What Does It Take To Succeed As An Independent Copywriter?

What Does It Take To Succeed As An Independent Copywriter?

Word Count:
1302

Summary:
In looking back on the nearly four dozen aspiring copywriters I've trained and mentored over the years and asking which personal qualities posed challenges and roadblocks and which enable beginners to carve out a lasting niche for themselves, I have zeroed in on four key skill areas. To build and sustain a copywriting or marketing consulting business, you need to be or become good in these four competencies:

1. Writing. To develop persuasive written materials, you must lea...

Keywords:
copywriting,marketing consultant,consulting,copywriter,freelance,business success,careers,mentors

Article Body:
In looking back on the nearly four dozen aspiring copywriters I've trained and mentored over the years and asking which personal qualities posed challenges and roadblocks and which enable beginners to carve out a lasting niche for themselves, I have zeroed in on four key skill areas. To build and sustain a copywriting or marketing consulting business, you need to be or become good in these four competencies:

1. Writing. To develop persuasive written materials, you must learn to meld creativity, which involves being able to put forth fresh ideas, concepts, phrasings and images, with proven formats - structures for sales letters, brochures, press releases, home pages and so on that embody techniques that work.

If you learn only the latter, your work comes across sounding formulaic and hollow. It can attract clients and produce results, but only to a limited extent. Perceptive clients will notice that your projects tend to come out much the same. They'll conclude that you're either still in the apprenticeship phase of mastery or that you lack the problem-solving skill they need to get the kinds of results they crave.

And on the other hand, if you depend too heavily on creativity, you fail to use the little devices, turns of phrase, formatting tools and finishing touches that help improve response. I see this weakness in a lot of my beginning students - which is fine, because any halfway decent copywriting training course, whether live or canned, can remedy this shortcoming.

To achieve the ideal balance between creativity and the tricks of the trade on your own, you'd need great instincts and loads of practice. Top-notch mentoring, with frequent feedback from an experienced master, is a surer and faster route to finding your feet as a copywriter.

2. Pleasing clients. I've seen people who have no trouble with #1 flounder or become miserable because of this essential factor. Again it's necessary to strike a balance, this time between doing great work and making sure that the person or company paying your fee is satisfied.

Without knowing how to please clients, you can turn out terrific copy and have clients refuse to pay, or pay up but never come back. It's crucial to be able to listen to the client's goals, to keep those goals in mind while shaping the work, to explain what you've done and why, and to talk through differences in perception so that the two sides eventually see eye to eye.

This skill did not - does not - come naturally to me. I have learned this painfully and repeatedly, by overlooking or forgetting it, analyzing what went wrong and resolving to do better in the future. Sometimes the error here is in accepting projects where the client's expectations are at odds with the way you think things should be done. Sometimes there's not enough communication with the client and education of the client away from what you see as wrongheaded ideas.

While this factor still goes awry for me a few times every year, most of my projects go well because I attract plenty of clients who love the way I do things and respect my opinion where it differs from theirs. If you build a strong enough reputation, clients tend to listen to you - though not always.

On the other hand, I've seen plenty of beginning copywriters as well as colleagues with years of experience struggle with the opposite side of this balancing act. They know how to please clients but in doing so, they make themselves unhappy.

For your own sanity, you need to be able to set firm boundaries - ground rules, policies and things to say when clients become unreasonable in their demands. If they demand rewrite after rewrite, insist that their ignorant ideas are superior to what you know, expect you to chitchat endlessly whenever they feel like calling or otherwise drive you nuts, you must be able to head off these problems, negotiate solutions and disengage.

Having trusted colleagues to discuss problems with, an online or in-person peer group or a coach help immeasurably in finding your way with pleasing clients.

3. Business skills. How much should you charge? How many clients do you need, and how can you find them? What if your sure-fire marketing tactics fail to bring in clients, or bring in more than you can handle? What if clients who say they loved what you did don't pay?

No one is born knowing any of this stuff. With guidance from people who are running or have run a successful business, you can learn key business skills. If you've run any other kind of business before turning to copywriting or have watched successful entrepreneurs up close, you'll probably find this skill area easy.

Years of membership in the New England Women Business Owners organization and my prior experience as a freelance writer for national magazines taught me how to be tough with clients when needed, charge what I'm worth, keep on trying when I felt I was on the right track, regroup when necessary and avoid dumb business decisions most of the time.

One of the most common business challenges I've seen for aspiring copywriters involves money issues. Charge too little, and you may be working very hard, have loyal clients and yet not be earning enough to sustain yourself (or your family) over time. A support group or mentor can help you battle the inner demons that keep you from raising your rates, whereupon almost always you discover that the best clients don't mind paying more, and you feel happier about the business.

The second most common business challenge involves perseverance. If something doesn't work out the way you'd hoped, do you retreat in hurt and disappointment, or do you simply try something else? I've watched a couple of people jump into the copywriting business with supreme enthusiasm and then brood obsessively over every minor reversal. Unfortunately, this type of person isn't suited to self-employment. If you give up or feel overwhelmed easily, then you may be better off working on salary for an employer.

4. Discipline. To earn a living writing copy for others, you must be able to manage deadlines and details. By deadlines, I mean not only the obvious point that if you've promised that a project would be finished by June 30, it must be, but also the less obvious point that you need to be able to complete top-notch work in a reasonable amount of time.

If you can reach excellence only painstakingly or through a slow process of repeated drafts, you may not be able to make it in the business. Few clients are willing to pay enough for a web site, or be patient enough, to let you treat their project as if you were Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel.

Another personality type that has trouble with discipline is a Crisis Cathy - someone who masterfully and continually creates emergencies, problems and roadblocks so that things never get done, but with seemingly legitimate excuses. Family members may put up with this kind of behavior, but clients generally won't, especially if it rears its head more than once.

As for details, you must have the discipline to proofread, check facts and get things like names and numbers right. I've seen a couple of writers who can't spell or use proper grammer become fabulously successful nevertheless, but I do not recommend this. Where clients are concerned, it's a much bigger handicap than these blithe spirits will admit. Most clients do not take well to carelessness on your part. When you deliver work containing mistakes, they consider it disrespectful and unprofessional.

So there you have it. These four competencies are roughly equal in importance for success as an independent copywriter or marketing consultant, I believe. Do you measure up? Are you willing to work on developing the qualities you don't have?

 

 

 

Website Copywriter Tips: Web Copy 101

Website Copywriter Tips: Web Copy 101

Word Count:
757

Summary:
You already know how to create great web copy. Just remember your childhood nursery rhymes. As silly as it sounds, "3 Blind Mice" will show you the way.

Keywords:
website, copywriter, tips, write, Web, copy,

Article Body:
You already know how to create great web copy. Just remember your childhood nursery rhymes. As silly as it sounds, "3 Blind Mice" will show you the way.

For some reason, "3 Blind Mice" paid me a visit. As I heard the 100th replay, it hit me – this would make great web copy. As a matter of fact, this simple little ditty contains 10 elements of Web Copy 101. In case you've forgotten, here's how it goes.

"3 Blind Mice; 3 Blind Mice.
See how they run; see how they run.
They all ran up to the farmer's wife;
She cut off their tails with a carving knife
Have you ever seen such a sight in your life
As 3 Blind Mice?"

Let's see how this children's nursery rhyme is a model of Web Copy 101.

Web Copy 101 #1, 2, 3 …3 Blind Mice (title or heading)

1) Try singing "A trio of visually impaired rodents, A trio of visually impaired rodents."  Catchy? Formal writing doesn't sell. Write the way people speak and you will be heard. The title does something else for this song.

2) If you had to choose between songs entitled "Cows," "Ducks," or "3 Blind Mice," which one would you choose? The title in all web copy has to grab the attention the reader.  There's more.

3) This alluring title makes the content clear right away. How many times do you stumble on a website only to find you're not sure what they are selling or how it relates to you? Be sure your web copy uses the title or headline to set the table for the visitor.

Web Copy 101 #4 …3 Blind Mice, 3 Blind Mice (first line)

4) This song is going to be about little rodents, not geese. Does the first line of your web copy highlight what you offer, or at least whom your site is for? Good web copy is not mystery writing. Instead it says, "We're here to sell you something and here's why you need it today."

Web Copy 101 #5, 6 … See how they run, See how they run

5) Repetition is the key to any message track and a staple of effective web copy. From a psychological point of view it lets your message become familiar and safe. From a search engine point of view repetition builds your keyword density and raises your search results. From a net reader perspective repetition in your web copy reinforces your message for the superficial reader who is scanning your site quickly. Repetition works on many levels. Let me say that again – repetition works on many levels.

6) The invitation to watch how the mice run around is also a clever way to involve the readers by getting them to do something. Does your site invite some kind of reader activity in the body of the web copy?

Web Copy 101 #7 … They all ran up to the farmer's wife; she cut off their tails with a carving knife

7) A good way to stitch your ideas together and build more active involvement in your copy is to use pronouns (they, she). By forcing the readers to build connections between previous and current information pronouns keep your site visitors more engaged.

Web Copy 101 #8 … Have you ever seen such a sight in your life?

8) Do you know the best way to keep someone interested in what you are writing? What is 3 times 3? If you thought "nine" you proved my point. If you thought "eight" try night school. If you thought anything at all, you demonstrated the power of questions to generate reader participation. Everybody loves and needs to answer questions. Does your web copy provide thought provoking questions that get your reader thinking and involved?

Web Copy 101 #9, 10 … As 3 Blind Mice

9) Brilliant web copy. More repetition. Plus, the story ends where it started. One of the advantages of writing with search engines in mind is that keyword focus helps you stay on topic.  The glancing reader needs this controlling idea to get the essence of why they need what you have, now. Is your site's central idea consistently expressed all the way through your web copy?

10) True, the song is written for children, but notice the use of short, crisp sentences to tell the tale. How are you telling your tale? You want your web copy to be clear, smart and direct.

I hope they get stuck in your head – the 10 lessons that is, not the lyrics. By the way, no animals were hurt during the writing of the article about web copy 101.

 

Web site copywriter in the 21st century

Web site copywriter in the 21st century

Word Count:
319

Summary:
The article provides you with an insight into the process of hiring professional and skilled copywriter. The article examines the skills and experience that highly skilled web site copywriter should possess in order to compose attracting and appealing content.

Keywords:
web site copywriter, web site copywriting service

Article Body:
The process of keywords search is well-known.  However large the company can be, whatever industry it operates in there are usually some persons at the company who can perform this task. However, once the keyword search has been performed one should start working these keywords phrases into the text of your web-site. The person who performs this task is a web site copywriter.

Apart from being creative and have an aptitude fro producing appealing, memorable and attracting content the professional web site copywriter should be able to write the text in easy-to-read, convincing and action-driven style. He should also be able to perform thorough web site analysis and understand how the web site maintained by you should be changed or adjusted in order to get higher conversion rates.  But even if he has these qualities it may not be enough. It today's highly competitive and ever-changing online world it is indispensable for him to understand current marketing trend, what customers want to purchase as well as what expectations they have.  Apart from this he must also analyze marketing and advertising strategy of the main competitors of the company and propose effective adjustments in the content of the web site to countervail them.

If you are hiring experienced web site copywriter it is advisable to look through his portfolio in order to get an insight into his experience. Experienced web site copywriter who has already provided some copywriting service should indicate what type of copywriting he has been working on and what results he has achieved. Moreover he must also understand modern marketing techniques such as writing press releases and writing article. The web site copywriter should always keep himself abreast of the latest changes in marketing in order to produce high-quality content. If the web site copywriter you intend to hire matches the above mentioned criteria, than he will be able to bring high results for your company.

 

Web Copy – How Much is Enough?

Web Copy – How Much is Enough?

Word Count:
964

Summary:
These days, there's widespread acceptance that a website is an integral part of the marketing plan of any business. Likewise, it's commonly accepted that web copy is a vital component of any website. But how much web copy is enough?

Keywords:
web copy, copywriting

Article Body:
These days, there's widespread acceptance that a website is an integral part of the marketing plan of any business. Likewise, it's commonly accepted that web copy is a vital component of any website. But how much web copy is enough?

The pure volume of information available on the Internet is daunting – often counterproductive. There are approximately 550 billion documents on the web, and every day another 7 million are added. According to an A.T. Kearney, Network Publishing study (April 2001), workers take so long trying to find information that it costs organizations $750 billion annually!

Yet people continue to use it. Information gathering is the most common use of the Internet (American Express survey, 2000). And it seems work-related searches are amongst the most common, with 48% of people using the Internet to find work-related information, as opposed to 7% who use magazines (Lyra Research, 2001).

Interestingly, however, the average person visits no more than 19 websites in the entire month in order to avoid information overload (Nielsen NetRatings in Jan 2001).

So how do you ensure your site is one of those 19? How do you make your content helpful without making it overwhelming? That's what this article is about…

I've written several articles on WHAT to write on your website in order to make it helpful. Businesses also need to know HOW MUCH to write. Here are 5 quick rules of thumb to help you decide how much is enough.

1)  Know your audience (Reader or Search Engine?)

Think about whether you're targeting human readers (potential customers) or search engines. This must always be one of your very first questions, as the answer will determine your approach to content.

In general, human readers think less is more. Search engines, on the other hand, think more is more (well, more or less…). In many ways, it comes down to a question of quality versus quantity. Human readers are interested in quality, whereas search engines are interested quantity. Human readers want you to answer their questions and make it clear how you can benefit them. And they don't want to wade through volumes of text. Search engines want a high word count, full of relevant keywords, and short on diagrams.

You need to think carefully about your audience. In most cases, it'll be a trade-off. A high search engine ranking is important (or at least beneficial) to most businesses, so a happy medium is required. The following tips will go some way toward providing this balance.

2)  Make it concise

Say everything you need to say, but always ask, "Can I say it with fewer words?" The literary world may be impressed by complex writing, but visitors aren't. Keep it simple, and keep it brief. Your home page shouldn't be more than 1 screen long. In other words, visitors shouldn't have to scroll. Subsequent pages can be longer, but try to keep them to a maximum of about 300-400 words each (approximately 1 scroll). A lot of people will tell you that you also need 300-400 words or more on your home page for a good search engine ranking. You don't. If you focus on the right keywords and generate a lot of links to your site, you can achieve a high ranking without losing your readers' interest by padding

TIP: For most businesses, a good rule of thumb is to make it conversational. Old school writers and would-be writers oppose conversational copy; don't listen to them. Unless you're writing for an old-school audience, feel free to write as people talk.

3)  One subject per page

On this, both readers and search engines agree. Don't try and squeeze too much information onto a single page. For example, instead of trying to detail all of your products on a single Products page, use the page to introduce and summarize your product suite, then link to a separate page per product. This way, your content will be easier to write, your readers won't be overwhelmed, and you'll be able to focus on fewer keywords (so the search engines will get a clearer picture of what you do).

4)  Make it scannable

According to a 1998 Sun Microsystems study, reading from a monitor is 25% slower than reading from paper. As a result, 79% of users scan read when online. So make sure you accommodate scanning. Use headings and sub-headings. Highlight important words and sections. Use bulleted lists and numbered lists. Use tables. Use statistics. Use meaningful indenting. Use short sentences. Most importantly, be consistent in your usage. Oh… and follow rules 2 and 3 above.

5)  Use a simple menu structure

Try to keep your high-level menu (Home, About Us, Contacts, Products, Services, etc.) to a maximum of about 10 items (5-8 is ideal). If you have too many options, your site will seem unstructured and your visitors won't know where to start. In order for a visitor to want to come back to your site, they need to feel comfortable when they're there. They need to know what to expect. If they can't identify any logic in your menu structure, they will always feel lost. What's more, this lack of structure will reflect badly on your business.

The Internet can be an incredibly cost-effective form of promotion because the cost per word to publish is so low. Don't be fooled into thinking more is more just because it costs less. Audiences – even search engines – don't want everything; they just want enough.

Happy writing!

 

Watch Out! Copy Mistakes Are Sinking Your Site

Watch Out! Copy Mistakes Are Sinking Your Site

Word Count:
291

Summary:
No matter how well you write, or even if you have a professional writer create your web site copy, you're going to have errors. Misspelled words, awkward sentences, phrases that don't make sense, and words that are used incorrectly run rampant through many sites. And it's no wonder. Writing well is hard work. Even a good writer will be too close to the copy and won't see ALL their mistakes, even when re-reading the copy carefully.

Mistakes in your copy can sink your web si...

Keywords:
web promotion,copywriting,editing,website design

Article Body:
No matter how well you write, or even if you have a professional writer create your web site copy, you're going to have errors. Misspelled words, awkward sentences, phrases that don't make sense, and words that are used incorrectly run rampant through many sites. And it's no wonder. Writing well is hard work. Even a good writer will be too close to the copy and won't see ALL their mistakes, even when re-reading the copy carefully.

Mistakes in your copy can sink your web site. The online audience who accounts for most of your customers are a rather literate group of people. Studies show a large percentage have a good knowledge of spelling and punctuation. If they find your copy has several errors in it, prospects will figure you do sloppy work.

The solution is simple. Get a proof reader to carefully check your copy. You can enlist the help of a friend who has a sharp eye for spelling and punctuation. Better yet, get a professional proof reader to read your copy. Proof reading is almost always affordable and the investment will pay off big time in avoided embarrassment and missed sales.

Don't get too comfortable with spell checkers. Many have limited numbers of words they recognize, and will skip past some misspelled words. One of the most common problems is that a spell checker can't help you if you use the WRONG word.

Don't feel like I'm picking on you. I worked in the TV and movie industries for many years. I can tell you from personal experience that even Hollywood's writers struggle with typos and other errors in their copy. None would dream of turning in a script without first having a capable proof reader go through their drafts and revisions.

 

Value Added Copywriting

Value Added Copywriting

Word Count:
789

Summary:
I know a preacher that can burn any pulpit down within an hour. His sermons cause the greatest stirs and responses in his audience and he really can keep his congregation awake. But there is one tiny problem. Ask many of his listeners what they think about his sermons and they'll quickly respond with only words of acclamation. Follow that questions with a request for what the sermon was about and you're met with only blank stares.

They knew that the sermon was "great" but ...

Keywords:

 

Article Body:
I know a preacher that can burn any pulpit down within an hour. His sermons cause the greatest stirs and responses in his audience and he really can keep his congregation awake. But there is one tiny problem. Ask many of his listeners what they think about his sermons and they'll quickly respond with only words of acclamation. Follow that questions with a request for what the sermon was about and you're met with only blank stares.

They knew that the sermon was "great" but cannot recall what they learned.

This reminds me of the popular selling tenant referred to as 'selling the sizzle and not the stake'. In other words, build enthusiasm and curiosity about your product without giving away too much. Let them hear it, smell it, imagine it but never taste it until they buy.

I find however that when you're selling high ticket items, because you are asking for a higher level of commitment from the prospect, you have to give something in order to get something back. So you have to give some 'steak' along with the 'sizzle'. This is what is commonly referred to as 'value added copywriting'.

I use some of this myself at my website  to sell my copywriting services. Right there in the sales letter itself are some tips and ideas on how to sell to prospects online. So the reader gains some value from reading the letter even before he or she uses my services.

But this "free information" also serves a few other purposes:

1. It helps to establish goodwill with the potential client. My willingness to share this information shows that I'm not stingy and helps to develop a relationship with the reader. So even if the prospect doesn't use my service he walks away with something.

2. It helps to establish my credibility. This is an opportunity for me to show that I know what I'm about and have the qualifications to help the reader's business.

3. It serves as a teaser. It's obvious that I'm not saying everything that I know and that there is a 'lot more where that came from'. In other words, if I'm willing to give away this information I must have a lot more 'secrets' up my sleeve.

4. It lowers the sales resistance of the reader because I'm in the giving rather than the taking mode. There is really no argument against someone who is giving you something for free.

5. It provides a natural incentive for the prospect to read your entire sales letter. Any device that encourages readership will also improve sales especially with longer sales copy.

It will be therefore helpful if you can provide your prospects with useful information in your sales literature. This may be in the form of a free report, an email course or case studies. Once this information is useful and not seen as an overt sales piece, then this should lead to an easy conversion of a new customer.

This technique of value added copywriting works very well in service-type industries. There are many services where the professional can 'reveal' a lot without fear of losing his value to the customer. This often occurs because even though someone may know how to perform a task, the job may be sufficiently difficult or unpleasant that it may be better left to the professionals.

A quick example comes to my mind. I know how to do simple maintenance work on my vehicle but I'll prefer to pay to have this done. I'll happily read all the available literature from my mechanic about how a mechanical repair should be done. The fact that my mechanic made this literature available to me gives me confidence in his performance of a great job.

So, in the same way, a lawyer may want to provide information on how to fill easy legal forms, while a plumber may provide information on performing simple repairs around the home. When a prospect read this helpful information and they need further 'expert' attention they would easily think of that lawyer or plumber.

Because the public today is bombarded with so many advertisers' messages the usual sales talk is having less impact. With the advent of online advertising where it is easier and cheaper to get your message before thousands of eyes your sales message must have a lot more bite than its bark; a lot more steak where only sizzle use to be.

After listening to your sizzling message, your market congregation will need to recall more than the enthusiasm of your delivery. They must be able to recall enough value to want the whole shebang from you.

 

Useful tips how to make your content sell

 

Useful tips how to make your content sell

Word Count:
430

Summary:
Examines major techniques of the writing of informative and convincing content. Provides information on the influence of marketing on copywriting process.

Keywords:
content, copywriting, web content

Article Body:
Whatever niche of the market you operate in, you should always have direct, convincing and appealing communication with your existing or potential clients. Steadfast and returning customers will undoubtedly judge you by the quality of the products or services that you provide. They might recommend your company to their acquaintances, friends or relatives; yet majority of persons who do not know your company will judge you by the text that you present on your web site, your web content counts. Attracting and convincing content can really perform the miracles. Many of us know that the memorable phrase can influence our decisions, can transform our understating of existing situation and induce us to take some actions. Copywriting does the same; in a nutshell copywriting is a written message, text or content that promotes your business and induces your customers to purchase the products or services that you provide. Professionally written copywriting transforms a casual visitor into a steadfast client.

How does it work? It works by technique that includes memorable content intriguing headlines and easy-to read yet convincing texts, by developing web content. In today's rapid word it is indispensable to grab the attention of a person immediately once he has visited your site. Remember that the majority of your potential clients skip through rather than read all your text. Nevertheless, not every text will do, what is appropriate for one person, can be wrong for another and visa versa. The content must target your audience- group of individuals who are really interested in your products and services; therefore copywriting and marketing should go hand in hand in order to achieve the best possible results.

It imperative for every copywriter to write the content based on research of the market the company operates in. The typical marketing research for copywriter should contain the following information: Detailed information on the market (the trend on the market, saturation of it and etc); Information on the major competitors of the company (what tactics do they use, how they advertise their products and services); Information on your potential (the preference of your potential customers, what products and services they would like to purchase). Once you have found out this information you can start develop and write copywriting. However, one should remember that this is a complex process and it might be advisable to give some professionals to complete this task especially if this is the first time you get down to it. Once this task has been completed you might try to use this copywriting copy in the writing of your future copywriting messages.

 

Unimaginable power of the content- most sacred secretes of effective copywriting revealed

Unimaginable power of the content- most sacred secretes of effective copywriting revealed

Word Count:
334

Summary:
The article describes efficient techniques for the developing of easy-to read, appealing and attractive copywriting content that should help businesses to increase the sales and improve the ratings of their web sites. The article also focuses on the skills and experience that the copywriter should possess in order to develop modern copywriting content.

Keywords:
copywriting, website copywriter

Article Body:
Few of the web site owners do not understand the importance of well-written and well-optimized content. The demand on experienced and skilled copywriter, whether he specializes in the web site copywriting, offline or internet copywriting, is constantly rising. However, how could one define experienced and highly- skilled copywriter? What skills and experience should he possess to design and compose effective copywriting content?!

Undoubtedly he should know SEO copywriting process, none of the web site content can not be written without it. Copywriter should understand how to get high rankings on your web site, how to perform keywords search process and organize and optimize your web site.  Certainly it might be advisable to see some of the web sites designed by your potential copywriter. One should evaluate them thoroughly in order to understand the ability and aptitude of your copywriter. These are just of the few requirements that should be met by experienced and highly-skilled copywriter. Certainly, the format of this article does not allow enlisting all of them. Each company that hires copywriters sets special standards and requirements for its individual copywriting process.

Experienced and highly-skilled copywriter is an essential specialist in your advertising copywriting process. Upon his skills, aptitude, creativity and originality depends the efficiency of your advertising campaign. Apart from pure technical knowledge, your web site copywriter should possess several other skills which are  necessary for the writing and composing of appealing and attracting content. The advertising copywriting should meet several important criteria, such as the ability to write in clear and easy-to-read style; moreover the text of your content should induce your visitor to make some actions. Effective advertising copywriting should communicate with your customers, should produce trust and induce them to purchase the products and services at your company. That means that your text must emphasize the advantages and uniqueness of your products and services, and you company in general. In order to achieve these results one should emphasize on the training and the improvement of composition and writing skills.

 

Top 10 SEO Copywriting

Top 10 SEO Copywriting

Word Count:
906

Summary:
I love testing and tracking so, it was only natural for me to track the moves of a little SEO copywriting experiment I did.  My findings were quite interesting.

Keywords:
SEO copywriting, search engine copywriting, keyword copywriting, copywriting

Article Body:
What would happen if…?  I'm a person to always ask that question.  I love testing and tracking to see what factors can improve or worsen a situation.  So, it was only natural for me to track the moves of a little experiment I did involving SEO copywriting recently.  I'll gladly share my findings with you.

Before I do, however, I want to make a couple of things very clear.  The outcome of this experiment will not be the same for every keyphrase on every page of every site.  There are too many unknown factors at play in the overall SEO equation.  Not to mention, all keyphrases are not the same, and all sites are not the same.  In addition, this experiment takes no account of link popularity, which is a huge factor in achieving high rankings.  With that said, let me show you how I took the home page of one of my sites - that didn't even rank in the top 50 - and caused it to rank in the top 10.

First of all, I'm not a big fan of checking rankings on a regular basis.  I don't run ranking reports for all my sites to be sure they are all in the positions I want them in for every given keyphrase.  I'll do it from time to time just to satisfy my own occasional curiosity.  This experiment began when I noticed the home page of one of my sites was ranking highly for a keyphrase that didn't seem to appear anywhere in the text.  Upon further investigation, I saw that the keyphrase was included in the ALT tags (a.k.a. image attribute tags) and that it was also included in the title tag.

I knew ALT tags previously carried a lot of weight with the engines, but had been downgraded in importance because site owners had badly abused the tag.  Had ALT tags been reinstated in their level of importance?  I decided to find out.

Keyword #1 was currently in the ALT tags and the title tag, so I decided to eliminate the keyword in the title tag.  This would let me see if the ALT tags alone could hold the position in the search engine results pages (SERPs).  To make things more interesting, I also decided to research and find a keyword that was a little more competitive and insert it into the title tag.  On the same day I removed Keyword #1 from the title tag, I inserted Keyword #2.  My home page was not ranked in the top 50 at that time for Keyword #2.

A few days later, the Googlebot came by and boosted my home page to position #18 for Keyword #2.  Not bad!  The page fell one spot (from #17 to #18) for Keyword #1 since the removal of the phrase from the title tag.

Keep in mind, these are not the most competitive keywords ever known.  They each got between 100 to 200 searches a day.  Also, the home page of this particular site had been (and still is) well ranked for years for other keyphrases and had a positive legacy with Google.

Five days later, Keyword #2 was moved up three notches to a ranking of #14 while Keyword #1 stayed the same.  Things remained in their status quo for roughly 10 days and then began to shift again.  Keyword #1, the original that was previously in both the ALT tags and the title tag, vanished completely.  It was not found in the top 50.  Keyword #2, that was only found in the title tag and nowhere else, dropped to position #25. 

Four days later, Keyword #2 was back up in the rankings and was now at #16. To see if I could improve rankings further, I began to make small tweaks to the page attributes.  I added Keyword #2 to the ALT tags (taking the places where Keyword #1 had once been), and I also added Keyword #2 to the body copy.   The keyphrase was added to one, bold sub-headline and at three places within the body copy: none of which were above the fold.  It was not added to any primary headlines that used <H> tags, and no keyword density formula was followed for the body copy.  No other pages on my site used this term as anchor text in links pointing to the home page.  That gave the page keyword placement in the:

· Title tag

· ALT tags

· Body copy

Seven days later, the home page hit the top 10 for Keyword #2!

So, what does all this mean?  Simple.  There is no single primary factor in search engine rankings.  It takes balance, testing and tracking to find out what works for your particular pages.  Your best bet is to do exactly what I did… begin one step at a time and track your progress.  Did something cause a positive movement?  Keep it.  If something causes a negative shift, take it out.

I'm not finished with this page yet.  I'll keep trying different things from time to time just to see what happens.  Maybe I'll add anchor text links from the internal pages to the home page.  I might try writing articles with keyword-rich anchor text links to help boost the rankings more.  There are many acceptable practices I can implement for this page (or any page) that will allow me to observe the shifts in ranking.  As the old saying goes, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."  A diversified approach to SEO copywriting that includes tags, copy and links is always a wise start down the road to top 10 rankings.

 

The Secret Power of Words

The Secret Power of Words

Word Count:
621

Summary:
If the best way of communicating with prospects and existing customers was through sign language, we'd all have to learn to sign. Or if the best method of communication proved to be some kind of mutually understandable code, we'd all have to learn that code in order to say anything. Thankfully, our communication process is much more simple…or is it?

Keywords:
copywriting, learn to write, sales copy, ad writing, creative writing, sales copywriting, marketing

Article Body:
If the best way of communicating with prospects and existing customers was through sign language, we'd all have to learn to sign. Or if the best method of communication proved to be some kind of mutually understandable code, we'd all have to learn that code in order to say anything. Thankfully, our communication process is much more simple…or is it?

A sales person has the benefit of meeting his prospect face to face, and will be able gauge his pitch according to visible response signs displayed by his prospect. An experienced salesman will instinctively know from the facial expressions and body language of his prospect, whether he's hitting the right buttons. This is usually indicated by the prospect's head nodding up and down combined simultaneously with a beaming smile and wide-eyed appreciation.

A telesales person has much less to go on. They can only judge response to their sales pitch through the prospect's answers to questions and the actual tone of their voice. Most telesales people find their job easier when they try to imagine the look on their prospect's faces while they're talking to them. But, the deciding factor will almost always come down to the tone of voice deployed by both parties.

The Internet and Direct Mail Marketer have no such advantages over their prospects. They can't see them and they can't hear them. Their only weapon in their armory of sales pitches is their written word.

How we communicate through our written words holds the absolute key to successful selling online and offline. Whether it's a sales letter, an email or ad, the written words must convincingly convey the sales message directly into the prospect's mind. But first, you have to get your prospects to actually read your message, and usually this very first hurdle will claim many, many casualties.

Getting someone to read your sales pitch will almost certainly depend on your headline. Your headline is your introduction. Your 'hello', your 'hey you' and your 'listen up'. If your headline doesn't grab the attention of your prospect within two seconds, it's goodbye and farewell.

Other important aspects of a 'killer' sales message are sub-headings. Sub-headings are generally used to maintain interest throughout the copy. But they're also included for the benefit of prospects that first scan your message before deciding to read it in full. To some degree, they're almost as important as the headline itself.

Then there's the body copy. It's here that your copywriting talents and skills should really shine through. Here you have the opportunity to use any words in the English language to describe and explain in fine detail, the benefits and features of your product or service on offer. And the English language is positively rich in adjectives, so there can be no excuse.

But the real secret to creating captivating copy is to use 'sense' words. That is, words that arouse the senses. Touch, see, smell, taste and listen is what we instinctively do every day. They represent our human survival mechanisms and for the most part, we trust them. Other mammals rely on them totally.

When you use sense words in conjunction with emotionally fuelled trigger words,   you can elicit all kinds of responses, which can be carefully channeled into the heart of your message for maximum impact. Harnessing words for profit in this way is a skill, and it's a skill that every online and offline marketer needs to fully comprehend.

Learning to write outstanding and emotionally charged sales copy is not an essential requirement for business success, but recognizing the effectiveness is.

Never underestimate the secret power of words.

 

The One Word Every Prospect Craves

The One Word Every Prospect Craves

Word Count:
513

Summary:
It's arguably the most important word in the copywriter's arsenal. It ranks right at the top with words like "free," "new" and "savings." Do you know what it is?

Keywords:
copywriting, copy, you, free, new, savings, marketing, copywriter's, your, you'll, you've, yours

Article Body:
It's arguably the most important word in the copywriter's arsenal. It ranks right at the top with words like "free," "new" and "savings."

I'm talking about "you."

"You" is the word that gets your prospect's attention and keeps them involved. As Herschell Gordon Lewis says in <I>The Art of Writing Copy,</I> "Unless the reader regards himself as the target of your message, benefit can't exist. Benefit demands a 'We/You' relationship."

While the "We" in the "We/You" relationship is important, it's better implied than communicated literally. If your goal is to put prospects first, then it's best to have the "you's" far exceed the "we's."

It's the "you's" that matter to prospects. They're your workhorse for communicating your message and include all derivatives such as "your," "yours," "yourself," "you're," and "you'll."

Powerful 'You'

What makes "you" so powerful? For one thing, it addresses your readers directly. In effect, it says "Hey you," which is much harder to ignore than "Hey somebody."

Say "Hey you" in a crowded room and a lot of heads will turn. Say "Hey somebody" and a few heads might turn.

While your copy won't actually say "Hey you," it can clearly identify to whom you're talking. Once you have your audience's attention, use "you" to help keep it.

Personal 'You'

Why does "you" get and hold attention? For one thing, it's personal. It's used in personal conversation every day. What do you think? How was your weekend? You'll be glad to know …

When people say these things to you, they're bound to get your attention and involvement. After all, they're interested in your opinion. They're interested in the things you do. They have something to tell you that will make you happy.

That's the goal of you-oriented copy. Address your audience directly, personally and in terms of their interests. Be conversational and "you" will pop up in the copy naturally.

Counting 'You'

It was mentioned earlier that "you" is a workhorse. A classic example is contained in "The Do-It-Yourself Direct Mail Handbook" by Murray Raphel and Ken Erdman. They highlight a "Newsweek" magazine subscription letter used for nearly two decades.

The subscription letter was written by direct mail expert Ed McLean, who used "you" nearly 30 times on the first page alone. More than 100 million copies of the letter were mailed, a testament to its effectiveness.

Try counting the "you's" (and "you" derivatives) in your copy. Compare them with the number of "we's" and first-person derivatives. If the "you's" don't outnumber the "we's," consider reworking your copy.

Excessive 'You'?

Can you overdo "you"? Yes.

If you load your copy with "you's" but forget the benefits, your message will have a phony ring.

"You" can't save you if there's nothing meaningful to offer your audience. Likewise, it will help put you over the top if there is.

 

The NEW Secrets to Copywriting That Sells

The NEW Secrets to Copywriting That Sells

Word Count:
963

Summary:
This article will show you what copywriting needs today to get maximum response and profits.

Keywords:
copywriting, writing, direct mail marketing, direct mail, advertising, marketing

Article Body:
Anyone who has worked with me over the past 25 years knows that my mantra has always been "benefits, benefits, benefits."  Benefit headlines … benefit copy … benefit subheads … benefit captions … anything to hammer home the customer benefits.

 Benefits are still a vital key, but today, copywriting needs much more than just benefits.  To sell the most, copywriting needs to connect at a much deeper and more dramatic level than ever before.

 There are 6 main reasons why.  I call them The New Secrets to Copywriting That Sells.

1.  The "Yahoogle" effect

 Thanks to mega search engines like Yahoo and Google, tons of information on just about any topic, product or service is literally at your fingertips … for free.

 Here's what that means to your marketing:

• Internet search engine rankings for your business/product/service are vital.  Most people search on the internet for things they are interested in.

• People won't pay for information they can get online for free.  You can't succeed selling generic basic plain vanilla information any more.

• You can't get away with outrageous claims.  Everything you say can be checked out in an instant.

• Many people comparison shop on the internet before making any purchase.

Solutions:

• Use search engine optimization (SEO) to get your website ranked high.

• Most businesses will have to use Pay-Per-Click advertising for their best keywords and phrases.

• Copywriting must uncover and feature the unique advantages and superiority of whatever is being sold.

• Your offering must be extremely differentiated from the competition – or else you'll end up having to compete on low prices alone.

• You must make it clear – very quickly – that you are providing something they can't find elsewhere online for free.

2.  Advertising Overload Filter

 In today's hectic, media-frenzied world, people are bombarded by hundreds or even thousands of advertising messages every single day.  Therefore, to maintain their sanity, most people have become more immune to advertising.

 They can't possibly devote their full attention to every message they receive, so they've learned to "scan" and "filter" the messages they receive in a matter of a split-second or two.

 So, to succeed today – marketing must cut through the "advertising filter" and get attention and interest from target prospects.

Solutions:

• Don't send out "advertising."  Instead – send out valuable helpful information.  Make it something that will obviously benefit your prospect just by reading it.  Weave your sales pitch into this helpful information.

• Make your marketing look and sound valuable.

• Use specific numbers.

• Make a great offer.  You can "buy" a new customer this way and profit from their Lifetime Value (LV).

• Consider a free offer to get prospects/customers into your marketing funnel.

• Be outrageous, crazy, unique – if appropriate.

• Be personal, corny, homey – if appropriate.

3.  Super SKEPTICISM

 You may be the most honest person in the world.  Your company may be the most honest in the world.  But all your potential customer knows is there are a lot of dishonest people out there.

 Internet scams, ID theft, companies going bankrupt, and credit card fraud are all in the headlines almost daily.  And many people simply disregard claims that sound "too good to be true" today more than ever.

 To succeed today, you need to add heavy credibility to your marketing.  This will reduce the risk or fear people may have about doing business with you.

 Solutions:

• Show the number of years you've been in business, membership in trade organizations, awards won, etc.

• Offer a free sample or free trial.

• Offer a risk-free, money-back guarantee.

• Sign your name to the ad or sales letter.

• Use a photo of the person writing, product photo, business photo, employees photo.

• Use customer testimonials extensively.

• Use case studies.

• Use lots of specifics.

• List your physical address, phone, fax, email and business hours.

• Have an "expert" be your spokesperson.

• Acknowledge any doubts or "sneaking suspicions" your prospect may already have, and give them valuable, factual information to support your product/service.

• Don't make claims that could sound "too good to be true" – even if they are true.

4.  The Entertain-Game Society

 Today, entertainment is everything.  Even hard news websites are full of flash, video, audio, surveys, contests, games, etc.

 So, use this new environment in your marketing as an advantage.  Look for ways to entertain and get prospects involved with your marketing promotions.

 Solutions:

• This can include new uses of traditional "action" devices like stickers, rub-offs and inserts.

• Personal stories/testimonials in your promotion are entertaining and engage people on a personal level.

• Surveys with results

• Self-tests with answers

• Trivia

• Celebrity spokesperson

• Games

• Streaming audio and video

• Humor – if appropriate

5.  The Right Now Factor

 The days of "please allow 6-8 weeks for shipping" are dead and gone … just like any company who still thinks anything close to that kind of policy is ok.

 More than anything else, the internet has conditioned consumers to expect everything instantly. Instant ordering … instant payment … instant confirmation … and, in many cases, instant downloading of product.

 Solution:  If you are going to grab the attention of today's consumers, you must let them know you can satisfy their needs IMMEDIATELY.  Play up how fast they will get their product, premium or first issue.

6.  The Bonding Factor

 We all want a hero, a guru, someone we can relate to, and someone we feel has our best interests at heart, right?

 Today's consumer is very jaded, skeptical and frustrated with the lack of love and bonding in his life, whether consciously or subconsciously.

 Today, you need to be seen as a guide and friend first, and a helpful confidant second.  If you even smell like just a greedy salesperson, you will lose your advantage.

 Solution:  Be likeable, friendly, personal, passionate, unique and different.  Be authentic – a person and company that your prospect can genuinely bond with.

 

The most sacred secrets of copywriting services

The most sacred secrets of copywriting services

Word Count:
447

Summary:
Provides an insight into the process of the designing and writing of effective, compelling and attractive copywriting and explains several useful tips on how to write efficient web site copywriting.

Keywords:
copywriting services

Article Body:
Successful copywriting is one of the most important elements of your advertising.  It attracts attention of your potential customers and makes your message memorable and it might induce your clients to take some actions. Many research in psychology show that words may affect our vision, they may either change our depressed mood or uplift our spirit.  Words can convince other people to hold a particular point of view or adopt certain way of live or belief.  Words, in short, are ones of the most powerful tools in the communication process. You and your customer are communicators. The task of every copywriting text is to grab the attention of the visitors on your web site and encourage him to explore your site further. The ultimate aim of your web site content is to induce your customer to purchase your products and services.

How to get these results? The answer is by writing the copywriting copy. Either by yourself or by some copywriting services. Each copywriting copy should comprise several indispensable elements: it should posses intriguing headline, well-written, coherent and logically structured text as well as encouraging final paragraphs. Moreover the most effective copywriting copy must communicate directly with your customer, do not try to communicate with the group of people; use the word "you "in your copywriting text. "Our clients will value our products" sounds weaker than "You will want to value our products". One should not forget that one must start writing and designing the copywriting only after the marketing research has been conducted. Effectiveness of your copywriting copy depends on how well you have evaluated your market, the advertisements techniques of your major competitors and the demands of your potential customers.

Do not forget that you must target only those persons who are really interested in the products and services that you provide. The persons who are interested in ski resorts visit other web sites that individuals who evince their interest in the manufacturing of the cars. It is easy to follow this rule in real life; however it is not so easy in virtual, online environment. In order to get your site to the right people at te right time one should conduct keyword research before starting the writing of the content of your web site. These are just several useful tips that might help you in the writing of your content. It might sound simple and it might be easy, yet it is advisable to hire some professionals who have knowledge and experience in the writing of the web sites.  Remember that if this task is performed incorrectly, it might harm your business and entail negative consequences for it for many months to come.

 

The indispensable qualities of professional copywriter

The indispensable qualities of professional copywriter

Word Count:
405

Summary:
Provides an insight into the process of choosing professional copywriter and the qualities that the copywriter must possess.

Keywords:
copywriter, writing article, create press release

Article Body:
Whatever industry you operate in and whatever web site you have, it indispensable that the content on your web site is written easy-to read, appealing and attractive style. Your potential customers will visit your web site and judge both you and your company by the information presented on your web site. It might be enough to have appealing content in offline advertisement, but it is not enough just to have attracting content to be successful in online environment. However, how can one make sure that your web site will stand out from the numerous other identical ones on the internet and it will attract the attention not only of your visitors but the search engines as well? In order to get high rankings the text of your web site should be well optimized as well. Undoubtedly, this is where the skills of experienced and skilled copywriter count.

It is widely known that the copywriter should be creative, ingenious and must possess excellent writing skills. But apart from these well-known facts, what qualities and experience should professional copywriter possess? First he should know how to perform keywords search and keywords analysis. In my experience there are some specialists in the company, who can perform this task for copywriter; however it is imperative to find out whether the copywriter can perform this task before hiring him.  Second, he should have good knowledge of modern marketing tools. He must understand current online advertisement strategy and the techniques that allow receiving high rankings on your web site.  He also should know how develop highly efficient marketing program that will advertise the site and gain promotion of it online. For instance such techniques as press release and article writing that help to promote you as real professional should be known to your copywriter.

Third, the text written by him should induce customers to take some actions. One should remember that it is crucial to have action –driven text on your web site to get high results. Fourth, the copywriter should be custom-oriented and understand how the potential customers write, talk and act in order to write as much convincing as possible. Killer-Content.com is one of the leading copywriting companies, that provides its customers with appealing, attracting and ingenious copywriting SEO and web content. It also provides its customers with efficient press release services. The writers of Killer-Content.com create press release that helps to get exposure of your company.

 

The Hidden Secrets of a Perfect Sales Copy.

The Hidden Secrets of a Perfect Sales Copy.

Word Count:
861

Summary:
Learn the facts about how your sales copy should be. What main points you have to just not remember but strictly follow to generate sales.

Keywords:
web copy, Home based business, internet marketing, free, online business, affiliate programs, work at home, free website, bonus, money, business opportunity.

Article Body:
We are living in an e-age where everybody wants to sale their product or
services through Internet. In the physical world your interacting behavior and
friendly relationship can create a better avenue for selling your products. Your
face to face interaction can completely convince an individual to buy your
product.

But in the internet world everything is different. You just get 10 seconds to grab a visitor's attention who may turn into your customers. Your only way of
interaction with your customers is your sales copy. So it must be a copy which really generates sales. It's not an easy task to make your visitor pull out their credit cards out of their pocket.

Are you also thinking of selling your products or services on net? Well it's a great decision. Now what points you should consider when creating a sales copy for your product or services. Here it is:

1. Head line:
Head line is most important part of your web copy. In fact a great headline is
90% success of your sales page. When somebody comes to your site, usually
you have only 10 seconds to grab his attention. Most people will make a decision about reading your sales page in less than 10 seconds. If your headline is compelling enough to grab your visitor's attention they will stay otherwise they will go to other website.
>> Tell about the biggest benefit of your product in headline.
>> Create some serious problem and tell your visitors that you can solve their problem.
>> Show specific results of using your product in your headline. Like if you are selling a book about dog training, tell them that in next 15 days your dog  will follow all your instructions.
>> Use attention grabbing words in your headline like Free, Save, Guaranteed.
Many big copywriters say that headlines can increase response rate by up to
1500%.

2. Sub Headline:
A sub head line gives you one more opportunity to grab your visitor's attention and pursue them to read your sales page. Highlights your product's benefits again and create a feeling of urgency in your sub headline so it encourages your visitor to read your sales page.

3. Bulleted Points:
In today's world everybody is very busy and always in hurry. Usually your visitors first quickly skim your webpage to know what's in it for them. Bulleted points always grab attention because it's easy to read. So always tell your product's benefits through bulleted points. Remember bulleted points just act like bullet and triggers a human mind.
A bit of suggestion: always convert your products features into its benefits.

4. Credibility:
It's also a key point of a successful web copy. Your customer must feel that it's not just a sales copy. A real person is sitting behind it. You should put your photo, your full contact details (not just email, full physical address and phone number) in your sales copy.
Testimonials are one of the best ways to build credibility but it should be real not  fake. Many people think that they can fool their visitors by placing fake
testimonials but I want to make you clear that whatever you think about your
visitors, your sales page reflect that.
A strong Guarantee is also essential to build your credibility. You may also place an audio or video message to give them a sense of belonging and a kindly feeling.

5. Bonuses:
It's a human psychology to aspire to get one or more thing free with the
product. Offer them some bonuses related to the product you are offering. If you are selling dog training book, you may offer a dog food recipes ebook or a dog health checkup guide.
Try to feel them that the bonuses you are offering are worth more than the price they are paying. It's a good idea to offer digital products as bonus because you have to invest only once to create them and delivery cost is also zero.

6. Sense of Urgency:
You must create a sense of urgency in your sales page. Make them realize that once they lose this offer they will never get it again. Give them an extra price discount, more bonuses, or any lucrative offers which make them buy. You can also offer personal email consultation if they buy within a time frame.

7. Ask for order:
Many people make a great mistake in their sales letter. They write a wonderful sales letter but never ask for order. In the sales letter make it a key point that you are here to sell your product. So ask your visitors to place an order in clear words. It is a must to call them again and again to buy your products on a single sales page.

8. P.S. Lines:
Life goes busy and no one have a spare time to even read your sales copy.
Sometimes they just see your headline and your P.S. Lines. Top copywriters
believe that 9% success of a sales letter depends on P.S. lines. Make it strong and compelling. Pinpoint your product's benefits, bonuses and any special offer you are offering.

These are some points for a perfect sales copy. If you follow these simple points, your dream of having a long queue of customers eager to buy your products will get true.

 

The Bible - The Source Of All Copywriting Secrets

The Bible - The Source Of All Copywriting Secrets

Word Count:
874

Summary:
I've been a student of the Bible for practically all my life. There is a lot of reason why this book remains the number one best-seller year after year. I think that it is the source of ALL wisdom, yes, including successful copywriting!

What do I mean by this?

Simply put, every copywriting strategy can be found FIRST in the Bible. This may appear to be a strong statement but I challenge the reader to prove otherwise. As I did the research for my latest ebook "77 Ways t...

Keywords:
copywriting, sales letters, internet marketing

Article Body:
I've been a student of the Bible for practically all my life. There is a lot of reason why this book remains the number one best-seller year after year. I think that it is the source of ALL wisdom, yes, including successful copywriting!

What do I mean by this?

Simply put, every copywriting strategy can be found FIRST in the Bible. This may appear to be a strong statement but I challenge the reader to prove otherwise. As I did the research for my latest ebook "77 Ways to Skyrocket Your Website's Conversion", I kept saying to myself "but that's in the Bible … that's in the Bible."

I would like to take a look at FIVE copywriting principles and show you that they are as old as the Scriptures. This article is not meant to 'convert' you so read with an open mind ... ready? Let's go!

1. Stress benefits not features.

It's the Garden of Eden. The serpent approaches the woman Eve to get her to take of the forbidden fruit. Does he rave about the color, taste and texture of the fruit? No, he sells Eve on benefits. "Your eyes will be opened, you will be like God ..." (Genesis 3:4). Now that's a benefit, not a feature at all. And did Eve fall for it? She surely did.

That may seem like a 'negative' example - a plain deception. But look at what the book of Revelation promises the "overcomer". Eternal life, health, recognition, wealth and mansions without mortgages.

2. Use lots of testimonials.

If you have just a cursory knowledge of the Bible you know that the gospels of Matthew, Mark Luke and John make up the first four books of the New Testament. They all cover the same ground and share many common stories. So why would we need four different people saying practically the same thing?

You see they all wanted to tell THEIR story about the Rabbi Jesus Christ. So the writers (all satisfied customers) relate the life-changing encounter they each had - the more testimonies the better.

The entire Bible relates stories of peoples encounter with the supernatural and how it affected their lives. In fact, Jesus related to the disciples after His miraculous resurrection that all the Old Testament was really about Him.

3. "Create a damaging admission and address flaws openly"

That's the title to chapter 3 of the master copywriter Dan Kennedy's book "The Ultimate Sales Letter". He goes on to explain that if you openly admit the drawbacks of your offer then your credibility goes up instantly with the customer. For example, your price may be higher than your competitors so you may say: "If you are looking to save a few bucks then you can find many other companies who will be willing to give you some 'quick fixes'. But we provide a very thorough and expert service, hence the higher price"

You are admitting that you are expensive but showing why - the customer gets a superior service.

In the gospels we see many potential disciples who wanted to follow Jesus and he told them openly that it was a sacrificial walk. He told them in no uncertain terms that it involved a "cross", leaving father and mother behind, even possible death - but you will gain eternal life in the process. Talk about a "damaging admission.

4. Place a limit on your offer to motivate procrastinators.

This is a very important element of the "call to action" section of any sales letter. Humans are naturally procrastinators. We always put off what should be done now for a 'later' that never arrives. That is why the copywriter must show that supplies are limited or the special offer is for a 'limited time only'.

In many 'call to action' sections of the Bible we see the same warning to procrastinators. "Today if you hear my voice do not harden your heart .." (Hebrews 3:7). In the story of the great flood procrastinators were found outside the ark. Jesus told the story of the covetous farmer who built bigger barns to store his grains not knowing that death would come knocking on his door that very night.

Jesus never sent one of his listeners to go away and think about it. Today ... now, was the only time that anyone had. His message was "ACT NOW!"

5. Research your potential customers to know their problems and needs.

Dan Kennedy refers to this as "getting into the customer". Getting into the head and experiences of the customer -walk in his moccasins.

The whole Christmas story is about Jesus getting into the skin - literally - of the customer. The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus is touched by our feelings and infirmities. He became like one of us so that He may understand "the customer" better. That is why he could speak to the needs of the human heart with such authority because he knows what is in man.

I've just briefly looked at 5 copywriting principles but this applies across the board. Whether you accept the Bible as just another book or as inspired writings, there is no denying that the principles are there.

I would love to hear from the reader if he or she would like to challenge me on finding a useful copywriting principle that's not in the Bible.

 

The Best Place to Put SEO Copy on Your Web Page

The Best Place to Put SEO Copy on Your Web Page

Word Count:
567

Summary:
Does your copy have to be at the top of the page? Do you have to keep all your text together on the page?  Find out if these are fact or fiction.

Keywords:
copywriting, seo copywriting, search engine copywriting

Article Body:
It seems like a funny question to me, but it gets asked a lot.  "Where should the SEO copy go on my Web page?"  That question gets asked so much because there are several pieces of out-of-date information, rumors and myths with regard to text placement, when writing SEO copy. 

For instance, many absolutely swear that the copy has to be as high up on the page as possible for the search engines to find it.  Not true.  The spiders will find the text regardless of where it is on your page.  Others say all your text has to be in one block.  Also not true.  The spiders will find the text regardless of where it is on your page. 

Other statements I've heard regarding text placement include:

· Your headline must appear at the very top of the page.

· Copy placed inside tables throws the search engines off.

· Copy must be positioned above the fold to be found by the spiders.

None of these are true.  The spiders will find the text regardless of where it is on your page.  (Or did I already say that… twice?)  This is true in 99.9% of the cases, with only some very rare exceptions.

So where is the best place to put SEO copy on your Web page?  Wherever it makes sense to the site visitor! 

Spiders will find your text regardless of where it falls on the page.  Want proof?  Here's a test.  Go to Google and type in any working URL.  When the result comes up for that site, click on: "Show Google's Cache of…"  In the box that appears at the top of the next page, click on this option: "This cached page may reference images which are no longer available. Click here for the cached text only."  What do you see?

You see exactly what the search engine sees.  If the text appears in this text-only cache, that means Google's spider can read it and index it.

Put Copy Where It Is Most Beneficial to Your Visitors

Since the engines will find your text regardless of where it falls on the page, your focus should be placed on the site visitor.  This is where your focus should always be.  The people who have the money come first; the search engines come second.  :)

If it makes sense for your visitors to see your headline as the first thing on the page, then put it first.  If a graphic design element makes more sense, then put that first.  If you use photos or other images, include captions so your visitors understand what these photos mean and how they relate to the sales message.

If you have an ecommerce site, create pages for each category of products you offer in order to help guide the visitors' steps.  Then add short copy segments that quickly describe what is offered for each specific product.  Even though the copy is scattered all about the page, the engines WILL find it.

When it comes to copy placement on your Web pages, don't agonize over what the engines want you to do.  Give 100% of your consideration to what would be most useful for your visitors and place your copy in those areas.  The spiders will find it with no trouble at all.

 

Pregnancy Tests – Have All The Information For A Healthy Delivery

Pregnancy Tests – Have All The Information For A Healthy Delivery

Word Count:
331

Summary:
With today's increased knowledge of health and development of the fetus in the womb, there are several tests that expectant mothers will undergo to ensure the health prospects of both herself and her baby. All of these tests are standard, and you should make sure to ask your doctor about when they are scheduled and that they are all on his list.

CBC Test: CBC stands for Complete Blood Count. This test checks for anemia and other abnormalities that may occur within blood co...

Keywords:
pregnancy, pregnant

Article Body:
With today's increased knowledge of health and development of the fetus in the womb, there are several tests that expectant mothers will undergo to ensure the health prospects of both herself and her baby. All of these tests are standard, and you should make sure to ask your doctor about when they are scheduled and that they are all on his list.

CBC Test: CBC stands for Complete Blood Count. This test checks for anemia and other abnormalities that may occur within blood components.

Urinary Analysis: Regular urine analysis safety check for infection, protein, blood, or any other products that should not be present in the urine and that may signal complications.

RH factor: This test also tests the blood type. Differences in the blood type or Rh factor could lead to serious complications in the newborn, or in your next child. Women who are RH negative need to have additional screening done later in the pregnancy.

Immunity: A blood test is required to ensure immunity from German measles (rubella).

STD: Tests for sexually transmitted diseases are also necessary, including screenings for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis. Some tests include cultures for Chlamydia and gonorrhea.
 
Blood glucose is checked for diabetes.

Pap smears check the cells of the cervix for abnormalities, including cancerous or precancerous cells.

Screening for bacterial and viral infections in the vagina and cervix is often performed during the second half of the pregnancy. Testing to detect bacterial vaginosis, which could increase the risk for premature rupture of membranes and subsequent labor, and a culture for group B streptococci, which can infect and harm the newborn after delivery, may be done during your pregnancy.

There are other tests that may be taken according to your own personal health history. Expectant women with high blood pressure should be regularly checked. Make sure when you visit your obstetrician that all these tests are accounted for, and consult her on any that may need to be done additionally.