What a Professional Copywriter Knows About Turning Browsers into Buyers That Your English Teacher Would Slap You Silly for Doing

Advice by copywriters for copywriters View this email in your browser What a Professional Copywriter Knows About Turning Browsers into Buyers That Your English Teacher Would Slap You Silly for Doing By Kristine Smith on Jun 27, 2018 07:00 am When writing web copy or web content, you have just eight seconds to rivet your visitors into place. Here's how to put your web visitors on a slippery slope that carries them along to the destination you want them to reach and the decision you want them to make. It's a sad fact: when you attended school your teachers showed you how to write pleasantly and properly. Very few, if any, taught you how to write powerfully and persuasively.   Most educators don't know how to write powerfully or persuasively themselves—they aren't copywriters, novelists or authors. Although they're technically proficient, they simply aren't (for the most part) artists or hypnotists. This is why it's important when choosing a copywriter, to find out what they know about their craft.  Your relatives and friends who got good grades in English and creative writing won't cut the mustard, either, unless they can tell you what I'm about to tell you. If they can, they've read copywriting books and they just might work out for you. The following is what you need to know about writing persuasive, powerful copy. In knowing these few facts, you'll be able to choose a copywriter instead of a charlatan. Heck, you might even be able to write your own persuasive, powerful copy. (But read a few copywriting books before you try. You don't want to shoot yourself in the foot. It's costly to recover from a pathetic premiere!) Every time your Ideal Clients reach the period at the end of every sentence in your copy, they have permission to leave. BUT! If the next word after a period piques your visitors' curiosity, they'll stay put. If not, it's sayonara, baby. So, starting a small handful of subsequent sentences with and, but, or, so, unless, did you know, why, because or another intriguing cliffhanger-type word makes it next to impossible for your audience to disappear on you. Their minds will insist on continuing. Why? Because the human brain is insatiably curious; it hates being left in the lurch with unfinished business. Using alliteration, cadence and rhythm, metaphors, similes and other stay-with-me techniques also help keep your audience enthralled. (Examples: You'll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent. Double your pleasure, double your fun, with double good double good Doublemint gum. Turning browsers into buyers. Weaving words into wealth. Every Dr. Seuss book in existence.) Use stories when you can. People love and remember stories a lot longer than they remember facts and figures or features and benefits.   Make sure your copy addresses your target audience's pain, problem or predicament—the one your product or service solves. Focus like a laser on YOUR SINGLE, IDEAL CLIENT with your initial offerings, the persona most likely to whip out his or her wallet and buy from you. When you do this, their purchases will help fund additional outreach. Don't be a flashlight simply shedding light; be a laser: etch a permanent, unforgettable memory into your target client's mind and emotions.   About the author: Kristine M. Smith Kristine M. Smith, professional copywriter and author, loves dancing with words and interacting with people. You can reach her at kris@wordwhisperer.net. Visit her websites at http://hireme.wordwhisperer.net and https://YellowBalloonPublications.com. This article is adapted from an earlier piece first published by Kristine M. Smith  The post What a Professional Copywriter Knows About Turning Browsers into Buyers That Your English Teacher Would Slap You Silly for Doing appeared first on . Read in browser » Recent Articles: Can the Job Hunt Be…Fun? Staying True to Your Brand Message Globally The "R" Effect Why you need to think first and write later – especially for business How to Create a Company Slogan that Will Get You Noticed Copyright © 2018

Staying True to Your Brand Message Globally

Staying True to Your Brand Message Globally By Waynne Meek on Jun 13, 2018 07:00 am Most large brands go to a lot of time and effort to get to the right messaging to properly tell their story. This involves a lot of soul-searching, creativity, rewriting, brainstorming and approvals – taking up time from a wide range of people. But when the final approval is given and the brand guys breathe a sigh of relief… then what? Having a brilliantly clever pay-off and a compelling story needs to cascade throughout the brand. Not everyone is in the loop in the initial work to create it, so they need to be schooled in the new brand. And they need tools and guidelines to help them (see also my articles 'Do you have a Writing Style Guide?' and 'Are your brand texts escaping from you?'). But it's not just different parts of the business briefing communications you need to think about. Most large brands these days (and, increasingly, many smaller ones) make a large percentage of their sales in foreign markets. In fact, although it's easy to think in your 'master' language, the reality is that a much larger number of customers are reading your messaging, and accessing your brand, through a different language. And that means getting your translations right. It's tempting to just 'throw' your copy to a translations agency and forget about it. But it's important to brief them properly too. Think about what they have to go on when they do a translation. Do they know, and understand, the background of your product and brand? Are there phrases you always translate in a certain way? What happens if your brilliantly crafted copy in English (or your core 'source language') doesn't translate at all in their language? Many brands use 'transcreation' to deal with this, especially for their more creative copy. This is a mixture of translation and original writing – it costs more and will require a much more robust brief, but if your top-level copy carries the reputation of the brand, it's surely worth it. Of course, it's not practical (or cost-effective) to use transcreation for all of your copy. But you do need to think about other languages when you originally brief or write. Avoid idiomatic language, for example, and try to steer clear of cultural references. In fact, for some messages, there could even be a case for creating a separate English master for each country – which means some texts are adjusted to account for cultural differences and even language nuances.  This can also give you the opportunity to tailor a text for differences in your business per country, like product specifications. There's a lot to think about if you want your brand messaging to properly 'translate' to another country. Sometimes just automatically replacing the words with those of your target language aren't nearly enough. And translation can be a tricky thing – if you don't understand the language it's hard to judge the output. But there are ways to do this – with clever copywriting, proper briefing and reuse processes you can cut through the potential Tower of Babel that multiple markets can create. How do you prepare your carefully crafted master text for translation? I'd love to hear from you!   About the author: Waynne Meek Waynne is passionate about all things content, especially how copy merges with other elements to make compelling communication. A recognised career of 20 years spanning various media has given him a useful insight into the way copy works across brands. Armed with this experience, he has delivered and managed effective copy solutions, from award-winning internal magazines to compelling brand and product messaging. Find out more about him on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynnemeek/, or on www.brandcopylab.com. This article was first published by Waynne Meek  The post Staying True to Your Brand Message Globally appeared first on . Read in browser » Recent Articles: The "R" Effect Why you need to think first and write later – especially for business How to Create a Company Slogan that Will Get You Noticed Bad Date Syndrome Creative Play and Rejecting The Don Draper School of Idea Generation

Why you need to think first and write later – especially for business

Why you need to think first and write later – especially for business By Suzan St Maur on May 30, 2018 07:00 am "If you don't know what you think, you can't write it down," said my longtime colleague and book co-author John Butman some years ago. Yet how many of us take on a business writing exercise – email, blog post, even web page – without thoroughly thinking through the key issues needed to make that piece of writing work properly … before we write anything down? Most of us fall victim to it. Even I do, and I've been a professional business writer since Madison Avenue was a dirt track with an Algonquian name. It's all part of our tendency not to engage brain before putting fingers into gear. Here is one classic symptom, with a suggestion on how to treat it… "When you've finished your first draft," says another writer colleague of mine, Montréal based Nick Usborne, "remove your first sentence. Nine times out of ten that will improve the piece a lot."   Why? Because you have just started writing, without enough thinking Nick Usborne's advice is very valid for the same reasons. Most people just start writing, which means in the first sentence they are just warming up towards the point. Not only does removing the first sentence tend to sharpen up the writing, but often removing the entire first paragraph does, too. And that's hoping by paragraph two you've thought about what to write and are getting on with it. Much as my colleagues' advice is superb, however, people often don't realise that they don't know what they think. If that sounds a bit bizarre, that's because it is…   Surprisingly, it's not about what you want to say Yes, really. The vast majority of business writing is intended not merely to express what you want to say, but also – often more importantly – to bring about a desired action on the part of the reader. That means your thinking needs to cover two areas, not one: 1.The information you need to convey – what you want to say 2.What you want the reader to do with/about that information If the reader is someone who has no choice but to do what you want, then point number 2. isn't difficult. However, the vast majority of stakeholders, and especially customers and prospects, are not obliged to do what you tell them. Now what?   Think and write to get results, not revenge OK, if you're sending an email to a supplier asking them to replace a faulty toilet, complain about late deliveries or ask their driver not to spit on your nice new flooring, your first temptation will be to read them the Riot Act.   But even when you feel like firing a small thermonuclear device at someone, remember that as my old Canadian Dad used to say, "you'll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar." If you're writing to put things right, you'll soon realise that what you want is a quick and painless resolution of the problem, or else a quick dismissal and move on elsewhere. Shouting abuse may make you feel better but won't get results. The assertive (not aggressive) approach may not beat pulling the wings off live flies for getting revenge, but it does allow everyone to save face and so win-win. Thinking about what to write and how to write it may not come easy, to begin with, but give yourself some time to calm down and think, before you write.   And think about "what's in it for them?" Anyone who has read my stuff more than about twice will know I'm always banging on about "stop writing we-wee," the "SO WHAT? Test," and "what's in it for me?" There is a reason for this, and it's because, in any form of writing that has even the merest whiff of marketing about it, your reader does NOT care about you or your issues. They care only about what's in it for them. Don't forget that there is this whiff of marketing about apparently unrelated writing, like reports, proposals, white papers, blog posts, etc. Much as these genres ostensibly are not about selling, nine times out of ten you are trying to sell readers if not a product or service, at least a concept/notion/idea. Once again, check out the two golden rules from above … 1.The information you need to convey – what you want to say 2.What you want the reader to do with/about that information   Start thinking from point #2, and write your text backwards Rather than go on about this particular issue here, please read this tutorial about writing proposals. It takes you step by step through the whole process of starting with what you want to happen, and structuring the proposals so readers are led gently but surely to where you want them to be. It may sound a bit sneaky, but then so is business.   As for marketing copy and blog writing, you know what to think before you write … don't you?   If not, have a browse through this category for marketing and related writing, and this category for blogging. And if you really want the "what's in it for me" / "features and benefits" concept in detail, this article – based on a very popular eBook – spells it out usefully.   Do you agree? Please share your thoughts! What advice can you share with us about thinking before writing?   About the author: Suzan St Maur This article first appeared on Suzan St Maur's award-winning writing resource website, HowToWriteBetterHTWB … with more than 1,500 articles and tutorials on a vast range of topics from business to fiction, training to comedy, by Suzan and many other writing experts from around the world. An experienced expert in marketing communications, Suzan is now an author coach, book publishing consultant, and best-selling author. This article was first published by Suzan St Maur   * Need a copywriter in New York City? Meet Mark.* The post Why you need to think first and write later – especially for business appeared first on . Read in browser » Recent Articles: How to Create a Company Slogan that Will Get You Noticed Bad Date Syndrome Creative Play and Rejecting The Don Draper School of Idea Generation How this "Accident" became one of the most famous logos in the world Design and copy: dance partners not petulant divas

How to Create a Company Slogan that Will Get You Noticed

How to Create a Company Slogan that Will Get You Noticed By Rick Siderfin on May 23, 2018 07:00 am I'm not a fan of typical corporate buzzword-infested slogans. It's preferable to have no slogan at all than one which is entirely meaningless. You know the kind I mean. Sometimes masquerading as a mission statement, or a vision statement, or a company foundation – these are the slogans that fail to ignite any spark of human interest and are utterly irrelevant to potential customers. At best, they would be greeted by an ironic eye roll if you were ever bold enough to say them out loud to your potential customers. That's not to say slogans are entirely useless. If you can assemble into a short statement what it is that makes your company different from the rest, then a slogan or tagline can be very helpful in your marketing efforts. Here's a helpful test for your slogan: can it, alone, encapsulate why someone should spend their money with you, in a way that requires no additional explanation? It should be short – the less words the better – but not so short that it makes no logical sense. Here's some good examples: Reassuringly Expensive (Stella Artois) Never Knowingly Undersold (John Lewis) Shave Time. Shave Money (Dollar Shave Club) A Diamond is Forever (De Beers) Above it All (Range Rover) Built into the best slogans is an implicit promise – "spend your money with us, and receive this in return." Everyone knows that a good slogan alone is no guarantee of success. So, whatever you decide on for your slogan – you'd better be sure you can deliver on that promise. And please, whatever you do, don't just blatantly copy someone else's slogan – no one likes a pale imitation. The very least you can do is ensure you're original!   About the author: Rick Siderfin Rick Siderfin is a husband, dad of 3, and copywriter who lives and works in Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds. He is the founder of Vortex Content Marketing, a company founded with one simple objective: to help you get noticed online. This article was originally published by Rick Siderfin The post How to Create a Company Slogan that Will Get You Noticed appeared first on . Recent Articles: Bad Date Syndrome Creative Play and Rejecting The Don Draper School of Idea Generation How this "Accident" became one of the most famous logos in the world Design and copy: dance partners not petulant divas What Does the Word Copywriter Mean in 2018?

Bad Date Syndrome

Bad Date Syndrome By Phil Gayter on May 16, 2018 07:00 am When I do branding seminars I have one slide that leaves the room silent. It's a picture of an over-bearing man with a bored looking woman. A title over the top says: Are you a bad date? I usually invite the audience to raise their hands in concurrence, and a couple of mitts timidly reach for the tile ceiling. Thank you for admitting this! I go on to explain the following. A bad date shows up cocky and then proceeds to talk about themselves incessantly, in glowing terms, Me, I, Me, I, Me I. They continue like this ad infinitum until the poor date looks at their watch and excuses themselves to go to "the powder room," where they quietly slip through a tiny window and escape. Here's the point.   Many brands are bad dates.   They show up and talk incessantly about We, I, Me, I, We I, Us. You've all seen it. "We are the number one purveyor of coffins in Lake County! We offer the finest woods and we are proud to offer European-style handles!" "Eat at Jimmy's. We continue to be awesome and have been awesome since 1946." We. Us. I. Our.   The missing pronoun is "you." As in your customers.   As a brand, I can tell immediately if you are a good date or not. I look at your website and check to see how long it takes for you to talk about me (the customer), if I have to go to "In the news" or "testimonials" it tends to be a pretty bad start to our first meeting. A little bragging is OK, so are the facts and points and customer feedback, but if you make it all about your business, you are actually talking to yourself and guaranteeing your customers are squeezing through the bathroom window, possibly without paying, hopefully with their pants on. Brands should aspire to be "good dates," and that means showing up on time, being insightfully engaging and totally "into" the person they are meeting. It doesn't half help if you happen to look like Brad Pitt, but in the DNA sweepstakes of brands, personality usually rules over good looks. It's simple human nature. If you show some interest in someone–real interest–you miraculously become more interesting back. Marketing engagement is totally like this. Show that you understand them; make a fuss over them; present them with kick-ass insights; make them laugh or cry; show them you care – it's all pretty simple really. Brands that get it, stop selling and start building relationships, and relationships generally lead to trust which generally … well, you get the picture. Think of the power this gives you. Done correctly you get "engaged" and go off into the future getting married and having a lifelong relationship together. Maybe even a couple of kids. So are you a good date? Oh, look at the time. I must visit the men's room.   About the author: Phil Gayter Phil worked as a creative director at global giants Leo Burnett and Euro RSCG in Chicago. He currently has a brand and creative consultancy Brandstorm, and helps clients of all sizes find their voice and correct pant size.   This article was first published by Phil Gayter