Learn to Copywrite

Archive for February, 2010

When we first start out as a freelancer, there’s a tendency to “aim low” on the theory that since we’re just starting out, we should start at the bottom, servicing small businesses, and eventually work our way up to bigger businesses. Right?

Wrong. Small businesses very often don’t have the kind of money a smart and talented consultant deserves to be paid. And very often, a small business doesn’t have the knowledge and resources to implement the consultant’s solution properly, often leading to disappointing results.

And it’s the results you need…it’s the stories about how you solved a problem, what kind of returns you brought, how you cut costs, or increased productivity…these are the things the mid-size and big companies want to hear before hiring you.

So the first rule in consulting…whether you’re an IT pro, human resources expert, or copywriter like me…is to start prospecting somewhat higher than the very small business. And yes, you should also have the really big guys on your list, the global enterprises.

Even though your chances of landing the IBMs might be small now, you should have a certain number of enterprise-level names on your list (within your niche), because if they’re not on your list now, they won’t know you later when you’re ready for them, and they’re ready for you.

So the first rule in freelancing to the corporate decision-maker is to target high enough.

Now before we move on, let me point out that there is one very important exception to this rule…

…and that is that you CAN work successfully for small business IF you offer a “full solution.”

For instance, you’ll have a hard time surviving on small business accounts if you ONLY sell copywriting services.

However, if you handle ALL aspects of their marketing…the strategy, ad buys, project management, creative, production…in other words, if you handle the whole ball of wax as their “one-person marketing agency,” you can make working for small business a VERY profitable niche.

We’ll go into the realities of working for small business an upcoming article, but for now, let’s finish our focus on what it takes to land the big accounts.

So if the first rule of landing big accounts is to aim high enough with regards to size, then the second rule is to have a solid “value proposition.” This is a statement that does more than differentiate you…it also shows, in specific terms, what your value is to the client.

Here’s an example of a value proposition taken from Jill Konrath’s outstanding book, “Selling to Big Companies,” slightly modified…

“After working with [me], one well-known retailer saw a 54 percent increase in sales conversions and a 25 percent increase in order size from their online sales. My clients typically see 40 percent to 150 percent improvements in key operating metrics such as profit margins, rates, and cost savings.”

A strong value proposition like this one, with numbers and benefit statements, has a lot to do with getting you in with the high-quality, high-paying clients.

It’s the metrics that make the difference, and it’s been my experience as a copywriter that gaining strong metrics is easier when you work with companies with sophisticated marketing departments.

And what if you don’t have any metrics you can use in your value proposition?

Simply use your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for now, being sure to state not only what sets you apart from your competition, but what it means to the client. (Your benefit statement, what you mean to the client, is the most important
part of your USP.)

So whatever work you do, and whoever you do it for, one of your primary concerns is getting your hands on the results of your work. I put it right into my fee agreement so the client can’t blow me off later when I come asking for results data and work samples.

Here’s what’s worked well for me for years, and I encourage you to add it to your own contract/fee agreement:

“In order to promote my business it is essential that I receive samples of my work as well as any information on the performance of the work. Your sharing of samples, response rates, and any other measurement data is very important, and you understand that I may use these samples in the promotion of my business. Thank you for your cooperation!”

Ok…so back to the question: “Who lands the big accounts?”

The consultants who work for the high-quality, high-value clients have a niche market and specialized experience and/or talent in that market.

They may be individuals like my coaching students and me; they may be groups of individuals, such as small consultancies. And they may be mid-size companies or big corporations themselves (think Madison Avenue ad agency).

And they all have their various value propositions. You can get into the big time too IF you know a common problem that your niche market struggles with (low marketing response rates for instance), AND you have the answer to the problem right there in your value proposition:

“I can double your response AND cut your costs.”

Chris Marlow
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/who-lands-the-big-companies-96256.html

Whether you have been in online business for sometime now or you are just beginning, you need to know that you should keep promoting your site. This will ensure that you boost your sales volumes or that you maintain them high where they already are.

In order that this happens, you need to have a compelling copy that will attract clients and will also keep those who are already available. So, it is good that you keep reading so that you see how you can do this and why it is extremely important as stressed.

Increasing sales

With a compelling copy, you can be sure that the sales will always increase. You may even be overwhelmed but you can rest assured that this will never annoy you. At all times, you will always want to be overwhelmed with the sales and you will be sure that you are reaching the hearts of your clients.

Handling prospects

You cannot be sure that the compelling copy will only be viewed by those who are already your clients. There are those who are new and will be interested as well. With this copy, they will be motivated to take the next step. This is definitely to make orders after viewing your products and services at your website.

Web structure and SEO

We all know that a compelling copy will take into account the structure of the website it is promoting and also search engine optimization needs. Because only professionals are in a position to make compelling copies, you will be sure of these added values.

The moment you have a site that is optimized for the search engines and properly structured, you will be sure that you are destined for the best in your business. You will be able to attain most of your business prospects.

Converting visitors

When your site is optimized, the compelling cop will attract so much traffic to your site. However, the best advantage you will have with this is that you will not only be able to have the visitors but also, the copy will make them to be more than just visitors.

They will be clients at the site and they will make purchases or orders. From this orders, you will realize profits. You need to know that this will be possible when you embrace the spirit of team work.

The copy that they will make for your website will be best termed a response driven copy as no reader will look at it and fail to make a response. The response will be positive without any doubt.

Yes, when you choose to contract a reputable copywriting agency to offer the compelling copy to you, you will be able to achieve the above described advantages. They will make use of their experience and professionalism to ensure that the compelling copy is for sure compelling.

Remember, there are a couple of other copywriting services that you will be able to take advantage of at the agency and they will offer you the best experience you will never want to forget.

Cleva Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/why-you-need-the-compelling-website-copywriting-services-701863.html

When it comes to Pay Per Click or PPC Marketing using Google AdWords, perhaps most has heard about PPC Classroom 2.0 by a renown PPC marketer Amit Mehta. He’s a self-made millionaire in PPC marketing and he’s also well known as a “no-holding-back” teacher. When we attented his class, he delivered a lot more than what was promised without holding back anything. That’s the style many students appreciate.

If you are using PPC advertising (especially Google AdWords) to promote affiliate products online, I’m sure you’ve experienced some pain and frustration of launching one campaign after another, day after day, with ZERO profit and a BIG hole in your wallet.

The main objective of PPC Classroom 2.0 is to teach you how to avoid the PPC pitfalls that many of us fall into when we first get started. It also aim to cut short your PPC learning curve so that you can see profit almost immediately without having to fall into the pitfalls or going through a constant trial and error.

In PPC Classroom 2.0, Amit has created an easy-to-follow model where anyone can duplicate his success in PPC marketing without having to spend too much time and money testing non-profitable campaigns. All the methods he teaches are well tested and proven to work if implemented as taught.

What exactly will you learn and does PPC Classromm 2.0 really work?

It’s an online course teaching you the ins and outs of PPC marketing using Google AdWords. Although it only covers Google AdWords, I find most of the principles and methods taught can also be applied in other PPC systems like Yahoo Search Marketing and Microsoft adCenter.

The entire course is designed in such a way that you can work through them at your own pace.

Here is a sneak peek of what you’ll learn in PPC Classroom 2.0:

- Market Research ~ how to find profitable market and products that are worth promoting.

- Keyword Reserach ~ how to find keywords that will guarantee you to spend less on ad cost and earn more in profit.

- How to set up and launch profitable AdWords campaigns ~ how to quickly find out whether you have a dud or a winner.

- When to use direct linking, landing or pre-sell pages or your own sites.

- How to design high-converting landing pages and revel in the Google Quality Score.

- Advanced keyword research and bid optimization strategies.

- Killer copywriting secrets

- and many tried and tested PPC tricks that I haven’t seen before.

What I like about PPC Classroom 2.0? (the pros)

- It’s a very specialized course. It focuses everything on how to build profitable affiliate marketing business using Google AdWords. The format of the course is very well organized and easy to follow. You can easily move between modules at your own pace.

- It packs with so many new PPC tricks that I’m sure even experienced PPC marketers will learn a few. It also comes with some great productivity tool such as the ROI calculator and many other bonus materials.

- This course can shorten years of learning curve or effort. You only learn strategies and methods that are tested and proven to work.

- It has great after sale support. The PPC Classroom community is an invaluable resource where people at all level can learn and share their experiences.

What I don’t like about PPC Classroom 2.0? (the cons)

You may have heard many stories on how some of the students earn millions of dollars a year. Please take all these stories with a grain of salt. It’s their success (not yours) and it doesn’t mean that you can also be successful like them. You do need to have a plan and work hard initially. This course doesn’t provide you the magic pill. It just lays out the road map for you. You will need to take effort and follow it.

Also, for experienced PPC users, you may already know some of the materials taught inside the course. For the beginners, however, it’s important to go through the course module by module. Do not skip them!

Closing Comments:

I have no doubt that the PPC marketing strategies and the methods taught in the PPC Classroom 2.0 work. However, it does require you to play your part as well. The course gives you the formula and you need to work the formula. Don’t expect overnight success. Learn at your own pace and follow through the plan. Stay focused on on your goals.

For more information, go to the official site: www.ppcclassroom.com

P.S. To receive Exclusive Bonuses (worth over $1,400) for FREE! Click here to order PPC Classroom 2.0.

Leon
http://www.articlesbase.com/ppc-advertising-articles/ppc-classroom-20-review-with-bonuses-worth-1400-787419.html

There’s no doubt about it that we are being bombarded with more advertising and marketing — especially online — than ever before.

And if you want your ads to cut through the noise and clutter of an overcrowded market place, one of the best things you can do is not try to make the sale at all.

Let me explain.

Almost 100 years ago the legendary copywriter Maxwell Sackheim wrote an ad with a headline (that is now ingrained in direct response copywriting mythology) that said, “Do You Make These Mistakes In English?”

And even though the ad is considered to have some of the best “sales copy” of all time, nothing in the ad was being “sold.” Instead, the entire ad was designed to get people to send for a free book. For more details you can visit at www.sales-page-rapid-fire.com

You see, before selling anything, the ad first got anyone interested in developing better English skills to raise their hands. Then they sent them a sales letter selling an actual product. Which, from what I hear, sold a TON of courses.

And this concept is even more important today.

Whether you’re writing online or offline, doesn’t matter. If you find your ads and sales letters just aren’t pulling because you are in an overcrowded market, try to write an ad that sells people on something free first.

From there, when they’ve gotten to know you and the valuable information you possess, then go for the sale. Then sell a straight pitch on something that costs money.

Now, if you are a copywriter who wants to start attracting dozens — even hundreds — of new leads and clients, here’s another unique way to accomplish this.

This may sound over simplified (or complicated, depending on your work ethic) but the key to attracting copywriting clients is to simply write a book on the subject.

In fact, Joe Vitale in his book “The 7 Lost Secrets Of Success” told the story of how Bruce Barton (one of the founders of the famous ad agency BBDO) once wrote a book about advertising and business. And how, after the book was published, their ad agency was flooded with new business almost overnight.

People “all the sudden” wanted to hire Bruce Barton — the guy who wrote the book they had just read — to do their ads. And BBDO made a lot of money, and got some extremely big accounts as a result.

Now, I’m not saying you will have the same success as Bruce Barton.

But having a book out there that demonstrates your knowledge and skills will do more for your credibility and perceived value as a copywriter than any amount of portfolios, testimonials or bragging will ever do. You can also visit at www.sales-letters-creator.com

And realize that writing a book doesn’t have to be a hard, drawn out process. You can do the same thing, get the same effect, by having someone interview you about the subject, putting the interview on CD and having the transcripts typed up into a “book.”

The key is to give good information in a format people can easily access it in.

You do that, and you get it in enough people’s hands, and you will start to find people coming from all over wanting to hire you, and only you.

gurbinder.dec2008
http://www.articlesbase.com/sales-articles/to-sell-without-selling-and-pack-your-copywriting-business-with-new-clients-fast-685185.html

Are you determined to do what it takes to make money online? Are you wondering why it seems like there are a whole bunch of successful people making money on the internet but you are always struggling? It\’s actually not as hard as you think, the problem most people have is they don\’t have all the pieces to implement a money-making system or they lack the focus to follow or put a system together. With so many different ways to make money only line, it is easy to continually go off in tangents and not finish a project that will make you money.

There are numerous ways to make money on the internet such as bum marketing, displaying advertising on your sites, pay per click marketing, email marketing, and flipping websites. These are just a few examples, but what they all have in common is that they require skills to implement them. So in order to make money you must either have skills or acquire skills, and have the focus to use those skills that will create values for others. Example of the skills required are the ability to produce quality content, copywriting, market research, web design, programming, and the ability to generate traffic. An online money-making system that incorporates all of these can bring in a lot of revenue, but if you can master just one of the skills you can make money by outsourcing your services.

The problem most new people have is that they try to learn all the skills required for online marketing and they spread themselves to thin and become a master of none of those skills. If you become a master you can open yourself to money-making opportunities by marketing your services, selling how-to content on that particular skill, or providing coaching. So the ideal approach for the new person looking to make money would be to familiarize oneself with all the processes then choose one to master and focus on that.

One you become really good at one of the skills then its time to bring in some revenue. You may have to begin by providing your services for cheap to build your name up. For example if you become good in copywriting you can advertise your services on marketing forums. You can start by offering to critique peoples\’ websites and improve their copy for free, get good reviews, then start charging for your services. This service is in demand and you should have no problem getting business. You could even start a membership site where people pay a monthly fee to have their websites and other things (such as email messages or advertisements) critiqued. Another example would be to partner with someone who is good at web development and flip websites - you could provide good copy for the site, increasing its value, and when the sites are sold you share in the profits. You can apply the above examples to any skill you decide to excel in.

Avoid the mistakes most new people make, which is tying to learn the entire business on their own, not focusing on any specialty and becoming great at nothing. They don\’t focus on anything long enough to make money. So the steps the new person should take are: 1) spend some time researching internet marketing, learning what the different skills are and what it takes to master them 2) choose one skill and spend 90% of your time focusing on that one skill 3) when you become good at that skill offer your services for free or cheap to build your reputation 4) when people recognize you for your skill increase your rates and start joint projects with other people who are skilled in areas you are not, and watch the revenue roll in.

Chris Hope
http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/make-money-tips-online-internet-marketing-advice-for-beginners-708062.html

When it comes to Pay Per Click or PPC Marketing using Google AdWords, perhaps most has heard about PPC Classroom 2.0 by a renown PPC marketer Amit Mehta. He’s a self-made millionaire in PPC marketing and he’s also well known as a “no-holding-back” teacher. When we attented his class, he delivered a lot more than what was promised without holding back anything. That’s the style many students appreciate.

If you are using PPC advertising (especially Google AdWords) to promote affiliate products online, I’m sure you’ve experienced some pain and frustration of launching one campaign after another, day after day, with ZERO profit and a BIG hole in your wallet.

The main objective of PPC Classroom 2.0 is to teach you how to avoid the PPC pitfalls that many of us fall into when we first get started. It also aim to cut short your PPC learning curve so that you can see profit almost immediately without having to fall into the pitfalls or going through a constant trial and error.

In PPC Classroom 2.0, Amit has created an easy-to-follow model where anyone can duplicate his success in PPC marketing without having to spend too much time and money testing non-profitable campaigns. All the methods he teaches are well tested and proven to work if implemented as taught.

What exactly will you learn and does PPC Classromm 2.0 really work?

It’s an online course teaching you the ins and outs of PPC marketing using Google AdWords. Although it only covers Google AdWords, I find most of the principles and methods taught can also be applied in other PPC systems like Yahoo Search Marketing and Microsoft adCenter.

The entire course is designed in such a way that you can work through them at your own pace.

Here is a sneak peek of what you’ll learn in PPC Classroom 2.0:

- Market Research ~ how to find profitable market and products that are worth promoting.

- Keyword Reserach ~ how to find keywords that will guarantee you to spend less on ad cost and earn more in profit.

- How to set up and launch profitable AdWords campaigns ~ how to quickly find out whether you have a dud or a winner.

- When to use direct linking, landing or pre-sell pages or your own sites.

- How to design high-converting landing pages and revel in the Google Quality Score.

- Advanced keyword research and bid optimization strategies.

- Killer copywriting secrets

- and many tried and tested PPC tricks that I haven’t seen before.

What I like about PPC Classroom 2.0? (the pros)

- It’s a very specialized course. It focuses everything on how to build profitable affiliate marketing business using Google AdWords. The format of the course is very well organized and easy to follow. You can easily move between modules at your own pace.

- It packs with so many new PPC tricks that I’m sure even experienced PPC marketers will learn a few. It also comes with some great productivity tool such as the ROI calculator and many other bonus materials.

- This course can shorten years of learning curve or effort. You only learn strategies and methods that are tested and proven to work.

- It has great after sale support. The PPC Classroom community is an invaluable resource where people at all level can learn and share their experiences.

What I don’t like about PPC Classroom 2.0? (the cons)

You may have heard many stories on how some of the students earn millions of dollars a year. Please take all these stories with a grain of salt. It’s their success (not yours) and it doesn’t mean that you can also be successful like them. You do need to have a plan and work hard initially. This course doesn’t provide you the magic pill. It just lays out the road map for you. You will need to take effort and follow it.

Also, for experienced PPC users, you may already know some of the materials taught inside the course. For the beginners, however, it’s important to go through the course module by module. Do not skip them!

Closing Comments:

I have no doubt that the PPC marketing strategies and the methods taught in the PPC Classroom 2.0 work. However, it does require you to play your part as well. The course gives you the formula and you need to work the formula. Don’t expect overnight success. Learn at your own pace and follow through the plan. Stay focused on on your goals.

For more information, go to the official site: www.ppcclassroom.com

P.S. To receive Exclusive Bonuses (worth over $1,400) for FREE! Click here to order PPC Classroom 2.0.

Leon
http://www.articlesbase.com/ppc-advertising-articles/ppc-classroom-20-review-with-bonuses-worth-1400-787419.html

It may be a challenging for someone to make a choice on whether or not they should consider freelancer or agency for copywriting needs. This is because both of these have their own advantages and weaknesses. However, what would help most is giving a critical look at these two.

The differences may sound or appear as minor but they would help you make your decisions. You need to look at nothing as a small issue actually. There are some key points that would make you choose an agency right from a glance.

Experienced writers

Agencies get so many contracts or projects and so the writers have a wide experience of writing on different niches. A freelancer may chance just a small project once in a while. You cannot compare the experience of these two people. An agency would usually hire just professionals.

With freelancers, you will be gambling. You can chance an experienced one but the truth is, even those who have no writing background can want to be among the best paid professionals. They would hide under the cover of being trained just to win your trust yet they will not deliver quality work.

Quality work

A freelancer has no supervisor. In the set up of an agency, there are different people who handle different tasks. There are professionals within the agency who are just concerned with ensuring quality. They would make the final decision as to whether a copy is worth publication or not.

Cost effective

From the outside look, you would say that freelancers are cheap because they do not have so much other expenses. An agency may appear expensive. However, when you consider what they will give you, you may actually find that they are a worthwhile investment plan.

You do not need to pay so much attention on their costs. Remember, they are paying office premises rent, salaries and commissions. However, this does not mean that you would not compare rates; you would need to consider the rates of several other companies.

Why choose an agency

It is good to be frank and open. For those who are serious about their businesses, agencies are the best places to look. You will be sure that your promotion would be done correctly as the professionals understand the ins and outs of your business. They will even help you understand other issues in your business.

But, for those who need help maybe with academic writing, freelancing would be the best and cheapest way to go. However, you should be sure of the freelancer you are contracting. It is best to check on where you are getting the freelancer from and past experience.

Experience is important from both. The copywriting agency should have been around for some time and the physical address should be provided. The freelancer should have some reviews. It is up to you to make your choice.

Amber Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-marketing-articles/freelancer-vs-copywriting-agency-what-to-prefer-and-why-691561.html