Copywriter

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Copywriter

You probably realise that the text on your website and other media content is important, but you probably don’t realise just how much relevance it all has. The text on your website for example is important for a number of reasons.

Firstly when people read what you have to say on your website this will help them create an opinion of you and your business. It is obvious that you want this impression to be a good one. So the text on your website needs to be punchy, well written and of course grammatically correct.

However did you know that search engines also look at the text written on your website? Search engines such as Google need to use different methods in order to decide how to order websites when someone searches for a phrase. This is all to do with search engine optimisation (SEO) and just how relevant your website is to what you have to sell, which of course is all down to the text that you use.

Sound confusing? If it is not something that you are used too or trained in then the whole process can seem a little daunting. However thankfully there are people that offer this service professionally. If you hire a copywriter then they can take a look at your website and the keywords that you want to target within your website and make sure that the text is all relevant. A copywriter can also write a number of other different articles, which can then be distributed throughout the internet in order to help with your search engine rankings. What you should really do is look at hiring a professional copywriter as soon as possible for your writing needs. It makes sense that you get all the text on your media right, because after all you want to be as high up the search engines as possible so that you can get as much traffic as you can and then turn this traffic into sales for your business. Everything you do for your business should be about generating sales, and a copywriter can really help with that in both the short and the long term.

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Why You Need a Professional Copywriter for Writing Your Web Content

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Why You Need a Professional Copywriter for Writing Your Web Content

While it may be true that you are absolutely gifted with the pen, the only way that you would not need a professional Copywriter for writing your web content would be if you are all of the following:

1)      Almost as popular a search phrase as “Tom Cruise” post his jumping on Oprah Winfrey’s couch; and therefore in absolutely no need of Search Engine Optimization writing efforts!

2)      Have made it your business to be as good at internet marketing as you are in your own business!

3)      Do not only understand the nuances of the English language up to almost a Shakespearean degree, but, also have endless hours to devote to meticulous writing, copy editing and proof-reading!

Now, seriously, you do need a professional Copywriter for your website, as well as for all your internet marketing and advertising writing!

… And, this is mainly because:

1)      You Are Really Not as Famous as Tom Cruise!

You may not have the opportunity of being on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the near future to enthusiastically exalt about your life, so, remember, unless people know you and know what you are up to, there will not be much traffic to your website. If there’s one thing SEO experts and SEO writers know, it’s how to get relevant traffic to you. And, no, you don’t need to be famous for that to happen!      

2)      While You Were Spending All Your Time Becoming Proficient in Your Business, Copywriters Everywhere Were Becoming Proficient In Theirs!

Even if you are as proficient at internet marketing, SEO writing, SEM writing, as the best Copywriter you know, you’d still better hand over the job to him or her — Otherwise, you’ll have to find someone to do your job, while you are busy writing. A Copywriter, maybe? I hope I have made my point!

3)      Before You Read This Article, You Were Never Quite Sure Whether it Was “Copywriter”, or “Copy-writer”, or “Copy Writer”!

Okay, you may know this one if you just googled “Do I really need a professional copywriter”, but, English really is a complex-enough language by itself, and then, add to it all the rules of copywriting and internet marketing and you have a mix that really is best handled by someone who does this kind of thing every day.

You will probably never get more sound business advice: “Stop googling this topic now!” – Get yourself a professional Copywriter and the rewards will be manifold. Just confirm this with a few people you know, who have managed to start and sustain a profitable business on-line.

Here’s to the growth of your business through the cyber-world!

7 Questions to Ask Your Web Copywriter

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7 Questions to Ask Your Web Copywriter

When you decide to hire a copywriter, you want a good fit between his or her abilities and your needs. You want a copywriter who can speak to your target audience and influence them to take action.

Not all copywriters are created equal. Most copywriters have medium specialties that they enjoy, such as white papers or web copy, or maybe they love writing for specific audiences such as B2B (business to business) or coffee connoisseurs. The only way to find out what your copywriter can do is to ask.

Following are seven questions you can ask to find out what your copywriter can do for you:

1. Which type of writing is your favorite? While we all have taken on writing tasks that weren’t our favorites, if you’re looking for a long-term relationship with your writer, you want him or her to enjoy writing your materials. If your writer doesn’t like writing for your business, the copy will suffer.

Listen to the answer here and see where your copy fits. If your writer loves travel writing and you need a technical writer for industrial software, you may want to probe for more information, or move on and interview someone else.

2. Which media have you written for? Whether it’s web copy, brochures, press releases, or articles, each medium has its own challenges and best practices for effective copy. If you need a seasoned web writer and your writer has never written a web page, you might want to reconsider.

3. How familiar are you with ___? If your writer has little or no experience with your industry, you’ll need to provide some education before the first project starts. Depending on your field, this may be simple, or it may be a time-intensive undertaking.

4. How fast can you turn projects around? You want a writer who takes enough time to do a good job with your copy, but you don’t want someone who will take two months to write a brochure. You’ll need to discuss what you expect, including adhering to deadlines.

5. How do you handle rewrites? When we hand in a first draft for your review, we expect revisions and plan for them. Occasionally, even the best copywriter will miss the mark and need to rewrite copy. We include one free rewrite in our project cost, but other writers handle this issue differently. Be sure you understand what happens if you need copy redone.

6. Do you have a written contract for me to sign? A contract protects both of you and spells out the expectations for both parties. Some copywriters have a full-fledged contract, while others prefer a shorter memorandum of understanding. The main parts of the project that the contract should cover are what is to be written, how and when it is to be completed, what happens in the event of a rewrite, and when payment is due.

You should be responsible for ensuring the copy complies with the legalities of your business. You cannot expect your copywriter to know what is legal in your industry. Also, there should be some kind of indemnification clause, meaning that except in the case of plagiarism or gross negligence, the two parties hold each other harmless in the event of a lawsuit. Have your lawyer look at the contract before signing.

7. What is your expectation of payment? Often, copywriters will offer a paid-in-full discount, and it’s up to you whether you’re comfortable with that. In any case, most copywriters expect a percentage of their fee upfront—50% is usual. If your copywriter demands 100% upfront, ask why.

If your copywriter can answer most or all of these questions to your satisfaction, you’ve found a good writer. Assuming his or her writing skills are excellent, hold on tight. . . responsible, talented writers with good business sense are hard to find.

Discover simple marketing strategies to attract and convert prospects. My bimonthly ezine, Sumer’s Secrets is packed with tips on how to improve your web copy, promote your website, and market your brand.  Sign up and receive a FREE report on creating web copy that will increase sales and site traffic.

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What Questions Should You Be Asking A Copywriter Before Hiring Them?

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What Questions Should You Be Asking A Copywriter Before Hiring Them?

A good copywriter can help your business flourish but with the myriad copywriters all competing for your business, just how do you know who you should or shouldn’t hire?

In such a situation, knowing the right questions to ask is not only extremely useful, it’s absolutely essential.

1. Do you have examples of successful copy?

Every copywriter has to start somewhere and therefore some won’t have any successful campaign samples to refer you to. While these people obviously need a break, can you really afford to take the chance on somebody who may or may not be good at their trade? Your business is relying on the person you hire to produce copy that will draw buyers in and get your products or services moving. With this in mind, hire somebody who can show you successful copy for the medium you require and, preferably, provide you with references.

2. How long do you require before project completion?

Every project is different and only after giving your copywriter a full and thorough brief will he or she be able to provide a delivery date. However, it’s important that a deadline is agreed upon and that it falls within your requirements. There’s no point, after all, in receiving copy after the launch of a new product.

Always insist on:

A) A date for the first draft to be delivered, and
B) A delivery date for the final copy.

3. How much do you charge and what are your payment terms?

Some copywriters charge by the hour, others by word count and yet others by each individual project. In my experience it’s best to aim for an agreement on a “per project” basis although this does entail your giving the writer a thorough brief of the job before he or she can be expected to quote you. Always remember that you get what you pay for.

It’s also important that you agree on payment terms. Some copywriters require a percentage of the fee “up front”, others after delivery of the first draft and yet others require nothing until project completion. You should also agree on how and when payment should be transferred.

4. Are any necessary revisions included in the price?

Because a copywriter can’t possibly know your products or services as well as you do, there’s little chance of your receiving a perfect first draft. Of course, it’s your job to ensure that your copywriter has enough information to be able to put together copy that’s in keeping with your requirements but some editing will undoubtedly be necessary. Ensure that the fee quoted includes at least two revisions although expect your copywriter to set a deadline for such revisions; nobody wants to leave a project hanging open indefinitely. However, should you change your brief then it’s only fair that your copywriter bills you for any extra time spent working on the copy.

5. What information do you need in order to produce my copy?

For a copywriter to be able to produce his or her best work it’s important that all necessary information is provided beforehand. Your copywriter should be able to tell you exactly what he or she needs before the assignment begins, thus saving you the time and hassle of answering numerous questions “along the way”.

6. Will you be doing the work yourself?

Project managers often assume that the person they’re dealing with is the person who will write the copy but this isn’t always the case. If your copywriter is sub-contracting work you should ask to see copy previously written by the person producing your copy. A middle man generally tends to mean that some information is also more likely to be misunderstood (think Chinese whispers).

Other questions to ask are:

Have you handled this type of assignment before?
What size and type of business do you specialise in writing for?
What type of assignments do you handle? (e.g. web writing, press releases, brochures, speeches, etc)
Do you provide design work and/or graphics?

Of course, good old-fashioned “gut feeling” also come into play. A good working relationship is important – if you don’t feel comfortable with your copywriter then it’s probably best to look elsewhere.

How to Write an E-Book Copywriter – Your Step-by-Step Guide

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How to Write an E-Book Copywriter – Your Step-by-Step Guide

Copywriting is a common activity in the marketing world. Everyone uses this to promote and sell an idea. It is basically a writing perspective of the products and services you are offering in your company or business. The internet has become the main tool in marketing products for the reason that almost everybody searches the net for the things they need. One should be able to understand then the strategies on how to write an ebook copywriter since the internet has now become the main source of updates and information. It is much faster to reach out to customers anywhere, anytime. Ordering is done online, simply key in your personal information and your credit card details to initiate purchase. And the goods will be delivered. For some other services, you will be able download the files immediately. Hence, copywriting through the net is a very appropriate tool in marketing.

Here are some basic instructions on how to write an ebook copywriter:

1. Understand Consumer Behavior. Copywriting is geared towards the consumers. It is important then to get the needed information from them by understanding what their needs are and how they feel towards a certain product. It is important that you understand who your potential customers are. Gather information about them and do profiling. This will allow you to know them more and understand their needs.

2. Understand your Customer. If you think and feel like your customers, then writing won’t be very difficult. Identify yourself with them in some sense as this will help you gather the facts you need in promoting your product and write more about it. Developing such a sense may not really be easy. Some would even go to heights of using the product and be a customer themselves to appreciate what they really are promoting. Doing surveys can also be help to get responses from existing consumers. However, this may take some considerable time as you need to through the rigorous activity of gathering and analyzing data.

3. Make you statements clear, focused, and concise. Be informative and sincere about what you write. Try to eliminate wordy statements which may only confuse the readers. Clear away some doubts by clearly stating facts about the item you are writing about. Remember that you are marketing a product so go straight to the point identifying its features and benefits.

4. A call to action. We want to move the reader and the best move is that they buy the product. This is the main reason why we are doing ebook copywriting. We want the reader to learn more about the product and move them into action. Educating the reader is important. We want them to know more about the product we are marketing. However, there is more into this as we want them to buy and try it.

Doing ebook copywriting will always be a good source of income. Hopefully, the above tips on how to write an ebook copywriter have benefited you and have shed some light on the importance of copywriting. It is a marketing tool and a powerful one because it can reach out to millions of potential customers online. Online transactions have risen thru the years with the help of copywriting. We can start doing it. Promote online through ebook copywriting.

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11 Rules of a Copywriter

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11 Rules of a Copywriter

Life experience and common sense tell me that a diligent and capable apprentice of a car mechanic will master all the details of the profession in two or three month time. And he will work not worse than his teacher. Besides his further experience is not likely to influence seriously the efficiency and quality of his work. Unfortunately, the same does not concern the profession of a copywriter. Copywriter’s experience refers to the category of the most difficult to be conveyed. I mean that it is hard to formalize and transform it into a sort of effective technology. That is why very often we do our work intuitively.

Yet the work of a copywriter requires specific accuracy and precision. And so I decided to develop some code of rules, standards, techniques and methods to help us write professional advertising texts. Basically I collected the information from my friends, colleagues, world experience and even from my own reflections. As a motto to my code of copywriter rules I took words of Jeff Stark, the editor at “Saatchi and Saatchi”: “No one has a monopoly for truth”. So, let’s think and create together. I am doing my best to follow the next eleven copywriter rules in my work. Surely, they don’t make a complete list, but I hope they will be as useful to you as they are to me. 1. Stick to the point. Advertising text is written not to get you Pulitzer Prize. As a rule you have definite marketing aims to be achieved and your writing should serve them. You are to pursue them even if you have to break one of the following rules. 2. Before you start, make sure you know where to go. Your advertising text should run smooth like a quiet stream, flowing from sentence into sentence, from paragraph into paragraph. Including some fresh ideas into a prepared version often shatters its smooth course. And you have to rewrite again. That is why it is better to determine from the very start what are you going to say and who is your audience. Before writing, jot down the next points: the aims of the advert, the audience of the advert, the key message, supporting arguments. 3. Don’t overdo it. We know what it takes to make the reader pay attention, then read and get the idea of the most primitive advertising text. When we write complicated texts with more than one key message, we do nothing but muddle the reader. And then as doctors would say we lose him. 4. Be honest. If a reader suspects you of a slightest lie, he will doubt every word you address to him. 5. Stop underestimating the reader. He gets irritated by haughty air of the message. You would feel the same. 6. Don’t rely on reader’s intellect and his quick wits. He does not want to go into the details of what he does not understand from the first time. Moreover, he will not buy your product if he does not get the main idea of the text. 7. Spelling and grammar do matter, but there is just one snag to it… Spelling and grammar mistakes annoy the readers. But sometimes rules have to be broken to achieve the desirable result. For example, to make a long and thoughtful pause a copywriter may use elliptical sentences. Structures as “Stop, Think” make the reader reflect on what he has just read. 8. Be brief. 9. Make sure the reader understands and memorizes your ad. The reader can remember a text if he understands it. But what is clear for one person may be absolutely imperceptible for the other.

That is why occasionally it is a good practice to repeat the key messages. Interpreting the same idea with different words, you reduce the risk of misunderstanding and drum the key point of your message into the reader’s head. 10. Write for the reader .It is one of the main principles of SEO copywriting. The target audience of your text is not you, but your readers. Write in their language. Write about things they want to discover. You may need to do a market research for that. 11. Read your texts aloud. When you read to yourself, you see what you want to. Reading aloud you will spot all the mistakes. For me the most difficult is to observe rule 8. What can be easier than to write a lot on a well known topic? To concentrate on the main idea and present it in a few words is much more challenging and takes so much time. I often recollect the phrase by wise Pascal “This letter turned out to be longer than usual as I had no time to cut it down”. But we are to find this time, anyhow.

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A Winning Campaign is All About the Copywriter

admin    Web Marketing     About, Campaign, Copywriter, Winning

A Winning Campaign is All About the Copywriter

Within the marketing and advertisement world there is one important button that must be pressed each time anew, the name of this magical button is creativity.

This special button com’s in all kinds of colors and shapes: conceptual creativity, marketing creativity, business creativity, conceptual creativity, artistic creativity, technical creativity, graphic creativity, visual creativity, vocal creativity, phonetic creativity, verbal creativity, written creativity, material creativity, human creativity, communicative creativity, production and media creativity

The question is: how can we tap all those functions at the same time?

Indeed, this is a long and sometimes a tiring process, but if your intentions are backed up with some large experience and acknowledge in and of the publication and marketing field you might find a good marketing move.

At a time like this, where the business and personal communication have a crucial role in policy making, there is no room for ambiguous messages, un clear message encoding or compromises in the message content.

Marshall McLuhan coined the following sentence: “the medium is the message” on the pages of mass communication history in today’s world, there are so many communicative platforms that it is hard to know what is the right medium for transferring the message to the different target audiences.

First, One of the main players in each winning campaign is the copywriter. He is accompanied by other key players that assist him in achieving the marketing/advertising goal, but there is no doubt that he is the one who gives the essence of the whole idea.

Marketing writing addresses the right words at the right time, in the right measure, at the right pace, with the right spirit and style- All of which fit exactly the focused or large scale target audience. It doesn’t sound simple – that is true. A good copywriter plays all these instruments simultaneously.

Notice that when we develop a copywriting, it is not enough to be witty or have a large vocabulary to draw from. The one million dollar question here is how do we bring about the whole strategic research plan in to just one sentence? (it is not out of thin air that NIKE came up with the last slogan “Just DO It”! This slogan is a result of a long and in deep research and message strategy).

You must give a lot of respect to the written and spoken word. try to take regular words and distort, transform, rectify, shape, match and erase them a little and there you go – your next marketing writing is ready.

What Do You Look for in a Copywriter?

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What Do You Look for in a Copywriter?

Here is a Japanese answer, by Japanese ad industry veteran, Keiji Nishimura, from the Copywriter’s Bible (New Testament), in which Nishimura and other renowned copywriters pass on what they believe about their profession to young aspirants to it.

Nishimura lists 34 traits that make up the copywriter’s natural gifts

Assertiveness. Must have faith in the copy he or she writes Cockiness. Must be lazy and cheeky. Not distracted. Reluctant to give up first idea. Must be willing to do research. Digs deep into what he writes about. Mental agility. Not stuck in one perspective. Must be able to see things from different angles. Calligrapher. Presents ideas in his own handwriting. Writing shows the person. Good memory. Must remember what other people have written in order not to repeat it. Skillful word choice. A basic skill for a copywriter. A strong stomach. Mustn’t get a stomach ache after having ideas rejected two or three times. Neurotic. Neuroses make the man. Team player. Must be able to work with people with different skills. Be able to take a punch. The toughness not to be hurt by a client’s criticism. Physical strength. Needs the stamina to be able to work through the night. Easygoing character. Doesn’t panic as deadlines approach. Curiosity. Must be curious about all sorts of things. Kanji (Chinese characters). Large vocabulary. Can’t always be writing the same thing. Loud voice. You can’t be successful if you don’t speak up. Strong sense of responsibility. Gets things done on time. Notetaking. Has to be able to listen and take notes quickly. Insight. Nobody is going to tell you exactly what they want. Understands quickly. Doesn’t need long meetings. Likes people. You can’t be a copywriter without being interested in people. Likes to work. You can’t do this work unless you love it. Likes to play. Work is play. Play is work. Gloom. Why is it that most first-rate copywriters are gloomy people? Aesthetic sense. Must be concerned with the quality of the image as well as the quality of the words. Computer skills. Nowadays, if you can’t use a personal computer, designers will hate you. Ordinary tastes. Great copywriters may look strange. But in fact they tend share ordinary people’s sensibilities. Psychological education. The ability to read people’s feelings. Hardworking. Earnest about everything. Suspicious. The ability to doubt everything. Open to flashes of insight. In the bath, on the toilet, wherever. Good at keeping things in order. Needs to know lots of stuff. Also needs to know how to put aside what is interfering. Imagination and empathy. Must be able to imagine what is bothering other people. Above all, perseverance. Sticks to it.

Reviewing this list I see only two attributes, calligraphy and knowledge of Chinese characters, that might not apply in other parts of the world. The list seems pretty comprehensive, and the copywriter it describes a pretty nice, if sometimes difficult, fellow. I wonder how people in other parts of the world respond to it? What kind of person they see?

What about you?

5 Secrets of Being a Successful Freelance Copywriter

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5 Secrets of Being a Successful Freelance Copywriter

The greatest reward of being a freelance copywriter is to earn a good income while working from the comfort of your home. Below, I have discussed some special strategies to become a successful copywriter by writing freelance articles.

Provide the best service

While it may sound obvious, but often we fail to provide the best service possible. For example, a very minor careless mistake may ruin an otherwise perfect piece of writing. Proofread the articles you have written for a couple of times carefully. Make sure to abide by the deadline if you have any and try never ever to submit your articles beyond the deadline.

Create an office-like environment

In case of freelance copywriting you are typically working from your home. This sometimes may make you quite lethargic as the environment in your home must be relaxing and laid-back as opposed to the office atmosphere that is surcharged with competitiveness that keeps you always on your toes. Do everything you can to create an office-like atmosphere at home at least when you are working.

Have a do-not-disturb signboard hanging from the doorknob of the room you are working in. Explain to your kids that you are actually working from home, which is not different than working in an office, and ask for their cooperation. Have a fixed time of working and before you sit down to work, make sure that you will face no distractions in between by completing all household chores that need to be taken care of.

Tell your spouse/partner, friends and family not to disturb you while you are working unless there is an emergency. Take small 5 minutes breaks after every one hour. Discipline yourself to remember that you are working against a deadline just like office works.

Set up a target

Setting a target helps a lot with freelancer copywriter jobs. You can have a target of writing a specific amount of words in a single day. You should consider both your comfort level and the payment structure in order to set up a target. For example, a freelance copywriter job may offer you for every 100 words. Now, you have to see how much you can comfortably write in one day to earn a certain amount of money in a month. Don’t burn yourself out by taking us a lot of work that you cannot handle.

Network with other writers

When you are doing online writing, networking with other freelance copywriters really help. Join online forums, discussion groups, social networking platforms where you can interact with other writers such as you. If you have a work overload, you may give it away to another writer whom you know and vice versa. Remember, co-operation makes more sense in the world of freelance copywriter jobs.

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The indispensable qualities of professional copywriter

admin    Web Marketing     Copywriter, Indispensable, Professional, Qualities

The indispensable qualities of professional copywriter

Whatever industry you operate in and whatever web site you have, it indispensable that the content on your web site is written easy-to read, appealing and attractive style. Your potential customers will visit your web site and judge both you and your company by the information presented on your web site. It might be enough to have appealing content in offline advertisement, but it is not enough just to have attracting content to be successful in online environment. However, how can one make sure that your web site will stand out from the numerous other identical ones on the internet and it will attract the attention not only of your visitors but the search engines as well? In order to get high rankings the text of your web site should be well optimized as well. Undoubtedly, this is where the skills of experienced and skilled copywriter count.

It is widely known that the copywriter should be creative, ingenious and must possess excellent writing skills. But apart from these well-known facts, what qualities and experience should professional copywriter possess? First he should know how to perform keywords search and keywords analysis. In my experience there are some specialists in the company, who can perform this task for copywriter; however it is imperative to find out whether the copywriter can perform this task before hiring him. Second, he should have good knowledge of modern marketing tools. He must understand current online advertisement strategy and the techniques that allow receiving high rankings on your web site. He also should know how develop highly efficient marketing program that will advertise the site and gain promotion of it online. For instance such techniques as press release and article writing that help to promote you as real professional should be known to your copywriter.

Third, the text written by him should induce customers to take some actions. One should remember that it is crucial to have action —driven text on your web site to get high results. Fourth, the copywriter should be custom-oriented and understand how the potential customers write, talk and act in order to write as much convincing as possible. Killer-Content.com is one of the leading copywriting companies, that provides its customers with appealing, attracting and ingenious copywriting SEO and web content. It also provides its customers with efficient press release services. The writers of Killer-Content.com create press release that helps to get exposure of your company.

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