Learn to Copywrite

Archive for the ‘copywriter’ Category

To have a successful Internet business, you need only three things:

1. Product
2. Copywriting

It really is that simple. If you have those three things competently performed, you will have a successful, profitable Internet business. Let’s talk about competency in each of those three areas and how you can quickly master each one.

Product

You need a product that people want. Don’t fall in love with a product just because you think it’s cool. I’ll go into details in a future article, but I look at two things to determine if a product is wanted enough for me to sell it:

1. Are there people searching for that product (I use the Overture tool)

2. Are fellow marketers willing to pay a significant amount of money for traffic for that search term because people are buying (I also use the Overture tool).

I multiply those two numbers. If the result is higher than the result for the product “air guns”, I’m willing to get into that market. Why “air guns”? It was simply my first profitable product. Can products that score lower than “air guns” be profitable? I’m sure they can, but there are enough markets that score higher than “air guns”, I’m not willing to chance it.

BTW, don’t get too hung up on the product. It is the least important of the three items. Copywriting and traffic are infinitely more important to your business. Don’t spend two years developing a product. For more details go to www.free-ad-system.com. There are already thousands of products available on the Internet that you can market and earn a percentage as an affiliate. Choosing your product should take no longer than a half an hour, not two years. You can run the numbers for 6-10 product ideas in less than half an hour and make your decision. Then start concentrating on what really matters which is

copywriting

Now you need to describe your product. You will do this in many ways. You will create a sales page on a web-site that will describe the product and try to sell it. You will write small text ads to run on PPC search engines. You will write similar one and two line descriptions to enter into affiliate networks. You will write articles and resource boxes for those articles. For more details go to www.internet-marketing-online-goldmine.com. you may even write a signature line for use on forums.

The point is that copywriting is what conveys the message about your product. It is simply some words. You can sometimes use pictures and videos, but it is generally the words that actually do the selling. Don’t forget that you are in the business of words.

How do you decide what words to use? You have three choices if you are a beginner:

1. Hire a high priced copywriter. Generally you will want to pay $5,000-$10,000 per sales page for a decent copywriter. Drop me a note if you want referrals. I know two of the best.

2. Use copywriting software that scores words. I recommend Glyphius which you can read more about at Glyphius.com. It scores your prospective ad copy against a massive database of profitable ads. You can simply make up some copy and click the score button. Then change it and click the score button again. Pick the highest scoring text after you have worked with it for awhile. You’ll have copy that the pros will envy and more importantly copy that will convert that traffic into customers.

3. Fail for a long time while you are learning. Don’t laugh. Most Internet marketers choose this path. If you are persistent enough, you will learn what works and what doesn’t.

Guleria
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-marketing-articles/overview-on-internet-marketing-business-690800.html

Making money as an actor can be a tough gig - but voiceover work is one of the few ways you can top up your acting income without resorting to a ‘proper’ day job. This short article gives you 7 tips to getting more voiceover work.

Many actors achieve great success in this industry. Its fun, they make great cash, and they keep getting work over and over again. Then there are others who are struggling to even get one gig. After many years as a copywriter working with successful (and a few not-so-successful) voiceovers, and founder of online voiceover directory - I’ve been studying what makes certain voiceovers successful. Here are 7 tips:

1. Is your demo good enough?

You can promote yourself as much as you like - but at the end of the day, it comes down to your demo. You’re competing with some very talented people out there. An “ok” demo is not good enough.

2. Call back immediately. If you get a message that someone is trying to book you for a gig, don’t wait a minute. Ad agencies are usually up against very tight deadlines, and if you take too long getting back to them, they’ll simply book someone who is answering their phone.

3. Do a special offer Offer a producer in an ad agency that you’ll do a free gig - IF it’s for a charity ad. Or you could try something like giving concession tickets of a show you’re acting in to a producer or copywriter. These things don’t cost you money, but they spread good karma, and hopefully drum up some business for you in the future.

4. Get some training. If you are inexperienced, try to go on a training course. It’s a small investment in comparison to the amount of money you can make doing voiceovers.

5. Pick someone’s brain. If you are inexperienced, go for coffee with a more experienced VO and pick their brain. Ask them everything about what to expect when you do a gig - from the minute you walk in to the minute you leave. Sometimes just knowing what to expect will calm the nerves when you’re doing your first gig. You can also take a few scripts along to this coffee and ask them to crit you doing a read.

6. Spam yourself Create a database of ad agency copywriters and producers and send them a link of your voice sample. This takes time, but doesn’t cost you a penny.

7. Get a Dictaphone. Buy yourself a Dictaphone and recite and record scripts for practice. (Some mobile phones also have voice recorders.) Sometimes it’s amazing how great something sounds in your own head, but only once you hear it out loud can you really figure out which bits need improving. This is fantastic exercise - schedule ten minutes a day to practice.

You can find the full 25 Things the Successful Voicover Artist in Ebook called 7 25 Things the Successful Voiceover Artist Knows (that the Rest of the Plebs Don’t)

peter lawless
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/7-things-the-successful-voiceover-artist-knows-that-the-rest-of-the-plebs-dont-673344.html

Let’s face the facts. People are inundated with advertisement all the time. It’s becoming more and more difficult to get their attention, and keeping their attention until they read your offer to the last word. If you plan to send mailers to a list, you need to understand how it works, if you want your prospect to read your offer.

First of all, you need to visualize how a prospect reacts to the mail he gets every day. Put yourself in his place - what do you do when you receive a bunch of mail from the postman? You separate the mail into 2 sections - “to be opened” and “to be trashed”. It’s true - a lot of mail lands straight into the bin without even being opened. And with it goes all the creativity, the fancy graphic artist’s work, the copywriter’s teaser copy, et al. So the first thing you want to do is make your prospect open the envelope. To open it, he has to be convinced that it is not a junk mail.

My first tip is to use a plain envelope that only has a return address. This address should not be a P O box, it should be a real address. Additionally, if your company name is something like “John Reese Direct Mail Service”, I would advice not to mention it at all, just put your complete address. The moment your prospect suspects that it is a direct mail letter, he will trash it. Do not use fancy teaser copy on the envelope, like “special offer 25% off” or “lose weight now” or “make easy money” etc. Your job is not to attract him, just get the damn thing opened! While teasers sound attractive, they don’t change the fact that such mailers are trashed more often, unless the prospect is specifically looking for this product / service and was desperately waiting for someone to offer it to him. While these could be a small percentage, don’t count on it.

Next, I would advice you to manually write the name and address directly on the envelope and not type it. This is because a handwritten address gives the impression that it is coming from a known person. I know it is a daunting task but it is certainly worth the effort - after all, your interest is to get the mail opened every single time, isn’t it? If you have to mail millions and prefer not to take this advice, I would recommend you to at least get the address typed directly on the envelope and not on a label. This is because labels are used by the majority of the direct mail companies and you do not want to give the impression that you’re also one of them!

If you can afford it, I would advice you to send your mailers by first class mail and not bulk rate. This will boost the authenticity and perceived urgency of the letter. I would also advice you to stick stamps on the envelope and not get it franked. This way you will add to the impression of being a personal letter. A tip here is to stick several smaller denomination stamps instead of one big denomination stamp - don’t worry if it covers a lot of surface area!

OK, we’ve reached to the point where the receiver opens your mail. But remember - he is not entirely unsuspicious and once he opens your envelope, you don’t want him to see the brochures, discount coupons, order form, etc and throw it in the trash. You want him to read the offer. So how do you do this? Simple - you just place all your color brochures, order form, coupons, etc in another envelope, seal it, and write something on it like - please open this envelope only after you have read the letter. You then place this envelope along with your “personal letter” into a larger envelope, one that you will be mailing out!

This “personal letter” should be a normal plain typed letter that first addresses the prospect by name. If you can afford one, get a good copywriter to draft this letter. You can begin the letter with the greatest benefits that your product / service offers. It should preferably solve a problem, give pleasure, help save time or money, help make money, or do something that the prospect would love to experience. End the letter with a call to action of opening the sealed envelope that contains instructions for ordering, claiming discounts, etc. This method is very effective because your letter has put him in the right frame of mind to buy your product / service. Once you have him all worked up, it’s very easy to get the order as long as your offer has value.

If you cannot afford a copywriter, I recommend you to visit http://www.bharatbhasha.com/author.php/Nirjara%20Rustom where I’ve written several articles on copywriting, sales and marketing, and other business growth tips.

Nirjara Rustom
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/how-to-get-all-of-your-direct-mail-opened-and-read-every-single-time-you-send-it-out-671999.html

Let’s face the facts. People are inundated with advertisement all the time. It’s becoming more and more difficult to get their attention, and keeping their attention until they read your offer to the last word. If you plan to send mailers to a list, you need to understand how it works, if you want your prospect to read your offer.

First of all, you need to visualize how a prospect reacts to the mail he gets every day. Put yourself in his place - what do you do when you receive a bunch of mail from the postman? You separate the mail into 2 sections - “to be opened” and “to be trashed”. It’s true - a lot of mail lands straight into the bin without even being opened. And with it goes all the creativity, the fancy graphic artist’s work, the copywriter’s teaser copy, et al. So the first thing you want to do is make your prospect open the envelope. To open it, he has to be convinced that it is not a junk mail.

My first tip is to use a plain envelope that only has a return address. This address should not be a P O box, it should be a real address. Additionally, if your company name is something like “John Reese Direct Mail Service”, I would advice not to mention it at all, just put your complete address. The moment your prospect suspects that it is a direct mail letter, he will trash it. Do not use fancy teaser copy on the envelope, like “special offer 25% off” or “lose weight now” or “make easy money” etc. Your job is not to attract him, just get the damn thing opened! While teasers sound attractive, they don’t change the fact that such mailers are trashed more often, unless the prospect is specifically looking for this product / service and was desperately waiting for someone to offer it to him. While these could be a small percentage, don’t count on it.

Next, I would advice you to manually write the name and address directly on the envelope and not type it. This is because a handwritten address gives the impression that it is coming from a known person. I know it is a daunting task but it is certainly worth the effort - after all, your interest is to get the mail opened every single time, isn’t it? If you have to mail millions and prefer not to take this advice, I would recommend you to at least get the address typed directly on the envelope and not on a label. This is because labels are used by the majority of the direct mail companies and you do not want to give the impression that you’re also one of them!

If you can afford it, I would advice you to send your mailers by first class mail and not bulk rate. This will boost the authenticity and perceived urgency of the letter. I would also advice you to stick stamps on the envelope and not get it franked. This way you will add to the impression of being a personal letter. A tip here is to stick several smaller denomination stamps instead of one big denomination stamp - don’t worry if it covers a lot of surface area!

OK, we’ve reached to the point where the receiver opens your mail. But remember - he is not entirely unsuspicious and once he opens your envelope, you don’t want him to see the brochures, discount coupons, order form, etc and throw it in the trash. You want him to read the offer. So how do you do this? Simple - you just place all your color brochures, order form, coupons, etc in another envelope, seal it, and write something on it like - please open this envelope only after you have read the letter. You then place this envelope along with your “personal letter” into a larger envelope, one that you will be mailing out!

This “personal letter” should be a normal plain typed letter that first addresses the prospect by name. If you can afford one, get a good copywriter to draft this letter. You can begin the letter with the greatest benefits that your product / service offers. It should preferably solve a problem, give pleasure, help save time or money, help make money, or do something that the prospect would love to experience. End the letter with a call to action of opening the sealed envelope that contains instructions for ordering, claiming discounts, etc. This method is very effective because your letter has put him in the right frame of mind to buy your product / service. Once you have him all worked up, it’s very easy to get the order as long as your offer has value.

If you cannot afford a copywriter, I recommend you to visit http://www.bharatbhasha.com/author.php/Nirjara%20Rustom where I’ve written several articles on copywriting, sales and marketing, and other business growth tips.

Nirjara Rustom
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/how-to-get-all-of-your-direct-mail-opened-and-read-every-single-time-you-send-it-out-671999.html

Anyone and everyone claims to be an expert today. All it takes is a little money. You must have come across various websites offering online degrees and PhD’s, so how does it really matter?

The only way to prove your expertise on the internet’s public domain is to publish the evidence of it. By writing article son your subject of expertise and publishing on the internet, you can reap rich rewards by not only enhancing your stature as an expert but also by earning a lot of money in the process. You might not necessarily write thesis on the chosen subject but at least you can show your knowledge and experience in the field through this medium.

What If you cannot write?

Not able to write, especially in English can be a definite disadvantage on the internet. You may be a real expert in oil refining, but if you cannot express in writing, how does the world recognize this. There are a lot of people who do not write, not because they can’t but because they are afraid to. A lot of psychological problems like dyslexia etc also exist. Well, not to fret. There is a way out too.

There are a lot of people out there who know how to write and they do it for a living. You can hire a copywriter, explain what needs to be written and ask them to write. Although you are unable to write, you certainly can judge a good writer by his or her writing skills.

You could also try buying a few PLR articles or source your articles from various article directories across the internet. These articles are built in a way to appeal to the search engines. All you need to do is to edit them and make them suit your purpose. You could do this yourself or again take help of a hired copywriter.

This process also known as ghost writing, can be used with your byline or resource box that points to your URL, thus driving traffic to your site while enhancing your expert status with search engines.

What are Article Directories?

You may come across sites that offer free content on the internet. These are directories that have articles written by experts in various fields. They are normally classified and offer good quality content. You can use the content from article directories on your website, but keeping them intact along with the resource box that may have a link to the site of the author. The only hitch is that you are having some other expert’s article on your site with a link that may drive your customers to them.

Using the article directory, the other way round is more profitable. You should submit batches of articles in your field of expertise on these directories and let customers come to you through others websites that may use your articles for content.

Using article directories either way, is always profitable depending on your field of expertise and business plan.

Richard Cunningham
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-promotion-articles/article-directory–how-to-use-an-article-directory-to-prove-your-expertise-94376.html

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

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