December 2nd, 2009 — copywriting, copywriting tips, freelance copywriting, website copywriting
You might think that a heading such as ‘Tips for writing for web readers’ is a bit odd – after all, who else would you be writing for?
Well with everyone concerned about search engine optimisation (and quite rightly so), some companies fall into the trap of writing for the search engine spiders rather than their readers.
Looking back through this blog you’ll find a few posts relating to this exact topic but I find it’s always useful to get someone else’s opinion on something.
Keyword stuffing is a prime example of people getting their website copywriting wrong. The only thing this achieves is filling your web pages with a load of nonsense that people won’t want to read and Google will pick up as stuffing and walk on by.
One of the key factors when writing your web copy is to write naturally to your reader. I came across a post on dailyblogtips by Debbie Dragon who expands this point further by giving 6 Tips for Writing for Web Readers.
Check it out and see where you can improve your web copy.
Further reading:
8 Tips for Great Web Copy
7 Basics to Make Your Website Readable
The Ego Website
Website Copywriting – 6 Steps to a Sticky Website
December 1st, 2009 — CRM, Internet marketing services, small business web marketing
Everyone knows that more and more people are searching online for local products and services. The days when an advert in the Yellow Pages or local press was enough to get a constant stream of customers is over.
If you want business you have to be online – but if you’re online you must understand internet marketing to succeed.
Don’t panic – help is at hand!
How does this sound?
- a website you have full control over – you can add as many web pages as you like without any extra charge
- email marketing capabilities built into your website
- newsletter facilities
- full analytics
- detailed customer log so you know exactly what each and every customer has done (bought, opened a newsletter etc.)
- ecommerce facilities
And that’s just the tip of the ice berg.
This isn’t a website, it’s a Hub which seemlessley integrates all your online marketing activities in once place with one login.
How cool is that?
Take a look at The Hub – you can even try it FREE for 30 days and as a thank you, you’ll receive a FREE internet marketing training course – so whether you decide The Hub is for you or not, you’ll have a great understanding of how your business can succeed online.
What have you got to lose?
Give it a go and tell everyone about it – it will revolutionise your business.
November 30th, 2009 — article writing, copywriting, freelance copywriting
I’ve spent a lot of time in this copywriting blog talking about content for websites, brochures, emails etc. Normally I concentrate on stuff such as keyword placement, headings, subheadings, calls to action, layout…
No one likes to see solid blocks of text, they are a bigger turn off than watching Kim Woodburn eat a witcherty grub on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
The art of creating interesting text is in its layout – and especially the paragraph.
These little fellows often prove problematical to writers. When used incorrectly the reader can be left all at sea and not really sure what you’re talking about.
They can even be repititious – a sure sign the writer has run out of things to say but is desperately trying to hit his word count.
Whatever writing you are involved with (sales, promotional, business or journalistic), perfect paragraphs are paramount.
As an avid fan of Copyblogger I really enjoyed this post by Jo Morrow extolling the virtures of The Art of the Paragraph. This is a ‘must’ read for any writer out there who doesn’t want to fall foul of the “National Society of Writing Snobs”.
November 27th, 2009 — copywriting, freelance copywriting, social media
For any business, social media should be as important as face to face networking, cold calling and lead chasing. In fact, once you get the hang of it you could kiss goodbye to cold calling forever.
Ever since starting out as a freelance copywriter I have harnessed the power of social media. Today I don’t have to do any cold calling and only minimal face to face networking giving me more time to get on with the important stuff – helping my clients.
It can be time consuming but no more than other methods of business generation. And yes, unless you have a plan, you can waste valuable time ‘playing’ rather than achieving great results.
This excellent post from Chris Garrett on Social Media Examiner gives 5 tips for finding time for social media. It shows you how useful it can be and how it can easily be worked into your normal working day.
If you haven’t already dipped your toes into the warm waters of social media, give it a try – you might just amaze yourself at the results you get.
November 25th, 2009 — copywriter, copywriting, editing services
High quality editing is at the heart of successful copywriting. Composing the copy for an article, like this one, is only the first step. Once it’s taken shape the experienced copywriter will, like any other artist, step back and judge their work with a critical eye.
Does it deliver the right message clearly and simply? Is the composition correct? Is the balance right? When you’re working on the detail, building sentence by sentence, it’s easy to lose track of the bigger picture. Often it’s only when you stand back to review the completed whole that you spot the flaws and the gaps. Then it’s time to do some touching up.
The obvious problems are spelling or typing errors or rogue words left behind in the editing process. Your editing software might highlight these with warning symbols, but spelling-checkers can’t tell whether you meant to say ‘stationary’ or ‘stationery’.
But beware of focusing on these relatively easy problems. There are bigger issues to consider, such as whether the article achieves the objectives you had for it. Does it convey a consistent message in a consistent way?
One of the pleasures of writing is the constant flow of ideas. As you write you think. Let’s say you’re putting together a 500 word piece about buying an inexpensive laptop computer for use at home. This sets you thinking about the issues of which operating system to use or the practicality of a smaller notebook computer. These thoughts start flowing into your copy.
Before you know it your article has started to address multiple subjects. The main message is no longer clear. Choice of operating systems and the style of laptop might be related but they’ve changed the focus of the article, which was meant to be about buying a cheap computer.
The ideas spawned in the writing process could become new articles in their own right, so make a note of them. But don’t get distracted from your main message.
Editing also addresses other questions. How well does the text flow? Can the punctuation be improved? There are broader issues as well, such as the value of working with an editor, and indeed who might make a good editor. These can be picked up at another time.
Today’s message is, I hope, a clear and simple one. Make sure your copy is exactly that – clear, simple in order to communicate the message you want your readers to hear.
This post was written by guest blogger Andrew Knowles, a freelance copywriter who also runs a blog for small businesses.
