Freelance Copywriting, marketing and social media tips

Frequently, when it comes to article writing, the end result can be pretty mundane. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve started reading an article in anticipation of being entertained and enlightened, only to be bored to tears.

I hope you won’t feel that way about this particular article! But if you struggle to be creative here are some pointers that will be helpful to you. By understanding these tips, you will end up making your article writing more useful and powerful.

Words

Yes I know, articles are made up of hundreds of words, but it is the choice of words that can make all the difference. Don’t stuff your article with big, impressive words that no one understands when something more concise will do. Also try to use interesting words whenever possible.

Structure

The structure of your article can also have an effect on its interesting-ness. Long blocks of text can be a complete turn-off. Go for short sentences and paragraphs to create an article that is compelling. Don’t use five words when one will do.

The simple way to achieve this is to write a ‘How to’ article. This way you are specifically dealing with exactly what the title indicates, and you are meeting a need of your reader. As long as you stick to the topic and teach them how to do it, you will succeed at writing an interesting article, well, for them at least.

Tell ’em a story

Another to generate interest is to include a story of how what you are writing about has helped someone else. Everyone loves a story or anecdote so exploit it, use it and entertain with it.

Offer information

Finally you can keep your article interesting by offer information that is rarely found elsewhere and quite possibly information that you alone can offer.

There you go, now you can go forth and be creative with your articles.

When you think of copywriting services, what springs to mind?

Web copy – newsletters – direct mail – brochures – press releases – articles – blogs – white papers…

Some businesses spend a lot of money hiring freelance copywriters, but they don’t consider doing the same for their email copywriting needs.

Why?

The customers won’t want those emails unless they’re well written. And if they don’t want them, they’ll just unsubscribe and then they’ll be gone – forever.

Having good email copywriting will help your business in the long run, so here are a few tips.

Tell them what to do next

This is vital no matter what form your copywriting takes, but rather than a strong request for a direct action, you require something a bit more gentle. The more information you reveal in your email, the less response you’re going to get. You want your readers to get just a taste of what you’re offering, so they’ll click on your link instead of the delete key. But it still has to be specific enough so the recipient will take action.

Avoid the Spam

You may not be writing Pulitzer Prize novels but you must still pay attention to spelling and punctuation because nothing turns off a reader more than silly typos. You also need to avoid spam filters so watch out for phrases like “risk free” and “order now.”

Don’t go it alone

These very simple steps will help you have more success with your email marketing, but don’t consider getting your freelance copywriter to do the work for you. Your business is well worth the investment, particularly when it comes to excellent email copywriting. Besides, using the services of the same copywriter for your marketing materials will also generate a consistant voice which will help generate a feeling of trust and credibility in the eyes of your customers.

I was asked by Nikki Pilkington recently to write a guest blog for Business on Twitter. So here are my ramblings about how a copywriter (or any business owner or individual for that matter) can use, enjoy and get the most out of Twitter.

Twitter appears to be a marmite application – you know, you either love it or you hate (probably because you can’t see the point of it all).

Personally, I love it – it’s great on a personal and business level.

As a freelance copywriter, it allows me to broadcast my news, views and opinions to a huge audience so I can reach the parts that other copywriters can’t.

Twitter – a two pronged tool

From a marketing perspective, Twitter is a fantastic micro-blogging tool. There has been a lot of debate about whether Twitter will kill off blogging but for me, it complements it. With an RSS feed from my blog fed into my Twitter account, every new blog post appears as a Tweet giving me the opportunity of casting my knowledge far and wide.

A whole new readership has now opened up for me. Twitter will help you push your name out into the Twitterverse – and who knows where that will lead.

But it’s not just all about marketing and using Twitter as a business tool – after all, no one likes a Tweeter who constantly bangs on about their business all the time.

Twitter is also a gold mine of information. It is all about sharing knowledge. If you find something of interest on the web, tweet about it.

By following people within your industry you will be able to keep abreast of all that is happening. I use Tweetlater to receive daily emails updating me about who is talking about certain keywords. Then I have the option to follow those I find interesting whilst catching up on the latest happenings and goings on.

Basically for me Twitter is a wonderful vehicle through which I can broadcast my message and receive information to keep me updated with new ideas and new ways of thinking.

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!

Freelance copywriters love words. They are their tools of the trade.

Words are powerful – they can make us feel happy, sad, empathetic, love and hate. But most of all, in the hands of a skilled freelance copywriter, they can be used to encourage, persuade and convince us to buy the product they are promoting.

When successful copywriters write the copy for a product or website, they choose their words carefully to ensure they stick in the reader’s mind. Just think for a moment – what do beanz meanz? Heinz! See, a simple slogan but one that is unforgetable.

This type of association works when the slogans and messages that ring true for the reader or consumer. If they jump off the page and capture your attention immediately, the copywriter has done their job.

As in the example above, the memorable use of ‘beanz, meanz, Heinz’ using a ‘z’ rather than an ‘s’ catches the attention of the audience Use memorable words in your copy. Remember the goal is to catch the attention of the reader.

This is where the fun starts. If your copywriting is going to be attention grabbing then it is time to get creative. Play with words, their spelling, even their context – anything that will create a phrase or headline that will lodge itself firmly within the minds of your audience as forever being associated with the product you are trying to sell.

Online readers are notorious scanners, but there is some copy that is just so enjoyable that the audience eats up every word. If you have the talent to write in this way, do it. You will be a lot more memorable if you can entertain and interest your readers.

Write for your audience and make sure that your copy sticks in the mind. Whether you are writing for yourself or someone else, it is the one thing that will bring you success.