|
|
9 Essential Items Your Website Copywriter Must Know About Your Business BEFORE Writing a Word...
...And if he's not asking, you don't want him writing for you.
Web Marketing Series
It's pretty much a given...when you hire a copywriter for your
newly designed web site, your getting someone with above average
writing skills. But the best...
A Copywriting Lesson from Dr. Seuss
Looking for inspiration for your next marketing communication?
Try the children's bookshelf.
Dr. Seuss has entertained young (and old) audiences for nearly
50 years with titles such as The Cat in the Hat , Hop
on Pop and Green Eggs and...
"How To Get Started With A Career In Copywriting"
Careers in copywriting are booming. Could it be that the new and ever growing market on the Internet has helped to fuel this demand? You can bet your sweet keyword that it has! With so many businesses looking to the internet for their freelance...
The World's Most Powerful Marketing Tool
What marketing skill would you need "to sell sand in the desert?" It's the same marketing skill top-dog eBiz marketers have in common. Rudyard Kipling said it best when he wrote: *Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind.* The common...
To Write Your Own Copy or Not to Write Your Own Copy - That is the Question
If you haven't yet learned to discern good copy from bad copy, you will have a difficult time writing your own. Tim, a graphic designer friend of mine, recently learned the difference when he tried to write his own web copy. Tim had a phenomenal...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Writing Web Copy That SELLS - How It Compares With Offline Copy
Whoever said "long copy" doesn't work on the web obviously doesn't know how to sell online. In fact, online marketers are making an absolute fortune with web pages spanning 1200 or more words used to sell their software and manual products.
There's an internet marketing expert in the States who went from zip to millionaire just by promoting a book on car secrets via a very wordy online sales letter. He is now recognised as perhaps the world leading expert in internet marketing. His name is Corey Rudl.
The copy on our product pages is equally as long ... and it works, delivering us many thousands of dollars in product sales without any offline promotion.
"How to Create a Sales Explosion With Every Ad and Letter You Write" ... http://www.synergie.com.au/explosion.htm "Marketing Manager's Toolkit" - http://www.synergie.com.au/marketing-forms-product.htm "Tenders that Sell" - http://www.synergie.com.au endersthatsell.htm
The key is to get to the point early ... you can have long copy on your website BUT (and I stress BUT) make sure the beginning of your message gets to the point quickly. That's where you can lose people. It's vitally important that you hook them quickly by offering strong "hit them in the face" benefits.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` The difference between writing direct mail and writing web copy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I will often start a letter by relating to the main frustrations or problems that a reader faces. Sometimes I will spend two or three paragraphs getting what I call the "nod factor" happening. (This is when they are nodding their head in agreement with what you have written).
With web copy, you simply can't start your sales letter with three paragraphs of copy setting the scene.
Chop, then chop then chop again!
Even though I said writing long copy is definitely acceptable, what won't work is FLUFF. Remove all those fluffy, round-about ways of saying things and replace them with short, sharp and to the point words. You can go into great length to describe something as long as it is ABSOLUTELY critical to the sales message.
Here's a tip to help you write like a miser:
When writing online copy I avoid using a word processor. I actually go into my email program and write it in the email message window. It's a mind-set thing. Makes sense doesn't it! We all write emails in a quick, friendly, to the point way - much more economically than we do when writing snail mail. When you've written your draft THEN cut and paste it into your word processing program.
So, how do you make your words SELL online?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Follow the recipe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Remember, in other articles we talk about the AIDCA formula. Make sure you follow it in your offline and your online copy.
A - Attention - grab their attention with a powerful headline that absolutely shouts out the benefits of visiting the site
I - Gain their interest by relating to their needs or frustrations
D - Create desire by spelling out the benefits and painting a picture of how better off their lives will be by investing in your product or service.
C - Gain their conviction. Convince them that they must purchase your product. Summarise your benefits in a powerful way. Include a powerful offer that convinces them to purchase now. Implement risk reversal techniques such as a FREE trial or a money back guarantee.
A - Incite action. Put a limited time
frame on your offer and tell them how to order. Make it as easy as you can to purchase. Give them a number of options.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Copywriting, whether it's offline or online is still all about YOU (or the client, that is). Write in a direct "me to you" way. Use twice as many "you's" as you do "we's". This forces you to step into the readers' shoes and by doing that you're helping them relate (really relate) to what you're saying.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Break it up! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
There's nothing that will make people click away faster than long, tedious paragraphs and long sentences. Break up those sentences. Break up those paragraphs into one or two sentences (at the very most).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Put those HOT words in lights! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Every time you move on to a new point include a subheading. This breaks up the copy and makes it much easier to read. It also enables people to scan your piece. With a good web piece you should be able to scan just the subheads and be able to pick out the major selling arguments in order so you can get a good gist of what the piece is about.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Use strategically placed links to expand on points ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
In situations where some readers may need to find out more about a certain point, instead of including a description in the main body of your online sales letter, include a link to an explanatory paragraph. This enables you to include all the copy you need to sell something WITHOUT watering down the power of your main piece.
It might be simply a description of the meaning of a certain term.
It might be links to additional research which proves that your product delivers results.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Weave testimonials throughout your copy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Testimonials SELL. Gather as many testimonials as you can from clients and feature them in a variety of different ways. Have a testimonials or "what clients say" section. Feature these testimonials as case studies AND use them as part of the copy when making a particular point.
Eg. Your car will be so shiny it will look brand new AND be worth $000's more.
Margaret Smith of Smith and Co. Balmain agrees:
"I wanted to sell my 1995 Ford and to be honest it had been a little neglected over the years. I was given an initial trade in price from a dealer and after being rather disappointed with the price I thought I'd arrange for your detailing services. My gosh. What a result! I hardly recognised it. It looked like a brand new car. I then took it in to another dealer and they offered me $5,000 more. Thank you so much!"
This is a brief overview of how to write powerful web copy. There are a number of other key copywriting principles to consider. You can find more copywriting browsing our site.
Just remember - no matter what sales vehicle you're using, the recipe for copywriting success is the same. It's just the tone and the length that changes.
About the Author
Kris Mills of Words that Sell ( http://www.wordsthatsell.com.au )is a top selling copywriter and respected author of numerous publications. For more copywriting and direct marketing tips, visit http://www.synergie.com.au/explosion.htm
|
|
|
|
|
Copywriting . Net |
Copywriting . Net. The Internet's copywriting service center for Web and print marketing communications. |
www.copywriting.net |
  |
Copywriting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
As search-engine algorithms get smarter every day, this Search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting is more and more about writing for human visitors as ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
  |
Copywriting - SEO Copywriting - Learn copywriting |
Copywriting .com has just changed hands and will open its doors again in a few weeks. If you'd like to be notified when we launch, please send an email to: ... |
www.copywriting.com |
  |
Copywriting 101 | Copyblogger |
Copywriting 101 Tutorial Copywriting is one of the most essential ... Subscribe to Copyblogger to learn more about copywriting and online marketing. ... |
www.copyblogger.com |
  |
The Copywriting Site - Free information, tips, and tricks on ... |
The Copywriting Site: Here you get free information tips and tricks on copywriting that sells. - Marketing Writing. |
noriainternational.com |
  |
Copywriting courses. Become a copywriter. |
Copywriting courses for copywriters; plus tips on buying copy and hiring a copywriter. |
www.inst.org |
  |
Advertising & Online Copywriting, Search Engine Copywriting ... |
Advertising copywriting and search engine copywriting that impresses your visitors and the engines. |
www.marketingwords.com |
  |
Free tutorials on copywriting, web content, advertising, internet ... |
How to dramatically improve response from your Advertising, Internet marketing, Direct Mail and Web pages with powerful copywriting. |
www.adcopywriting.com |
  |
Copywriting: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
See all blog posts tagged with copywriting on Technorati. |
www.technorati.com |
  |
Advertising Copywriter, Website Copywriter, SEO Copywriter ... |
Need a copywriter who can really grasp your business? Copywriting for websites, SEO, ads, brochures, articles... Elegant, no-fuss copywriting that really ... |
www.divinewrite.com |
  |
Copywriting |
Every advertising medium is different. And so is copywriting for each element. Business owners can find out what to look for when hiring a copywriter. |
advertising.about.com |
  |
Copywriting Secrets - Master Copywriter - Killer Copy Writing |
FREE E-Course Reveals The Latest Kick-Ass Copywriting Secrets You've Gotta Know! ... "Now You Can Grab The Latest No-BS Advanced Copywriting Secrets That ... |
www.websiteconversionexpert.com |
  |
Text Wizard® Copywriting - UK freelance copywriter, scriptwriter ... |
Plain English with fizz: copywriting that stays on brand and on your mind. UK copywriter. |
www.textwizard.com |
  |
Getting Real: Copywriting is interface design - Signal vs. Noise ... |
Copywriting isn’t something to be left to the guy on your team who writes long ... So, I’m considering adding copywriting to my list of responsibilities, ... |
www.37signals.com |
  |
Amazon.com: Persuasive Online Copywriting: How to Take Your Words ... |
Amazon.com: Persuasive Online Copywriting: How to Take Your Words to the Bank: Books: Bryan Eisenberg,Jeffrey Eisenberg,Lisa T. Davis by Bryan Eisenberg ... |
www.amazon.com |
  |
Michele PW |
Watch your business soar when you put the power of great copywriting, results-driven marketing solutions and amazing creativity to work for your business. |
www.writingusa.com |
  |
Pages tagged with "copywriting" on del.icio.us |
Good Copywriting: A blog about copywriting on the web ... Copywriting tips for online marketing success from Copyblogger · save this. copywriting blog ... |
del.icio.us |
  |
Online Copywriting: Subscribe to the Excess Voice Newsletter |
Online Copywriting: Nick Usborne's Excess Voice newsletter includes dozens of articles and a comprehensive list of resources and reviews for writers of ... |
www.excessvoice.com |
  |
Linda Westphal, Freelance Advertising Copywriter |
Experienced copywriter for direct marketing articles, and advertising tips. Citrus Heights, California. |
www.lindawestphal.com |
  |
Copywriting: Projects on Elance |
Copywriting, Between $250 and $500, 7, 11/29/2006 1:45 AM ... Copywriting, Prefer not to disclose, 0, 12/1/2006 2:41 PM, 6 d, 22 h+, Authentication Status ... |
www.elance.com |
  |
|