August 26th, 2013 — copywriter, copywriting, Copywriting briefs, copywriting tips
Copywriting isn’t just about writing – it’s about using the right words, to address the right people, using the right language. 
Anyone can string a sentence together, but not everyone can create something so compelling you just have to buy, sign up or download a report.
It’s not enough for your copywriter just to hear that you want a 6-page brochure with 300 words on each page to cover your company history, products, location etc.
Any copywriter worth their salt will also ask you:
Who is your audience?
Before a finger touches the keyboard, they need to know whom they are writing for.
Without that information how can they begin to develop the right message?
Are they male or female?
How old are they?
Are they affluent or on lower incomes?
What are their aspirations?
Why are they coming to you? What is the problem they have that they want solved?
What is your product/service?
They don’t need to know how many colours it comes in, but rather what is its main benefit?
What problem does it solve?
What benefits does it offer?
How will it improve their quality of life?
What would stop people from buying it?
What is its USP?
What is your brand voice?
The next step is to take a look at your company.
Do you already have an established brand?
Do you have a guide as to the language/tone you want to use?
How do you want to be perceived by your customers?
Do you want to come across friendly, approachable, corporate, professional etc?
Are there any words/terms you dislike?
These questions are just the tip of the iceberg because it’s essential your copywriter comes away with an in depth knowledge of you, your business, your customers and your products.
You see, copywriting isn’t just about writing, its about emotion, engagement and persuasion.
Author: Sally Ormond, Copywriter and MD at Briar Copywriting Ltd. Follow her on Twitter and Google+
August 23rd, 2013 — Customer service, twitter
Can Twitter really help your customer service? 
Many are still sceptical about that, but it really can.
The world is far more social these days and consumers love the instant connection that social media gives them. Now, rather than emailing and waiting for a response, they can send a tweet or Facebook message for a faster response. But of course, that only works if you are monitoring those channels effectively.
After looking into the role of social media in customer service, I stumbled upon a post on Social Media Examiner. In it they talk about 4 examples of excellent Twitter customer service.
Follow the link below and have a read and grab some quick takeaways that will help you improve your customer service and how your customers perceive your business on Twitter.
4 Examples of Excellent Twitter Customer Service.
August 21st, 2013 — email marketing
Normally, when writing about email marketing, I’m usually harping on about content. But this post is more interested with design.
If your email design is flawed, it could lead to a flood of unsubscribers and you don’t want that.
Here are the top 3 mistakes and how to avoid them.
1. Difficult to read
It’s worth bearing in mind that many people will be reading your email on their smartphone or tablet, so it’s wise to increase your font size – about 14 is ideal.
Talking of fonts, a simple one is best (not a script font) and try to stick with the same one throughout your email. If you do want to add a bit of variety, stick to one for your headlines and a second one for your body text.
The idea of your emails is to spread news about your brand and, to that end, your emails must be recognisable. That means sticking to the same layout and font for consistency.
Colours are also important. When it comes to text, make sure you use either black or dark grey on a white background, as it’s by far the easiest to read. If you want to use brighter colours, keep those for your call to action. Oh, and whatever you do, avoid patterned backgrounds, they’re very off-putting.
2. Confusing images
Images can be great in emails, but only if they are relevant, simple and fun. Make sure the image you use has an obvious link to what you’ve written about. There’s nothing worse than a confused audience.
3. Inconsistency
The key is for your recipients to instantly recognise your email so they open it and read it. If you constantly change style and colours they may not realise that it came from you and unsubscribe.
To that end, it’s essential the voice you use, template and colour scheme remain the same. Plus the other elements of your email, such as contact details, should stay in the same place so they become familiar.
None of this is rocket science, or ground-breakingly new, but nonetheless they are important points. Consistency is essential in any form of marketing if you want people to recognise and engage with your brand.
August 19th, 2013 — Customer service
What does your out of office reply say about you?
Is your out of office message really that important? It’s not really something people give a lot of thought to and certainly don’t see it as part of the customer service they provide.
After all, you’re off sunning yourself on a beach somewhere without a care in the world; the office is the last think you want to think about and quite rightly so. But it’s important to think about your customers even if you’re not there.
How many times have you received a flippant out of office response, or one of those that goes on forever?
“I’m out of the office until 26th September. If you need xxx, call xxxxxx or email xxxxx. If your enquiry relates to xxxx, please phone Audrey on xxxxx. If you want xxxxx phone Bill on xxxxxxx or Alex on xxxxx….”
Confused? So is the reader.
The best out of office responses are simple, to the point and very easy to follow.
Start with your subject line. Rather than writing something along the lines of “Hey dude, I’m off surfing, catch you later”, try something slightly more meaningful such as:
“Away from 1st September until 25th September with only limited access to emails”
It’s simple, to the point and tells the recipient how long you’ll be away so they can decide whether to wait or to contact someone else.
The rest of your email should be along the lines of:
“I’m out of the office from 1st September until 25th September. Upon my return it will take a few days to catch up, so it may be a day or so before I can reply to you. If your enquiry is urgent, contact Bob on xxxxxxx, otherwise I’ll get back to you by 30th September.”
It doesn’t take a lot to create a meaningful and respectful out of office response. So if you want to come across as efficient and professional, next time you’re away give a bit of thought to the email response you set up.
Author: Sally Ormond, Copywriter and MD at Briar Copywriting Ltd. Follow her on Twitter and Google+
August 16th, 2013 — conversion, online marketing, Title tags
Getting people to visit your website is just the first step. Once you get them there, your website has to convert them – i.e. convince them to take an action (sign up for a newsletter, buy, register for an event, download a report etc.).
There are some simple checks you can perform on your website to make sure you have the best possible chance of pulling off a conversion.
1. Title tags and META descriptions
Title tags and META descriptions are important because they are the first impression a searcher will get of your website. Not only that, but the title tag is the piece of code that lets the search engines know what your website is about to make sure it appears in the relevant search results.
When a search term is typed into the search engine and your website is listed, these must tell the searcher that your website is the one they’re looking for. That’s why its imperative these are keyword rich and use words that will make the searcher click on your link.
Every page of your website must have unique title tags and META descriptions and, as emphasis is placed on the first words, make sure that’s where your primary keywords are.
They should also be short – title tags no more than 65 characters and the META description no more than about 150. But above all, it’s important to remember both of these must appeal to a real person.
2. Headlines
Once the searcher has clicked on your listing the next thing that comes into play is your page headline.
Think about what the reader wants to know and make sure all your headlines and sub headings are useful to the reader, give a sense of urgency, convey benefits and are very specific. On top of all that, they should also include the primary keyword for your page, but again, make sure it’s written in a proper sentence that makes sense to the reader.
As soon as they arrive in your web page, the headline should tell them exactly what that page is about.
3. Call to action
A web page is useless without a call to action.
This is a button, link or sentence that tells the reader what you want them to do next:
- Buy now
- Download the report
- Register for the event
- Call us now
Each of these pushes your visitor further into your sales process. If your call to action involves them completing a form make sure it is easy to complete, the last thing you want to do is lose them at the last hurdle because your form or sign up process is unclear or overly complicated.
These 3 very simple tips will help you boost your conversion rates.
Take a look at every page of your website and see if they tick all the boxes. If not, you’ve got some work to do.
