your target may only comprise a very small minority. It is important that you address your target effectively if you want more conversions (making site visitors into customers) on your web site.

About the resources

Knowing the right information will certainly give you the right results. Knowing what people want and what they are searching for will be one of the keys to make it big in this business. One of the things that can help you acquire this information is through case studies, surveys and polls that can be found all over the internet. Most of these studies provide general demographic information about internet users. If you’re lucky enough (since it is discouraged), you might even stumble with information regarding the searching habits of different demographics.

Once you have decided to use particular information from the internet, make sure that it is from a reliable author or source. Incorrect and inaccurate data proliferates all over the internet and it happens that you may be misled by others to use them, so, see to it that the articles or studies you are about to use are made and conducted by certified educational institutions or known private companies so you will not have any problems about their authenticity.

Another effective source of information from the internet are pages which rank high among search engines especially those that are related to yours. Analyze and learn the effective things they have done to increase their PageRank and apply them to your work. You could also check out the pages of your top competitors, you might learn a lot from them but be careful not to copy their stuff as it is since they will be constantly checking out their competition. Copyright guidelines are finally catching up with those who replicate content, ending blacklisted by major search engines.

SEO forums are also helpful in guiding you about the latest trends in the Search Engine Optimization business. Experts usually crowd in these forums to discuss the tricks and trends of the business. Moreover, new updates and trends about Search Engine Algorithms and Technology can be found on these forums so it is highly advisable that you check out those forums. However, the forums might be a little too complicated for beginners as terms often become too technical to understand even by seasoned users.

About the words

Now let us go down to business! It is time to know what are the keywords and keyphrases you will use for your copy! The key words and phrases would be the ones that you will use and try to integrate throughout the whole copy. It would be the bait you place in the hook in order to attract and hopefully catch your potential customers.

First of all, you and your client should brainstorm together (face to face if possible) about the keywords and keyphrases you want to use for the copy. It is important that you brainstorm together so that you will be able to stay true to the brand and have an effective choice for use in the search engine optimization efforts. You could make use of different keyword tools found in the web such as Keyword Discovery, GoodKeywords, WordTracker, Overture, etc. (issues regarding their usability and effectiveness will be discussed separately). These tools can be downloaded or used directly over the internet should you choose to utilize it.

In choosing keyphrases or keywords remember to start with and use popular but “not-so-competitive” terms since it would be very difficult to compete with more established websites if you have just been starting. The above-mentioned tools will help you determine which key words or phrases you could use.

One word keywords are very difficult if not impossible to compete with as it would have a more general scope compared with keyphrases. For example, if you are trying to write content for a company selling educational toys, choosing a keyword like “toys” would be a stupid idea since search engines would give around one hundred million hits for that particular keyword, while changing it into keyphrase like “toys for students” or “educational toys” would only have hits of around five million. This means that the chance that a web searcher would actually go to your website would be 100,000,000:1 under the keyword “toys” while choosing the keyphrase “educational toys” means a chance of 5,000,000:1, greatly increasing your chance of being visited. Besides, customers are more likely to refine their searches since using or typing just one word searches would mean being bombarded with a lot of unwanted information than they need, costing more time and effort.

Your keywords should specifically target (1) the product or service that you are offering and (2) what people actually type whenever they use the search engines in looking for products and services like yours. A good example would be when writing content for a company selling kilns for bricks, you should not optimize for the keyword “kiln for bricks” if most people actually type “oven for bricks” when they are looking for such equipment. It is useless to optimize for the term kiln when most people opt to type oven since a few if none will be looking for the term kiln.

You should also identify and discover various words and terms which are closely related to your keyword or keyphrases. Some key-terms and keyphrases are so intimately intertwined with others that one group associates it with a particular field while another choose to associate it with something else. One good example would be Cosmetic Surgery. Cosmetic Surgery is a medical procedure, so, it can be regarded as something related with medicine and surgery, while it is also correct to say that it is related with cosmetics and beauty. Since the fields of medicine, surgery, cosmetics and beauty are popular fields, optimizing for both the cosmetic and the surgical aspect of the keyphrase Cosmetic Surgery would bring more keyword hits for searches from individuals of both parts of the spectrum.

Another thing to consider is to integrate local terminologies or equivalents of your products or services when optimizing with key words or phrases. An “elevator” in the US would be a “lift” in the UK, a “truck” in the US would be a “lorry” in the UK, and the list goes on. When trying to sell products or services for a huge demographically different society, you should optimize for both of the groups as each would tend to search for the more familiar local term. Better yet, you could create different sites for different demographic groups, replacing particular key words and phrases; enabling you to cater to both.

Moreover, it would be wise to consider placing regional information or regional key words or phrases. Integrating regional information along with keywords and keyphrases enables users who prefer more specified searches to visit your website. You would also benefit from the limited competition because of the more specified search. Most people looking for products and services in the internet would certainly prefer to find what they need locally, so adding local regional information would definitely be of great help to you and your potential client. Another benefit is that you could add another keyword, which is the regional information to your existing key word or key phrase. For example, instead of having just “plumbing services” add “Atlanta” before ‘plumbing services’. This would give you an edge over competitors as it would profoundly decrease your competition.

About the content

Now that you have the key words and phrases you would need its time to plan about the general thrust of the content, on what the content should be like.

Generally, the main idea of writing content is for it to be able to provide useful information for visitors in your site. You are primarily writing for the readers, the human visitors of your site, and about the products and services that you have to offer. Secondary to that idea is to provide the search engines information so they could properly and accurately index your site according to its proper category, so anyone who wants to look for something in particular, through the use of search engines, would eventually find what he needs. In other words, your content should be both customer-oriented and search engine friendly.

In order to do that, you need to plan properly on how to do your copywriting. The whole text should be able to give them what they need and want to know about the products and services you have. Hence, it is highly advisable that you read a lot of information about the subject product or service before you write the actual copy. The goal is to become extremely knowledgeable about the product, so you can explore all the possibilities and play with its strengths and weaknesses and write everything that is needed.

One important thing to remember is to write content that is unique. Copying content is not only plagiarism and cheating but is also a serious offense that could cause painful penalties under existing Copyright laws. More and more Intellectual Property Rights watch dogs are reporting cases of content stealing and have gained some grounds over the years. Major search engines are now penalizing sites which illegally acquire content from other sources. Penalties include permanently putting sites under a blacklist, sort of a “permanent not to contact sites” for crawlers. Lawsuits and cases about web content writing are now increasing day by day, with more countries enacting laws on Intellectual Property Rights. The risks are just too great if you plagiarize and copy content. So make sure that you quote or place endnotes when you choose to use parts of other’s content.

And lastly, your content should be written in plain, simple, and natural language so as not to destroy the natural flow of words as you write. Highly technical words and terms should be reserved for highly technical discussions, and should be discouraged for everyday internet use.

About the mood

You might be wondering what a section about mood is doing in a seo copywriting article, well, it certainly has a LOT to do about content writing. The mood of the reader would certainly affect the way he views a certain product or service. If you did not properly take care of the emotional side of your customer with your writing, consider him gone. Individual moods are affected by a lot of factors; although primarily it is internal, external factors could also affect his mood significantly and luckily what that individual reads is one of them.

First of all, you should be ‘in the mood’ for writing. Good copies are mostly written by writers who are either inspired or enlightened with what they are about to write. Content writers should make sure that they are in this special mood because the consequence of the opposite would be a very bad copy. A reader is also likely to be ‘drawn’ by an emphatic copy written superbly which would eventually end up making the reader get what you are offering.

One thing you could do to achieve that is to utilize emotional appeal to the reader. Try to integrate personal articles like “you”, “we”, and “us” more often; try to get your visitors as involved as possible. Avoid being too passive as it would prevent you from establishing a connection or a relationship with your target reader.

Keep your readers or customers engaged with your site. Make them think and interact by asking questions, giving riddles or trivia. All these create an air of friendliness for potential customers, and once you’ve made them comfortable reading, they are more likely to respond positively to you. As much as possible make them do all their transactions within your site, give out all the details about what you are offering so that can know everything they need to know. Trying to get online visitors ask questions and product or service information offline will be too cumbersome for them so be as accessible as possible.

You need to get inside peoples’ heads.

Good input is key to a successful project, campaign, or marketing program. This marketing/creative brief is designed to elicit good input. But it takes thorough and thoughtful answers on your part. Please answer the following questions carefully.

1. What is the description of the piece(s)? (Ad, Web site, brochure, radio script, direct mail, etc.)

2. What is the marketing focus? (What products or services are we telling about?)

3. What is the communications problem that the piece(s) must solve? (Awareness, positioning or repositioning, product introduction, category introduction, etc.)

4. Who is the audience? (Demographics, title, function, responsibility, etc.)

5. What is their point of view about the product, service, category?

6. Who is the secondary audience(s), if any?

7. What business problems or issues does the product(s)/service(s) solve for the audience(s)? (Efficiency issues, profitability issues, operations issues, technology issues, etc.)

8. What effect do we want the piece(s) to have on the target audience(s)? (Purchase, phone call, visit Web site, request more information, increase their awareness, etc.)

9. What can we offer to achieve the desired response? (Demos, situation evaluation, sales collateral, personal visit, white paper, etc.)

10. What is the single essential message we must tell the target audience(s) to achieve the desired effect? (Be as concise as possible.)

11. What evidence is there to support our claims? (Features and benefits, testimonials, case studies, etc.)

12. Can anyone else make a similar promise?

13. Are there any technology issues to address? (Compatibility, operating systems, hardware requirements, etc.)

14. What specific industry issues must be addressed? (Trends, etc.)

15. Are there any industry, product or competitive issues to be avoided?

16. What tone should the piece employ? (Hardhitting/serious, educational/informative, humorous, etc.)

17. What do you like about your current piece(s)? (Look and feel, tone, messaging, functionality, etc.)

18. What don’t you like about your current piece(s)? (Look and feel, tone, messaging, functionality, etc.)

19. What overall impressions (look and feel, etc.) would you like the piece(s) to make?

20. Will this piece(s) be used with any other pieces? (proposals, collateral, letters, etc.)

21. How will the piece(s) be used (online, leave behind, trade shows, mailed, etc.) and at what point in the sales cycle?

22. Any other comments?

Admittedly, getting clients to answer these questions isn’t always easy.

That’s why it’s best to be flexible with the use of a marketing/creative brief. You can ask the client to fill it out. You can use it to interview the client. You can fill it out yourself for the client’s review. Any sort of collaborative approach works well.

In the end, stress to your clients that if they want more clicks, more leads and more sales, they need to actively participate in the input process.

One you have all the information you need, you’re ready to write a winner.

But in such a relatively new field, customers are still coming to grips with what they can expect of their website copywriter. The question a lot of people are asking is, “How do I know I’ll get what I pay for?”

Before engaging a website copywriter for your next project, ask them whether they’re able to provide you with the following ten essentials…

1) Fixed Quote

A lot of website copywriters will tell you they only work on an hourly rate. They’ll cite varying requirements, rapidly changing technologies, greater incentive, the risk of customer indecision, and a host of other reasons why they can’t provide a fixed quote. But don’t be fooled. You have a right to know what the job is going to cost you. If a website copywriter won’t give you a fixed quote, think twice…

2) Contract of Works to be Completed

Just as important as a fixed quote is a signed contract. It may not be drawn up by a lawyer, but a written and signed document outlining the works to be carried out, and the cost of those works is essential. If a website copywriter is reluctant to provide a written, itemized quote including estimated number of words, you have to ask yourself why.

3) Timeframe

Always ask how long your job is going to take. If you’ve already had a go at writing your own web copy, you’ll know how time consuming it is. Never make the mistake of thinking the job will be done in a day. Granted, a professional website copywriter will be very efficient in crafting your copy, but no matter who the writer, a quality product requires time. And on top of writing time, remember that you’ll have to review and provide feedback on everything they write. In a lot of cases, it’s the review phase that takes the most time, so make sure you try to set some time aside, otherwise you’ll find yourself the bottleneck!

4) Plan of Attack

Try to get some idea from your website copywriter about how they plan to approach your project. Don’t be fooled into believing you have to hand over the dollars before they’ll reveal their plan of attack. You have a right to be comfortable with their approach before you engage their services. Will you receive individual drafts of every page, or a single draft of the entire site? What format will you receive the finished product in? How many review iterations do they anticipate?

5) Samples

A lot of ambitious web service providers of all types are calling themselves writers these days. They offer copywriting as a specialist service, but don’t engage a specialist to complete the work. Always ask to see samples of their previous copy. Read it thoroughly and ask yourself, “Does this copy convey benefits?”. Pretend you’re the intended audience and ask “Does this copy answer the questions I need answered before I’ll buy?”

6) CV

Most copywriters’ websites will give you a very high-level overview of their business and the services they offer. Some even offer samples. But very few offer a professional biography of their writers. If you’re not happy relying on their website as your sole source of information, ask for a copy of their CV. The things you’re looking for are a professional history in writing, and preferably some tertiary education in the same.

7) Testimonials

Perhaps the best indication of a website copywriter’s ability is customer satisfaction. Don’t be afraid of asking for customer testimonials. A good website copywriter will be proud of their testimonials – so proud, in fact, that they’ll be offering them without you even asking. Look for testimonials from companies you recognize and/or can verify. Anyone can get their great-aunt write them a testimonial. Some will even write their own. If you really want to be sure, ask for contact details so you can give the customer a call and hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

SEO Copy Skills

Approximately 80% of all web traffic comes through search engines, so it’s essential that your website copywriter has proven experience in SEO copy. Ask them their general approach to SEO copy. Do they normally perform the keyword analysis themselves? How do they know when they’ve used enough keywords in enough of the right places? Can they show you a high ranking site they’ve written the copy for? What steps do they take to avoid diluting the effectiveness of your primary keyword phrases? Will their SEO copy change the text links on your pages? (It should!)

9) SEO Copy at No Extra Charge!

Never be fooled into paying more for SEO copy. If you’ve already performed your keyword analysis, and you know where you want your keyword phrases used, writing of the copy should take no longer than usual. I’ll say it again… SEO copy is not an extra – it’s how web copy should be written! Do not pay extra for it! The only things you should expect to pay extra for are keyword analyses, adding the HTML code for unmarked text links, providing guidance on site structure, sourcing of inbound links to your site, etc. SEO copy by itself should cost no extra.

10) Writing Experience for Online Media

Writing for an online medium is entirely different to writing for print. Readers have different requirements and objectives, and reading conditions are very different. Make sure your website copywriter knows how to cater to these differences. Ask them to recommend a maximum page length or word count per page. The correct answer should include some comment on the trade-off between the problems of scrolling and the need for a high keyword count for SEO. Ask them whether they prefer long sentences or short (and hope to hear “short”). Ask them whether they will include lots of text links within the main body of the copy, and if so, will they appear as regular links (colored and underlined) or will they be unmarked.

Professionally written copy can mean the difference between a great looking site and a great looking site THAT EARNS YOU MONEY.

Choose your website copywriter carefully.

So how do you know when you’ve found an IT copywriter? And – more importantly – how do you know what to expect from them? The following 10 tips will give you a good understanding of the qualities to look for – the things that make a copywriter an IT copywriter.

1) IT background

Perhaps the most beneficial quality in an IT copywriter is a solid background of some sort in the IT industry. If your copywriter shares an understanding of your domain, you’ll spend far less time explaining the benefits of your product or service. Remember the last time you watched someone glaze over as you waxed lyrical about the wonders of your latest technology? You don’t want that to happen when you’re briefing your copywriter. More importantly, you don’t want that happening when your potential customers read your copy!

2) Technical writing experience

Good technical writers are experienced in bridging knowledge gaps. This means they have to understand the technology, but they also have to be able to talk about it in the layperson’s language. A copywriter with technical writing experience in the IT industry is likely to have domain knowledge and an ability to hit the ground running. They’ll be quick on the uptake, so they’ll understand your product or service more rapidly than most.

Of course, not every technical writer is a IT copywriter. You need to be sure they can write compelling copy – not just dry instruction manuals. Take a look at their samples and testimonials before making a decision.

The other important consideration – especially if you’re after a website copywriter – is, do they have online writing experience? Writing for an online medium is entirely different to writing for print. Readers have different requirements and objectives, and reading conditions are very different. Many technical writers have written online help, so they should know how to cater to these differences. To be sure, ask them to recommend a maximum page length or word count per page. The correct answer should include some comment on the trade-off between the problems of scrolling and the need for a high keyword count for SEO. Ask them whether they prefer long sentences or short (and hope to hear “short”).

3) Further Education

IT products and services are generally very complex in themselves. What’s more, the needs of the end-customer are also very complex and unique. This means there’s normally quite a steep learning curve for anyone new. Ask your IT copywriter if they have tertiary qualifications. It’s not essential, and – by itself – it’s no guarantee of quality copy, but it’s generally a good indicator of someone who’s been trained in the art of learning (i.e. researching, information filtering and modelling, knowledge retention, etc.).

The flip-side of that coin is to be wary of people who are technically qualified. Don’t discount them on sight (many technical people have made great IT copywriters); just remember that technically trained people have a tendency to take a lot of things for granted when speaking to lay-people. Your IT copywriter needs to be able to understand the technology and its complexities, but still relate to the issues of the non-technical customer.

4) Management Experience

Anyone with management experience – at any level – has dealt with decision makers. They may even have been a decision maker themself. In any form of promotion, you need to appeal to the decision maker. Your IT copywriter needs to develop an understanding of the needs, influences, pressures, problems, work environment, and constraints of your typical decision maker(s). The more understanding your IT copywriter brings to the relationship, the less time you’ll spend schooling them.

5) Marketing Experience

Actual marketing experience is a big plus. It brings with it a broader understanding of strategic marketing and the realities of working with a range of challenging people and evolving products and services. Look for an IT copywriter with corporate experience as a marketing manager or marketing coordinator, or someone who runs a copywriting business with a heavy marketing focus.

6) Testimonials

Anyone can call themselves an IT copywriter; few have the client testimonials to prove it. Testimonials are a great way to validate your IT copywriter’s claims. Ask to see some and read them carefully. Don’t just look at the company name and logo. You need to determine if the clients’ words back up the copywriter’s claims. And make sure the testimonial relates to the type of work you’re commissioning (or something with similar requirements).

7) IT Samples

The proof is in the pudding. ALWAYS ask potential IT copywriters to send you samples of their work. And – as with testimonials – don’t be fooled by flashy packaging, big names, and recognizable logos. Read the words. Are they relevant to your project? Do they convey a clear understanding of the subject matter? Do they convey benefits or just features? Are they written in a style that you find easy to read, yet compelling? And after you’ve read the words, double-check exactly how much input the copywriter had in their writing. Not all copy is written from scratch. Some copywriters work in teams, and others do more editing than writing. Make sure you get a clear understanding of your IT copywriter’s abilities and experience before commissioning them.

Understand Benefits

Your customers aren’t interested in what you do; they’re interested in what you can do FOR THEM. In other words, they’re interested in what benefits your product or service will deliver. How will it make their day easier, more enjoyable, less stressful, safer, or more profitable? Identifying benefits is one of the hardest tasks in any advertising project. In fact, many people rely on their copywriter to help them uncover the most compelling benefits. Does your IT copywriter truly understand the benefits you’re promoting?

9) Contributes value

A good IT copywriter should have solid professional experience. They should bring value to your marketing push which goes far beyond the written word. Strategy, tactics, imagery, contacts, anecdotes, corporate identity… Your IT copywriter must bring more to the table than grammar and punctuation. Expect them to make suggestions, not simply take notes and say “Yes”.

10) Plus all the normal copywriter requirements…

Of course, your IT copywriter must be able to satisfy all the normal copywriter requirements. Ask for a contract of works to be completed, a time estimate, a plan of attack, a CV, and SEO copy skills (if search engine presence is important to you). For more information about what to expect from a normal copywriter, call us at PullMoney2 for help marketing your business online.

Conclusion

Traditionally, copywriters have been seen as a small cog in the big advertising machine. As a result, most copywriters have risen through the ranks of generic advertising agencies. These days, however, more and more people are sidestepping the agency and going direct to the copywriter. This approach gives them consistency across all of their written collateral, more compelling and engaging copy, and more responsive service. Within the industry, this change means that copywriters aren’t confined to ad agencies, and are able to specialize. The end result to you? While finding a good IT copywriter with an IT background is still a big challenge, it’s certainly becoming easier. You simply need to take the time to ask the right questions.

Good luck.

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