How To Hire A Copywriter
Posted on May 7, 2009 03:38:31 PM
From a copywriter’s point of view, it would be great if clients had a crystal ball that they could use to see which copywriter best suits their project. There are different types of writing and first-hand experience proves that only a handful of people really know there’s a difference. To digress for a moment, we’ve even come across clients who think that web designers are supposed to write the copy for their web pages. Most don’t. It makes sense. Web designers design. Web developers develop or write code, html or php, and build the structure of your site. So… that leaves you with your web content. Who writes your copy, and how do you publish web content that is going to attract web traffic and then persuade your web visitors to buy?
It seems so obvious, but the fact of the matter is, it isn’t. A few years ago, I fellow I met said to me, “What does anyone need a copywriter for?” It’s true. Copywriters were invisible, a behind-the-scene professional. Ad agencies used to be one of the only places you could find copywriters working, or at least working steadily. Look at Hollywood. For years and years, writers were not even recognized. Now, writers are not only recognized, but celebs go the extra mile to praise the writer associated with their project. This change in attitude toward screenwriters — along with the Internet — puts the spotlight on the value writers bring to a project.
When it comes to the Internet, I am happy to report that a professional copywriter is in high demand. The Internet is all about copy. Whether for web pages, email marketing, pay-per-click advertising, banner ads or autoresponders, the words you publish make or break the entire investment. Big companies with inhouse marketing departments and agencies know when and why to call on the copy writer. But, here’s the cause that no one talks about driving small business people to the professional writer. Everyone and anyone sees the words on your website. The world knows if the words on your home page are junk! How embarrassing is that.
With all this, there still comes the novice client who doesn’t have a clue what the value of a good writer is. So from a copywriter’s point of view, I have some tips on when and how to hire a copywriter.
A. When to hire a professional copywriter or scriptwriter
1) When you are in business
2) When you can’t write and might be embarrassed publishing poorly composed text
3) When you don’t have anyone working in your company that is a professional writer
4) When you expect a response
5) When you publish text on the Internet
B. How to hire a professional copywriter or scriptwriter
1) The first step is to hire the right writer for the project. If you want a writer to work on a software manual, look for a technical writer. If you want a news release, find a writer who specializes in public relations. If you want to sell, engage the services of an advertising copywriter or a commercial scriptwriter. By the way, the top two writers in business and industry are the direct mail writer and the scriptwriter.
A writer who is a jack-of-all types of writings is a writer who probably isn’t an expert in the type of writing you’re looking for. After all, even the profession of copywriting includes less than capable writers. Rely on that old adage, if you can write anything, you are good at nothing.
Look for a copywriter who concentrates on one objective and because of that, the writing skills are honed to perfection. Sales copywriting does include several formats, such as direct response advertising, direct mail, mail order, web site pages, email marketing, video scriptwriting – all formats intended to sell – and that’s the domain of the sales copywriter — also known as an advertising copywriter or business writer or just writer.
Advertising copywriters generally don’t accept writing assignments for manuals, directories, books, news releases or short stories. Advertising copywriters write to sell!
2) Review writing samples, but keep in mind that copy is sometimes subjective. What’s good for one may not suit another, but the project was still a huge success. Copywriting samples are not the end all for deciding who is a good writer. They serve to prove that the writer is a professional writer with several projects completed. The goal is to check that the writer has actually done work on the type of format you need. For example, a writer with a portfolio full of short stories is probably a good writer, but may not have the mindset or skills to write a direct mail letter.
3) Calling references is probably not going to bear much fruit either. I’ve made a few calls myself and have never heard one bad word. Actually, I can’t think of one writer who would name a reference unless they weren’t absolutely sure the referral would say glowing things about the writer and the work. But you can look over the company name. When a writer has a Fortune 100 company in their referral list, you’ve hit the jackpot unless writing fees are too high. And that brings me to the topic fees.
4) The thing about fees is that with copywriting like any other service, you get what you pay for. Low fees generally mean inexperience. Top writers are in demand and don’t need to work for $15 an hour. If you want quality copy writing, higher fees are the price. But, that said, consider that in the ‘high fee’ category, there is generally a range. Top copywriter fees may vary from $30 – $120 per hour. The quality of writing may be the same, but the difference might be an independent writer with no overhead, as opposed to a writer who works for an ad agency with hefty overhead. Weigh all factors when considering your investment in an advertising copywriter.
5) Finally, learn about the writer. I don’t mean pry into their personal life. Find out who they’ve done work for. Review a client list. Ask about previous employment if the writer is independent. Where did the writer get the experience.
When you find a copywriter that suits your needs, treat your writer like a valued part of your team. I’m adding this because I have experienced a few demanding clients who exceeded good will. Who hasn’t? Your copywriter is a top salesperson, and should be treated with respect. Provide detailed feedback. Promptly. Pay on time. What you get in return is the best outcome possible.
How to Build Your Writing Style?
Posted on Mar 25, 2009 01:32:43 PM
Writing style is a writer’s uniqueness. When you build your unique style, you will be known for it. For instance, Ernest Hemingway used to begin his sentences with ‘and’ or ‘but’ that was his particular style; Dickens uses aesthetically complex sentences, and that’s his style. So, each writer has his own style, which is the sum total of all the writing mannerisms, choice of vocabulary, and grammar constructions. In this article we will discuss the importance of building such a writing style and see how we can do it.
1. Read more and analyze what you read as you go on. When you read professional publications and blogs, you will know more of what is in these days. You will know the specialty of a particular writer. This is a first step toward building your style.
Some professional publications I recommend reading include Readers’ Digest, news sites like BBC, The Telegraph, CNN, etc. While reading, give importance to the mannerisms, choice of words, sentence structures, etc., used in the article.
2. Why I say ‘avoid Wikipedia’? Wikipedia is written by the commons, and is not entirely correct. Only their premium articles (which are locked from editing) are error-free. All other articles are edited by people, those who even don’t have an account there, and hence tend to be full of errors, grammatically and factually.
Hence, it is important that you read it only for information, not for building writing style. Always read professional blogs and other publications which give you some great advice on writing.
3. Give importance to your grammar and punctuation. The key feature of a writer is primarily his writing grammar and punctuation. When the writer composes an article full of errors, his credibility goes down instantly. So, it is extremely important for the people trying to get into a writing field to learn grammar and punctuation. Rules of grammar and punctuation are very simple and can be learned from such publications as AskOxford, Merriam Webster, etc.
4. There are disputes galore! Yes there are a lot of disputes as the what is correct and what is wrong in written English. For instance, if you check out Oxford comma (google ‘comma rules oxford comma), you will know many writers recommend using it, while some writers avoid it.
It is dependent on the writer what he chooses to use.
Conclusion
It is popular saying that writing has personality. Indeed. The personality of a writer is dependent on the words he uses, the usage, vocabulary he chooses, and the style.
How To Find A Freelance Copywriter
Posted on Feb 10, 2009 06:58:50 PM
Copywriting is a career suitable for both the corporate and freelance worlds. So its an ideal resource for businesses &ndash from start-ups to restaurants, local shops, professional service providers and real estate agents &ndash to acquire the professional copywriting and editing they need. Hiring a freelance copywriter means you avoid hiring a permanent, full-time employee, paying for benefits, office space, a computer and equipment.
If you’re looking for as-needed copy writing or editing work for your next brochure, press release, advertisement, annual report, website, business proposal, article, technical manual, newsletter or other written piece, here’s are a few tips on finding the right one:
-Look on freelance job boards like Elance.com or Guru.com. You’ll find hundreds of providers with varying credentials and backgrounds. Providers earn feedback for their services, so you can see exactly what other clients have said.
-Check with any advertising or design agency. Typically these businesses either have copywriters on staff or work with freelancers on an as-needed basis. They should be able to recommend one or two.
-Expand your geographic view. Today, the Internet and email lets us work with service professionals at just about any locale. You might find a more qualified writer out of your geographic vicinity.
-You get what you pay for. Sure, you can probably find a writer in India offering $5 per page for writing services. But keep in mind, you do get what you pay for. Check credentials, background and previous writing samples. You could be sacrificing quality content, native language word use and familiarity with the American culture for price. You can also find yourself in a costly lawsuit should you find later that your published piece is plagiarized.
Realize you’re hiring a service provider and, as such, paying for someone’s time. So, like a plumber, lawyer or attorney, your responsible for payment whether or not you acquire the intended results. Review their previous writing samples carefully, ensure they have the background you need, then trust they’ll do the right job for your business.
How to write what you want over a longer period of time
Posted on Jan 24, 2009 06:36:14 PM
Sitting down in front of a blank screen, you type out a sequence of words followed by a period. You pause for a moment, you backspace it all away and you type another new string of words. You know what I mean?
Why is it that at times writing comes easily, but at other times it barely trickles out? Part of the reason may be that you are losing all of your best ideas in between those sit-downs at the computer.
When you have ideas or see things which get you thinking, write them down. Collect them in some way. Odds are within a few days of doing this you will see relations and trends you would not have noticed before. This will lead to more quality content. Think of the outstanding quality of articles that you’ll be writing over the course of weeks and even months?
Something I have found myself doing since I began blogging, is writing a huge amount of memos and small notes. They can be either halfway completed or standing as headlines only. While it can be daunting to stare at a big list of articles waiting to be written, it can also make the process of beginning to write a bit easier when you hit a creative roadblock.
It can also be very helpful to use a writing tool that tracks changes. I use Writeboard, but there are others out there. Even MS Word can track changes if you want. Keep your ideas flowing, and keep working on them over time.
Do not skip over silly ideas and stories. You never know what might come in handy later.
Actively investigate the world around you. Be a journalist all the time. Ask questions and look for details. You might be surprised at how many ideas jump out at you.
For more details and my inspiration for this article you can visit my site mentioned in the Author field.
What is SEO Copywriting?
Posted on Dec 20, 2008 04:20:48 PM
SEO Copywriting or in other words Search Engine Optimization copywriting is the name given to the art or technique of writing search engine friendly content. The technique adopted by SEO Copywriters involves writing certain text made viewable on any web page that is not only interesting to go through but also incorporates specific search terms called keywords or key phrases based on which that web page could be searched on various search engines. SEO Copywriting can be done or various elements of a web page in order to make the page most search engine friendly. These elements include title, alt text, main description as well as keyword tags.
Importance of SEO Copywriting.
The main idea behind writing SEO copy or Copywriting is to enable to boost the ranking or positioning of the website based on targeted search items for which it has been written for on leading search engines. Search Engines are always on a look out for fresh and genuine content pages. So, if your website has genuine content pages incorporated with competitive keywords or phrases in the right position, then your website has a better chance of being positioned in a search engine as well as detected if a search is performed based on those keywords or phrases.
SEO Copywriters experts are of the view that in order to make search engine friendly content on a website effective, targeted keyword or phrase should be mentioned once or twice. These keywords or phrases have to be strategically placed if it has to be detected easily by a search engine. The more number of words in the content the more number of times the key phrase has to be repeated. The ideal keyword density should always be around 3 to 4% otherwise search engines may discard the page altogether.
Effective SEO Copywriting usually works for a website to boost its ranking. If the keywords are strategically placed then the possibilities of having the site ranked further up the list is more on search engines. In case you require optimized pages for your website and are not sure about SEO content to be placed on it, then it is always better to consult an expert or an online company which offers copywriting services. Certain websites like .icopywriters.com offer a wide range of services to cater to the needs of clients and customers who seek effective SEO Copywriters for their website.
Search engines run on certain algorithms, which keep changing. If you have your website positioned well on certain search engines based on SEO content pages and wish to maintain its ranking there, then it is imperative for you to keep changing the content on your website as search engines are always on a look out for fresh and genuine content. In such circumstances again you would require the services of a professional company like .icopywriters.com. It’s a competition out there and the race to reach the top depends upon a number of factors. Effective SEO Copywriting forms an important and integral part of your online marketing. So, if your website does not have SEO friendly content then its high time that you should turn to a professional company which offers dependable copywriting services.
How To Get Started Writing Your Sales Letter In Just Minutes
Posted on Nov 6, 2008 07:51:55 AM
Anxious to get started writing your sales letter? Good. I strongly urge you to begin with a plan. With a simple plan or outline in place, you’ll be armed with all the essentials you need to create a powerful and persuasive piece.
It doesn’t matter what your writing project is &ndash book, report, or sales letter. Planning makes life easier. It organizes your thoughts. It gives you a roadmap to follow so you’re never stuck at a dead end. A sales letter plan forces you to think things through up front — before you write — making the actual writing much easier and giving it a smoother flow.
It doesn’t matter what your writing project is &ndash book, report, or sales letter. Planning makes life easier. It organizes your thoughts. It gives you a roadmap to follow so you’re never stuck at a dead end. A sales letter plan forces you to think things through up front — before you write — making the actual writing much easier and giving it a smoother flow.
When you get right down to it, a sales letter plan helps you:
• Gather Important Information
• Organize and Assess All Available Data
• Assemble Key Sales Letter Components
• Prioritize Benefits Based On Their Appeal To Prospects
• Confirm That The Important Ingredients Are All Present Before You Begin
A sales letter plan simplifies the actual writing. It gives you concrete material from which to work. It naturally dictates the direction you take, and it enables you to follow along a roadmap to the successful completion of your sales letter.
The more detailed your plan, the easier it is to write compelling sales copy. With a plan, you’re never left wondering what to write next. All the essential information is right before your eyes — making it quicker and easier to form interesting and persuasive copy.
“When it comes to writing copy, far too much attention is paid to the actual writing and far too little is paid to ferreting out facts about that which the copywriter is trying to sell.”
Gary Halbert
Planning isn’t just a means to an end, however. Yes, having a completed sales letter plan in front of you is very important. But the hidden value of your plan lies in the thinking processes that go into completing it. As even the most basic of plans takes shape, you’ll discover valuable ideas, key points, and concepts to employ. A plan literally forces you to think things through ahead of time.
After you’ve used this method to write a few sales letters, you’ll see how getting it all recorded on paper helps you tremendously.
Crafting a sales letter plan does take time — perhaps this is why so few do it. But the time and effort expended always pays a worthwhile dividend. A plan gives you direction, power, and focus. It puts you on a straight path towards your goal.