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Archive for February, 2010

Copywriting For An Online Audience part 1

February 23rd, 2010 Andy No comments

So what’s the problem about copywriting for the internet? This is the same as other forms of copywriting is not it? In a word, yes. However, in other words, no. Confused? Fed up with all these questions? I’m better alone explained later.

No matter what you’re using, all the copywriting should have one main goal - to create effective messages that appeal to the audience it was intended to influence. This golden rule applies to web sites, brochures and sales letters, even adding a nice message for Grandma’s birthday card little pink. However, the Internet presents a unique challenge for the copywriter, though the people who read your sales letter is the same person reading your website.

Think about this for a minute. Did you read on the Internet in the same way you read in the paper? Not long. First of all, there are convenience factors such as monitor resolution, color, glare, and reading surfaces that are not moving. Second, we are conditioned to read the website in different ways. Online, we are quite comfortable scanning sub-heading, click on a hyperlink, and jumping between pages.

Third, the majority of people who seek your business sites are there because they find the services you provide. After all, they make an effort to visit you instead? Readers online can be impatient and demanding, and usually they know what they want before they click through the door he was. If your business is not impressed with them directly, quickly press on the keyboard to find someone who will. Even if you provide products or services they need, do not require much effort to duck into your competitor’s store to look around. Website copywriting is a bit like speed dating - you have to make a great first impression and leave them thinking “I’m sure we’ll be together

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Copywriting Basics - Answer The Questions You’d Want Answered part 2

February 20th, 2010 Andy No comments

This copywriting copywriting tips and techniques will work not only for Web copywriting but also to direct market copywriting, online copywriting others, and offline copywriting, too.

Below are some basics of other copywriting that will help you write your website copy:

1. Keep it simple. No one wants to toil through the long, drawn out confusing explanation. If you can not say it simply, it was good. But by all means, when you can simplify.

2. Make sure you copy the urge calls for action both in the body copy, or text of the article, or in the title. Words like “Act Now,” “Limited Time Offer,” or “Limited Supply” will urge your readers to contact you sooner rather than later.

3. Stay honest. Do not make wild claims just to get the business. Building a good reputation to be in front and honest with your potential customers. Besides appreciate your honesty, they will recommend you to others as a business owner the right to the word and your claim.

4. If you make a bid, making it a difficult one to pass up. Do not waste readers’ time a small, worthless offers. Think about the coupon that you see in magazines and newspapers. Did you take the time to clip them? If so, it was because the offer that is valuable to you.

5. How long can you copy? As long as necessary to adequately answer the questions above for your product or service.

An unanswered question is regarded as an objection in the minds of potential customers. So, be sure to answer all their objections.

Keeping copywriting basics of the Internet in mind when you prepare the goods or sales letters that will appear on your web site. Do not be intimidated because you do not have professional writing experience. Most people want to do business with honest people who know a good product or service that he was trying to sell.

You do not need to be a professional writer to do it. The only requirement is that you really believe in the product or service you’re trying to sell. If you do, your enthusiasm will shine through your writing. If you do not believe in the product or service, your lack of enthusiasm will shine through as well.

So, in summary, to answer questions on the clear and simple that you can, honestly, avoid scams, making a very attractive offer, and be sure to include a call to action.

If you do all these things, you will master the basics of copywriting and should have no trouble converting your website visitors into customers.

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Copywriting Basics - Answer The Questions You’d Want Answered part 1

February 17th, 2010 Andy No comments

Anyone can write effective Internet copy. You just need to know a few copywriting basics known to journalists and writers as the 5 W’s. Threw a “H” in there and all the basics of your copywriting closed.

Who? Tell the reader what your product will help. This should be a target market.

What? Tell the reader what your product or service will do to improve their lives. In other words, tell them the benefits they will receive, what’s in it for them.

When? When is the offer good for? If there is a special offer, when it ended? When will the product or service to help them, immediately or from time to time?

Where? Where you can order a product or service? Where will it work?

Why? Tell the reader why he needs your product or service. Why would benefit them? Why do they have to register or to order today? Why the quantity or limited supply?

How? How do they register or order? How much does it cost? How much return will they see their investments? How does it work?

Sounds simple enough, right? There is a trick - it really that easy. Put yourself in the position of the reader and answer the questions you will likely want to ask or answer about your product or service. Answer questions clearly and thoroughly and your web copy is complete.

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Copywriting 101: How to Get Your Customers to Take Action part 4

February 14th, 2010 Andy No comments

However, my advice for most situations is to combine branding and direct response. Your brand is clearly communicated in advertising and promotional materials, but you also take advantage of some direct response techniques at the same time.

If nothing else, make sure you do not forget the call to action.

Creativity Resources - Write Your Call to Action

Want to put a call to action in your promotional materials but do not know where to start? Here is a simple step-by-step formula:

1. Knowing your purpose for advertising or promotional materials. Why do you run these ads, make this Web site, printing of this brochure? (And no, an acceptable answer is NOT because everyone has one.) Is it to generate leads? Get your name out there? Getting people to buy? Or what?

2. Now write it down.

3. That’s it. It’s your call to action. Whatever the final outcome you want for the campaign is what you should be asking people to do.

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Copywriting 101: How to Get Your Customers to Take Action part 3

February 11th, 2010 Andy No comments

While we are on the topic of a call to action, I want to talk about one type of ad campaign where you rarely see a call to action. This is called branding campaign. Usually they appear on national television by large companies (McDonald’s, Nike, Starbucks, Target). In these instances, efforts to build a brand that will cause you to think about my first business when you are interested in buying their products. For example, when you’re hungry, you think MacDonald’s. You need new sneakers, you think Nike. You’re dying for a cup of joe, so you think Starbucks, etc.

Although there is nothing wrong with branding campaigns, they are tougher to track than the campaign with a specific call to action (Sale ends Saturday, call before Friday to receive a free gift, etc.) They are also called the campaign a direct response because you’re asking customers to respond directly. Direct response campaign can be tested, so you have a good idea what works and what does not (and can be tweaked according to campaign). And, if the campaign does not require the seller to get involved (ie if a call to action is for customers to whip out his wallet there) will only run the campaign itself (and make money by itself).

(One note: You do not need to do more than adding a call to action for a strong response direct campaign, but that does not negate the power of a call to action can bring to your campaign.)

Branding campaign is almost impossible to test, track and tweak. They look good for work or do not appear to work. And if they do not appear to work, it is very difficult to start tweaking to improve response rates.

However, branding is still very, very important. As a business owner, you need a good brand and you need to communicate effectively with the brand. And sometimes it makes sense to run a branding campaign.

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Copywriting 101: How to Get Your Customers to Take Action part 2

February 8th, 2010 Andy No comments

However, the unfortunate truth is your potential customers will not spend much time thinking about it. People have too much going on in their lives to spend so much time and energy on your business. If they read the advertisements or other promotional material and does not contain a call to action, they will tend to say, “Oh, good” and go to the next.

And even if they are interested to buy your offer, they may not know what their next step should be. Do they answer the phone? Go to a specific web page? Visit the shop? And if they do not know what they should do, chances are they will not do anything.

So you must tell your potential customers what you want them to do. (Remember, people are busy, and if you do not make you do business with ease, they probably would not do business with you at all.)

So, back to the call to action above. Did you see they all have in common? The word “now” (or, in the first case, “today”).

If people think that they can buy from you at any time, they will say “oh, I can do this later.” And then rarely come. You need to give them a reason to buy from you now, while they are interested. Adding “now” or some urgency or scarcity of techniques (probably a limited time offer or a statement a few copies left) is a great way to encourage people to do what you want them to do now rather than later.

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Copywriting 101: How to Get Your Customers to Take Action part 1

February 5th, 2010 Andy No comments

If you want people to buy, you should ask for sales.

Indeed, it is that simple. But I can not tell you how many ads, Web sites, brochures, sales letters, etc floating around out there that do not ask.

So, what is a call to action? It’s telling people what action they want to take. Typical calls to action include:

Hurry in today.
Buy now.
Call now.
Visit now.
Click here now.

Nothing is very sexy, I agree. However, if you want to see an increase in your customers, leads, income, etc., this is an important component.

But, you might think, is not clear? Why else are you going to run ads if you do not want people to buy what you sell?

Good question. And it’s true, people who know (if they stop to think about it) that you probably would like them to buy from you.

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Copywriting Vancouver

February 2nd, 2010 Andy No comments

If you are looking at copywriting in Vancouver, remember that you have a great opportunity in front of you for several different reasons. With the Internet growth and development of online freelance marketplace, you can work on projects from around the world. You are not limited to companies that are tight in Vancouver. This article on copywriting in Vancouver will focus on online freelance marketplace that is different that you can use as well as specific opportunities that you may have with in your area.

There are several online freelance marketplace you will want to look into for possible work. The first thing you should look into it is: www.elance.com. This website is good because it has an established customer base and new customers looking for a job every week. In their website, it was noted that more than 100,000 potential customers visit your website every week. This is a big business that may not know the secret you will if you do not join the website. You can have certain projects e-mail to you when they are posted and you can also send the profile to display the best work you have done.

The second website you should look into are: www.directfreelance.com. This website does not receive more website traffic profiled in the first paragraph but you will find that it is also a valuable resource for you. Have the same ability in that you can have jobs that meet your criteria e-mailed to you when they are posted. Both websites have highlighted for your convenience that you can work in Asia or in Vancouver without having to worry about a specific local market.

Vancouver is also a good place where you can work. In Vancouver, there are local job board that allows you to send your special skills or looking for local projects. The first is www2.vcn.bc.ca/directory? Catid = 25. The second is http://vancouver.craigslist.org/. The beauty of working in Vancouver Vancouver in search of projects is that if someone felt uncomfortable using the Internet to hire a copywriter, you can meet a particular individual and sell yourself. If you look at the two Web sites, use as a competitive advantage to regulate itself apart from your competitors who may not be in your immediate area. Copywriting is a competitive field, you will need to take advantage of whatever resources you have available and the fact that you live where the client lives can be a selling point that is very large.

Hopefully copywriting in Vancouver has given a better idea about how you can work around the world and also in your location. Remember that you can bid the project from every part of the world and how you present yourself at work you can do will often be what sets you apart from competitors. No matter what kind of work you bid, be sure to find some selling point that will allow you to set yourself apart from the competition. This could be a local factor if a potential client to stay in Vancouver or it could be something else. Good luck in finding a job in writing the script in Vancouver.

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