Freelance Copywriting, marketing and social media tips

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.

Voted As One of The Top 100 Freelance Blogs

Fantastic news! Freelance Copywriters Blog has been voted by oDesk as one of the top 100 freelance blogs
and in the top 4 freelance copywriting and marketing blogs:

Freelance Copywriters Blog Freelance copywriter Sally Ormond’s tips for freelancing, such as these “10 Tips for Dynamite Copy,” are exceptionally helpful for contract writers and marketers alike.

Thank you so much – and keep this blog bookmarked, there are plenty more hints and tips on their way.

Sally Ormond is a UK Freelance Copywriter offering a range of  Copywriting Services to businesses and individuals.

11011450 – incoming letter, 3d render

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

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.

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.