All posts tagged featured

Copywriting Survey!

By | February 24, 2012 | Non-Copywriter | No comments


ProjectCopy, in an effort to learn more about what copywriting clients want, need and expect from their copywriters, have come up with a very quick online survey for all you copywriting CLIENTS to fill in. (This ain’t for you copywriters, so stay away!)

Find the survey here!

Once the information has been gathered and scrutinised, a blog post will follow along with an infographic (potentially).

The information collected will go a long way towards improving the quality of service and work you receive from copywriters in the future!

Thank you very much for reading.

Kind regards,

James @ ProjectCopy

Interview with James Tennant

By | February 1, 2012 | Advice & Insight, Copywriting, Freelance Copywriters, Inspiration | 4 Comments

Here’s interview number two. Copywriter

Yesterday we had Glenn Murray of Divine Write Copywriting, today we have James Tennant of JT Copywriting. We asked the same questions and he gave us the following insight.

Enjoy!

1. When did you decide to start your freelance copywriting business?

I decided to do it straight out of University in 2009. I had always had a passion for the written word (penning stories from a very young age will give you that passion I guess) and, while at University, I got interested in business, marketing and advertising. Like many students I wanted to travel after completing my degree and I did just that, heading to Canada. It was in Canada that I decided to put my skills as a writer and my love of marketing together and become a freelance copywriter. To be honest, it was the attraction of being able to work from anywhere in the world that finally won me over and I started JT Copywriting.

2. How long did it take before you established yourself as a leading freelance copywriter?

I have worked with some big name clients and I’ve been pretty successful to date but I’m not sure if I would classify myself as a leading copywriter. My clients certainly seem to think my services are worth paying for so does that make someone a leader in their field? Regardless, it took me about two years to get to the stage I’m at now but there are much bigger names and much bigger earners than me out there.

3. Are there any other copywriters you admire? If so, who and why?

I admire any copywriter that has made a success of themselves as a freelancer. It’s a very hard thing to start your own business and make good money from it. If you need names I would probably say Laurence Blume and of course David Ogilvy

4. What is the best way to get new clients?

I’ve found that networking is one of the best ways. You should jump at any chance you get to meet potential clients face-to-face. If you’re confident and you show you have the skills to back up that confidence then you’ll make yourself very attractive to any potential clients that may want to hire you.

5. If you could pick five traits or characteristics to create the perfect freelance copywriter, what would they be?

1. Determination – If you’re not determined to succeed then you won’t. It’s as simple as that.

2. Passion – You need to love being a copywriter. Don’t just do it because you think it’s a good way to earn money. If you do that you’ll never push yourself to overcome any hardships you might face. You’ll just give up and do something else.

3. Writing Skills – This one is fairly obvious. If you can’t write properly then I would stay away from a career in copywriting.

4. Confidence – Whether you’ve been a freelance copywriter for 10 minutes or 10 years, you need confidence to sell your services. Confidence is contagious so make sure you’re oozing with it (stop short at arrogance though…that certainly won’t help).

5. A Good Business Head – You don’t need a Master’s Degree in Business Management but you need to have a basic idea of how a business is run. Many start-up copywriters forget about this – don’t make the same mistake.

6. What’s your favourite power word (or word)?

‘Proven’ is a good one. Always gets a good reaction from the audience.

7. List five must-have items that you believe each freelance copywriter should have.

  1. A well designed website – Your website will help form your client’s first impression of you.
  2. A laptop – Mobile computing…completely necessary.
  3. Business cards – Always carry them on you. Always.
  4. Bus pass/rail pass/driver’s license – You will end up travelling a lot.
  5. Social media accounts – Twitter, facebook and LinkedIn are the big three. Using social media is a great way to promote your business.

8. What are the annoying aspects of freelance copywriting?

Those clients that think they know how to do your job better than you (there are a few of them out there). I wouldn’t hire a plumber then spend hours telling him how to do his job so I don’t appreciate it when it happens to me. I’ll echo Glenn in his interview below when he said that working with clients that want you to write in a formal style can be very hard (who wants formal these days? Personally I think formal copy is awful – Clients take note!).

9. What are the most enjoyable aspects of freelance copywriting?

Being able to work from anywhere in the world. Since I became a freelance copywriter I have found myself completing work in the UK, Canada and across the European continent and I love it. If I want a change of scenery I can have it (budget permitting of course) and you can’t beat that.

10. Finally. What advice would you give to all the brand new freelance copywriters out there?

Give it a go. Really. I didn’t have a professionally constructed business plan or any funding to get started, I just wanted to do it because it seemed like a career I would love to do and I had nothing to lose by taking a chance. If you’re that passionate about something and you’re a determined person, then you have every chance of being successful. You just need to take those first steps (they’re the hardest ones).

Thanks to James for this one! Hopefully these interviews are giving you all some great insight into the life of a freelance copywriter and some great advice too!

Let me know what you think and, copywriters, if you want to do the interview yourself, just get in touch!

Promote Yourself Effectively: Use Benefits To Convince Your Clients

By | January 26, 2012 | Advice & Insight, Freelance Copywriters, Promoting Yourself | 1 Comment

Get out there and promote your business!

So you’re in talks with a potential client about doing some work for them and they have just asked you the dreaded question: Why should I hire you?

For those of you just starting out, it can be a daunting question to answer, especially when you are talking face-to-face.

So what do you say? “Because I can make you more money.” Well of course you can but that sounds like an empty statement. You’re going to need more than that to convince someone to pay you to write their content.

My advice here is for you to practice your answer. In fact, you should keep practicing it and refining it until you have the perfect response memorised. I’d start by writing down the benefits that your customers will profit from if they hire you. For example, let’s say I’m chatting with someone who wants to hire a copywriter to create content for their website.

My three example benefits could be:

  1. I can increase your website’s conversion rates.
  1. I can write copy that arouses interest.
  1. I can make you stand out from the crowd.

Now you have the benefits written down, you need to elaborate and tell your customer what each of those benefits will mean to their business.

So:

  1. A higher conversion rate will mean more visitors are performing your desired action, whether that be sign up to a newsletter, click a link or buy a product or service.
  1. Engaging with your customers is essential. Formal, boring copy will not keep your visitors around for long. By creating interesting copy that demands attention, I can ensure their maintained interest in what you have to tell them. After all, keeping your visitors around is half the battle.
  1. You need to set yourself apart from your competition if you want the public to notice you and remember you. Having unique and fresh copy written by an expert will go a long way towards doing just that. By standing out from the crowd, your business will enjoy increased public awareness and attention.

Now your customer understands why your benefits are worth having, you should explain to them how you are going to do what you say you can. By letting them know your methods, you will sound far more convincing and it lets your potential customer know that you are as qualified as you say you are.

  1. Using the persuasive power of the written word, I will create effective calls-to-action that compel and remind people to perform your desired action.
  1. I will write powerful and dynamic headlines that demand attention and appeal to the natural curiosity within us all. By keeping information relevant, simple and concise, your visitors will enjoy the fact that their questions are being answered and their concerns are being addressed.
  1. I will research your company, your products and your competitors to find out what it is that makes you different as well as what makes you the best option. I will then relay that information to your customers in a way they can understand.

OK so that was just a quick, very unrefined example of how you can practice coming up with an answer that will convince your potential clients to hire you.

Remember that when you are telling people why they should hire you, you should be confident. The positive energy of confidence is contagious and will be attractive to those you are talking to, making them far more likely to trust what you have said and therefore far more likely to hire you.

Hopefully that all made sense and hopefully you have picked up a handy tip that you can use in the future.

What about you? Do you have any tips or techniques to share?

Why Businesses NEED Copywriters

By | January 18, 2012 | Copywriting, Freelance Copywriters, Non-Copywriter | 4 Comments

Copyright - mussonmedia.com

Most start-up businesses, and even some established businesses, don’t see the written content on their websites as an important aspect. They couldn’t be more wrong if you ask me.

Let me continue…

Whenever we want to communicate with any other human being we have to use words, in some form or other, 99.9% of the time. If you want to create a great first impression on your website visitors and potential customers, you must make sure that those words are perfect. First of all you want your customers to stick around and secondly you want to convince them that they should buy from you.

How are you ever going to do that with poor copy? The simple answer is you won’t.

Now some people have told me that anyone can write. Well of course they can, but that doesn’t make you a copywriter. Some of them even told me they had an English degree. So what? All that education has done is taught them how to right essays and please an examiner, not how to sell products or services to the public. In fact, most of what you learn at school, when it comes to writing, should be thrown out the window if you want to write great copy.

Too many businesses fall into the trap of just describing what they do without “selling it”. Your customers need to know more than that. They need to know why they should buy from you and not Joe Bloggs. If you can’t tell them that then they will go and find someone who can. Businesses also often  make the mistake of using a thesaurus too much to fill their content with flabby words and self-indulgent phrases The only thing that will do is kill any interest someone might have in what you have to say.

You see copywriters don’t just write, they communicate. They talk to your customers in a voice and language that they understand and can relate to. A copywriter highlights the problems customers have and then persuades them that Company A or Company B has the product or service that can solve that problem. By communicating and engaging wtih your customers you maintain their interest. If you maintain their interest then you have won half the battle.

In addition to being able to write, Copywriters are also students of business and marketing and have a solid grasp of both subjects. They perform extensive research on their clients and their client’s rivals. They are able to pick out the USPs (Unique Selling Points) of any business and then write content that will help that business stand out from the crowd. They also know the difference between a feature and a benefit (believe me, this is something most people get wrong far too often).

I could go on but I feel I have made my point. The bottom line is that good copywriters are experts in using words that will earn you money.

Now we move on to you! Copywriters: Do you have anything to add to this post? Non-Copywriters: Do you have anymore questions you would like answers to?

Let the discussion begin.

6 Proven Cost-FREE Ways To Increase Traffic To Your Website!

By | January 15, 2012 | Advice & Insight, Copywriting, Freelance Copywriters, Promoting Yourself | 11 Comments

copyright - dtseo.ducttapeseo.net

You have written the copy for your website and spent hours designing it to look perfect. Finally it is ready to go and everything seems great. However, it is usually at this point that a familiar story starts to unfold. You look at the traffic going to your site and you see that it is virtually non-existent. You wait a month or two and hope for things to pick up but they don’t. Now you start to ask yourself two very important questions:

How are you going to sell your services if no-one ever visits your website? And how are you going to stand out from the countless number of websites out there?

Well you could go and hire an SEO specialist and let them boost your page rank for you. While that is a great idea and certainly one you should look into, there are also some great cost-free ways you can help yourself. I picked up these methods when I decided to take some responsibility for my own low traffic numbers and they really have made a difference.

1. Start Your Own Blog – Starting a blog is a great way to create awareness of your brand. It provides you with a platform to show off your skills and creates a place where your visitors can interact with you. Use the blog to promote your website and services, but don’t overdo it. Remember: content is key. Provide your audience with valuable information and interesting articles as often as you can. As your blog grows, more people will start to recognise you as an expert in the field of copywriting and will be more likely to visit your website and hire you.

2. Guest Post On A Blog – Comment on blogs that are on similar topics to your own website. Doing this means they are more likely to visit your page. However, don’t constrain yourself. Write on a number of different websites – this will help widen your audience. This way you can expose yourself to lots of new readers and bring them back to your website.

3. Comment On Blog Posts – Maximise your exposure by being the first to comment. If you don’t comment first it’s not a problem, just make sure to include a link back to your website (most comment forms have a field in which you can do this) when you do write your comment. Ensure you provide valuable, insightful comments that will generate interest. Write with confidence

4. Exchange Links – Build connections and develop relationships with other copywriters and businesses that relate to copywriting (advertising and web design companies for example) and share links with them.

5. Write Articles and Tutorials – Write articles and tutorials that show off your expert knowledge and submit them to article directories as well as some of the best websites and blogs that relate to copywriting and marketing. This will help build your reputation as an expert in your field, something which is very valuable to all copywriters.

6. Get involved on social media sites – I can’t stress this one enough. Become as active as you can on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Stumbleupon and Digg (along with many more) and you will be able to reach an audience that numbers in the hundreds of millions. However, you shouldn’t just use these social media sites to promote your website and services all the time. Use them to engage with your clients and potential customers on a more casual level as well. If you can talk about a variety of different topics then you’ll appeal to a larger crowd and be far more interesting to follow.

This blog is about learning together so, if you think I’ve nattered on about absolute rubbish, just let me know. Also, if you have any great tips to add to mine, please let us all know!