The Copywriting Store

Feel your market’s pain – The Copywriter’s mantra

June 23rd, 2009

As a copywriter, “Feel your market’s pain” could (and should) be a mantra.

What are your market’s pain points? Whether you are writing for your own business or for a client, everything about copywriting is based on seeing things from the client’s perspective.

It’s not about what you have to advertise. That’s secondary. The client is looking for a solution. If someone wants to have the latest sports car, and his motivation is power or reward for a job well done, then these are the pain points.

It can’t be said enough. People are not reading your copy because they are interested in what you have to say, they are reading your copy because they are interested in solutions to their problems.

A quick glance Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs gives you an insight into pain points.
• Food, shelter, clothing
• Safety, security, comfort
• Love (self, others, family)
• Esteem, recognition, status
• Independence, self realisation, accomplishment

This is where it gets interesting because your pain points may change as your priorities change. Also, what some people see as a “need” others may see as a luxury. Both “wants” and “needs” can be pain points.

A good start for you is to use yourself as a reference point. What are your pain points? What would you pay money for? What need or want would it solve and how? Look at marketing copy in this area. What works? What doesn’t?

Tags: copywriting, pain point, solution oriented copy
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Do you even know how to write…

June 17th, 2009

Tags: copywriting, John Carlton
Posted in business writing, copywriting, online marketing | No Comments »

Some keyword know-how

June 14th, 2009

With do it yourself copywriting on the web, the basic thing to know about keywords is to write naturally. Just write as you normally would, keeping your keyword phrases in mind.

Good coverage of keywords

When you finish, go back and check that you have a good coverage of keywords. What exactly is “good coverage” is a subjective thing as different “experts” all have their own opinion. You’ll hear some very hard-and-fast rules from some people about how to write web copy using keyword phrases.

Forced language structure

When you do your own copywriting, you can use your discretion as to what makes sense and reads well.

Very strict rules often don’t allow for the language to flow naturally. This is especially true when keyword phrases are overused. This is known as “keyword stuffing” and just makes the whole article seem as though the reader is an afterthought.

Just write naturally

It’s an interesting do it yourself copywriting exercise to write your article without deliberately trying to include keyword phrases. Then go back and check your coverage. You’ll be surprised at how the keywords have just slotted in naturally.

Tags: allison nazarian, copywriting, keywords, web copy
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Repurposing blog posts to streamline content production

June 8th, 2009

Time management and a lack of fresh ideas can make it challenging to continuously churn out new content. But if you have a blog, you could simply repurpose one blog post to serve various business needs.

Article marketing

You can repurpose blog posts for article marketing purposes. Just freshen the content by adding more detailed information so that it is 400 to 500 words. Make sure the content is properly optimized and submit it to the directories.

Use it for website copy

Many websites are set up to be online brochures that sell a product or service. Experts suggest enticing prospects with editorial website copy with an intriguing, attention getting headline and valuable copy that follows.

Use it as part of an email marketing campaign

Tweak one of your best blog posts and use it as an email marketing campaign. You will need to give it more of a direct marketing feel with strong headlines that show the benefits of your service and add a call to action.

Tags: blog, content, copywriting, repurposing
Posted in copywriting, marketing | No Comments »

Are You Giving Your Copy Away? A Copywriter’s Secret That Will Make You Money.

May 30th, 2009

My copywriting mentor and business partner, Harlan Kilstein, shares some great insight into why so many copywriters struggle to get paid. Take a listen, it is amazing advice for copywriters at all skill levels.

Tags: copywriters getting paid, copywriting, harlan kilstein, struggling copywriters
Posted in business writing, copywriting | No Comments »

When Outsourcing Your Copy Pays

May 25th, 2009

In a dream scenario, you’d be so overwhelmed with assignments for copywriting that you’d have to find an outsourcer just to handle your immense workload. In the real world, most copywriters are struggling to find enough clients to keep a steady paycheck going. So why would they give up any of their hard-won assignments to outsourcers?

There are several scenarios in which outsourcing makes a lot of sense, even if you don’t have an overloaded plate.

You’re Good at Promotion

If you’re actually a great marketer and wonderful at drumming up new clients, but you never have the time to put as much effort into it as you’d like, outsourcing can be great for you. Sometimes copywriting businesses don’t succeed because the copywriter simply doesn’t have the time to put into promotion. An outsourcer can free up that time.

With the outsourcer taking care of your copywriting, you can spend extra time on promoting yourself. That promotion leads to even more clients, giving both you and your outsourcer plenty to do. The best part? You take a percentage of the fee from your outsourcer, since you’re doing all the work of finding new clients.

You Have Trouble Getting Started

Some copywriters are fantastic re-writers, but not terribly good at coming up with new ideas. If you’re often stymied for inspiration but have no trouble at all editing someone else’s poor copy, then outsourcing can be perfect for you.

Find a far less-talented copywriter who’s willing to work for a lower fee while they build experience. Polish up their poor copy to a beautiful shine and send it on to the client knowing that it’s as good as anything you could have done – but without the stress of coming up with an angle yourself.

Reduce Stress

Sometimes you really will have more work than you can handle, and outsourcing is great for getting those jobs done. In another scenario, you may be stressed out by basic life problems, and outsourcing work can ensure that all your assignments get done without you having to worry about them.

In the midst of a life crisis, it’s incredibly hard to focus, but we can usually take the time to polish someone else’s assignment. Outsourcers can keep your business from flagging while you get your feet back under you.

A Few Don’ts For Outsourcing

Don’t forget your own percentage of the client fee – you found them and you do the edits to make sure the copy is just what they want. You deserve a portion of the fee.
Don’t outsource to incompetents – hiring a writer who will work for less than you would is great, but be sure there’s something to work with. If you spend just as much time editing as you would have writing, it’s not saving you any stress.
Don’t outsource so much you don’t have an income – make sure that your bills are taken care of before you outsource. Yes, you’ll get a percentage of their writing, but don’t forget to calculate the salary you need and make sure you’ll meet it.

Tags: copywriting and outsourcing
Posted in business writing, copywriting | No Comments »

The Bullet - A Great Weapon in a Copywriter’s Arsenal

May 20th, 2009

One of the greatest weapons in a copywriter’s arsenal is, somewhat appropriately, bullets. Bullet points break up copy, get your point across succinctly, and are easier for readers to understand. They’re the time-stressed reader’s saving grace, which means they’re critical when you’re writing for a web audience whose attention span is somewhat less than that of your average squirrel.

As copywriting great John Carlton states in the video above, bullet points work.

So how do you use them effectively? Bullet points should be informative, persuasive, and brief. If your bullet point is a full paragraph, you might as well not use them at all. If you were summarizing the main highlights of each point for someone else, those are the nuggets of information you want your bullets to hit.

Effective bullet points:

Use powerful verbs to start each in order to create dynamism
Are brief
List the highlights of each information point
Take up only three to six lines – more are just as exhausting to the eye as paragraphs
Appear only once or twice an article – unless the article is about bullet points

Tags: bullets, copywriting, John Carlton
Posted in copywriting, online marketing | No Comments »

Make Your Offer Irresistible By Solving Your Reader’s Problem

May 14th, 2009

special-offer What’s Your Offer?

You may be writing about the best product or service you’ve ever heard of, but your reader only wants one question answered: What’s in it for me?

That’s why some of the most effective marketing copy makes your reader an offer. It’s your job as a copywriter to make it sound like a valuable offer, and to do that, you have to be able to present the value in a compelling way.

Often, copywriters neglect to make the offer to their readers. Your client may have a perfectly good offer: discounts, free trials, free materials, and sale items are all great offers. If your copy doesn’t play up those offers, though, they won’t get the results your client is looking for – and they’ll blame your writing for the disconnect.

Make Your Offer Irresistible

One of the most effective ways to do this is by telling the reader that this offer won’t last for very long. Make sure this is true: if, for example, your client intends to offer a 60-day trial indefinitely, it’s not smart or ethical to tell the reader otherwise. Many offers do have a sell-by date, though, and you can make that urgency real to the reader.

Use real numbers in your copy when promoting an article. If your client is offering 20% off a product, tell your readers just how much money that saves them. A software package that is 20% is interesting, but saving $200? That’s something everyone wants. Present the offer in a way that makes it tangible to the reader and they won’t be able to resist you.

Spell Your Offer Out

While the fact that a sale has an end date may be obvious to you, it may not be so obvious to your reader. If they bother to really think about it, most readers will be able to tell you that any sale has an end date, but it won’t occur to them to find out what that end date is on their own.

If they hear that there’s a sale for only one more day, they’re more inclined to check it out.

Don’t Leave Anything Out

Many companies have standing offers that can sweeten the current one they’re promoting. If the company has a policy of free shipping on all orders over $100, for example, and they’re also featuring a sale that brings the price of a product down from $500 to $350 – that’s two offers in one.

Most writers will only promote the offer they know about. Do your research and find out if any other offers are also on the table. In the above example, you now have two offers to put into your copy: a $150 discount on a product AND free shipping. The fact that the free shipping was already standard isn’t the point. A customer who wasn’t compelled by one offer may very well be compelled by two.

Tags: copywriting, offers in copywriting
Posted in copywriting, marketing | No Comments »

Transparency - Just Another Buzz Word?

May 12th, 2009

Or Can Transparent Copywriting Create Customer Loyalty?

Transparency has rapidly become one of those copywriting buzzwords that has a malleable meaning. It can mean “honest” or “straightforward” or “clear” but what most readers are really looking for in copywriting transparency is for it to be sincere.

In your copywriting, transparency can lend your words credibility. Readers assume that sincerity equals honesty, and that means they won’t have to worry about getting tricked and trapped into a deal they don’t really want. Transparency is being straightforward about what you do, the services you provide, and the kind of people you are. That sincerity about your intentions helps readers believe in the truth of your writing and be more inclined to believe your arguments.

Unfortunately, transparency is a bit of a Goldilocks story. Too much transparency can mean that you come off as unprofessional. Too little makes you seem cagey. Here’s how to get that just-right amount of transparency that lends your copy sincerity without losing respect for your expertise.

Too Much Transparency

When you start disclosing information about a company that normally only some portions of the staff are privy to, you’re venturing into dangerous territory. Generally, you want to steer clear of over-telling the truth. Stating that the company is being acquired next week may be true, but it’s not relevant to the reader. Getting a little TMI (too much information) makes you seem unprofessional, like talking about your personal life with your boss.

The reader wants to know why they should care about the company’s products and services, not the company itself. If the company is getting acquired, don’t put that in the copy, just explain what that means to the customer. Getting rid of old inventory at a low price is a great transparent reason to stay engaged.

Too Little Transparency

Trying to hide things, on the other hand, is equally unprofessional and verges on scam territory. Obscuring what you actually provide in favor of vague promises just makes the reader confused, and often gives them a heads-up that your writing is disguising a poor quality of company.

The company may or may not provide a great service or product that will really serve the customer, but if your copy doesn’t accurately reflect what that product or service is and why it’s great for the customer to buy it, you’ll lose them. Keep your copy sincere and straightforward, and don’t try to exaggerate what you do.

Juuuuust Right Transparency

Telling the truth in a straightforward way doesn’t mean that you need disclose every single detail, relevant and irrelevant, about the company, but neither does it mean that you should try to get cagey about what you do. Play up your strengths, and let them stand on their own merits.

If you’re having trouble with transparency, try to explain what the product or service is in the simplest terms possible, as though you were explaining it to a small child. That simplicity can help you figure out what the important things to talk about really are, making your copy straightforward and sincere without offering so much information it undermines professionalism.

Tags: buzz words, copywriting, transparency
Posted in copywriting, web content | No Comments »

Do You Throw All Your Best Copy Away?

May 5th, 2009

trash This double-whammy headline does two things: it asks a question, and it creates curiosity. As a copywriter, you’re probably thinking, “Of course I don’t throw my best copy away. My best copy goes to my clients for their websites and promotional materials. Why would anyone throw away their best copy?”

Now that I’ve got your attention, I can tell you that if you aren’t writing compelling headlines, you are effectively throwing all the rest of your copy into the trash. If no one is interested in your headline, they’ve already decided they won’t be interested in what follows the headline. That means that no matter how good your copy is, it’s wasted. It’s gone straight into the trash. No copywriter wants that.

Put a Monkey on Your Head

Be a little crazy. Stay relevant, but use word play, alliteration, and interesting points from your main content to create a funny, intriguing, and yeah, slightly strange headline. That kookiness may not make sense at first, but that’s what’s going to make your reader keep reading. They figure your copy will make the headline make sense, and they want to know what that crazy statement was all about.

Once you’ve got them, don’t let them down. You have to deliver on kookiness, or you’ve disappointed your reader and lost the reason they’d want to keep reading. I’m going to explain that putting a monkey on your head is a metaphor for putting something offbeat (a monkey) on your head(line).

Now you know. That’s why you kept reading. So give it a shot.

Tags: copywriting, headlines, perfect headlines
Posted in business writing, copywriting | No Comments »

Feel your market’s pain – The Copywriter’s mantra

Do you even know how to write…

Some keyword know-how

Repurposing blog posts to streamline content production

Are You Giving Your Copy Away? A Copywriter’s Secret That Will Make You Money.

When Outsourcing Your Copy Pays

The Bullet - A Great Weapon in a Copywriter’s Arsenal

Make Your Offer Irresistible By Solving Your Reader’s Problem

Transparency - Just Another Buzz Word?

Do You Throw All Your Best Copy Away?

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