Learn to Copywrite

Archive for October, 2009

Okay well i want to be a free lance designer. like design clothes and stuff. Id love to work for unit and the add says this:
Unit is known for having a high standard of design. If you think you have what it takes to be part of the Unit design team please email us samples of your work.

Some of the major responsibilities, but not limited to:
-Outstanding creative flair
-Obvious passion for good design
-Hard worker
-Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign skills imperative
-Ability to work to deadlines
-Team orientated
-Photography skills a plus
-copywriting skills a plus

The course i want to do to get into this, is this:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/coursefinder/local/2010/Bachelor-of-Graphic-Design.5169.html

Do you think if i got qualified in that course ^^ that i would be up to the standard they are looking for?

If not suggest some better courses or something

10 Point easssy up for graps!

Please help!

Thanks soooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just because you take a course doesn’t mean that your qualified. If you have the passion, the drive and the creativity and can work in their parameters then you should just go for it.

The methods for promoting your home business, are similar to those of a traditional business. And the Internet adds another dimension of marketing.

1. Personalize your business cards with a company logo. Be sure to include email addresses and website URL on the front. Building brand name recognition is very important to build trust with you customers. No matter what your business, consistently showing your prospects your logo will breed familiarity and eventually you will gain their trust.

2. If you sell some type of merchandise, try to have several samples with you at all times. Affix a business card to them if possible. You will then be prepared the next time someone asks you “What do you do for a living?” Hand them a sample or at least your business card so they know how to get more.

3.Collect email addresses from everyone you talk to about your home business. Building an email list can be as good as money in the bank. Tell them you will only send them information pertaining to their interest. And make sure you do so and nothing more!

4. Send out a weekly or monthly newsletter filled with updates and special promotions for your products and services. Or send tips and advice relevant to your business; again building trust and creditability.

5. Learn how to write good copy and informative information for your website and newsletter. If you do not have time to research your home business niche and educate yourself, hire an excellent copywriter to assist you. Good copy makes the difference between a thriving business and lost sales.

6.Request testimonials from known experts in your line of work and satisfied customers, then use them to promote your business. Adding testimonials to your website is a great way to build credibility ant trust. You can also write a testimonial about a related business product or service you have used, and submit it to them. If it is sincere they will be helping you promote your home business by displaying your testimonial.

7. If you do not have one already, you really should consider getting a website. Keep it professional, and easy to navigate and full of quality relevant information. do not overuse flashy graphics that bog down the time it takes for your page to load. Spend some time creating a catchy headline or slogan for your business. Now would be the time to use the expert copywriter again.

8. Get the word out about your online business by joining discussion forums related to your area of business. Post links back to your website and exchange links with other businesses that are relevant but not in direct competition with your business. Be careful what websites you associate with or link to. Only allow your links to be posted on high quality, reputable websites. Only post links of your website to others that you have researched thoroughly. This will improve your page ranking and help you progress up on the search engine results page.

9. Promote your business on social networking sites like Myspace. Find groups of like-minded people, and join their network or group. There are many of these types of websites available online perfect for networking, brainstorming and promoting your home business. This is a fairly new method, which is really starting to catch on. So do not discount the power of social networking and social bookmarking.

Even if your home business is not Internet related and focused on a specific geographic location, do not underestimate the viral marketing methods of promoting your home business online.

Jeffrey Houdyschell
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/essential-methods-for-promoting-your-home-business-106098.html

The methods for promoting your home business, are similar to those of a traditional business. And the Internet adds another dimension of marketing.

1. Personalize your business cards with a company logo. Be sure to include email addresses and website URL on the front. Building brand name recognition is very important to build trust with you customers. No matter what your business, consistently showing your prospects your logo will breed familiarity and eventually you will gain their trust.

2. If you sell some type of merchandise, try to have several samples with you at all times. Affix a business card to them if possible. You will then be prepared the next time someone asks you “What do you do for a living?” Hand them a sample or at least your business card so they know how to get more.

3.Collect email addresses from everyone you talk to about your home business. Building an email list can be as good as money in the bank. Tell them you will only send them information pertaining to their interest. And make sure you do so and nothing more!

4. Send out a weekly or monthly newsletter filled with updates and special promotions for your products and services. Or send tips and advice relevant to your business; again building trust and creditability.

5. Learn how to write good copy and informative information for your website and newsletter. If you do not have time to research your home business niche and educate yourself, hire an excellent copywriter to assist you. Good copy makes the difference between a thriving business and lost sales.

6.Request testimonials from known experts in your line of work and satisfied customers, then use them to promote your business. Adding testimonials to your website is a great way to build credibility ant trust. You can also write a testimonial about a related business product or service you have used, and submit it to them. If it is sincere they will be helping you promote your home business by displaying your testimonial.

7. If you do not have one already, you really should consider getting a website. Keep it professional, and easy to navigate and full of quality relevant information. do not overuse flashy graphics that bog down the time it takes for your page to load. Spend some time creating a catchy headline or slogan for your business. Now would be the time to use the expert copywriter again.

8. Get the word out about your online business by joining discussion forums related to your area of business. Post links back to your website and exchange links with other businesses that are relevant but not in direct competition with your business. Be careful what websites you associate with or link to. Only allow your links to be posted on high quality, reputable websites. Only post links of your website to others that you have researched thoroughly. This will improve your page ranking and help you progress up on the search engine results page.

9. Promote your business on social networking sites like Myspace. Find groups of like-minded people, and join their network or group. There are many of these types of websites available online perfect for networking, brainstorming and promoting your home business. This is a fairly new method, which is really starting to catch on. So do not discount the power of social networking and social bookmarking.

Even if your home business is not Internet related and focused on a specific geographic location, do not underestimate the viral marketing methods of promoting your home business online.

Jeffrey Houdyschell
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/essential-methods-for-promoting-your-home-business-106098.html

World Class Chef Gordon Ramsay chooses to yell at his chef to be work done. Why? You see, Gordon knows the secret, by provoking an emotional response in his chefs, he knows they will remember and/or make necessary changes. It’s the same with marketing and selling.

If you are reading this your probably have heard that we buy with our emotions. Do you know why? And how? Let’s start with the why.

The human brain has three main components:

- the brainstem

- the limbic system and the

- the cerebral cortex.

The cerebral cortex analyzes sensory data, performs memory functions, learns new information and forms thoughts and makes decisions.

The limbic system is responsible for emotions and feelings like anger, passion, and sadness. Information retention and long-term memory are stimulated by the firing of the amygdala, which performs a key role in processing nearly all emotional events. Emotions cause us to pay attention and help use decide which message to remember.

The brainstem is responsible for body functions, which is very important but not for advertising.

Luckily, it is almost impossible to be emotionless. We are emotional beings. When writing or speaking your marketing message, you marketing message must be processed by the limbic system. Emotions tell the reader when to pay attention. Emotions are not only processed faster than logical thought, but also makes the final decision. Your marketing message needs stimulate an emotional reaction.

Now for the how! To stimulate a human emotion, the brain needs to make emotional associations. Your targeted audience needs to hear a marketing message 6 -9 times to really understand it. More importantly your message need to be heard three times in seven nights sleep to move it from short term memory to long term memory. To get on someone’s mind you need to make an impact.

How do you make an impact? You need to make an emotional impact. You must deliver emotionally charged messages. It doesn’t matter if the words provoke a positive or negative emotion. Take for example, The Great Depression, April 15, taxes, Uncle Sam as examples of words that would provoke a negative emotional response. You can also use numbers. Though you may think numbers would be factual, they are really emotional.

A word of advice. Include a purpose and intention with your message. An intention that your message with touch your perfect customer or client.

Jen Blackert
http://www.articlesbase.com/affiliate-programs-articles/attract-clients-like-crazy-with-emotional-copywriting-51574.html

Writing is more than just a creative process. It’s a business that can create a substantial income for you. First, however, you may need to change your entire mindset.

The dream of almost any unpublished writer is one day getting published. To have their material read by the masses of people who love to read. Then, secondary to that is the desire to even get paid for their work.

Writing is one of those passions that seem to rise up from deep within and whether money is involved or not, the writer is compelled to write. Words become a living entity that breathes life into the reader who consumes them.

This is fine except that when a writer needs to make a living, the business and financial end tend to land on the back cover of the entire publishing process.

It is important for any writer to realize that once they have completed a writing project, it is then time to stop being a writer and begin being a businessperson.

Time spent creating your work is time that should be charged to your company. If you’re not sure what to charge as an hourly rate, ask yourself what it would cost you to hire someone to write it for you.

Publishing contracts and processes take on many faces and all are negotiable. Having your book tied up at a publisher who will take upwards of a year to evaluate your work, and possibly reject it, is like trying to buy a car while you wait for the salesman to decide if he wants your business or not. Besides, you wouldn’t give someone a year to try out your couch before they decided if they wanted to buy it or not, so why would you do it with your livelihood?

A partnership with a publisher is essentially a joint venture between two companies - yours and theirs. Your mandate as a business owner is not to just hope that they will like your writing and decide to publish. Your job is to decide if your product and their company is a good match and to allow them to do the same. Whether you actually got paid or not, if you have billed your research and writing time to your company, then you are coming to the table with a major financial investment in your hands. If you couple that together with your talent and your ability to view the world in a way that others want to explore it then you have a valuable commodity to do business with. Never feel inferior.

Are you very creative? Can see things that others might not? Do you think that you can list and expand on all the benefits of a soup bowl? If so, then copywriting may be a style of writing you wish to consider as a business venture.

Copywriters write compelling advertisement copy for companies.

Have you ever bought a meal at a quality restaurant based solely on the succulent description you read in their menu? Or did you buy a product somewhere because of what you read in a magazine ad? What about the letters you read in your mail advertising everything from credit cards to antique grandfather clocks? Those are all the works of a copywriter.

This is a very lucrative field and copywriters can make thousands of dollars, if not tens of thousands of dollars, writing about just one product. Why? Because a seller knows that a good copywriter will generate far more money in product sales than what the seller paid for the copywriting itself.

If you want to see who is looking for writers, then go to elance.com online, or buy “The Writers Market” in your bookstore.

By changing how you view your writing, you can be both creative and financially rewarded. Keep writing!

Ricardy Banks
http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/treat-your-writing-as-a-business-113998.html

Writing copy has sometimes been compared to an “art.” While it
does take creative skill to write great copy that generates
results, there are some mistakes that you should avoid to make
sure that your copy is read and acted upon.

1.The copy is boring. Great copy will never be boring and will
always get the reader to read the entire message. It is engaging
and written in a conversational tone. It bypasses the readers
mental resistance to being sold and will always generate
results. That’s why the best copy that you read, is always the
ones that read like a good book. They tell a story and bring the
reader along your sales process. 2.The copy is all about you.
Copy that is all about the features of a product, or all about
your service will fall flat on its face. The reader will not
finish reading the copy and will in all likelihood toss the
letter in the trash. There goes your marketing budget to the
landfill. It would be more profitable to donate the money to a
deserving charity and have a press release written about how you
or your company is concerned about people’s welfare. No, your
copy must tell the reader “what’s in it for me,” WIIFM. You must
show the reader what the result of using your product of service
will be of benefit to them. They could care less about you, so
keep yourself out of it. Now, there are times when you must tell
about yourself or your company. And that is used to generate
credibility, not to make the sale, and it must come after
telling the reader the benefits of using your service or
product. Only then will the reader be interested in hearing
about you or your company. 3.Has no clear “call to action.” You
must spell out what you want the reader to do. If you want to
reader to fill out your order form, give them specific
instructions on how to do it. Tell them exactly what to do.
Don’t dawdle around and say, “Just fill out the order form to
get your…” No, no, no. Rather tell them that they need to give
you their name, address, etc. on the order form, and make sure
you tell them to “print” on the order form, that way it will be
easier for you to read. I’m not saying that prospects are dumb,
but you must give them specific instructions on what action you
want them to perform. 4.Has a week P.S. The PS is the second
most read part of your sales letter. Restate the benefits the
reader will enjoy by ordering your product or service. Throw in
an extra bonus here as well. For example, “Order in the next 5
days and you will also receive (fill in the blank).” And if you
want to make sure that you have a strong PS write it before you
write the body of your letter. That way you won’t be tired of
writing and scratch out a hurried PS. 5.Has no testimonials.
Without testimonials (and we’re not talking about the “Oh I just
loved your service” kind of testimonials) your copy has no
credibility. Why should someone believe what you are telling
them if there is nothing to back up your claims? Without
testimonials your reader will assume that you are hyping them.
That you are claiming to be something that you are not. You must
have testimonials to help your reader/prospect believe in you.
Survey your customers to get good specific testimonials so that
you can sprinkle them throughout your copy. These are just a few
mistakes that I’ve seen people make when trying to write their
own copy instead of hiring a qualified copywriter. A really good
copywriter will avoid these mistakes like the plague. Examine
the copy you have on your website or in your sales literature.
Does it make any of these mistakes? Chances are if it is making
any of these mistakes then it is making others that will jump
off the page to a well-trained copywriter’s eye. Don’t make
these mistakes yourself if you decide to tackle writing your own
sales copy. If you do, you will be doomed to fail at the outset
and you will be wondering why your copy isn’t converting more
prospects

Gary Glasscock
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/do-you-make-these-5-mistakes-when-writing-your-sales-copy-307.html

As an online entrepreneur, good writing skills are important to your website business. Informed webmasters know that running an online business involves a variety of written communication including, blogs, press releases, articles, newsletters and other written information.

Since proficient writing skills are crucial to the success of your business, you want to make sure that your content is grammatically correct, unique and interesting. If you lack the time or the skills to write your own website content you need to hire a ghost writer to write for you.

A ghost writer is a professional writer who is hired to write for other people. In most cases, a ghost writer’s name will not appear on their work and once that have been paid, he or she will give up the copyright to the written work.

Ghost writers are sometimes hired to write proposals, speeches, manual, novels, grants, resumes, keyword rich articles and other kinds of written work.

Before hiring a ghost writer, however, it’s important to understand a few important factors to insure that you’ll be able to find a ghost writer that is perfect for you.

The first thing you to recognize is that like doctors and lawyers, ghost writers have different specialties. For example, some ghost writers specialize in Search Engine Optimized articles, while others specialize in sales pages and copywriting. It’s important to keep in mind, therefore, that not all ghost writers are skilled in all kinds of writing. The best way to make sure that the ghost writer you’re considering can perform the job you want is to ask for writing samples of the type of writing that you would like them to produce for you. So, for example, if you are looking for a ghost writer to do copywriting for you, then you should ask to see copywriting samples. Likewise, if you want a writer to write Search Engine Optimized articles for you, then you should ask to see similar articles. You should also ask for references of past clients and then get in touch with them to inquire about the quality of the ghost writer’s work.

Additionally, you also need to check that a ghost writer doesn’t have the reputation of plagiarizing. While there is no guarantee that a writer won’t plagiarize, a good way to check this out is simply to contact the ghost writer’s former clients and discuss this issue with them.

Trust is another important factor when selecting an ideal ghost writer. It’s important that you trust the writer you choose. If something about the writer makes you feel uncomfortable or something that a ghost writer says doesn’t add up, it’s probably best that you follow your intuition and find another ghost writer to write for you.

Furthermore, to ensure the success of your writing job, you also want to hire a ghost writer who understands the vision for your project. If a writer doesn’t understand what you have in mind, don’t be afraid to look for someone else.

Lastly, the perfect ghost writer is someone who will agree to put the arrangement in writing. In fact, a ghost writer who doesn’t want to sign a contract is a sure indication of someone you don’t want to work with. There are many disreputable people who pose as professional writers on the Internet, so to be on the safe side, don’t work with a writer who is not willing to put the agreement in writing. Any writer who is worth their salt should be able to put the agreement in writing. It’s another good way to see if the writer fully understands what you’re looking for and it also serves as an additional writing sample by which you can judge the quality of the ghost writer’s work.

Finding a good ghost writer is not always easy. However, with these reminders you should be able to find a good ghost writer that’s just right for you.

Sandra Clair
http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/what-to-look-for-in-the-perfect-ghost-writer-62837.html

SEO PR is a buzzword that is both over-hyped and under-hyped at the same time. What do I mean by this? SEO PR is currently in buzz overkill mode in the Search Engine Marketing industry, but is drastically underutilized in the traditional PR world. Many traditional PR agencies are misinformed about Search Engine Marketing in general and are completely taken aback by SEO PR specifically.

So what is it? Search Engine Optimization Public Relations (SEO PR) is a blend of search engine visibility and traditional public relations that disperses a company’s message across the Internet by way of online media outlets and search engines. SEO PR not only helps disseminate an organization’s messages, but it also incorporates search engine-friendly communication through techniques such as optimizing copy in online content such as press releases, articles, whitepapers, blogs, RSS feeds and websites.

A successful search engine public relations engagement harnesses the power of the search engines by focusing on relevant keywords within the content being created and distributed. Careful attention must be paid to the content to ensure a careful balance between search engine-friendliness and good copywriting. Ultimately readers need to be able to understand the message without being bombarded by keyword spam, or copy overloaded with keywords affecting readability and comprehension.

As with any marketing campaign, integration of other marketing initiatives is crucial. A good SEO PR campaign heavily complements any Public Relations, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns in place while strengthening a firm’s brand. Some traditional PR firms are beginning to partner with SEO firms to add this service to their portfolio and vice-versa. This is good news for many firms as the incremental costs of adding SEO PR to existing marketing activities should be relatively low assuming that both SEO and PR services are already in place. Much of the additional work is simply connecting the SEO efforts with the PR efforts.

The logical first step is to integrate press release activity with search engine marketing. By optimizing and distributing press releases online (assuming the right online wire service is used), not only will the release have the opportunity to get picked up by thousands of sites, but it will often be picked up and archived by Google News, Yahoo! News and by a multitude of other sites that pull relevant news feeds.

This means that the press release’s message gets instant online visibility and SEO efforts are also strengthened by having strategic keywords included in the release’s copy, with the most important ones linked to your website with relevant anchor text. Besides the link-building benefit, the relevant anchor text makes this “off the page” SEO activity very powerful. Moreover, the sites that are likely to pick up your online release are usually relevant to the content being distributed.

However, there is a point of diminishing returns. You cannot keyword spam or add dozens of links to a release. The press release needs to be first and foremost a press release that makes sense to readers. Secondly, if you litter the release with too many links it’s likely that the major search engines will actually punish you in terms of rankings. In addition, delivering press releases too frequently just for SEO purposes will not be likely to achieve your desired results either. Press releases should be newsworthy. Otherwise they won’t get picked up, even online.

The next steps can be easy depending on whether content generation and distribution are part of your current marketing activities. By taking the same approach as described for online press releases (minus the online wires), content such as whitepapers, articles, “micro-sites” and/or advertising sites, etc. can be optimized, distributed online and used to both enhance brand and bolster SEO results. The same principles apply with online press releases. Keep the content focused on its purpose whether it’s educational, technical, marketing-oriented or a combination thereof. Again, avoid keyword and link spam.

A word of caution when looking for ways to distribute your content online for SEO purposes: Avoid companies that offer services where you pay them to host your whitepapers or optimized content. These firms can deliver leads in many cases through various mechanisms which they usually control, but the content usually disappears as soon as you stop using their service. Such firms may be a fit for a demand generation program, but I don’t advise using them if your goals include a solid, long-term SEO uplift as you could easily end up in a situation where a significant amount of your content disappears the moment you end the relationship.

Many sites, directories, online media firms and related industry sites are usually open to distributing content via their electronic outlets if it’s of a certain quality, adds value to their readers and meets their editorial guidelines. Just like a traditional PR firm identifies a target media list, the same needs to be done for your online media efforts. Like traditional PR, SEO PR can be hard to measure in some ways, but tends to be easier to measure in other ways especially when it comes to search engine rankings, online press release pickup and traffic generated from the release.

SEO PR can be much more involved than the basic ideas discussed above, but most organizations can get immediate benefits just by combining their existing SEO and PR efforts. To learn more about SEO PR I suggest checking out resources such as Search Engine Watch (http://searchenginewatch.com), SEMPO (http://www.sempo.org), Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seo_pr) or simply searching in your favorite search engine for terms such as “SEO PR,” “Search Engine Public Relations,” “Online Reputation Management,” “Online PR” and related phrases.

Brian Easter
http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/seo-pr-buzzworthy-or-just-hype-55355.html