Tag Archives: Article Writing
Copywriting Tip – Buy Cheap, Buy Twice
Normally I find the Money Saving Expert enewsletter to be a useful read, both from a personal and business perspective. Something in today’s edition however made my blood run cold.
The idea of anything being “cheap” in the City of London is amusing. And unlikely.
Tucked into a section headed “30 ways to earn cash online”, I found:
Write copy. Web content brokers pay £2-£30 per piece, eg, Groupon ads and travel descriptions. Forumite Sinkorswim says: “Been doing it 9mths & made £1,000. It’s a godsend.”
Now the more cynical reader may think that I am simply being protectionist, that I can see my potential market being eaten away by people looking to make a bit of extra pocket money. Obviously the more copywriters there are in the market, the fewer jobs I can land. But if commissioning a freelance copywriter, you should be equally concerned.
Last week I completed a rush job for a client who had hired a cheap copywriter to put together a number of inbound marketing articles. The problem was that every single article was, quite frankly, awful. Writing from a personal perspective, the author openly admitted they knew nothing first hand about the topics in hand. There was no sense of authority. The articles failed in their purpose to inform or convince.
One of them also included the phrase “cutesie patootsie”, which is a crime against any language.
The writer who penned these articles had been cheap. Worse still, it showed. Poor grammar, dodgy spelling, an openly-stated unfamiliarity with the topic in hand and that phrase meant the copy was unusable.
This then left my client in a dilemma. They had saved some of their inbound marketing budget by hiring a cheap copywriter. But when the articles were delivered and it became apparent they would need to be completely rewritten, there wasn’t enough money left over to pay a “proper” copywriter. Not without breaking their budget anyway. Which they eventually did.
Are all cheap copywriters rubbish? Not at all. In fact my rates are at the lower end of the payment scale proposed by the Professional Copywriters Network. But it is essential that you carefully check previous projects undertaken by a copywriter and that they can demonstrate a working knowledge of your subject area.
Whenever you need to source a freelance copywriter do not be seduced by a low headline rate. As your grandmother used to say, buy cheap, buy twice.
If your business (or customers) need top quality web content at a price that won’t break the bank, drop us a line. And I hereby swear never to use the phrase “cutesie patootsie”.
Content Marketing, $1 Trillion and Your Business
A new report from eMarketer claims that global ecommerce sales have topped $1 trillion for the first time in 2012. Yes, $1 trillion. And that figure is set to rise again next year.
Using content marketing and copywriting you could start creating stacks of cash for your business
It is little surprise to find that US shoppers account for the majority of that sum. However Britain’s position in the league table is unexpected – second with $110 billion spent. Bad news for the high street perhaps, but great for those trying to leverage the power of the web for increased profit.
Which is why despite the popularity of online video, copywriting services are becoming ever more important. Websites, blogs, articles and whitepapers are all now essential for increasing brand awareness and driving visitors to your website.
Content marketing, uses passive copywriting techniques to generate client interest, and create potential sales leads in the process. In the past, marketing involved pushing information at would-be clients. However these days clients are a lot more discerning, preferring to receive marketing messages on their own terms. Content marketing is designed to pull customers to your website and your business.
It is only by trying to engage with readers can you “pull” them, causing them to come towards you by their own choice. Pushing is like swimming against a current – the swimmer is either pushed away, or pushes against the information (and your business), neither of which is likely to be a positive experience!
As a result, creating non-advertising content like whitepapers, infographics and articles are even more important. And with a projected UK share of $141 billion up for grabs in 2013, the stakes are high.
Why not get in touch with Tech Write today and see how we can help with your content marketing strategy to capture new leads passively?
Copywriting tip – What the hell is a “Eurorealist”*?
During an interview with Radio 4 this morning, Minister without Portfolio Ken Clarke decided to drop a new word into the public conscious - eurorealist*. Despite existing in some limited circles since the middle of the last decade, eurorealist has yet to gain much traction and is certainly not yet in common usage (a quick Google reveals less than 250,000 matches).
Ken Clarke is a eurorealist apparently. Whatever one of those is.
The eurorealist example raises an important issue for businesses preparing to employ a professional copywriter. Should your web content be packed with up-to-the-minute wording?
When should you use “new” words in your copywriting?
In some circumstances, particularly when technology is involved, the introduction of new words is essential. There is just no other way to accurately describe a new product of service. But in these instances it is essential that you provide some kind of easy reference for readers to help them understand. This could be in the form of an explanation within the copy, a hyperlink to a glossary page, or some kind of mouse-over tool-tip. The presentation is not as important as making the information available though.
Occasionally it may be desirable to use “new” words to catch the reader’s attention. In doing so you may help cement your reputation as a leader in your sector. Or you may just end up confusing your reader.
When should you avoid “new” words?
The answer to this question is relatively simple – always. The goal of any copywriting project is to get your message across as quickly and easily as possible. If your aim is to reach the widest possible audience, there is even less reason or excuse for using new words which have yet to enter the mainstream vocabulary.
Your best bet is allow Ken Clarke to use new words in the media and allow other people to do the explanations. This may take quite a while – in the meantime you can focus on writing clear web content which does not require translation and is more likely to convert visitors into customers.
Need to secure the copywriting services of someone who is not afraid to avoid buzzwords, piffle and corporate junk speak? Get in touch with Tech Write today!
* “A eurorealist attempts to maintain a realistic but reformist perception of the European Union and European integration as a whole.”
Copywriting like Jane Austen – Pride, Prejudice & Predictability
Today marks the 200th anniversary of the first publication of Pride and Prejudice. The books tells the tale of a young woman named Elizabeth Bennett, who seeks to land herself a husband in the form of Mr Darcy.
Jane Austen has a thing or two to teach aspiring copywriters
Pride and Prejudice
The fact is, Pride and Prejudice is predictable. It is a love story which, right from the start, the reader knows will have a happy ending. The challenges faced by Miss Bennett may remain a mystery, but there is no doubt whatsoever that she will end the book as Mrs Darcy.
For the copywriter, Jane Austen’s example shows two important traits:
1. Sometimes it pays for the reader to know how your story ends
What is the point of knowing how a story ends? People often resist the unknown so giving them answers early provides some comfort and confidence. It also helps your readers decide at the start of your article whether the rest is relevant to them or if they should move on to something else. No one likes wasting time reading irrelevant copy because they end up feeling cheated. Don’t cheat your readers!
2. You don’t have to say how you will reach the end of the story
You may know upfront that Elizabeth will marry Mr Darcy, but you don’t know how their relationship will develop. When copywriting, your own readers may know the destination of your piece, but you don’t have to lay out a reading road map in advance. Surprising your readers with a dash of creativity in the middle of a journey adds delight for them and helps keep them engaged throughout.
So after 200 years, Jane Austen continues to educate her readers in more than just in social mores, regency England and husband-hunting. Taking a leaf out of her storytelling style will also ensure any copywriting you undertake will be of interest to your own readers.
If you need help writing articles which will also last two centuries, Tech Write offer exceptional copywriting services. Drop us an email and see how we can help.
2012 – Our Copywriting Year in Review – Part 2
Following on from our last installment (predictably named 2012 – Our Copywriting Year in Review – Part 1), we continue our run down of the past twelve months, describing some of our projects and introducing some of our new customers. Enjoy!
July
Despite many businesses winding down their marketing efforts to reflect the Summer slow-down, Tech Write forged two new relationships requiring frequent blog contributions. Warrington-based educational IT-specialists Do Digital employed us to write a number of monthly blog posts targeted at their unique market niche. Meanwhile Essex web design agency Bytewire were also on the look out for skilled ghostwriter to contribute content to their company blog.
A desk diary - very 2013!
August
August was relatively quiet although our ongoing commitments for blog content and articles kept us rather busy!
September
The end of the school holidays led to an explosions in requests for work. First up was another press release for Italian iOS developer Fabrizio Bartolomucci to publicise the update of his In Arrivo! iPhone app designed to help tourists navigate Rome by taxi or bus.
This was closely followed by requests for complete website rewrites for Manchester-based software consultancy Systems Valley and Indian specialist fire services provider Agnice International. Both project required creation of new SEO-optimised content to coincide with the website relaunches of both businesses.
Tech Write also formed a new working relationship with inbound marketing experts Tomorrow People based in Birmingham and were immediately put to work ghostwriting web content for an established SME accounts software developer.
October
The success of our first project with Tomorrow People led to immediate requests for the complete re-write of a large website for an ERP software provider accompanied by a number of articles for their new company blog.
Tech Write were also commissioned to write a one-off article for Essex-based IT support services Those Computer People for their company blog.
November
Tech Write were referred to an Irish software developer looking to ghostwrite the content for a client’s website. The project involved writing a number of pages to publicise a brand new performance management system.
We were also asked to ghostwrite some specialist technical articles for a Maltese consultancy specialising in Microsoft Hyper-V services.
December
Tomorrow People were in touch again early in the month looking for another website re-write, this time for a specialist financial services software provider. Content needed to be SEO optimised and amended to fit the constraints of the new website according to the plan provided. We were also asked to ghostwrite a number of extended articles for their ERP software customer.
So there you have it. 2012 in review. A busy but productive year!
