Freelance Copywriting, marketing and social media tips

An advert that looks pretty and informs is all well and good assuming you weren’t hoping to make any money from it.

However as the main reason for producing an advert in the first place is to make money, it does seem to be rather pointless.

The copywriting on your advert has to perform 2 functions – it has to tell your reader what your product is but it also needs to be persuasive enough to make them buy it. Not always an easy combination to achieve.

Therefore I have put together 7 tips to help you make your adverts more persuasive.

1. Include a picture of yourself. It might sound odd but it will add a personal touch. Your reader will know who they are buying from and also that you have faith in your product.
2. If you are lucky enough to have any famous or well-known clients who have bought your product, mention them (it will increase the want factor).
3. If your product has passed any tests (safety, quality control etc.) write about it. It will add to its credibility.
4. Any positive testimonials from happy clients are worth their weight in gold so make sure you include them. But make sure their claims are credible.
5. Have you had any features or articles written about your product? If so, make reference to the publication in your advert.
6. Make sure your website looks professional – its quality will have an effect on their opinion of your product.
7. If you offer a money back guarantee, tell them – it will show your commitment to them and increase your credibility in their eyes.

They key for your advert is to make your reader want your product and then convince them they need it. Once they have made that transition, the sale is practically in the bag.

Sally Ormond is a freelance copywriter who works with business and individuals locally, nationally and internationally. Her comprehensive range of copywriting services have helped numerous clients gain greater visibility in their market place, more targeted web traffic and higher sales.

Advertising, you either love it or you hate but which ever camp you fall into, it is a necessary task if your business is going to survive.

Many people think it is fairly easy to put an ad together – throw a few graphics or images together, add a splash of colour and a few words and, hey presto, you have an advert.

Well, if that’s how you work, you may not be in business too much longer. To help you out I have listed below 10 tips to help you create adverts that will not only look great but will also sell.

1.      Get ideas by studying the advertising material of similar products to your own. Put together a ‘swipe’ file of good sales letters, adverts and emails etc., which can use for reference.

2.      Be clear from the start what it is you want your advert to do. Is it for sales, lead generation, attract web traffic, newsletter sign-ups…

3.      Before you begin list your products features and benefits. Make sure your leading benefit is used in the headline or first sentence.

4.      Be specific – include numbers, sounds, smells, descriptions etc.

5.      Tell you reader how your product differs from those of your competitors and highlight the areas that your product is better.

6.      Use visuals – show people using your product or before and after shots (if relevant).

7.      Identify your target audience. Who are they, what do they like, how to they think…

8.      If you have proven facts (i.e. surveys, reviews, product tests etc.) use them in your ad as they will add credibility to your product.

9.       If you offer a guarantee, after sales support etc., tell them. This will add to your credibility and your readers’ peace of mind.

10.   Make sure you tell them what you want them to do – buy now, call today, book an appointment etc. If your call to action is vague or non-existent you won’t make a sale.

There you have it. These 10 tips will help you put together adverts that will convert into sales and put money in your pockets.

Sally Ormond of Briar Copywriting, is a freelance copywriter helping local, national and international companies increase their marketplace visibility, web traffic and sales. Her comprehensive range of copywriting services providing powerful and persuasive marketing solutions for all their on and off line needs.

“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.

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.

If you look through my blog you will find numerous outpourings on article marketing, blogging, web site content etc.

Content is crucial in your online marketing efforts. I have banged on about how ‘content is king’ (sorry to use such an awful cliche) and how the internet runs on the stuff. Let’s face it, without content there wouldn’t be any search engine results so the whole point of the internet would be rather redundant.

Just to drive my point home a bit more, I would like to draw you attention to a great blog I found on Copyblogger today. Here, Sonia Simone outlines 49 Creative Ways You Can Profit From Content Marketing.