CRAZITIVITY

 

by Edward de Bono
'Crazitivity' is a new word that needed inventing. Crazitivity is that sort of creativity that is solely driven by desire to be different. Creativity is always new and different so the belief is that something new and different is necessarily creative. So anything different, bizarre and off-the-wall claims to be creative.
I have no objection whatever to this belief and this style of 'creativity'. My only concern is that people should equate crazitivity with creativity. This would be a pity and would be a great disservice to serious creativity. Creativity can be low key, simple, unostentatious and very logical - in hindsight. Creativity does not have to announce: "Look at me. Aren't I creative!!".
In the advertising world something that is crazy may catch attention and may therefore have a direct value. This is seldom the case elsewhere. Since much of the impetus for deliberate creative effort came from the advertising industry (brainstorming) there is this residue of belief that bizarre is creative.
Bizarre does not attract attention in general. So those who want to make a statement or parade their disdain for normal conventions may seek the cazivity of bizarreness.
Sadly, there is a huge convention of un-conventionality - just as all hippies had to wear hippy uniforms. There is nothing wrong with the motivation to seek to be different. It is a pity if it just stops at being different for the sake of being different. In lateral thinking there is an important role for provocation. "Po cars have square wheels" is a typical provocation. The point of provocation, however, is that you use 'movement' to move forward from the provocation. You do not just sit on the provocation and say: "Isn't that creative?" So you 'move' forward from the square wheel provocation to design 'intelligent suspension'. Provocation is a valuable step but not a useful result.
The main reason why crazitivity is so often equated with creativity is that crazitivity is so very easy. So those people who want to be noticed and want to flaunt creativity find this the easiest route to take. That is a choice and an option. In my view it is not a very constructive one. I regard highly those creative contributions which deliver more value than just being different. So the key question is: "What value does this creativity deliver?" It may be eye-catching but then a shout is 'ear-catching'. Do you really want to live in a world full of shouting?

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Tips on writing better copy

 

Copywriting Tips By Ivan Levison
On these pages, we look at how you write better copy. This relates to all kinds of copy, whether for brochures or web copy.
For whom are you writing?
Think about the people who will read your copy. Firstly, they're busy (isn't everyone, these days?). So they won't tolerate sloppy words or slow writing.
Secondly, your product may not greatly interest the customer. (People are interested mainly in themselves!). So it's vital to communicate well.
Readers need to know what benefits your product will give them. They'll be impressed by clear words, simple explanations and a logical flow - not by flowery words or long sentences.
The first task is to identify your customers. Where and when will they see your communication?
Exercise: Stop and make some notes about your customers. What kind of people are they?
The right kind of writing
Having got a clear picture of your reader, you should decide on the right sort of writing. From a postcard to a 36 page brochure, every type of writing is different.
Use the right sentence length
The sentence length depends on the medium you're using (whether a press ad or a sales leaflet). 10 words per sentence is about right for press advertisements, while 15 word sentences suit direct mail and brochures. Any sentence that exceeds 25 words will be difficult to follow
Adopt the right paragraph length
A paragraph of more than 15 lines is off-putting. 100 years ago, people had greater powers of concentration. But 30-second TV commercials and 10-second sound bites have reduced readers' attention span.
Use strong headlines
A headline should always encourage people to read the text. It should make them curious, or make them think they will learn something to their advantage. Be bold when it comes to headlines: they're the secret of getting people to read your words. Use long headlines freely: they work as well as short ones.
Never make the headline obscure. Never use words that people won't understand, as in this charity headline:
More women are victims of intestacy than divorce.
Even ordinary brochures need stimulating headlines. Brochures often waste an opportunity by using dull headlines like 'Introduction', or 'Product Characteristics'.
Use cross heads
Cross-heads (or subheads) are the small headings that break up groups of paragraphs in newspapers. Their role is attract the eye to the text and make it easier to read. Newspapers have the advantage of being able to add words like 'Crisis' or 'Sex'. You're unlikely to be able to use words like this. But you can still select the most evocative word from a group of paragraphs.
Use at least two headlines or sub-heads per page of text. They will guide the reader through the page.
Banish abstract words
Avoid using abstract words, like 'adjustment'. If you find you have written one, change it into a verb or use a concrete noun.
People like using abstract words because they sound weighty. They help the writer feel grand, but they also reduce the reader's understanding.

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Copywriting Tips - Killer Headline Generation Tips

here is a stat that I keep quoting because I want to drill it into beginning copywriters so that they get it. It is a fact that 80% of the sales that you make will come from your headline alone. Why is this true? If the prospect reads your headline and is not impressed with it, he is NOT going to read the rest of he copy. The headline is what draws him in. The rest of the copy just seals the deal. So, in this article, I am going to give you a few killer headline generation tips that should greatly improve YOUR headlines.

Tip number one is to use a headline that asks the prospect a question. The reason this is effective is because when you ask somebody a question, it almost forces them to answer it. It's a psychological thing with people. Sometimes we'll answer questions that we don't even want to answer. So let's say we're writing copy for a make money online product and we come up with the following headline. "Would You Like To Earn An Extra $100 A Day For 10 Minutes Of Work?" Now, who in their right mind wouldn't? Certainly the prospect is going to at least answer the question yes or no. A yes answer will most likely result in them reading the rest of the copy.

A second great headline tactic is making a bold claim in the headline itself. When you make bold claims, it gets people's attention. Now naturally you have to be able to back that bold claim up with the rest of the copy, but the headline is going to keep them reading. So, something like the following headline "This Miracle Cure Will Rid You Of Your Acne In 3 Days...Guaranteed" is certainly going to get an acne sufferer's attention and quickly at that. Bold claims make great headlines.

Finally we have the personal story. These are great because they lend some real credibility to the copy. For example, a headline like "Truck Driver Earns $23,847 Monthly In His Spare Time" is going to really get the prospect interested. They're going to want to know what this guy's story is and yes, that's going to keep them reading. All you need to do is follow up with the truck driver's story and close the deal.

Headlines are so important to salescopy that they can make or break yours. So make sure you spend a lot of time on constructing your headline.

It could make the difference between sales and no sales.

By Steven Wagenheim

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24 Unique and Creative Advertisements

 

Advertisment to inspire to get more creative idea to make ad. Enjoy!!

Unique and creative advertising ideas from all over the world.

Denver Water Car Advertisement

Use only what you need. link

Red Bull Advertisement

Unique Red Bull advertisement from Georgia. link

Nikon S60 Advertisement

The Nikon S60. Detects up to 12 faces. link

Al Ain Desert Wildlife Park Advertisement

Now open till midnight. link

IKEA Advertisement

Decorate for the holidays. link

Bootcamps Australia Advertisement

Make fitness a part of your life. link

Mambocino Coffee Advertisement

Cialdi. Extra Strong. link

Big Babol Bubble Gum Advertisement

The golden award winner at Dubai Lynx Awards 2008. link

Fenbid Advertisement

Fast relief for muscle and joint pain. link

Chevrolet Tahoe Advertisement link

Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation Ad

Second hand smoke in the home hospitalises 17,000 UK children a year. link

Volkswagen Advertisement

New Caddy Maxi Life, infinitely bigger. link

Samsung MP3 Player Advertisement link

Centraltec Advertisement

Creative campaign for air conditioning company. link

BEGO Dental Equipment & Materials Ad link

Nissan Advertisement

SHIFT_expectations. link

Sonntags Zeitung Newspaper Advertisement

The Insight Story. link

2008 Edmonton Indy Race Advertisement

There’s Fast. Then there’s Indy. link

Paraquad Anti-Drinking and Driving Ad

Don’t drink and drive this festive season. link

Aroma Coffee Advertisement

Wake Up! link

Allianz Insurance Advertisement

It is hard to protect yourself from hail. But easy to ensure. Real estate insurance from Allianz. [link

Olive Chemistry Glue Advertisement

You have only 3 seconds. Olivé Chemistry. High standard professional solutions

Pepsi Slurpee Advertisement

Brainfreeze! link

See Source; Toxel

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Copywriting Tips - How Do You Write Good Openers?

By Robert Plank

Understand that the hardest part of copywriting, or any kind of writing, is the opening line. If you do not lead into your sales message with the correct story, it will not get read, no matter how catchy the attention headline or the rest of the page is. What makes the process even more daunting is that it is so hard to write on an empty page. That is why I always keep three phrases in mind when writing good openers: questions, connect the dots, and connecting to current events.

The easiest way to write a good opener is to ask a question. Are you about to send an e-mail about dog training? Then start a story like: "You know what I hate the most about dog training?" Then proceed to answer your own question. This has the double benefit that, not only is it super easy to write a document as an answer to a question, your readers will naturally be curious for the answer. Instead of simply giving them the solution to this dog training problem, you are telling them that the answer is coming up.

Next, there is the "connect the dots" strategy. Think of three random objects to include in your story... like prunes, an empty can of soup, and tennis balls. Tell your readers, "Continue reading to find out what a handful of prunes, an empty can of soup, and tennis balls have to do with dog training." Inserting random keywords into your story will boost your brain's creativity into overdrive.

You might scramble to weave together a story about how you were out jogging with your dog one early morning, he was chasing after a tennis ball and you stumbled over a can of soup to fall into a pile of prunes. The entire time, your dog sat there loyally waiting for you to get up... as if he were a real companion. Okay, that example is kind of cheesy, but you get the idea.

Finally, another good starting point is connecting your story openers to current events. What's going in the world overseas? Stay away from politics but I have seen countless e-mails in the last few years that begin with, "Recession? We don't need no stinkin' recession..."

Remember to ask questions, connect the dots, or keep in touch with current events, and you will always craft excellent copywriting story openers.

Get the exact step by step formula to write a sales letter in five minutes or less, complete with easy to use worksheets and plug-n-play headlines, offers, stories, and guarantees... http://www.fiveminutecopywriting.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Plank

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Copywriting Tips For Beginners

By Emma Dickman

Copywriting for the Internet is the process of creating copy for online use, and there are a few copywriting tips for beginners to think about.

Copywriting is big business and a vital part of Internet marketing. Without clean, compelling, original content, your online marketing can suffer dramatically.

What is copywriting, in the online sense? What benefits does it offer? Let's look at the topic in detail.

Online copywriting serves the same purpose as traditional copywriting. That is, to promote goods, services or programs through the creation of informational content (i.e. the written word). In essence, copywriting is the creation of content for use in websites, blogs and more. Without the correct copy, your customers, clients and chance visitors will have no idea who you are, what your company is about, and most importantly, why they need what you have to sell.

Online copywriting must follow several guidelines in order to be successful. Any content written for the Internet must be:

1. Clean: Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation must be used. In addition, content should be formatted in a manner that is easy to read, and flows logically from one point to the next.

2. Compelling: Your content must be informative and compelling. This means that you must be able to garner the interest of your reader and hold it through the entire piece of copy. To do this, you must combine accurate information with correct writing style.

3. Original: Above all, your copy must be fresh and original. Consumers know when they have read a particular piece of copy previously; using someone else's words (that have been used elsewhere on the Internet) can be a problem. In addition, search engines frown on duplicate content; this can result in your website being banned from search engine listings.

Beyond these three rules, there are other rules regarding copywriting. Many rules are dependent on the use of your writing. For instance, if you are creating content for SEO purposes, you will have to attain correct keyword use and density throughout the entire piece. This can be problematic for many writers, but especially for anyone new to the online writing game, however if you keep these few copywriting tips in mind you can start on the right track.

Creating optimum content through copywriting can have a huge benefit for any online concern. It has the power to attract search engine spiders (for better search rankings) as well as the power to generate new customers and repeat business. By creating clean, compelling, original copy, you are helping to ensure a profitable future.

Wealth Express Club a membership website where members can access great tools and success courses,success strategies, and wisdom of some of the greatest entrepreneurs, success coaches and personal development gurus from around the world. Copywriting Tips For Beginners

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emma_Dickman

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Copywriting Tips - How Research Can Help You

By Sunita Biddu

Excellent copywriters too have had their nightmares. In the field of sales copywriting, success isn't just about being able to write well. Knowing how to write a good sales copy based on the market pulse is the key. In other words, all sales copies must be backed by some amount of research; else they won't bring in the desired result.

This article would like to offer a few tips to copywriters on how they could increase the effectiveness of their sales copy by writing a research based copy. It isn't difficult if a little effort can be made and a few steps followed.

Identify target market:

First, identify your target market, this is the basic requirement. You will have to look for it. Forums and discussion groups are a good place to start as you will be able to see a good range of questions being asked and answered. You will come to know of varied opinions of the product for which you will be writing and also of its competitors. You could even join in and ask a few questions of your own. You will be surprised at the wealth of information that will come your way.

Classify opinions:

Once you know what the prevalent opinions are, you need to list out facts and identify the important concerns expressed. Let's take the example of an appetite suppressant for weight watchers. You would know from the discussion forum what type of product users consider as being safe and effective and what type as harmful or ineffective. You will also know what they are actually looking for and aren't able to find. Very often the opinions expressed are quite different to what is known medically, this is the actual pulse of the market, what people actually think and feel about products. You can note these opinions and then separate and classify similar ones together.

Prepare versions:

After you have made these identifications, you can make different versions of sales copies each focusing on one type of concern. So totally, you would have sales copies addressing 2 or 3 concerns separately.

Split test to identify:

Finally you need to split test them, maybe two at a time to see which one brings you the best results. You may need to make some revisions, but you will ultimately be able to identify the most efficient and that would be your final successful sales copy.

These steps definitely take time, but the effort is definitely worth the success it will bring you.

Sunita Biddu is an expert author and CEO of copywriting company Content Axis, Inc. that offers premium quality copywriting services and article submission services. While providing top rate SEO services, she also writes on excellent SEO strategies. To know more about the services, please visit http://www.eContentAxis.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sunita_Biddu

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6 Tips to Improve Your CopyWriting Skills

By Terry Philpott

Anyone involved in online marketing is always looking for ways to improve upon their copy writing skills. The ability to use the written word thereby influencing the reader to take certain desired actions is an invaluable skill.

It all starts with knowing what your readers really want and how to present it to them without making them feel uncomfortable or pressured.

Here are 6 tips to help increase the effectiveness of your copy writing skills.

1) Product Knowledge

Possessing first hand knowledge of whatever it is you're promoting is a must. You need to know your product and its capabilities as to whether it can produce or accomplish what it advertises it can. Knowing this gives you the passion and confidence you need to endorse the product.
With knowing the product you are endorsing is legitimate and effective the task of copywriting becomes much easier. The enthusiasm you genuinely feel will be conveyed thru the copy you compose and readers will pick up on this.

2) Know Your Target Audience

Obviously any product you may promote is not suitable for all customer types.

Determining the product benefits along with the needs and wants it may fill will help you better identify the customer type you need to target.

Knowing your customer now makes it easier to decide what type language or slang would be best suited to communicate your message to them.

For instance if your customer type is well read or scholarly delving deeper into your vocabulary to speak to them would seem more appropriate. If however you're targeting the younger generation the use of slang would be more applicable in this instance.

What you're doing is just trying to relate better to your customer by addressing them more within their comfort zones.

3) Emphasize Benefits

To capture anybody's attention you'll always want to answer the unasked question they have which is 'what's in it for me' or they'll likely lose interest.

Be sure to address product benefits quickly within the body of your copy or readers will just as quickly leave your site!

Would you buy anything that didn't benefit you in some way? Of course not!

Showing readers thru examples of how your product would make their lives better, easier, more profitable, healthier, enjoyable, etc. The idea here is that readers will then start to 'realize' how they can't live without these benefits.

4) Develop Sense of Urgency

You want the reader to take some sort of action while on your site. By offering a 'time limited or quantity limited' bonus for their order you've now lit a bit of a fire under them to make a decision.

This aspect of your copy is important from the standpoint that once a reader leaves your site there're gone so do your best to entice them to order. If nothing more offer them a free 'thank you' gift just for visiting your site so you can capture their contact info for future online marketing efforts.

5) Be Brief

When ever possible say more with fewer words. People are always in a hurry so get to the point but cover all the important bases.

6) Proofread Your Work

Check your work for spelling, formatting, or grammatical errors you likely missed during your initial composition.

Using these 6 tips as a guide should help you improve upon or maintain your current copy writing skills for any online marketing endeavor.

T.J. Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.

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Copywriting Tips - Does the Font Really Matter?

By: Steven Wagenheim

Copywriters are a strange breed. They nit pick over the littlest things. I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing. I am just stating a fact. They test everything from headlines to buy now buttons. They even test their fonts. Yes, it's true. The font you use could have an effect on the conversion of your sales page. But does font really matter that much? And if it does, what's the best font to use? Is there a best font? Does it depend on the niche you're targeting? Lots of questions, and very few answers. Well, I'm going to try to answer some of these puzzling questions in this article.

If for no other reason, font matters because not every user on the Internet has every custom font that you might decide to dig up out of the bargain bin. For example, let's say you have a sales page for selling Christmas items and you decide that you want to find a Christmas type font. Well, unless the person viewing your page on the other end has that font installed on their machine, guess what? It won't show. Instead, they make get something that makes your page look dull, bland, boring and ultimately, unlikely to convert because it has no pizzazz. So in that respect, font matters a lot.

But what if you're using a common font, one that is typically found on most computers, like Times, Ariel, Tahoma and Verdana? Does it matter which one you use? Well, if you go on the Internet and look at a lot of opinions, you will find some rather contrasting and conflicting ones. Some people say to use Verdana and others say to avoid it like the plague. Who is right? After all, they both can't be. Or can they? Again, it all comes down to what it is you're selling.

The way human beings interpret sights and sounds is an interesting thing. Not everybody sees things the same way, which is why you could show 10 people a photo, have them describe it and get 10 different descriptions. Ultimately, the font you choose is going to depend on testing various fonts in your copy. In other words, we come back to split testing. Instead of split testing two sales pages, one with maybe a different headline, you'd split test two different fonts, leaving the copy the same, and see which one converts better.

The truth is, there is no right or wrong font. Yes, it matters, but you won't know which one is better to use until you test your theories out. You may find a font that nobody has suggested using that converts quite well.

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Writing for the mind’s eye

As a copywriter, one of the most important skills you need to learn is to paint a movie in the mind’s eye of your readers. The more vividly you can paint your images or movies, the better your messages will be comprehended (and acted upon).

The human brain works of the stimulus it receives, and it is 100% literal. The input it gets comes mainly from our 5 senses and can process that information with ease. On the other hand, we also make it work with words and abstract concepts… and that’s the part that it almost always has trouble with.

For example… if I say the word “water”, your mind will instantly know what I’m talking about. An image will appear in your mind and you will understand what I just said. You have experienced water with all your senses; you have seen it, you have heard it, you have listened to it, you have tasted it and you have smelled it.

But that’s not it… the mind’s eye not only allows you to imagine things. It lets you live them! And the more descriptive the words are, the more vividly you’ll see each movie.

Imagine that you and I are in a well-lit room with the walls painted white and the sun shining magnificently outside. It’s all warm and nice. Picture me reaching into my pockets and pulling out a big yellow lemon and a sharp knife… now imagine that I slowly start to slice it in half, you can see blade of my knife cutting firmly through the ripe skin of that lemon and a few drops of its juice dripping down from it. I then take that lemon up to my mouth, give it a gentle squeeze and drink a sip of that juice; my face immediately wrinkles up with that delicious sour taste…

Not only you were able to imagine me slicing the lemon, chances are that even your mouth started watering when you read that description. That is the power of the mind’s eye. Your brain actually lived that short experience with me… based only on descriptive words.

You just saw what happened when I said the word “water”; but what happens when I say the word “leadership” instead? Your mind then goes through a completely different process and tries to put that abstract concept into images. It reaches within to search for movies or images that you have stored and are related to that word… and only after that, you’ll understand the word I said.

The brain has a lot more trouble understanding abstract concepts. In addition to that, the brain is “literal” and does not understand the word “no” (or any type of negation).

Let me give you an example to make things crystal clear. Imagine that you’re talking to me in person and I tell you not to think about a monkey with a tiny red hat, dancing in the street. Chances are that you already have a pretty vivid image of that monkey in your mind, even when I told you not to think about it. This is the reason of why when you tell a child “Don’t jump in that puddle!”, he does. His brain vividly lived a small movie with him jumping in… but didn’t hear the “don’t” part.

It has been proven scientifically that when a reader experiences something vividly through her mind’s eye, she will get emotionally involved with it; and this increases sales. This is why you should always charge your copywriting with glowing, vibrant and forceful words… and replace any vague copy you have.

Some of the best ways to make your copy livelier is by using: metaphors, similes, stories, action verbs, case studies, testimonials, comparisons, etc. All of which, I’ll be covering in future posts to this blog.

Recommended reading:

If you’d want to add instant shimmer to all your writing, I recommend that you take some time to read this powerful classic entitled “Movies in the Mind - How to build a short story” by Colleen Mariah Rae.

In this short read, Colleen teaches a fool-proof system to instantly embellish your writing with clear, lucid movies that vividly play in the mind’s eye of your prospects. Movies that shine and involve the reader, pulling her into whatever realm you’ve created.

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Generating ideas for remarkable articles

Are you still sitting there waiting for the inspiration muse to shine a glimmering ray of light on you and flick on the switch for that light bulb above your head? Stop. Generating remarkable ideas for web articles and blog posts is easier than you think. So without further ado, here’s my fool-proof 6 point cheat sheet for generating outstanding article ideas:

1) Talk to your imaginary friend.
If you have knowledge about a particular subject, you should have no trouble talking about it for a while and sharing a few of your best tips with a friend. Picture yourself sitting in a comfortable couch in a cafeteria with your friend and she’s asking you to tell her more about so and so.

What exactly would you tell her? Where would you start to make it easier to explain? What kind of background information would you share with her first so that she could better understand whatever you’re about to talk to her about? Use a tape recorder and record yourself (even if you’re alone in your room). The conversational style always makes your writing more fluid, readable and attractive for virtually any audience.

2) Use the web forums.
Scour the web for forums and boards in your industry and read them. Without too much research you should be able to detect some patterns of people asking the same question over and over again. Bingo! You’ve got yourself the exact topic for an article that people actually want to read.

All you must do now is do some additional research, put the pieces together and write an article that answers the question. As an additional step, you may also want to post the article (or an excerpt with a link back to your site) in the forums you found – being helpful and sharing information splendidly on the web pays back big-time.

3) The magazine rack is your buddy.
Industry magazines are always a great source of inspiration. Get yourself the latest issues and read what they are talking about. Many magazines have sections that mention what’s coming up in the next issue or what’s about to become a hot topic. Pay special attention to those sections; remember that on the web you can publish a lot faster than any magazine available.

4) Research other websites and blogs.
This is one of the simplest, yet most dangerous misused ways for generating article ideas. It is always ok to visit your favorite sites and blogs to look for inspiration for your next piece, but you must always keep in mind that simply rehashing what others have said will just create lukewarm, ho-hum content. If you want your article or blog post to stand out from the crowd, you must always find a way to put your own spin on it: give your personal opinion on the subject or approach the topic from a completely different angle.

This technique works magnificently well if you can be controversial about it, just do it with caution because you don’t want to turn yourself into the village jack-ass. Also, be sure to link back to the site(s) that inspired your writing, especially if you’re posting the article to a blog (it’s good netiquette and it might get you a link back from that site too).

5) Interview someone.
Once again, the web comes to the rescue. Just select a few people who are prominent in your industry and seek them out for an interview. If you can’t get the first person you selected to give you an interview, go for the second one on the list… if for any reason they all fail to get back to you - it’s rare but it may happen - don’t give up, just make a new list and move on to your goal. As an added benefit, this strategy also lets you make some great contacts (even if they say no, you can still contact them again at a later time).

When you put on your “reporter cap”, you’ll never run out of interesting questions and ideas for quality content. Best of all, the interview rarely needs to be live; you can do it via telephone, e-mail, via webcam, in a teleconference, in a chat-room or even with your favorite instant messenger. Finally, once you post the interview online, it never hurts to ask for a link to it – which may result in a huge flood of traffic and a major boost to your link popularity.

6) Make a list.
Making lists is fun and easy. If you’re running short on time or patience, making a list and turning it into an article or blog post can save the day. A list can be about anything imaginable: Make a list about the top 10 websites a newbie in your market should know about, a list of the 5 most unusual tips you’ve read about blue widgets, a list about the 7 most common mistakes that widget users make, a list that answers the 10 most common questions about red widgets, you get the idea.

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How to write outstanding web content

It seems like nowadays, anyone a computer and an internet connection can start a blog or website and slap together a few sentences to create “content”. However, creating outstanding website content that surfers actually crave, bookmark, share with friends and print out to take to bed, requires planning and taking a series of careful steps.

The steps for writing outstanding web content (some bloggers and webmasters refer to it as “flagship” or “staple” content) are:

1. Deciding the type of article (soft or hard news) and generating ideas for it.
2. Gathering facts and background information
3. Coming up with a winning angle
4. Writing the first draft
5. Polishing your writing
6. And finally, fine-tuning it to be distribution-friendly and optimizing it for both the search engines and the “social media” networks.

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Soft news. Hard news. What’s the difference?

 

The general topic of your article and type of article you are going to write will be dictated by the topic of your blog or by the client that you are writing for. Once you know what you are going to write about, the very first step is deciding if you are going to write a “hard news” or “soft news” type of article.

Hard news articles (also known as “straight news”) are usually based on breaking news, niche interest and the nature of your market or industry. Writing this type of article requires you to either be well connected or to move fast on your research to capture the immediacy of the event you’re writing about.

Hard news articles are based on a factual account rather than opinion, but may be slanted by your personal perspective (enter the world of spin doctors). Typical websites with a predominant “hard news” focus include TechCrunch and CNN.

Soft news articles (also known as “lead articles”) give you much more creative freedom, since they are not restricted to a specific subject or freshness threshold. Soft news can be how-to articles, profiles or interviews of noteworthy people in your industry, reviews, human interest stories, discussion of issues, etc.

Soft news articles are preferred by bloggers because this type of article gives you a chance to express your personal opinion and focus on different aspects of the story. Websites with a “soft news” preference include Problogger and Seth’s Blog.

Always remember that the main goal of your web content is to provide the best and most informative experience for your visitors. Only by achieving this goal will you be able to brag about having “outstanding web content” on your website.

Stay tuned, very soon I’ll be sharing a few strategies about creativity and idea generation for your articles. (If you haven’t done so, subscribe to our newsletter or via RSS right now so you don’t miss the rest of this article series).

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An Introduction to Freelance Copywriting

By Ray Edwards

The Internet has changed the landscape of communications today. It has provided a seemingly limitless source of information and opened up a lot of opportunities in business.
Copywriting is one business that has found great success on the Internet. Because of the freedom it offers, more and more copywriters are looking into freelance copywriting as a new career.
Freelance copywriters have a strong desire to succeed and steer their own career. They mix their own experience and skill with proven copywriting techniques to create a thriving freelancing business. The Internet offers copywriters this freedom. Freelance Internet copywriters can work on more projects and have more opportunities to generate a greater income than their regularly employed positions.
Copywriters write the written content on most advertisements. They help create most radio commercials, television ads, newspaper cut outs, direct response mail ads, web content, and Internet sales letters. Freelance copywriters work for a variety of different clients. They can handpick their work and structure their schedules around their lives.
In order to be a successful freelance copywriter you will need an Internet connection and skill. There are always new things to learn about marketing, so continue to educate yourself and use online tutorials in order to help you write better copy. You should also write everyday and read books from the experts.
Successful freelance copywriting includes research into your target audience. You need to know what gets their attention and how to reach them. Research is a very important aspect of a successful copywriting business that is often overlooked.
As you enter the copywriting field, you should figure out what market you want to write for. Some copywriters have a wide range of client types, while others specialize into one field like writing web content. But a little flexibility is important no matter how much you specialize. Here are some more helpful pointers that will strengthen your freelancing career:
1. Network. It is very important to get your name out into the market and network with other copywriters. You can create strong networks by attending seminars and interacting with other freelance copywriters, exhibitors, and speakers. Even though you're working on the Internet, it?s important to remember your local market as well. Keep an eye on your local paper and take notice of any new businesses that may need your services. You can also join you local chamber of commerce and make connections with other local businesses.
2. Create Your Portfolio. Your portfolio gives potential clients something to look at while they consider your bid. It builds confidence and helps you win projects. It should include examples of your best work, a sales letter explaining why you're the best copywriter for the job, and testimonials from past clients. Make sure it is organized, professional looking, and neat.
3. Grow Your Own Set of Techniques. It is good to have your own set of copywriting techniques to help set you apart from other copywriters, but they have to be effective. Your ability to sell a product will determine your success, and your ability to do it uniquely will propel you to the top.
This article was supposed to help you see what is involved with freelance copywriting. Hopefully it was helpful. Freelance is a very flexible and rewarding career, go ahead and look into it more to see if it's the right move for you.

About the Author:

For an inside look at the techniques of a top direct response copywriter, visit the site of Copywriter Ray Edwards. There you'll find a daily podcast, video tutorials and free copywriting advice.

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How to Become a Freelance Copywriter - The Untarnished Truth

"How do I become a copywriter?"

I've been copywriting for more than 20 years - loving every minute - and that's the question I get asked the most.

Reality check

First, ignore all the ads offering instant success with megabucks returns. Damien Hirst is a 'Young British Artist' (YBA) who commands huge fees - a single exhibition in 2008 topped $198 million. Weekend painters shouldn't get too excited, though.

And would-be copywriters would also benefit from a reality check. Like many freelance copywriters, I earn a very, very good living, working from home, doing something I love. But not $millions!

Traditional routes into

copywriting

There is no simple career path. In fact, it's a jungle.

There are four well beaten paths:

* Journalism - lots of ex-journalists move into freelance copywriting. They have the skills, understand the pressure to meet word-counts and have learned to deliver to tight deadlines. They tend to start off providing Press Releases and ghosted articles.

* Ex Ad agency - advertising agencies do take on trainee copywriters. First job (just like the journalists) is making the coffee. They may have been taken on as trainees in some other discipline, but with opportunistic career juggling, end up writing ads, jingles and sales brochure copy. Breaking out as as a freelancer, they tend to start writing sales letters, direct mail and adverts.

* Ex marketing managers - lots of people percolate up into marketing positions in large organisations, often having started in sales. They usually start freelancing by writing sales brochures, web copy and, possibly, corporate video scripts.

* Ex 'nothing-to-do-with-any-of-the-above-but-with-the-balls-to-have-a-go'. Been around a bit, good with words and resiliant. Most hopefuls reading this article probably come under this heading. So that's the area I am going to address.

Chicken and the egg
However talented, the 'nothing-to-do-with-' brigade have a real challenge. It's the old chicken and egg conundrum. Before commissioning a copywriter, prospective clients want to see a portfolio. They want testimonials. They want proof of your ability to deliver.

See the dilemma? You can't build up a portfolio without clients and you can't win clients without a portfolio. Shucks.

My suggestion is to invest in a portfolio. Offer your services free of charge to local organisations, charities, new local start-ups. The only cost to them is an agreement to provide your glowing testimonial.

The benefit is three-fold. First, you develop your showcase, second you learn if you really are persistent enough and, thirdly, you will find out if you do have useful wordsmith skills for the real world.

OK, that wasn't very gung-ho, 'everyone can be a hero', 'success in just weeks'. But it was honest.

If this brief article generates responses, I will publish a whole series of down-to-earth, honest articles for would-be copywriters that, over time and given some talent, will launch you into a profitable home-based career - plus the best ways to promote your services. It's up to you to respond.

Len Smith, UK-based copywriter with international clients. Visit my copywriting website for lots of hints, tips, advice and more. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Len_Smith

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Get Copywriting Clients - Four Easy Ways

By Angela Booth

Are you a new copywriter? Getting copywriting clients is easy because the demand for good copywriters is huge, so in this article we'll look at four great ways to build your client list when you're just starting out.

Before we look at our four easy marketing methods however, let's do a little preparation. You need two things before you approach prospects: a bio, and a portfolio.

The bio is just a short third-person description of who you are: "Fred Smith from Any Town's background in health and marketing prepared him to start his new Fred Smith Copywriting Service for... etc".

Since you haven't done any paid copywriting yet, your portfolio is a collection of samples. Just write some sample ads, and a sample press release and you're good to go.

Tip: be HONEST. When you're a completely new copywriter, admit it. It works for you. I've seen many new copywriters try to lie their way to a clientele, and it doesn't work, because people see through you. People like working with beginners, it makes them feel good; so use your beginner status -- it's a plus.

Now let's look at four easy ways you can get clients.

1. Start Where You Are: Talk to Business Owners

Start right where you are. Tell everyone (friends, relatives, acquaintances) that you're setting up shop as a copywriter. People know people, and you'll find business owners who are happy to hire you.

One new copywriter I know talked to the other mothers at her kids' school, and got four new clients from a ten-minute chat to other mothers. Another new copywriter told his dental nurse he was looking for business. Not only did the dentist hire him, so did several other local business people.

2. Use Social Networking Tools Like Twitter

Sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn make it easy to build a large network and also to get clients. Get active on these sites and network with others, particularly with other copywriters.

I've been a copywriter for many years, and I'm not looking for new copywriting clients, but people often approach me with projects on the social networking sites. I'm happy to pass on the names of new copywriters I've "met" on these sites.

3. Pick up the Phone

This tactic always works. Pick up the phone and call local agencies and larger businesses. Make 100 calls, and you're guaranteed at least five jobs.

Write out a short script before you start, then just keep dialing.

4. Write a Press Release for Your Local Media

Every new copywriter I've encouraged to write a press release announcing his new copywriting services business for his local newspapers and radio stations got clients. Please take notice of the fact that I said "every". This tactic works, always.

Getting copywriting clients is easy. Use the four easy ways, and before you know it you'll have a large copywriting practice.

Want guidance as you learn copywriting? Angela's "Copywriting Master Class - Ten Weeks to Copywriting Genius" at http://angelaswritingclasses.com/Class/copywriting.html helps you to start and run your own copywriting services business under the guidance of a top copywriter.

Angela Booth's ebook "Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success" at http://abmagic.com/Copywriting/copywriting.html takes you from novice to pro copywriter in just seven days. Packed with information, the ebook includes exercises which become your copywriter's marketing processes and portfolio. You could be writing your own copy, and signing up your first copywriting clients within two days.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Booth
http://EzineArticles.com/?Get-Copywriting-Clients---Four-Easy-Ways&id=1758360

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Copywriting Tips - How Can You Tell When You're Any Good?

By Steven Wagenheim

You spend months, maybe even years, studying the craft of copywriting. You've been writing sales letters, making people some money and for the most part, you seem to know what you're doing. But you're not sure. You wonder if you're any good at this. How can you tell? Is there some kind of guide that will show you whether or not you're an accomplished copywriter? Well, there is no guide, but there are some things you should look at in order to tell how far you've progressed. This article is going to give you some pointers.

At the top of the chart is conversion. Nothing tells you how far you've come as a copywriter better than how well your sales page converts. For example, if the first few sales pages you wrote converted at 1% and now after a year of writing copy you're converting at around 2%, it's safe to say that your copy has improved. Naturally, this will depend on what niches you're writing for. If the first few sales letters were for acne and the next few were for Internet marketing, the improvement may simply be because of the change in niche and not that your copy has improved. You have to compare apples to apples.

After that, you want to look at your own comfort level in writing copy. How long did it take you to come up with a headline when you first started? How long does it take you now? If you find that you're coming up with ideas a lot quicker, it doesn't necessarily mean you're getting any better. It just might mean that you're rushing through your copy because you're getting tired of writing. It happens. But, if you're writing faster and your conversions are increasing, then it might mean that you are getting better. Certainly through repetition you should start to get faster at this.

Finally, and this is probably the best gauge, is how you personally feel when writing a sales letter. Are you feeling more confident? Do you go into a copywriting assignment with confidence or are you still scared to death every time you take on an assignment. What do people say about your sales letters? Are you getting compliments on them? This is another great indicator.

If you're not sure, and you think you could write better, in my signature you'll find a great resource that should improve your copy greatly.

To YOUR Success, Steven Wagenheim

Want to write copy just like the pros? Visit my site at http://www.bcipe.com/ and discover killer copywriting tips that have allowed me to write my own copy for years and earn myself a 6 figure a year income selling my own products.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Wagenheim
http://EzineArticles.com/?Copywriting-Tips---How-Can-You-Tell-When-Youre-Any-Good?&id=1765488

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Top 10 Favorite Copywriting Books

Source

What books have been the most helpful to you in copywriting? This question was recently asked by Stephanie (aka circusmama) in the copywriting forums. And holy guacamole Batman! - it’s one of those questions that just crazy-glues itself to my mind and sticks there until properly answered.

And while I know fully well that a skimpy list like this one doesn’t do justice to these great books, and I’ll probably end up making for it by reviewing each one in a separate blog post sometime later this year. So without further ado here’s the list of my top 10 favorite copywriting books

(Click the title to learn more about each book):

10. On Writing – Stephen King
This book is, to say the least, a very interesting read. In the first part of the book, horror novelist Stephen King shares a good number of very personal anecdotes and life experiences. The meat of the book however, is the official “writing advice” section. Even though the advice is fairly simple and geared for beginners, writers of all levels will find good value in King’s extensive and instructive writing examples.

9. Net Words - Nick Usborne
Net Words is a true golden nugget for copywriters. This book reveals Nick’s rare strategies on how to write powerful and compelling copy for the internet by showing you how to drill deep into the minds of your readers and helping you find and develop the “voice” of your website. One of the things I like most about this book is that Mr. Usborne takes the time to give great examples of what to do and what NOT to do when writing online copy.

8. Movies in the Mind – Colleen Mariah Rae
This book is not directly related to copywriting, but to narrative and descriptive storytelling. In this book, Mrs. Rae shares an innovative collection of techniques on how to write a compelling story that pulls the reader in and doesn’t let go until the last word is read – which is a very desirable skill for any copywriter.

7. Triggers – Joe Sugarman
Mr. Sugarman is one of my favorite copywriters of all time (no wonder two of his books made it to this list). In “Triggers”, Joe shows us 30 valuable sales tools that you can instantly put to use to make your writing more persuasive. The concept of triggers is that by understanding human nature, we as copywriters can come to understand how our audience will react to certain situations or techniques.

6. Influence – Robert Cialdini
I’m a big believer in the theory that in order to become a great copywriter, you must first learn as much as you can about human nature; and this book is as good as it gets. In his book, Cialdini unveils with juicy details and plenty of examples the six principles of influence and human persuasion: Reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity.

5. Tested Advertising Methods – John Caples
This classic book is a must-read for anyone involved in advertising, marketing or copywriting. In Tested Advertising Methods, Caples guides you step-by-step through the whole process of creating a powerful ad, from developing a good hook, to crafting a winning headline to writing a good first sentence, to creating the perfect close. What I love about this book is that the principles Caples teaches are truly timeless and never affected by ever shifting social trends or industry changes.

4. The Copywriter’s Handbook – Bob Bly
Can you really write a book that teaches someone the craft of copywriting in 350 pages? Most copywriters would consider this an impossible task, but Bob Bly pulls it of brilliantly in this great handbook. The book starts out by explaining to beginner writers that their job is to craft copy that sells, and then goes on to explain exactly how to do it. This perfectly structured book belongs in the bookshelf of anyone who aspires to become a great copywriter.

3. The Robert Collier Letter Book – Robert Collier
Robert Collier is probably the most plagiarized copywriter ever. Collier’s amazing ability to write persuasive and hypnotic sales letters has never (in my opinion) been matched. This book is a true classic and worth reading from cover to cover. It includes a collection of Robert Collier’s most profitable sales letters; but most importantly, it includes the precise instructions on how to craft compelling copy that converts prospects into buyers, how to take the guesswork out of advertising and how to keep customers satisfied and coming back for more.

2. Advertising Secrets of the Written Word – Joe Sugarman
This book has been described as “a complete direct marketing course from one of America’s top mail order entrepreneurs”. In my opinion, that hype-sounding description falls short on describing this amazing book. Page after page, Joe Sugarman takes you by the hand, details his thinking process and teaches in a very entertaining way the craft of writing record-breaking direct response copywriting. Each valuable piece of advice he offers is backed up with great examples from his days at JS&A.

1. Wizard of Ads (Trilogy) – Roy H. Williams
Controversial as it may be, I’m a huge fan of “the wizard”. With his creative and unconventional approach to advertising, Mr. Williams has made this trilogy of books my personal favorite. Drawing from fascinating anecdotes, the wizard teaches his copywriting methods through a series thought-provoking essays. It doesn’t matter if you are new to copywriting or a well-seasoned pro, you’ll find this trilogy enlightening and a most worthy addition to your bookshelf.

Did I miss any of your favorites?
If so, click here to join the copywriting forum and share with us that elusive golden nugget of wisdom that escaped this list.

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Great copywriters are great storytellers

John was awestruck, he had joyful tears in his eyes, but he was still in total disbelief. Without trying – or even wanting it - he had stumbled upon the single most persuasive weapon he could wish for as a copywriter. John immediately knew that with his newly discovered powers, his financial woes were over for good… and then some!

Did the last paragraph catch your attention? I’m sure it did. Most experts agree that one of the most powerful and hypnotic tools in your copywriting skill set is storytelling. In fact, knowing how to tell a good story is in many cases, that mysterious x-factor that sets amateurs apart from legendary copywriters.

But why? The answer is quite simple.

Stories and anecdotes are a highly rich source of powerful techniques to influence your readers and persuade them into becoming your customers. Because when a story is well told, in the eyes of your prospect it is not only interesting, entertaining and educational but it also becomes the most enjoyable element in your entire sales presentation.

Stories are the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.
~Howard Gardner, Harvard University

Stories are used naturally in everyday social interaction. For that reason alone, people feel comfortable with them. There’s nothing wrong, devious or even mysterious about a story, and as a result, stories never make your prospects suspicious.

In fact, stories have a way of relaxing the tension of a sales pitch and opening your prospects minds to new ideas or concepts. Plus when a story is skillfully told, it has the uncanny power to summon good feelings. And because stories tend to be fresh and innovative, they can plant a lasting image in your customer’s mind – often they become unforgettable. You still remember a lot of stories that you were told when you were a child… right?

And yet, benevolent as stories may seem, they hold almost infinite influential power. For example, did you know that one of the characters in a story could be easily giving hypnotic commands and suggestions to the story’s hero?

When a story is well told, the technique I just described has the ability of making the commands and hypnotic suggestions the character makes bypass the conscious mind of even the most skeptical and close-minded prospect. And best of all, the prospect would have no reason to doubt you as a salesperson or raise further objections; after all, it’s just the story’s characters interacting. Using this technique, you can even make suggestions that you would not normally dare making directly to the prospect - and all without making him raise an eyebrow!

The best part of it all is that stories are so flexible that they lend themselves to be used with virtually any persuasion or influence weapon in your copywriting arsenal. Plus they are a great way to convey your product’s benefits without actually having to talk endlessly about the product.

So now that you know the true power of storytelling in copywriting. How about trying to come up with a few stories you can weave strategically into your copy to make it more persuasive? I dare you to go ahead and try it… and I guarantee you’ll be surprised with

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Powerful Headline

Copyright © Robert D. Boduch
behappy@total.net

Without a powerful headline, your message stands little chance in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

It doesn’t matter which marketing medium you choose. If your headline doesn’t immediately capture attention and pull prospects inside, the rest of your efforts are virtually meaningless. Without an attentive audience, no message -- however skillfully crafted – will even get a fair reading.

Nothing is more important to getting your message noticed than your lead-in. If you’re not allocating a sizable percentage of your time and creative effort to your headlines, you could be losing out on a large chunk of business.

Top copywriters understand this concept well. They know how essential it is for the headline to command attention by figuratively grabbing the prospect by the jugular.


Here are five good reasons why headlines deserve greater emphasis and attention.

1) Headlines Are Natural Attention-Getters. We all have a tendency to read headlines first, before delving into the body copy. They stand out visually, thus compelling people to pay attention to them first. Headlines act as titles and lead-ins that are set above and clearly separate from the rest of the text. This naturally attracts the eye of the reader.

According to advertising legend David Ogilvy, 5 times more people read headlines than the body copy of an ad. If the headline fails to stimulate interest, the reader simply moves on. With 5 times the readership, headlines have a unique opportunity to make any message many times more successful.

2) Headlines Serve As Valuable Guides. Headlines tip off readers. They provide a clear signal to help readers decide whether they should stick around for the full message, or dash off to something else that’s better suited to their own special interests.

As a quick summary of the entire piece, headlines either attract continued interest and readership, or they repel it. Without a headline, the reader is forced to wade through a portion of the text to understand the meaning. When you force readers to do this, you risk losing them altogether. In effect, having no headline will cost you at least 80% of your potential audience!

3) Headlines Prepare The Reader For What’s Coming Next. Headlines fuel interest. They start the reader’s motor running. A good headline sets up a feeling of expectation as the reader anticipates discovering more and can’t wait to get it!

Successful headlines address a specific audience. They open the reader’s mind to new possibilities and expand the level of enthusiasm and interest. The best headlines involve the reader in some way which virtually guarantees sustained attention -- at least until the reader finds the information he seeks, loses interest, or places an order.

4) Headlines Simplify The Learning Curve. Every headline serves to introduce whatever information follows. As an opening, the role of the headline is to succinctly communicate the essence of the message it precedes.

Effective headlines and sub-headings reveal key bits of information -- often with the added power of emotion. A review of the various headlines and sub-headings alone can often provide one with the gist of a given message. This makes it faster and easier to understand and remember.

When you make it easier for your prospects to read and comprehend your messages, you increase the chances of them taking the action you want them to take. The result? More sales and profits for you.

5) Headlines Allow You To Deliver Your Biggest Bang Up-Front. You have the opportunity to arrest attention and interest at the outset, by using your most appealing sales point in the headline. If your strongest, most desirable product attribute fails to pull prospects in, surely nothing else would do the trick, either.

The stronger your headline, the more your message is exposed to potential customers. Create every headline compel attention and inspire interest. The more alluring and irresistible you can make it, the more genuine prospects you’ll attract and ultimately, the better results you’ll achieve.

Headlines are powerful marketing tools when used correctly. Take a good look at the headlines you’re using in your own ads, brochures, sales letters, and web pages. Keep an eye out for additional headline and sub-head possibilities. Make your headlines impossible to miss and difficult to ignore… then, watch your results soar!

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Copywriting Tools

As a copywriter, the most important tool you have are the words you use. Words are what motivate your readers and turn them into customers. Without a good arsenal of words you have no offer to present, no way to reach your audience and no way of closing the sale.

Sometimes words come effortlessly and you breeze through an entire sales letter; sometimes, words just don’t come as easy. That’s why it’s important that you have a good database of words and ideas that you can draw from whenever you need to.


Keep in mind that your most common job will not be to create new information… your job will be to take information and present it in its most appealing manner. When you outfit yourself with a well-chosen inventory of words and ideas, you’ll never be stuck staring at a blank screen for hours ailing from writer’s block.

Here are a few ideas to build your words and ideas reference:

A BIG dictionary.
Any 15-pound, unabridged dictionary is a good choice because it will not only give you the definition of the word you’re looking for; it will also display the origin of the word and the most common uses.

A good thesaurus.
This is what I consider to be the most crucial tool for a copywriter. It helps you to add instant flare to your writing and lets you find the perfect word in any occasion. A good rule of thumb is to always use your thesaurus to make your writing simpler, not to make it more complex (like most writers do).

An up-to-date almanac.
Keeping a current almanac in your desk can be a true life-saver. Almanacs are packed with all sorts of useful information, well-organized statistics, compelling facts and fascinating records about topics like: population, geography and cultures. An almanac also has a summary of the year’s highlights in news and celebrities - which can come in handy in a lot of different situations.

Quotations books.
One of the easiest ways to get attention to any writing is to start with a quotation. First of all, because of their structure, they are visually appealing. The reason for this appeal is because in people’s minds, quotations are directly related to dialogue… and dialogue brings text to life. Quotations are also one of the most powerful ways to get your points across - mainly because people are much more prone to listen carefully to figures they consider to be an authority; and finally, they are also a great source of inspiration, a good quote can spark brilliant ideas or help you find a new and interesting angle.
Quote by David H. Comins

Other reference books.
There are countless other books you might want to add to your collection over time. Some of the ones that I’ve found useful to have at hand are: a world atlas, a grammar book, a rhyming dictionary, a dictionary of clichés, a book on similes and a slang dictionary. It’s a good idea, if you’re working for a specific industry, to get yourself involved and grab some of the books and magazines on relevant topics to it.

Your own swipe file.
A great way to never run out of ideas is to get yourself a decently sized box to clip and save any piece of advertising in a newspaper, magazine, brochure or even a website that you consider worthy of printing and saving. It can be anything; like an eye-catching headline, a riveting sales letter or a nice thought evoking photograph. Burn this idea into your mind and start today and in virtually no time you’ll have a wholesome database of great ideas and inspiration that you can dig into whenever you need.

Social bookmark: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

* del.icio.us
* Digg
* Technorati
* PlugIM
* StumbleUpon
* Marktd
* Google Bookmarks
* YahooMyWeb
* Reddit
* TailRank
* Ma.gnolia
* NewsVine
* BlogMemes
* Fark
* Furl
* Slashdot
* Netvouz
* Simpy
* Spurl
* MisterWong


7 comments so far ↓


*Comment #:1 by Steve Wilkins » Jun 15, 2007 at 4:57 pm

This is a great idea. Copywriting is overlooked by some many people yet without great copy many businesses struggle. Look forward to learning more.

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Who or what is a copywriter?

Who or what is a copywriter anyway? A copywriter is a good communicator who can weave words to create mental images and vividly project and express the benefits of a product, entice the reader to take action or persuade her to a pre-defined point of view.

Copywriters are a completely different breed than most writers because using words to sell is a very singular undertaking. Copy starts out with the same goals as other writing: to get and hold peoples attention; but the main difference lies in the final goal of the copywriter…

Copywriting is not created to entertain, report news or to tell a story; good copy might do any or all of those things, but its goal is always to sell and persuade - and if a sale is not made, if persuasion has not taken place and if no measurable action has resulted, then copywriting has not done its job.

After studying copywriting and copywriters for well over 12 years, I’ve come to identify a certain group of common traits among the best copywriters in the business. These are the traits that define a great copywriter:

* Creative: They can examine almost any subject from different perspectives.

* Smart: Great copywriters can interest themselves and comprehend a variety new subjects quickly, they have an insatiable thirst for knowledge of all kinds, they have an unstoppable curiosity about how things work and they like to research each subject thoroughly.

* Good communicators: They can pinpoint in words and pictures the key benefits of a particular product or service and have the ability to express them clearly and concisely. This ability comes from a strong interest in language and images suggested by words.

* Congenial: They are empathic to people’s problems and needs and can quickly recognize both ends of an argument. They have a remarkable fascination in people and what makes them tick.

* Good readers: Copywriters love to read. Not only do they constantly study copy written by others, but they also read books on all subjects and actively look for works in a wide variety of styles. The most well-read copywriters even study poetry.

* Trendy: They love to stay up to date with the world in general. They keep their eyes open all the time and actively search for new trends and new interesting fields that they can research and get involved with.

* Disciplined: They are able to manage multiple jobs at once, they are detail oriented and always keep their deadlines.

Don’t worry if the above list doesn’t describe you completely. I’m sure that you qualify for at least one or two of the traits shown above… Most importantly, these traits are all abilities and skills that can be learned and honed over time… so now that you know what they are, strive for them constantly!

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What is Copywriting?

There are as many definitions to copywriting as there are copywriters in this world. In its strictest sense, copywriting is the act of writing advertisements (like headlines, slogans, brochures, direct mail packages and even websites) with the goal of making a sale. While this definition is correct, it is also far from being complete… so let’s take another shot.

The most poetic definition of copywriting I’ve come across, was written by one of the my favorite advertising copywriters in our time: Bruce Bendinger, who in his remarkable book “The Copy Workshop Workbook” writes…

What an exquisite way to define our craft, don’t you agree?

What I like most about it is that Bruce took extra care to single out the most important aspect of copywriting: salemanship. Unfortunately, too many copywriters just don’t understand what he is referring to when he talks about salesmanship… so for the sake of clarity, let me try to come up with a more technical and complete, albeit less poetic definition:

Copywriting is the art and science of writing words to promote a product, a business, a person or an idea; and carefully selecting, editing, weaving and constructing those words in a way that they’ll persuade the reader into taking a specific and measurable action.

As you can see, the term “salesmanship” is not only referring to the final sale of the product. The end goal of copywriting is not always to sell the product in a single blow, but to persuade the reader into taking a specific action. This “action” can be subscribing to a newsletter, calling the phone number on screen, clicking a link, sending an e-mail to their friends, etc. Any of those actions will be used, in turn, to advance the sale further. Read Also Copywriting.com

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