In the business world a newsletter is a great tool to keep in touch with your customers to keep them informed with what’s happening in your world and, of course, keeping your name in their minds.

But there are so many companies out there who are getting it badly wrong. In my post about newsletter marketing I gave you some tips about how to use a newsletter. Sadly, many companies are using them as glorified adverts.

That is such a bad idea.

Your newsletter should give added value to your relationship with your client. Granted, that would mean once in a while you may want to convey a special offer or details of a new product. But do that only once in a while.

Adding value is all about reciprocity. Give information, share tips, bring them some news that will benefit them. By doing this regularly you will earn your clients’ trust. In return, they will be more likely to come to you when they need your services.

The temptation to write a newsletter thinly veiled as an advert is too much for some people. I came across this post recently by inbox marketer explaining that Good Newsletters Aren’t Brochures which has some useful tips on this exact point.

Q: What happens if your newsletters are just selling, selling, selling.

A: The recipients will unsubscribe, forget who you are and buy from your competitor who has been providing them useful hints and tips.

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Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly what to say to make someone buy from you?

Well, that is pretty much what this blog post will do. I have mentioned in the past that people have to justify their buying decisions, so all you need to know is how they go about it.

Think for a moment – how many times have you bought something you didn’t really need but you wanted? Come on, own up how many pairs of shoes do you own – or gadgets – that you managed to convince yourself you needed even though you didn’t?

I have compiled a list of 10 reasons why people buy products – see how many you recognise.

1. They want to make money – more money makes them feel more successful
2. They want to save money – maybe investing for the future to make them feel more secure
3. They want to save time – hands up who wants to work less and have more leisure time to help them gain a better quality of life
4. They want to look better – perhaps lose a bit of weight, tone up their body or have the odd nip and tuck to make them feel more attractive
5. They want to learn something new – a new skill will make them feel more intelligent
6. They want to live longer – by getting in shape and changing their diet they will feel healthier
7. They want to feel better – finally getting shot of niggling aches and pains will bring them relief
8. They want to be loved – no one wants to be lonely, everyone wants friends because they like to feel wanted
9. They want to be popular – whether it is to the degree of wanting to be famous or just to be liked it will make them feel admired by others
10. They want pleasure – by satisfying their inner most desires they will feel more fulfilled

Did some of those sound familiar? Just think about it for a second who doesn’t want to be more successful, more secure, have a better quality of life, feel more attractive, feel more intelligent, feel healthier, feel wanted, be admired or feel fulfilled? Isn’t that pretty much what we are all striving for?

All you have to do is convince your readers that buying your product will result in at least one of these ‘wants’.

As a freelance copywriter, Sally Ormond has worked with many businesses helping them save time and money while increasing their sales and market visibility.

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“Freelance copywriting is like a box of chocolates!” Has she gone completely mad?

No, not completely.

You may recall I have also likened it to a bowl of cornflakes so you should be getting used to my bizarre food analogies by now.

So what am I getting at?

Well, we all remember the famous line from Forest Gump when he sits on a park bench and tells us that “Life if like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get“, well that is just what sales writing is like.

Think of your readers as chocolates – they’re all different. Some have soft centres, some are nutty, some are caramel but the one thing they all have in common is that they are covered in chocolate.

Therefore, although your audience is diverse they all have one thing in common – they are all searching for a solution to their problem.

So, as a freelance copywriter, when I come to write an email, newsletter, direct mail or web page I focus on the fact that no matter who my readers are, they are all united by one thing – a problem. It is my job to convince them that the product or service I am writing about is the solution they’re looking for.

It all comes down to knowing how to make them buy and that means selling the benefits of the product.

Remember, it is the benefits that will make the sale, not the features.

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There are numerous freelance copywriters out there and even more copywriting jobs, so there is plenty for everyone.

I often get asked by new copywriters how they can quickly find work to build up a portfolio. Well, as a starting point, there are a few websites that post jobs but you have to learn how to make sure to set yourself apart from all of the other freelancers out there.

First stop is www.elance.com – an online marketplace where customers post jobs for freelancers to bid on. It has a very strong following as more than 100,000 potential customers come by the website each week.  You are able to sign up to sell your services and the system allows you to upload your best work to sell yourself to potential clients.  There is also the facility to jobs that meet your criteria e-mailed to you on a daily basis.  There is a cost for subscription to this particular website, but with a ready market it’s worth it.

Next is www.guru.com, the largest online freelance marketplace on the Internet to look for online jobs including freelance copywriting jobs. It basically does the same as elance so both are well worth a look.

If you search Google, you’ll find a number of sites like these such as www.getafreelancer.com and www.directfreelance.com.

Set yourself apart

Now here’s a tip for you, when you are bidding on projects, companies that are looking at the bids will not be looking just at price but also at how their work will be done.  To do this you will want to set yourself apart.  To do that you could:

• Include copies of your best work
• Include testimonials
• Add a sales letter outlining why you are the best bidder on the project

This will help improve your credibility and firmly anchor you as a potential candidate who can get the job done.

Hopefully this article on freelance copywriting jobs has helped you.  It is important to know which websites you should use in finding work but it is also important to find ways to set yourself apart.  By creating a website as well as creating an advertising package that shows off your best side, you are setting yourself up to stand apart from other freelancers.

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OK, I’ll admit it. Even though I am a freelance copywriter I do sometimes get rather carried away with my writing. Sometimes, when the ideas are flowing freely I have to remind myself that I am writing sales copy, not the next best seller.

It is very tempting to go overboard – somewhere deep down there is a Pulitzer Prize novelist trying to escape.

So how do I stop myself?

By remembering why I am writing.

Every piece of copywriting is designed to help someone’s problem. They are hurting and they need you to make it better for them – just like our mums did when we were young. Who was it we turned to when we fell over and cut our knee?

Exactly, good old mum. She was always there with a few kind words, some cotton wool, disinfectant and a kiss. And it was always the kiss that made it better.

So that is all I need to remember to keep my writing on track – I am writing about the mother’s kiss they want to take their pain away.

But what happens when the reader doesn’t realise they have a pain anymore? Can writing about the solution to a problem they don’t realise they have work?

Absolutely.

We are all guilty of burying our heads in the sand at times. So I just have to remind them, loudly, about the problem they have – do they have enough life insurance? What will happen to their family when they are gone? Is there sufficient insurance to clear the mortgage, pay the university fees, cover the monthly bills etc?

It can at times feel like you are wielding a sledge hammer, but if that’s what it takes, do it.

As a UK Freelance Copywriter, Sally Ormond (Briar Copywriting) can provide you with a range of UK copywriting services.

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When working with clients, I like to get up close and personal.

Not in that way!

By that I mean I like to be part of the whole process. I want to understand what they are doing, why they are doing it that way, who they are targeting and why. Only by having access to that type of information can our relationship be truly effective.

Think for a moment – picture a scenario in which you run a busy kitchen. Business is booming and you need to bring in a new chef. On Thursday evening he arrives all ready to work. But rather than discuss with you how the kitchen works, what is on the menu etc., he goes off and does his own thing – the result? CHAOS.

In the freelance copywriting world your ingredients for a successful direct marketing campaign are:

A great list

A fantastic offer

Superbly crafted copy

Now if you come to the party without having any input into the first two requirements, the likelihood of the campaign being successful is low.

If the list is wrong, old or a bit dusty you probably won’t be targeting the right people so the campaign will fail.

If the marketing department of your client put the offer together in a rush or without really thinking through what is important, the campaign will fail.

If you write the greatest copy ever seen but the list is wrong or the offer is poor, the campaign will fail.

So what it comes down to is this, no matter how great your copywriting, if you don’t have input into all aspects of the campaign, you are running the risk of it going Pete Tong.

To maximise your chances of success – get access to the list, work with the marketing team to ensure the offer is top notch, write fabulous copy and finally stick around and find out what happens.

If the return is not as expect, find out why. Work with your client, review the whole process and find the weak link. Direct mail campaigns are not guaranteed and there can be a lot of factors that will affect the outcome (your target audience, your tone, the time the campaign was sent out, how it was sent out, what your client was looking to achieve…)

Clients remember – a freelance copywriter should always be seen as an extension to your team not an optional extra. Use their knowledge and experience to give your campaign the best possible chance for success.

Follow this link for more details on Briar Copywriting ’s UK copywriting services

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If a freelance copywriter is going to produce copy that will sell your product, it has got to be like dynamite. Copywriting is all about driving the desire of your reader, making them want your product and then getting them to open their wallet and hand over their credit card.

So how does a copywriter make this happen?

Well, here is a list of 10 tips to make sure your copy will blow the socks off your readers.

1. Don’t leave anything to chance. Review your copy over and over again. Read it out loud – does it work? Does it flow? Does it make sense? Will it make them buy?
2. Stick to good old Anglo-Saxon words: instead of ‘prior to’ go with ‘before’, don’t ‘fortify’, ’strengthen’.
3. Create copy that ‘does what it says on the tin’. Try and be clever and you’ll run the risk of losing your readers.
4. So long as your copy makes sense, that’s good enough. Get hung up on grammar and you’ll tie yourself up in knots (don’t forget, rule are meant to be broken).
5. Keep sentences short and sharp. Be specific, don’t be woolly – leave that to the sheep.
6. Keep your copy benefits led.
7. Make it conversational – use ‘you’.
8. Imagine your reader as you write.
9. Great copy often has a child like quaility to it. Why? Because everyone can understand it. Throw in a few complicated long words and your copy will become chip paper.
10. Learn from the masters. Keep a swipe file of all the excellent copy you see out there. Analyse it and work out why it works and then replicate it.

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Freelance copywriters everywhere have one goal – to get their reader to say “YES”.

After all, copywriting is all about selling.

So how do you get them to say that magic word?

Don’t assume anything – if you want something ask for it

After 16 years of marriage, I have learned that there is no point in being subtle. Leaving magazines open on strategic pages, casually mentioning you like the look of something when shopping simply doesn’t work.

Be direct – ask for what you want. Then there is no ambiguity and nothing is left to chance.

If you want someone to do something, tell them why

It is human nature to need to rationalise any decision we make.

Your sales copy may make your reader decide they want your product or service, but without rationalising a need for it, they won’t buy.

I always want shoes but I don’t always need them. However if I can convince myself that I need them because they will go with every outfit I have, or they’ll make me look substantially taller than my present 5ft 3 the want will turn into a ’simply must have burning desire’.

If you want a “yes” decision now, use desire drivers

What on earth is a ‘desire driver’?

Simply put, it is a way to make your reader make a snap buying decision. Give people time and they will find enough reasons not to buy, you’ll never be able to change their mind. But limit your offer by time or number and they’ll be forced to buy there and then.

You see this all the time – ‘Sale ends 6pm tonight’, ‘for one day only…’,'offer only available to the first 15 customers’.

Simple but effective.

So there you go. To create effective copywriting all you have to do is ask for what you want, tell them why they need it, and finally limit the supply. QED.

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In my earlier post Proofreading – 3 Simple Steps to Perfection, I highlghted the importance of proofreading your work before publication.

Sloppy grammar, spelling and general lack of thought will turn your readers off faster than a blind date with The Hulk. But sometimes, mistakes slip through the net – yes, even I have been known to make the odd slip up in my blogs.

For your amusement, below are some howling bloopers of the worst kind – newspaper headlines. Obviously proofreading wasn’t high on their priorities!

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Dear Copywriter,

I’ve got a newsletter that just isn’t growing. I’m busy posting my site on free advertising sites and I’m even paying for advertising, but I’m not getting any new sign-ups. What can I do?

Yours sincerely.

Billy-No-Mates

****************************************************

Dear Billy-No-Mates,

First off, you’re not alone. I know you are working hard but sadly that doesn’t mean you will be guaranteed success. You need to consider long-term ways to grow your list.

My favourite way to grow a subscriber list is through giving away articles.

Website and blog owners are always looking for content to share with their web visitors. So, there are places called Article Directories (basically a library of free articles) where they can go to find articles that they can use – free. I’m sure you’ve heard of Ezine Articles? Well, that is just one – search Google under ‘free article sites’ for more.

All you have to do is write and submit your articles to these websites.

In case you were wondering just how that will help grow your subscriber list, I was just coming to that bit.

Once you have written your article you can then complete the Author Bio which goes at the end the article (see below for an example). This section is where you can sell yourself and talk about your business. But instead of your author bio linking directly to the main page of your site, link it to a page where you have a signup box for your newsletter.

Ta-da! Now everyone who clicks through that link will be taken to the page where you can offer them your wonderful newsletter (with a great incentive they can’t pass up.) and your newsletter list will grow.

So there you go – happy article writing.

Sally Ormond is a professional UK freelance copywriter, website copywriter, SEO copywriter and advertising copywriter with extensive experience in B2B and B2C copywriting markets. She can be contacted at +44(0)1449 779605 or at sally@briarcopywriting.com for any copywriting project you may have.

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