Remember in school when they taught you about KISS?
No, not HOW to kiss, the Keep It Simple Stupid "KISS."
Well this is a lesson that can last a lifetime. A common mistake some copywriters make is writing too fancy and complicated. It is important to remember that only about 5% of Americans have a college education, and therefore might now have the same intellectual language skills that you do. This also means excluding word and industry-only "lingo." Keeping your copy simple and straight to the point is KEY to success.
Here's another status quo phrase you might want to follow: "Less is More"
Yes, the more information you provide your reader the better right? Well not if you are rambling on and on to the point where you lose your reader entirely. Unfortunately we live in a time where people have VERY short attention spans. You might even see yourself doing this, but when most people see ALOT of text on a topic they are not necessarily all that interested in to begin with, there's no chance they will even START reading your copy. It is very important to only provide the necessary information that will grab your readers attention and keep them interested enough to want to look up more information on your topic.
This book is a great tool you might want to consider if you are starting out or find it a little bit harder not to repeat the same words over and over or to write in a more concise way that will attract your readers. As a writer a thesaurus should be your bible!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Why You NEED Criticism!
When it comes to your personal work and writing style, you will automatically have some type of blindness. Since the words you are typing are coming straight from your head, it is hard to catch things that might not make sense or might sound funny, etc.
Look at something long enough and you’ll stop seeing it altogether. After a while, it will be almost impossible to identify how your copy can be improved.
It is critical that you have people who are familiar with sales copy and who have strong writing skills, look over and critique your work. Like the old saying goes, two head are better than one, and you will find that working with others in a team atmosphere is when you will write your best work! Other people are great for inspiration and simply for bouncing ideas off of each other!
Look at something long enough and you’ll stop seeing it altogether. After a while, it will be almost impossible to identify how your copy can be improved.
It is critical that you have people who are familiar with sales copy and who have strong writing skills, look over and critique your work. Like the old saying goes, two head are better than one, and you will find that working with others in a team atmosphere is when you will write your best work! Other people are great for inspiration and simply for bouncing ideas off of each other!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Educate and Inspire Yourself
Every writer needs inspiration to produce innovative and original writing. Alot of times this means "thinking outside the box" which also means educating yourself and learning about new things.
Some easy ways to do this are:
READ READ READ! Read books, read blogs, read articles, magazines, etc.
Participate in Forums or other social websites. Hearing and reading what other people say can help spark something.
Talk to your Friends. Most likely, your friends have varying views on life and can give you a different perspective on certain topics.
Del.icio.us.This popular bookmarking site is a great place for great articles, blog posts and other resources. Browse through these links to find examples of great writing by others. While you can't copy what they say, you can often use ideas to spark something of yours.
Brainstorms. This is a GREAT way to get ideas and there are many ways to brainstorm which will be a blogpost of its own shortly. Just let your craziest ideas out!
Flickr. Flickr.com, is a website dedicated to amazing photography. Just browse through to find some inspiration with an image to go with it.
Breaking your routines. This one is HUGE! This will also get its own blogpost, but basically that means doing something, going somewhere or talking to someone DIFFERENT.
GOOD LUCK!
Some easy ways to do this are:
READ READ READ! Read books, read blogs, read articles, magazines, etc.
Participate in Forums or other social websites. Hearing and reading what other people say can help spark something.
Talk to your Friends. Most likely, your friends have varying views on life and can give you a different perspective on certain topics.
Del.icio.us.This popular bookmarking site is a great place for great articles, blog posts and other resources. Browse through these links to find examples of great writing by others. While you can't copy what they say, you can often use ideas to spark something of yours.
Brainstorms. This is a GREAT way to get ideas and there are many ways to brainstorm which will be a blogpost of its own shortly. Just let your craziest ideas out!
Flickr. Flickr.com, is a website dedicated to amazing photography. Just browse through to find some inspiration with an image to go with it.
Breaking your routines. This one is HUGE! This will also get its own blogpost, but basically that means doing something, going somewhere or talking to someone DIFFERENT.
GOOD LUCK!
Marketing Yourself! It's OK to be Self-Centered!
I've basically started my blog out pumping information to you in order to ensure you have the basics to understand what I'm talking about and be able to apply what you are learning. This blog WILL NOT be as boring as it was all last week =). Now that you understand what SEO is and how to promote your work, you can now focus on what exactly you are going to write about.
Unfortunately, it can be really really difficult to find inspiration. It is extremely important to know that in SEO and Internet Marketing, (just like Advertising and Product Development), you HAVE to be creative, fresh, and innovative. Not only do you have to write about something that the person wants to know about (keywords keywords keywords) you also have to keep them in suspense and enjoying what they are reading.
Successful copywriters are great at relating what they are writing about to each individual reader. Wow! Talk about pressure! Most importantly, as a copywriter, it is important to do some self marketing and getting your name out there as a credible source for information. A great way to do this is to write some Informational Articles and post them up on sites like:
http://ezinearticles.com/
http://www.1888articles.com
http://www.articlefeeder.com
Even if you are working for someone else, chances are you won't be working for them forever. Therefore, as a copywriter it is your job to prove yourself to be a credible source and writing articles is a great way to do this while also promoting your company, service, or product.
I'd like to use my blog to offer out writing tips, SEO advice, and short diary like stories about life.
Feel free to leave a comment with topics or questions you have!
Unfortunately, it can be really really difficult to find inspiration. It is extremely important to know that in SEO and Internet Marketing, (just like Advertising and Product Development), you HAVE to be creative, fresh, and innovative. Not only do you have to write about something that the person wants to know about (keywords keywords keywords) you also have to keep them in suspense and enjoying what they are reading.
Successful copywriters are great at relating what they are writing about to each individual reader. Wow! Talk about pressure! Most importantly, as a copywriter, it is important to do some self marketing and getting your name out there as a credible source for information. A great way to do this is to write some Informational Articles and post them up on sites like:
http://ezinearticles.com/
http://www.1888articles.com
http://www.articlefeeder.com
Even if you are working for someone else, chances are you won't be working for them forever. Therefore, as a copywriter it is your job to prove yourself to be a credible source and writing articles is a great way to do this while also promoting your company, service, or product.
I'd like to use my blog to offer out writing tips, SEO advice, and short diary like stories about life.
Feel free to leave a comment with topics or questions you have!
Friday, March 12, 2010
What The Hell is Twitter?
What Twitter Does
Whether it’s breaking news, a local traffic jam, a deal at your favorite shop or a funny pick-me-up from a friend, Twitter keeps you informed with what matters most to you today and helps you discover what might matter to you most tomorrow.The timely bits of information that spread through Twitter can help you make better choices and decisions and, should you so desire, creates a platform for you to influence what’s being talked about around the world.
Just remember, how you use Twitter is completely up to you. Follow hundreds of people. Follow a dozen. Post every hour. Post never. Search for your favorite topics and create lists. Or not. You are in control on Twitter.
Twitter for Businesses
Twitter is a simple tool that helps connect businesses more meaningfully with the right audience at the right time.Businesses and organizations of all shapes and sizes are now able to stay connected to their customers. It can be used to quickly share information with people interested in your company, gather real-time market intelligence and feedback, and build relationships with customers, partners and other people who care about your business.
For real world tips and case studies from businesses that have effectively used Twitter to build their brand and connect more personally with their customers, check out Twitter 101 for Businesses, which is Twitter's guide to doing business on Twitter.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
3 Tips for Better Copywriting or Blogging
Tip #1 - REMEMBER your target audience
One of the most important parts of copywriting is addressing your intended audience. This is true for absolutely every type of writing out there, without exception. Consider for example that you’re a writer specializing in culinary writing. No matter how good your writing is, it means nothing if the person who is reading it has no interest in what you are talking about.
Tip # 2 – Keep it Short and Sweet
The web is a fast-paced environment. Technology has increased the speed at which machines can present information, and as a result people expect to be able to process that information faster. With so much out there available so quickly, why would anyone linger on an article that takes too long to get to the point?
Write concisely, focusing on your topic and keeping the content to a targeted word count. Ensure that each section is no longer than necessary, to prevent boredom and disinterest.
Tip # 3 – Catchy Headlines
Attention spans are reducing even as our ability to process information increases. People want quick, catchy information and they want it now. Too late, they’ve moved on. A headline is a key point in catching someone’s attention. A good headline should convey just enough information to let them know what you are talking about, yet be vague enough to generate their interest to want to read further. Humorous headlines can be very effective, as can dramatic or ironic statements. Practice with headlines, and make them an essential part of your writing, rather than an accessory.
One of the most important parts of copywriting is addressing your intended audience. This is true for absolutely every type of writing out there, without exception. Consider for example that you’re a writer specializing in culinary writing. No matter how good your writing is, it means nothing if the person who is reading it has no interest in what you are talking about.
Tip # 2 – Keep it Short and Sweet
The web is a fast-paced environment. Technology has increased the speed at which machines can present information, and as a result people expect to be able to process that information faster. With so much out there available so quickly, why would anyone linger on an article that takes too long to get to the point?
Write concisely, focusing on your topic and keeping the content to a targeted word count. Ensure that each section is no longer than necessary, to prevent boredom and disinterest.
Tip # 3 – Catchy Headlines
Attention spans are reducing even as our ability to process information increases. People want quick, catchy information and they want it now. Too late, they’ve moved on. A headline is a key point in catching someone’s attention. A good headline should convey just enough information to let them know what you are talking about, yet be vague enough to generate their interest to want to read further. Humorous headlines can be very effective, as can dramatic or ironic statements. Practice with headlines, and make them an essential part of your writing, rather than an accessory.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
#1 Secret To Googling
Did you know that you can avoid sorting through thousands of pages of search results?
It’s easy and it's called: Google Search Modifiers.
To find reports that are often meant to be hidden away, but Google still has found and indexed, simply add “filetype:pdf” to any search term. Looking for a Powerpoint presentation? Add “filetype:ppt” to any search term.
Example: Internet Marketing filetype:pdf
Basically, Google will return only pages that have PDFs or PowerPoint Presentations. Usually these files are easier to find rather than going through a bunch of commercial website pages. PDFs and PowerPoint Presentations are a great way to get a quick overview of a specific topic, and a way to discover great bullet points that you can rewrite and use in your copy!
Bonus Secret: Even if you don’t own Microsoft PowerPoint software, you can download a free Windows PowerPoint viewer.
And for help finding definitions or synonyms, you can use the “define” query.
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