Does your company have a freelancer database?
June 19th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comLast month or so, I was invited by my corporate client to be part of their internal database of freelancers. The marketing department already knows me, obviously, but this type of exposure would give the rest of the company access to my contact information in the event they may need a reliable and trustworthy copywriter to help work on projects.
I was flattered to receive the invitation, and thought it was a highly functional way for this company to maximize their outsourcing potential. Let me describe to you how they’ve organized their internal database:
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Posted in Brochure Copywriting, Business Management, Business Writing, Catalog Copy, Commercial Writing, Copywriting Samples, Freelance Lifestyle, Marketing Communications, The Copywriting Client, Wordfeeder Copywriting | No Comments »Should You Sell a Product or Service?
June 10th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comTons of marketing experts preach the Marketing Funnel or Product Pipeline. Their theory on online business is that you should offer an array of product choices, one for every market segment. Your high end consumer will go for the bells-and-whistles package, your budget-conscious consumer will choose the economy offering, and then your middle men will fill in the remaining rungs of the ladder. On top of that, they’ll encourage you to simultaneously market services along with the product you create.
I’m more of a marketing realist myself. As much as they might like to, most of my clients just don’t have the bandwidth to give their readers “everything and a bag of chips.” For those with limited resources, budgets, time and energy, it might be a more practical idea to focus on one, or the other - product, or service, for the time being.
So let me ask you: are you a product man, or a service gal?
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Posted in Branding Strategy, Business Management, Business Writing, Marketing Communications, Small Business Marketing, Target Audience, The Creative, Wordfeeder Copywriting | No Comments »Is there a formula for writing copy that sells?
June 4th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comI did some work for a new client this week who asked me the following question via email:
What makes an ad work? What in an ad gets someone to contact me, or better yet what is the formula to writing ads since I will have to continually be changing them to stay fresh?
Yes, there’s a formula, although those who have been writing copy for a long time don’t necessarily have to run through this checklist. They just end up writing “standard ad copy” automatically. It’s not unlike riding a bike or doing the dishes - after you get good at it, you just don’t need to think about the steps anymore.
Okay, so here’s my response to the question.
In ad copywriting, many follow what’s known as the AIDA formula - Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. This is the short explanation of how it goes.
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Posted in AIDA Method, Call to Action, Copywriting Big Guns, Copywriting Techniques, Direct Mail Copywriting, Direct Response Copywriting, Persuasive Copywriting, Sales Letters, Wordfeeder Copywriting | 2 Comments »We Versus You in Your Copywriting…
June 3rd, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comIs it Better To Talk To Your Customer Or Talk About Yourself?
Many marketing, copywriting and sales experts will tell you that your marketing copy should talk to your customer as opposed to talking about yourself. They insist that the copy you employ be directed at the customer by using the word “you” throughout. (They call this the second person perspective.)
However, many people feel that using the you approach is too salesman like, and unprofessional. They prefer to talk about their company, their accomplishments and themselves. Copy written in this manner uses the word “we” (or I) over and again (the first person perspective).
So which way is right?
Here’s an argument for using you in your copy. Suppose you’re on a date and the person you’re with won’t stop talking about himself or herself. All night it’s, “I did this and I do that.”
It’s great to hear entertaining stories - but the person on the listening end is bound to feel excluded after a while.
The same idea applies to marketing copy. People want to feel like they’re part of a conversation as opposed to being talked AT. Not to mention - “you” puts the focus on the reader and engages him in the discussion.
But what about the idea that using “you” makes your copy sound too much like a sales pitch?
It’s true that “you” is one of the most powerful words you can use in sales copy, which is why it’s so effective, and used so often. So it’s no wonder that people who want to avoid sounding like a salesperson take the high road, so to speak, and avoid using “you” in their marketing copy.
However, when you think about it, using an exclusive “we” approach comes with its own negative stigma. It can be seen as arrogance - or worse - inadequacy. “I can’t offer anything to you, and I’m not interested in you - so I’ll just talk about myself.”
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Posted in Copywriting Techniques, Direct Mail Copywriting, Direct Response Copywriting, Marketing Communications, Persuasive Copywriting, Wordfeeder Copywriting | No Comments »Outsourcing a Copywriter? Here’s What You Should Know.
May 22nd, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.com
Many people who outsource copywriting and website marketing projects are concerned with keeping costs down. There is a simple solution to this without sacrificing quality: work together with the copywriter and strive for the highest level of productivity. Here are a few tips for making the process as seamless as possible and letting your copywriter do the best job she can for you.
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Posted in Business Writing, Copywriting Services, Marketing Communications, Project Manager, Search Engine Copywriting, Small Business Marketing, The Copywriting Client, Wordfeeder Copywriting | No Comments »Branding as Part of Your Business Disaster Recovery Plan
May 21st, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.com
Have you ever thought about what would happen if you decided to stop operating your small business?
Maybe you’ll be sitting on a comfortable retirement fund one day. Maybe you’ll decide that it’s time to do something completely different.
Maybe (and this is something nobody likes to think about, but it’s reality)… a physical condition or illness will prevent you from managing your business with the same passion and vitality that you are today.
What will you do? You’ve had years to build a presence and get a momentum going. We’re talking about hundreds, maybe thousands, of carefully tended professional relationships, founded in mutual trust. Scores of customers who rely on YOU, nobody else but YOU, to fulfill a specific need for them.
What do you do with all that steam that it took you years and maybe even decades to build up? Do you just open the release valve, take down the shingle and bow out of the scene for good?
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Posted in Branding Strategy, Marketing Communications, Recommended Reading, Small Business Marketing, Wordfeeder Copywriting | 3 Comments »Headline Gone Wrong?
May 21st, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comI was just over on Technorati, checking my stats, when I came across this headline:
Man Arrested With Explosives at Swedish Nuclear Plant
I know what they mean, but the order of these words implies that the man AND the explosives were arrested.
I feel this could be improved simply by moving a few words around, so that it reads:
Man With Explosives Arrested at Swedish Nuclear Plant
What’s your take? Tell the copywriter how you’d edit this one.
- Dina at Wordfeeder.com
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Posted in Copy Wrong, Headline How-To | 2 Comments »Landing Page Tips from Christopher Knight
May 20th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comI just opened an email from EzineArticles.com that shares a great list of What Not To Do’s when syndicating articles on the web and then linking them to pages on your personal website.
Some of the bloopers that Chris points out are making me chuckle to myself, as I reflect upon my own article writing and marketing experience and note the many linking faux-pas I made over the years.
Take a read of Chris’s Landing Page WTH’s to see for yourself.
- Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing
(Yes, we write articles that you can use to help build your credibility and expertise online! Contact dina@wordfeeder.com for more information).
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Posted in Article Marketing, Dina Recommends, Landing Pages, Linking, Recommended Reading, Small Business Marketing | 4 Comments »Your Marketing In Bloom
May 13th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comI’m doing a garden this year. Not just two tomato plants, a handful of herbs and some flowers, but a real garden, with real vegetables that we will hopefully be able to eat without any serious repercussions.
As I make my clumsy foray into the world of raised beds and organic composting, I’m reminded of my less experienced copywriting clients, and filled with sympathy for them.
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Posted in Creative Platform, Marketing Communications, Newsletter Copywriting, Small Business Marketing, The Copywriting Client, The Creative, Wordfeeder Copywriting | 1 Comment »Copywriting Tricks: Mastering the Voice
May 7th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comSeeing as I feel pressured to start my work day at 4 a.m. this week, I thought I’d go easy on myself and not try to come up with new content for the copywriting blog. What I’m going to do instead is turn your attention to quite a decent piece on how to nab the “voice” in your copywriting. I wrote this in 2006 and likely published it in Word Food, the Copywriting Newsletter. But even so - I’m pretty happy with the way it sounds and think the old mare has still got some life left in ‘er. And by ‘old mare’ I am in no way referring to myself. ;0
Copywriting Tricks: Mastering the Voice
Professional copywriters are well-familiar with what’s commonly referred to as “the voice.” What is this exactly, and why do you need to master it in your writing?
If writing is icecream, then “the voice” is the flavor in your scoop. You may be slurping on mellow vanilla, while I’m over here crunching Rocky Road. Sure, we’re bothing having a cold and creamy treat, but our waffle cones are packing two entirely different tastes. So it is with the “voice” that carries your message in writing.
Another way to say this: the voice is the personality that comes across by way of your written message. When you set pen to paper or get those keys clicking, what comes out is your own voice or chosen style of expression.
The words and intonation you choose may be very different than what I’d use. That’s the variance in the voice. You must nab this for your copywriting clientele if you want to impress people!
Continue reading “Copywriting Tricks: Mastering the Voice”
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Posted in Copy Right, Copywriting Techniques, Persuasive Copywriting, Wordfeeder Copywriting, Writing Voice | No Comments » « Previous Entries