Aligned Marketing Blog

So today’s blog post will go through some of the nuts-n-bolts of copywriting. And, yes, I realize some of my marketing brethren will disagree with me (again) on some of these points. That’s fine.

Personal pronouns. Copywriters frequently use “I,” “we,” and “you” to connect with their audience on a more personal level. In direct communication such as direct mail, sales letters, telemarketing scripts and email this is an appropriate tone. For brochures and webpages, however, the tone should be more formal. Too many personal pronouns in any communication sound awkward and manipulative.

Cliches. There will always be a place for clichés in your copy. But just as you don’t like to listen to athletes go on and on a bout “just wanting to win the game” or “it’s all about the team,” people will tune out if you bombard them with clichés. Cliches are like spice so use them sparingly.

Repetition. Like it or not repetition works, it persuades. In copywriting the benefits, advantages, special offer, free gift, call to action and other key messages are repeated over and over. It’s part of the job to drill the message home just try not to be boring, use your creativity to say the same thing in new and interesting ways.

Sentence fragments. Good copywriters do not always write in short, staccato (disjointed) sentences. No sir. Untrue. It’s a lie. Trust me. However, to get the message out in bite-sized chunks that are easy to digest, sentence fragments are acceptable.

Grammar. The purpose of your copywriting is to win hearts and earn dollars. You are not trying to win an essay contest, however, the basic rules of good grammar still apply. Go ahead and relax the rules as much as you like in order to be friendly and conversational. Just don’t be too conversational. We don’t follow the strict rules of grammar when we talk to each other but, uh, there needs to be, you know, more clarity that we might expect from our, ahh, like, kids or somebody.

Bullets. Need I say more? People love bullets. Our brains are hardwired to accept information in list and bulleted lists seem to be even more effective at connecting our ears, heart, and head.

Proofreading. Proofread everything you do several times and not on the computer screen. It is very difficult to see your own mistakes, especially after you’ve been over your copy a dozen times but it happens. My advise is to make a hard copy (my apologies to the trees), proofread every paragraph for flow, every sentence for clarity and punctuation, every word for spelling, and pay close attention to numbers, which are particularly prone to errors and are often overlooked when proofing. If you have time here are two final tips: First, whenever possible have someone else proofread your work before posting it online, and second, walk away from your copy for at least twenty-four hours and then proof it one final time. If you're like me, you’ll be surprised at the number of errors you discover.

Steve

800-707-9150

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Good copywriting is a combination of talent and technique. Traditionally copywriting was a mysterious craft locked deep within ad agencies. The web, as it has a way of doing, has changed that. Now everyone who sends an email, posts a blog, creates their own website, or promotes their business through social media is a copywriter. Some of us are good copywriters but most of us are not.

Blasting out “buy me” messages is not good copywriting or good marketing, it's spamming. It’s an immature approach and reminds me of a teenager’s approach to music – the louder the better. Turning up the volume doesn’t make bad music better; it makes it worse. People buy things to improve their life, not because you’ve beaten them into submission.

In our hurry-up, get-it-done yesterday, world only the best copy gets attention and results. Explaining what is involved in the best copywriting would require a book but here are three things to keep in mind the next time you have to do some copywriting:

1. You need to clearly understand your product and your goal. How does what you are selling improve your target audience’s life? And, what is it, specifically, that you want your audience to do? Think about this as though you are a business: (A) What is it that you are offering that is superior and distinctive from the competition? (B) What are your audiences “hot-buttons?” Connect A and B. You will receive “A” (the benefit) if you do “B” (the action).
2. You need to have some writing skills. This probably seems like a no-brainer but it’s amazing how many people send out emails, for example, that are poorly written. Pedestrian emails that are not only stale and unoriginal but are also unclear and irrelevant won’t get the job done. Copy that doesn’t relate and doesn’t make sense to the target audience falls flat and can even irritate those you are trying to win to your cause. The examples are endless but (here’s one) how many websites have you visited and read where there is no clear idea of what’s in it for you?
3. You need to be creative. I know your boss just wants the facts. He wants you to get to the point. That’s a good approach when you need to plow through a ton of work but if you need to change behavior, then sprinkle some creativity dust on your copy. Just don’t go wild. There’s a big difference between copy that titillates, but is basically pointless, and copy that motivates and produces action.

If all that sounds too hard, then maybe you need to hire a professional?

Steve

800-707-9150

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Web entrepreneurs consider this the point where the rubber meets the road but, too often, it’s where the runner meets the pothole. Here are four of the most common mistakes and what you can do to correct them:

Every page of your site should have a clear focal point, a place where the eye is naturally drawn to, and a clear call-to-action.

That call-to-action can be to actually buy something from you but it can also be a request to have your visitors register (call, click here, etc.) to receive more information, such as a free whitepaper. Different pages may have different calls-to-action.

The good news about this problem is it’s the easiest to fix. You may be able to do this yourself but contact me (800-707-9150 or shartkopf@aligned-marketing.com) if you need help.

(Yes, that was a call-to-action in my blog)

One of the first laws of selling is a confused mind says “No.”

If your website has lots of motion graphics, four or more fonts, poorly contrasted or unappealing colors, clutter, too many choices, unclear copy or 100 other things that distract and confuse the mind, you’re not going to sell anything.

The KISS (keep it simple stupid) approach works best. Again, a clear focal point, call-to-action and lots of whitespace are all that’s needed.

Video and customer testimonials are great for SEO and to help build credibility, see next bullet, but they are more icing than cake.

Your copy, call-to-action and value proposition, your business message, needs to be clear, concise, compelling and written in simple language. It also needs to be believable.

Talk to your visitors in terms of benefits to them, which are usually very different than the way your internal team talks about your product. Internal audiences tend to get wrapped up in features and function. Customers care about benefits. How will your product make them money, healthier, more attractive, save them time, etc.

Similarly, people are skeptical. They know advertising lies, marketing manipulates and even Tiger can’t be trusted anymore. No one can afford to waste money and no one wants to feel foolish.

Talk to your audience in simple believable words.

This one hurts a bit so brace yourself; they just don’t want what you’re selling.

A lot of webpreneurs are so passionate about their product or service they just can’t understand why people aren’t beating a path to their door. Well, I’m sorry, but if you’ve done everything else right, or mostly right, then the market has spoken and you lose.

As one prominent Democrat recently said when they were struggling to sell the Healthcare Bill to the American people, “The problem is the dog doesn’t like the dogfood.” You can fix the message, the packaging, but if the dog won’t eat the dogfood you’re not going to be selling any.

The fix here isn’t redesigning your website or more creative copy, the fix is transitioning your product from something you think people need into something people actually want.

Steve

800-707-9150

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1. There are basic formats for press releases and, for the most part, they are all similar to one another. We won't go into formatting here but if you type in "press release format" into Google you get about 69 million results. WebWire's formatting guidelines came up first so here's a link: http://www.webwire.com/FormatGuidelines.asp
2. Make sure the editor is interested in your topic area. When targeting a selected list of papers and outlets, review their recently published articles and try to draw a connection between your press release and their stories. If you don’t know who to contact at a news organization, search their website for stories about related topics, products, or companies similar to yours and approach the people, editors and reporters, involved in those stories.
3. Stick to the facts. Opinions are great but unless you’re famous more news outlets, sorry, don’t care. Professionally trained journalists stick with the essential five W's and the H are who, what, why, where, when, and how when writing a story so you need to do the same. Answer these questions for them, do their work and you’ll increase the odds of getting your story into print.
4. Be clear. Make sure your press releases are free of industry jargon and acronyms. Translate technical or industry jargon into plain English and write in short declarative sentences at approximately an eighth-grade reading level. (Just guess.)
5. Brevity is a must. Every word and every line, including the obligatory quotes from company executives, must provide editors and reporters with useful information. Use only the facts you need to support your story, edit out any filler that snuck in during the drafting process and get to the point.
6. Provide proof sources. If there is someone, a credible source, the editor or reporter can contact to verify your statements and claims, then include their contact information. Be sure to let your sources know that they may be contacted, what they can expect to be asked about, and you would like them to respond.

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Sales letters and direct marketing predate the first postage stamp, Shakespeare had children pass out flyers announcing his plays.

The fall of the Berlin Wall (November 9, 1989) signaled an end to the Cold War (see Reagan's speech at Brandenburg gate) but the changes for the “brick and mortar” world were only beginning because The Wall came down about the same time as the Internet, and online marketing, was ramping up.

In the early days of the Internet security and trust were huge issues and, in case you haven’t been paying attention, they still are. To combat that angst many marketers use recommendations, endorsements and testimonials, which for our purposes, are all the same. If you’re going to use testimonials in your sales copy there are a few things you should know.

1. Add names and website addresses (URL) to your photos.

Names and web addresses make your testimonials more believable. Text and names, I’m sorry to say, can be and are faked. Providing additional information such as a name and/or URL gives your  audience enough information to investigate and verify your claims  The verification opportunity increases the credibility of your testimonials.

Photos of those providing your testimonial are great because they carry a hidden message – our customers are so passionate about our products and services that they are willing to share personal information and be accountable for our results.

2. Audio or video.

Audio and video endorsements are even better than text and photo endorsements. Hearing the sound of someone’s voice and/or seeing them deliver a a testimonial, with all the visual cues that come with direct communication, is more personal and, therefore more believable, than words on a page and a static photo.

It’s also easier for your satisfied customers to communicate their wonderful experiences through the spoken word, something they use every day, than it is in writing, which usually takes more time.

3. Highlight your testimonials.

Using a Light Yellow highlight around your copy (or even a photo or video image) is an excellent way to draw attention to them and  make them stand out on the page. If yellow is too in-our-face for your tastes or conflicts with your color scheme, then a Light Blue or Gray highlight also works well. And don't go nuts with the yellow, you'll look like the schlockmeister.

4. If you have lots of testimonials, sprinkle them.

Having a bunch testimonials is fantastic. My recommendation is to sprinkle them around the page to avoid having a “testimonial section.” A testimonial section, where you list 4, 5, 6 or more testimonials, is a bad idea since most people will only read one or two. Testimonials are precious so you’ll want to extract as much value as you can from each one.

A good place to insert them is right below your sub headlines.

5. If you have only one or two testimonials insert them below the mid-point of your sales copy.

Inserting one or two testimonials below the mid-point of your sales copy gives you enough time to make your pitch and, then, have it reinforced by satisfied customers.

Some marketers argue that your testimonials should be inserted right after your first sub-headline, to encourage your audience to keep reading, but I disagree. If you’ve pulled someone into your website they, typically, will read a paragraph or two before they consider leaving. If your copy is well-written that’s enough time to make your strongest points and then use your testimonials for reinforcement.

6. Testimonials need to be results-oriented.

In short, your testimonials shouldn’t be “Yippee, Sam’s the best ever!” Testimonials need to be about the results produced by your product or service. Those results are even more believable if they are qualified (“excellent service”) and quantified (“the work was delivered as promised in 4-hours”).

What do you think? Are testimonials part of your sales arsenal?

Steve

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1. Project centric: The change that is required to make tomorrow better than today is often measured by the number of projects completed. Outsourcing is project-centric and delivers results with minimal impact on day-to-day operations or personnel.
2. Size doesn’t matter: Small projects such as web design, training and video production are ideal for outsourcing for all but the largest corporations, those with virtually unlimited internal capabilities. Large projects that require an outside perspective, such as institutionalizing Six Sigma or Strategic Pricing, are excellent projects to outsource since true change rarely happens from the inside out.
   
3. Skills: Outsourcing lets you acquire specialized skills to accomplish goals, complete projects and augment your existing resources. Projects that are popular to outsource are social media tasks, such as blogging, search engine optimization, and specialized training or coaching like improving presentation skills.
4. Cost effective: Outsourcing is a variable cost option and preferred by many over adding full-time employees, which is a fixed cost solution. In this economy variable cost projects are approved easier than new headcount. Since outsourcing is a global industry adding world-class talent to your team is not as expensive as hiring talent.
5. Velocity: Speed can make the difference between good and excellent. Outside providers can deliver resources, even in large quantities, quickly while hiring fill-time expertise can take weeks or even months.
6. Technology: Few companies can afford the money to purchase or the time it takes to learn the latest technologies available in every function – sales, marketing, IT, logistics, etc. Outsourcing allows you to rent the best technology available from the best providers.
7. Accountability: Outsourced resources do not suffer from goal diffusion or the day-to-day fire-drills that impact full-time staff and extend project deadlines. An outside provider of resources has one responsibility and one priority, which is to complete the project. Their focus delivers better results and greater accountability.

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Copywriting is the use of words to promote a person, business, opinion or idea. Although the word copy may be applied to any content intended for printing (as in the body of a newspaper article or book), the term copywriter is generally limited to such promotional situations, regardless of media (as advertisements for print, television, radio or other media). The author of newspaper or magazine copy, for example, is generally called a reporter or writer or a copywriter.

I define copywriting more simply: It’s the act of using words to sell or influence. My expanded definition is still more concise than the Wikipedia version: It’s written persuasion created to make your target audience act in a certain way, such as click, read, buy, or register.

Storytelling is a great copywriting tactic. Stories are entertaining and engage the reader in a more subtle way than the triple-decibel BUY THIS! blast-messages we get hit with everyday.

Long before human beings learned to read and write we used storytelling to transfer knowledge and influence one another. A million years of storytelling has altered our genetic code. It’s now in our DNA to listen to stories, decide what’s important to us and then apply that to our lives.

If you want your audience to associate with your brand, your products and with you, then tell them a story. At a strategic level, it’s not much more complicated than that. 

The best way to get your audience to take action, however, is to include these five key elements in your story:

1. Measurement
2. Comparison
3. Time
4. Uniqueness and
5. Compelling

Measurement: Most people grant numbers more credibility than they do general comments. Whatever it is you do for your clients, using numbers to quantify the benefits will make your claims more believable than claims that lacks numbers.

Comparison: Give your audience before and after examples of the benefits of your product or service. Demonstrating results in a before and after scenario gives your claims perspective.

Time: Similarly, providing a timeframe around your results helps your audience understand the true impact of your product or service, especially if the benefits were produced quickly.

Uniqueness: Since you want to stand out from your competition and have your own brand, it’s important to make your claim as unique as possible. That’s really hard in a web-connected world, but that’s also why it is so critical.

Compelling: The compelling element answers the question: “Who cares?” You may be able to clean reading glasses faster than anyone in your city but I doubt many people will pay for that unique skill.

Steve

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