Entries Tagged 'copywriter' ↓

When writing a press release you can forget all about selling.

A press release is used to deliver news. You are not writing an advert – if you do, the editor is likely to delete it or bin it. They are under no obligation to publish your release because, unlike an advert, you’re not paying for it to be included in their publication.

The editor is looking for a genuine news item that will be of interest to their readers and that will fit the style and tone of their publication or website.

Benefits of press releases

On the plus side, they are relatively cheap to produce. Whether you produce them in-house or if you use an external copywriter, they are a cost effective way of promoting your company.

As they appear as an editorial piece rather than a blatant advert, they are more likely to be read as they’ll have an independent air about them.

The major downside of a press release

Unlike articles, blogs, web copy, brochures etc., you have no control over it once it’s left your hands. The amount of room it is given will depend on pressure within the publication you submit it to. It may be truncated or it may not appear as prominently as you would like.

How to use a press release

They can be used for almost anything. You are announcing to the world something new and interesting that’s happening to your company:

• A new website launch
• A new product or service
• A forthcoming event
• Charity work
• Advice
• Community involvement

And that’s just for starters. But whatever your subject matter it has to be relevant to the audience of the publication. If it’s ‘off topic’ it is unlikely to be published.

How to get your press release ignored

If you want your press release to be ignored all you have to do is:

• Use a bad subject line in your email such as Press release.
• Using a bad headline.
• A long drive to the story – if you waffle at the start of your press release no one will read it.
• Don’t try to use a disguised advert, it will be spotted. If your press release doesn’t contain a genuine news story it will be binned. Editors aren’t stupid – they will spot your blatant advert a mile off.
• Use bad English, dodgy spelling and atrocious grammar.
• Fill it with flowery language, repetitions, waffle and adjectives galore.

How to get your press release published

Before you start, make a plan – what is your story? Why is it interesting? What local angle can you use as a hook?

In other words go for the tried and tested Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? in your opening paragraph.

Also remember to include its word count, release date and at the end, add contact details, a brief company profile, note for the editor and details of any photo opportunities. And make sure you write it in the third person, using simple language that is short and concise without jargon.

The basic structure of a press release

1. The first thing to remember is to write Press release at the top of your page.

2. Write the date either as 7^th November 2010 – For immediate release, or 7^th November 2010 – 12.00 15^th November 2010.

The first shows it can be used immediately, the second shows it must not be used until the specified time and date.

3. Your headline comes next and should be eye-catching and should grab the editor’s attention straight away.

You can also use a sub heading to flesh out more of the story.

4. Next is the first paragraph. This is critical and must dive straight into your story. Forget hype and adopt a journalistic tone which sticks to the facts.

5. The second paragraph provides supporting evidence and can go into more detail. But make sure it remains focused

6. In the third paragraph you can add a quote or two that are relevant to the story. But make sure you have permission to use them.

7. Your final paragraph is your conclusion which briefly explains the link between the story and your company.

8. Finally end with ‘Ends’ or ###

9. Now you can add notes for editors and contact details.

So that’s how to write a press release in a nut shell. Remember they should only be used for genuine news and are not to be used to overtly advertise or promote your company’s products or services.

Done correctly, press releases can generate a lot of interest in your company; done badly and they’ll only ever see the recycling bin in the editors office.

I have written several posts in the past about the importance of search engine optimisation. For a newcomer to SEO arena there’s a lot to take in:

• Keywords
• Alt tags
• Header tags
• Title tags
• META descriptions
• Links

It can be very daunting trying to get to grips with what each of these terms mean, how to find the keywords your target audience are searching for and that’s even before you get round to thinking about how to produce SEO Copywriting that works, is relevant and interesting to your reader.

Have you got a headache yet?

So how can a complete beginner start to grasp the basics of SEO?

Well I could write an extremely long post about the intricacies of each elements but that would be boring and you’re unlikely to have the time to wade through it all. But, as it would just so happen, I stumbled across a superb post by Mike Mindel of WordTracker that takes you through all the main elements in a very simple-to-understand way.

In previous posts you would have seen me refer to Google’s keyword tool, well WordTracker is a similar tool to help you easily research and discover the keywords you need to target. It is a pay-to-use tool but you can try it out for free with their 7 day risk free trial. Check it out, it’s well worth it.

Anyway, back to the really important stuff. Mike has put together a video that runs through the basics of how to SEO your web pages. It explains in simple language how to find your keywords and how to use them in your title tags, META descriptions, heading tags and image tags as well as the importance of using diverse keywords and linking.

It’s about 19 minutes in length so grab a coffee, sit down and take a look by clicking the button below. It could be your first step to great rankings.

As a freelance copywriter I receive numerous requests for quotes every week.

They can be anything from new website copywriting, content for a brochure or direct mail letters to newsletters, email marketing and case studies. To make sure I get all the information I need I use a pro-forma that asks a series of questions designed to extract as much information as possible from the client so I can put together a comprehensive proposal and quote.

Most of the time clients are more than happy to complete the form in a very detailed way. However, every so often, clients will just jot down the bare bones of what they’re looking for assuming I’ll be able to fill in the blanks.

I’m good, but I’m not that good.

What your copywriter needs to know

When I first started as a freelance copywriter, one friend said to me “But why would I need a copywriter? You couldn’t possible know my business better than I do” and he was right, I couldn’t – not only that, I would never suggest I did. But that’s not what copywriting is about.

It’s not about who knows your business the best, it’s about who can write the strongest sales message.

Business owners tend to want to write about their business and achievements. They find it difficult to stand back and see their company from their customers’ point of view. And that’s were a professional copywriter comes into their own. Not only do they understand how to write powerful marketing copy, they can also view the company and its products/services from the customers’ perspective.

But to be able to do that, your writer is going to need as much information as possible about your company, its services and products, its ethos as well as the tone you want to convey.

Can’t you just write it?

As I mentioned earlier most of my clients appreciate what they need to provide me with, but there’s always the odd one that doesn’t. They think they’re doing my job for me by providing me with information – well, I don’t have a crystal ball, I don’t know your company intimately so I can’t write fabulous copy just from you company name.

To illustrate my point consider what would happen if you wanted someone to build you a house. When you sit down with your builder to brief him and say – “I want you to build me a house. Get on with it.”

Is he going to say “OK” and start building? Very unlikely.

He’ll want to know:

• What style you want – detached, semi, bungalow
• How many bedrooms
• How big the rooms should be
• How many rooms you want
• How big is it going to be

And that’s just for starters.

You wouldn’t dream of doing this so why expect your copywriter to write amazing SEO website copy from your instruction “I want you to write my website – get on with it”.

The copywriter/client relationship is a very close one. You have to work together to achieve the right copy. It’s a very collaborative approach and one that can create a strong working relationship. The more work your copywriter does for you, the better they get to know your company. They will be able to make suggestions and point out areas of your marketing that need strengthening, giving your income a much needed boost.

A great copywriter is a valuable asset for any company to have and a worthwhile investment. Through their marketing expertise your company will gain the upper hand. Through powerful brochures and email campaigns to strong SEO website copy to boost your rankings, your copywriter is quite literally worth their weight in gold.

There are umpteen posts out there about Twitter and getting the most out of it.

People are full of advice about how you should or should not use it for business. They tell you catagorically what you can and can’t tweet – but what happened to freedom of speech (or tweet)? Why can’t you use it how you want to use it?

Well I’m not about to jump on the band wagon and dictate to you. But what I am going to do is introduce you to a post I recently read on socialmediaexaminer.com which as a great list of 26 Twitter tips to enhance your tweets. It is a great post to help you make the most of thise 140 characters.

A short but sweet post today – hope you find the tips useful.

What better way to make your voice heard than blogging?

It gives you a platform from which you can spread your expertise across a global audience. You can engage people in conversations, generate a regular following, get people excited about your company—the possibilities are endless.

But one thing putting many people off embarking on a life of blogging is the time and dedication that it takes.

Dedication

One of the main characteristics of a good blogger is their dedication. If you want to engage with readers consistently you have to generate quality content time and again.

Your posts should be useful to your readers, thought provoking so they generate comments and debate. If you write great posts that are interesting and relevant you will encourage your readers to visit your blog again and again and spread the word about your content to generate a wider readership.

But most of all, your writing has to add value to your relationship with them.

Ideas

Generating a constant stream of ideas isn’t easy. But inspiration can come from anywhere so be ready for it when it strikes.

Keep a pen and paper near to hand so you can jot down ideas as and when they occur to you. Ideas can be sparked from conversations, reading other blogs, watching TV, magazine articles—absolutely anywhere.

Useful

By keeping your posts brief you can deliver bite sized gems of information that your readers that are easy to absorb. Although there’s nothing wrong with longer posts, remember how time limited we all are these days and deliver your information in a concise form. And above all, make sure it is interesting, useful and relevant.

Variety

Not everyone wants to read, not everyone wants to watch video, not everyone wants to listen to audio, but by offering a variety for information formats you will be providing something for everyone.

When to write

There are no hard and fast rules about when you should write your blog posts. Everyone’s different but writing regularly is the key.

Personally my main writing time is a Sunday morning. But, if I get the opportunity during the week, I’ll write several posts and schedule them. Get in to a routine, stick with it and you’ll end up with a constant library of great content.

Author: Sally Ormond, freelance copywriter and blogger