Skills that a good copywriter should possess

An experienced copywriter is crucial to the success of a business and its capacity to give a competitive edge to a client’s product or service. Companies endeavor to fill this important position with good copywriters who not only have the skill to understand the customer’s goals from a wide perspective, but also possess the talent to conceptualize a comprehensive and strategic method in delivering the customer’s message.

Understanding the customer’s end-goals involves getting a good grasp of the company’s brand name and target client demographics. Here are three posts that outline some of the key characteristics of a successful copywriter that you might find useful:

Content Writing – SEO Copywriting

SEO Copywriting empowers you to achieve top search engine rankings, get more traffic and make more money online… And we are here to help you get it all! If you have created a website to make money online, then it is imperative to hire a professional copywriter for result-oriented SEO Copywriting.

The 2 main benefits of SEO Copywriting are:

1.    It allows you to tell the search engines what your website and landing pages are about.

2.    It allows you to attract more visitors, engage them and convert them into customers.

Therefore, SEO Copywriting allows you to impress both search engines and human visitors.

Read more: http://www.searchmechaniks.co.uk/seo-copywriting/

Healthy copywriting from 38 Degrees

The use of a colloquial expression like ‘making a big mistake’ makes the sentiment sound like it’s just common sense – something that anyone could agree with. Again, something dry about ‘misguided reforms’ or similar just wouldn’t pack the same punch. ‘Big mistake’ is the perfect way to describe a momentous, irrevocable and ultimately ill-advised decision.

‘Please, please listen to us’ ramps up the emotion on both sides of the argument. First, the repeated ‘please’ positions NHS professionals as put-upon martyrs pleading on behalf of the people. Secondly, ‘listen to us’ subtly paints Cameron and his government as heedless tyrants, ploughing on with their market-based madness with utter disregard for the human cost.

Read more: http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/2012/03/19/healthy-copywriting-from-38-degrees/

Identifying good direct mail copywriters

Understanding the client’s end goals involves understanding the company’s brand identity and target customer demographics; a good copywriter will research these important elements before developing a direct mail concept. Direct mail companies also look for writers who can wear many creative hats: a good copywriter will be able to compose traditional, toned-down, and serious pieces, as well as take a more unconventional approach to direct mail strategies. The copywriter will be able to tailor the direct mail piece to the specifications of the client, the product or service being marketed, and to the target audience. Direct mail copywriters must also possess ingenuity in developing new, avant-garde direct mail strategies to deliver their client’s concept.

Read more: http://www.ecopywriters.com/resources/direct-mail-marketing-copywriter.html

So, there are three links that may help you get a clearer understanding of copywriting and its impact on an individual or a business. If you would like to learn more, simply click on this link to check out my freelance copywriting website.

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Got a quality product? You need quality copywriting to match

A good copywriter has the capability to make or break a product or company’s reputation. It is thus important to conduct thorough planning and research when hiring an individual or agency for your copy writing needs. Just as a well-made graphics or a well-crafted message is crucial for the popularity of a product, so is the design and content on its website. The way in which you present your service or product affects the brand’s perception. So using the services of an online copywriter can boost the brand’s image and also lure customers.

I’d like to share with you some tips plus a video on effective copywriting techniques to give you a better of important the quality of copy can be to a product’s success.

Ten online copywriting tips

Writing good web content is one of the most important factors of any online communication activity. Online copywriting talent is a combination of good writing skills, awareness of ROI (return on investment) methodologies, and an understanding of basic web usability. To help find your web writing feet, I’ve jotted down 10 things that I hope will help:

1.     Communicate the purpose of your site through a unique “tagline”. This will tell users what your site is all about the minute they land on it. Not only does this benefit you but also your user.

2.     Publish content about what you know about the most and focus on this. This will result in your website becoming an authority for your niche area of interest or expertise.

Read more: http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/23/14811.html

5 Tips for Avoiding the Deadly Sins of SEO Copywriting

Nothing will turn readers away more quickly than blatant errors, boring copy and long-winded writers. Recognizing the deadly sins of SEO copywriting and identifying ways to avoid them—is essential whether you’re drafting a blog post or creating an article to submit to an online directory.

Critical? Yes.Difficult? It certainly can be. But simplify the task and reduce the risk of losing your readers by following these 5 tips for avoiding the deadly sins of SEO copywriting. HINT: Make yourself a checklist based on these tips and your own. Refer to that checklist at the end of every writing project.

Find out more: http://www.toprankblog.com/2009/09/seo-copywriting-tips/

The Intricacies of Being A Web Copy-Writer, Simplified

A copywriter has the power to make or break a product’s prospective future in the competitive market. It is thus essential to undertake proper research and planning while hiring an agency or an individual for your copy writing requirements. A lot of creativity, skills and knowledge goes into web copy writing, for it to be effective and efficient. Certain fundamental factors must be kept in mind by a web copywriter in order to get the most out of the content on the website.

Read more: http://www.rightcopywriter.com/blog/copywriting-tips/the-intricacies-of-being-a-web-copy-writer-simplified.html

Online Copywriting Tips

Copy writing is the essence of getting more profit from your site or from eBay auctions. Studies have shown that Internet users spend around 10 seconds on a web page before deciding to explore more or to hit the “BACK” button. All you get is 10 seconds to catch attention and entice readers to explore the rest of your site or product pages. Eye tracking studies performed by Jakob Neilsen showed that people pay attention to the left hand-top side of the web page first, and then read the headline, subheading and finally scan the text.This means that the most important part of your web page is your headline and content directly under your headline. This is where you must make your most crucial points.

Find out more: http://www.seochat.com/c/a/website-marketing-help/online-copywriting-tips/

An effective copywriter is one who can craft content to your specification, while also making it “search engine-friendly”.  Online copywriters are adept at striking a balance between use of effective keywords and remembering to still deliver relevant content.

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B2B Copywriters are in demand. How will you promote your B2B services?

I have some great news if you are a business-to-business (B2B) copywriter, or thinking about becoming one. Based on the latest findings, B2B Content Marketing: 2013 Budgets, Benchmarks & Trends, of nearly 1,500 companies of various types in North America – more than 90 percent of business-to-business advertisers and marketers use content marketing; over 50 percent of B2B firms will invest more on content marketing in the next coming years; and more than 60 percent of big corporations will outsource b2b content creation.

What does this mean for you? Next year, more business-to-business companies will be planning to hire freelance B2B copywriters (like you) for content marketing services. Check out these posts to find out what differentiates a B2B copywriter to those writing for the consumer market.  

B2B COPYWRITING

Let’s cut to the chase: B2B (Business to Business) sales are a different breed of animal.

Hype won’t work.

Gimmicks won’t work.

Neither will razzle-dazzle state of the art video animations. Sure, cutting edge graphics are great as supporting cast, but never make the mistake of using them as lead actors.

But far too many B2B websites take the stance that all marketing is like selling toothpaste. If it’s not in your face and glitzy, it won’t work.

But in B2B just the opposite is true, and I’m going to let you know why. In plain, unadorned black & white – with just a bit of deep red to keep it spicy!

http://www.highimpactcopy.com/b2b.html

B2B COPYWRITER OR B2B CONTENT WRITER?

To answer this question you really need to understand the difference between a B2B copywriter and a B2B content writer. Most people accurately describe a B2B copywriter as someone who writes advertising or promotional copy for a business marketing to another business, but a b2b content writer’s job description is a little more fuzzy.   A basic definition is someone who specializes in producing online content (for B2B). But what does that mean? Does a content writer do search engine optimization? Does a content writer do keyword research? Can a content writer produce a video? These are some of the questions you should ask before hiring a B2B content writer or SEO copywriter, because not every content writer has the same understanding of the job .

http://contentforbiz.com/2012/02/b2b-copywriter-or-b2b-content-writer-who-will-do-a-better-job-writing-your-website-copy/

A B2B COPYWRITER’S CONFESSION

I have a confession to make.

I’m a business-to-business copywriter and content marketing consultant. That means I spend a lot of time telling my clients how to create relationships with their hopefully soon-to-be customers online. Actually, what this really means is that I spend a lot of time trying to convince my clients to ditch the bullshit and show potential customers who they really are.

Why’s this so important? Because the days of big bad experts blasting out their message and hammering their audience into submission (and parting them from their money) is over.

http://scheincommunications.com/a-b2b-copywriters-confession/

WE KNOW WORDS AND WE KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEM

Marketing a business to a business is decidedly different from marketing to consumers. But our principles apply across the board. You still have to be customer-centric, you still have to talk to their pains—not your products. You still have to say what they want to hear, not what you want to say.

That’s where we come in. We have the objectivity and maybe even the cynicism of your target audience. We’re going to ask the hard questions. We’re even going to ask “so what?” Because that’s what your potential customers will do. Work with us, and you’re ready with the answers…before they even ask.

http://weknowwords.com/portfolio/b2b-copywriting/

COPYWRITING FOR EFFECTIVE B2B MARKETING

A B2B copywriter has the potential to turn your business around and bring positive results. He is good with formulating words that sell – words that make people open and read their email. Indeed, they know words and they know what to do with them. Follow this link for more information on starting your own B2B copywriting business..

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What does a copywriter do, and why do businesses need them?

A COPYWRITER is someone who writes the material for promoting a service or product. The material is used in print or through publication to help reach out to millions of potential clients on the internet. Some copywriters are also responsible for writing the details for broadcasts for the media, including radio, print and television.

A copywriter plays an important role in all types of businesses, both online and in the real world. But many people still do not know what a copywriter does. Below are four excerpts from some posts that explain what copywriting is all about and what copywriters do.

WHAT A COPYWRITER IS AND WHY YOU NEED ONE

You can always tell when someone is masquerading as a copywriter. Sometimes it’s the owner of a business. Sometimes it’s a friend or relative who got talked into it. The business owner writes about 45 years in the same location. Or about their  family, or about their donations to the local scout troop. If it’s the friend or relative, they write the same thing, poor saps, they’re forced to do it.

Some say who better to write about a business than the owner? That’s like letting a death row prisoner decide their execution date. Neither person has an impartial opinion. As a result, what ends up on the page is nothing the customer wants to hear.

http://wordsleuth.com/html/what_does_a_copywriter_do_.html

WHAT DOES A COPYWRITER ACTUALLY DO?

We copywriters are the writing equivalent of chameleons. We must have the skill and flexibility to adapt our writing from project to project, from client to client, and from format to format.One day we might be writing a case study for a supermarket’s consumer magazine, the next we might be putting together a series of articles to be published on a legal firm’s website. Copywriting is about being able to adapt quickly and meet tight deadlines. More than that, copywriting is about being able to understand and write for an audience.

http://www.fuelyourwriting.com/what-does-a-copywriter-actually-do/

WHAT IS A COPYWRITER?

Copywriters usually work as part of a team to develop promotional materials designed to sell a product, service, person, or idea. It helps to be skilled with language and very familiar with the industry of the product they are promoting; someone who works for a confectionery company, for example, should know the terminology and be familiar with the products made by the company’s competitors. Knowledge of existing ad campaigns, including historic campaigns produced by an employer, is also useful, as it can help a copywriter set a new tone or direction while avoiding past mistakes.

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-copywriter.htm

SEO COPYWRITING

SEO Copywriting, or to give it its full name, search engine optimization copywriting or search engine copywriting, is the technique of writing the viewable text on a web page in such a way that it reads well for the surfer, and also targets specific search terms. Its purpose is to rank highly in the search engines for the targeted search terms.

As well as the viewable text, SEO Copywriting usually optimizes other on-page elements for the targeted search terms. These include the Title, Description and Keywords tags, headings and alt text.

The idea behind SEO Copywriting is that search engines want genuine content pages and not additional pages that are created for the sole purpose of achieving high rankings.

http://www.webworkshop.net/seo-copywriting.html

COPYWRITING SECRETS: 16 TIPS TO WRITING COPY THAT SELLS

Copywriters are architects of fine literature that help businesses and the people behind them achieve financial success. I’m happy to have helped many companies and people who believe in my capacity to bring positive results. If you’ve ever thought about becoming a copywriter, check out my website with advice on becoming a freelance copywriter.

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Posts from around the web on writing for an online audience

COPYWRITING may seem like a walk in the park. Just jot down the benefits of your services or product and place it somewhere for clients to see, right? But as anyone who has ever tried crafting witty and convincing copywriting content knows, effective copywriting is so much tougher than that. Online copywriting is even more difficult – with so many websites competing for your audience’s attention, you have to battle even harder to get noticed and to keep visitors engaged with your content.

Here are four posts I’ve picked out with tips on how to write for the online medium and to keep visitors engaged with your website for longer:

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO WEBSITE COPYWRITING

Good web copywriting isn’t only about the number of words on a site. Organization is just as important. Break your text into chunks that are easily digestible for readers who are glancing through your page. Divide these chunks up with clear subheads that tell the reader what the next paragraph is about. Readers can then quickly decide whether your site is right for them without even having to read any of the “finer print.” Bulleted lists are a great way to provide the most important information in a quick and easily understandable format.

http://webdesignledger.com/tips/a-beginner%E2%80%99s-guide-to-website-copywriting

TOP 10 WEBSITE COPYWRITING TIPS

There are a heck of a lot more than just 10 website copywriting tips I could give you but there has to be a start to everything. So in this post, I’m going to give you what I believe are the 10 most important web site copy writing tips to keep foremost in your mind as you sit down to your keyboard. (Yes, I’m old enough to remember a time when it would have been sitting down at your typewriter but let’s just keep that to ourselves. Call it “experienced”.)

http://www.site-booster.com/blog/2009/09/top-10-website-copywriting-tips/

COMPELLING WEBSITE COPYWRITING TIPS

You’re finally ready to create a website. Or perhaps you just need to update the one you have. These days, it’s relatively simple to use a website template and plug in the information you want people to know. You want to do this correctly, though. Your website needs to be interesting and compelling to stand out from the crowd. That means writing with your target audience in mind. What will move them to buy? Oftentimes, it’s the story behind your business that will make the right kind of connection with the reader.

http://www.womencentric.net/compelling-web-copywriting-tips/ 

COPYWRITING 101: HOW TO CRAFT COMPELLING COPY

Copywriting is one of the most essential elements of effective online marketing. The art and science of direct-response copywriting involves strategically delivering words (whether written or spoken) that get people to take some form of action. Copywriters are some of the highest paid writers in the world, but to become a truly proficient and profitable copy expert, you’ll need to invest time and energy in studying the craft. To truly excel as a copywriter, you’ll want to consider investing in a copywriting course that will provide you the intensive training you’ll need to enjoy a lucrative career.

http://www.copyblogger.com/copywriting-101/

BUSINEsS WRITING AND WEB COPYWRITING TIPS 

An effective online marketing campaign depends on your ability to craft relevant and highly-engaging copy. The very basic element of copywriting involves the proper and effective use of words that get your target audience to listen and initiate some form of action.

Click here to visit my online copywriting website for more advice on how to improve your writing.

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The Benefits of Copywriting for Businesses

IN this serving of our “salesmanship in print” campaign, we will learn about the many benefits that copywriting can provide both budding and veteran practitioners as well as online or offline businesses large and small.

Using online copywriters lets businesses to focus on their main trade rather than spending time crafting effective copy. Any company with an online presence or in need of good copywriters can find one on the internet to boost their objectives and output.

One of the essential techniques of sustaining a business is value. If a company is able to create better value for their client base, the company’s value grows. Whatever the project or situation, a carefully selected copywriter will add benefits to a company and enhance its market value.

Here are four great links plus a video with some helpful tips on copywriting:

THE BENEFITS OF COPYWRITING

Once you’ve identified your benefits you have to get them in your web copy.
The most important information must go first so get your benefits in early. Within the first paragraph if you can. It is the benefit that your reader is going to be looking for but they don’t want to have to work it out for themselves.

Spell it out to them so they trip over it. If you can identify more than one, put them in a bulleted list to draw attention to them. Don’t be a wall flower – your benefits are what will sell your product so shout about them for all you’re worth.

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5 BENEFITS OF A COPYWRITER

At face value, this seems like a given. But it goes beyond proper paragraph placement. A good copywriter can boil down complex information into easily-digestible segments. This is especially helpful in the technology or financial markets, where it’s easy to lose your audience with dry and lengthy copy.

A copywriter can provide insight on company structure, too. No, I’m not talking about re-orgs. I’m referring to your company’s brand structure. Corporate branding, when conceived internally, too often reflects the literal rank and file of departments and business segments. While this works for internal organization, it can result in a confusing external brand.

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EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF YOUR FEATURES

One of your hardest tasks is writing Web page content that encourages visitors to buy your products. It isn’t enough to say that you sell the “best spices on the Web” or have the “largest selection of fishing lures anywhere.” You have to credibly explain to visitors why they need your product and why they should buy it from you. Use page content to sell the benefits, not the features.

Features: Characteristics that physically describe your product or service.
Benefits: Describes how the product or service will help the customer solve his problem. Tells the customer what she will gain by using the product.

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BENEFITS OF COPYWRITING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Anyone who owns a website and struggles to get visitors will be well aware of the benefits of providing new content on a regular basis. Well written copy is the best way of helping your website become more easily located in search engines. Many small business owners simply do not have the time to continually offer new content and find that outsourcing to copywriters is the solution to their problem.

There are many advantages to be gained through using a copywriter rather than attempting to do it yourself. Regardless of the time factor, many people simply hate writing or find it difficult to write to a high standard.

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These four links should help you to better understand the rigors – and benefits – that go with copywriting. In the upcoming weeks I will share more useful posts on the art of selling using effective writing techniques and how to start your own copywriting business.

 

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