How to Develop a Killer News Hook
April 25, 2008
When you are going to write a press release probably the most important thing you can do is create a killer news hook. A press release without a news hook is just blatant advertising, plain and simple. There is nothing that turns off journalists more than a press release that’s just advertising, and when you turn them off, they’re often off for good.
So, with this in mind, creating a news hook for your press release and media plan in general is probably the most important thing that you can do. But, how do you do it?
A news hook can be defined as the property in your press release that really makes a person read it and say, "I’m glad that I read this. This is really news." A news hook does not directly try to sell something, but to put some real news in front of the reader and encourage them to learn more about you.
If you are a major company, almost anything you do could be considered news. Take Google, for example. Everything they announce tends to be front-page news, no matter how small it is. However, your probably not so lucky, so you have to look pretty had.
Ghostwriting: Your Questions Answered
April 23, 2008
Many people feel they have a story to tell or an experience to share. But time is precious and not everyone can make the words sing on the page. But there are people who can make the whole experience hassle-free. A ghostwriter will do all the work while you get all the credit. Some common questions about the ghostwriting process are answered below.
What does a ghostwriter do?
A ghostwriter edits, writes, collaborates, and researches on behalf of someone else who becomes their client. Many biographies of celebrities and television personalities have been ghostwritten.
Why do I need one?
Not everyone knows how to or has the time to turn an idea into a book. A ghostwriter is a professional who has the time to turn your thoughts into a polished manuscript.
How does ghostwriting work?
You give the ghostwriter your ideas; s/he tells your story. Most people provide notes, digital recordings or audio tapes. Some may even have drafts of chapters or the whole book and ideas about characters and dialogue. The more information and material you provide, the closer the final product will be to your original idea. The ghostwriter turns your idea into something that people will enjoy reading.
Common Mistakes That Can Kill Your Web Copy
April 21, 2008
Sometimes learning what not to do is as important as learning what to do. Copywriting is no exception. I oftentimes see copy that is well written, but obviously created by an amateur. How do I know? One or more of the following five mistakes was made and that killed the copy? dead.
Once you understand why these mistakes are, in fact, mistakes, you can easily avoid them. It isn’t like they are complicated concepts. It just takes someone to bring them to your attention so you can guard against them.
Pull up your site in a browser and follow along. See if you’ve made any of these mistakes on your site.
#1 - Writing Without Knowing Your Target Audience
This is, without a doubt, the biggest mistake of copywriting and the #1 killer of conversions. Why? I’ll answer with a question.
When you write a letter (or email), do you just start writing and decide afterwards who you’re going to send the letter to? Of course not! So why, then, do so many people just jump in and start writing website copy without having a clue about who they are writing to? It makes no sense to me.
More Insider Secrets to Great Copywriting - Judging Your Target Market
April 18, 2008
This week we’re going to reinforce the training that Recruits of my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp are drilled on. In case you didn’t read my last article we covered what you MUST do before you write a single word of copy. Each weekday we build on your skills of creating your copy from the ground up following my Field Guide. By the end of this copywriting Bootcamp you won’t believe that it was you capable of writing such a professional sales letter.
Get out your pen and paper, set your timer for 15 minutes, and let’s go!
How do you start?! We connect to the person reading. Copywriting is a team sport. There’s you, the writer and the reader. The reader gets to decide when the game’s over. As soon as the reader is gone, they’re not reading your copy anymore. So you’re anticipating what’s going to keep them interested and intrigued with your copy ahead of time. Here’s how it’s done.
Pick a primary target market. (Yes you can have more than one, but the more specific you make your target market, the easier it will be to sell to them. For our purposes, you need to pick one specific target market.) Let’s define just what I mean and how I create my audience as a real person in my Field Guide.
Copywriter Trick Unveiled: How to Write Better Copy Faster
April 16, 2008
“Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a man behind the book.” Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Goethe
I’m going to share with you a method guaranteed to get your copy razor sharp in a hurry. It’s an old trick I learned in journalism school, and it works great to get those creative juices flowing. Since I’ve been using it regularly again, I write circles around my former output times. The words are just at my fingertips.
How did I do it? (More importantly, how can you do it too?) Well, you probably already know you must have curiosity to become a good writer. Take your natural curiosity to the next level and become an avid observer.
When you’re driving, look at the car next to you on the road. Pick up a can of beans in the grocery store. Check out your shampoo while in the shower. Notice the colors and smells. What qualities does it have that set it apart? What would make someone want to buy what you’re looking at? You’re surrounded with opportunity to sharpen your writing skills. It’s easy.
How Cliffhanger Paragraphs Capture Readers
April 14, 2008
About 50 years ago, movie serials kept theater crowds coming back week after week. Each episode ended with a "cliffhanger," a suspenseful unresolved problem. Audience members had to return the next week to see what happened.
Surprisingly, this narrative form isn’t new. Even in the Middle Ages, storytellers journeyed from castle to castle spinning suspenseful yarns without end. (What a way to guarantee return appearances!)
How can you create a cliffhanger for your readers? (1) Define a problem; (2) tell how to solve it; (3) state that the solution might link to another problem, (4) solve that one, but point to another difficulty, and so on.
Here’s a way to use this in business writing. Let’s say you’d like to send potential customers a series of three letters about your new cleaning service.
That first letter might present a brief outline telling how your firm offers three new cleaning innovations, including (1) environmental-friendly detergents, (2) well-trained personnel, and (3) weekly, monthly, or quarterly payment plans.
During that first letter, you might discuss ways your detergents lead to a cleaner environment. Near the end of the letter, your "cliffhanger" paragraphs might say:
5 Critical Mistakes Most Freelance Copywriters Make
April 11, 2008
Think you have what it takes to be a freelance copywriter? I wasn’t so sure I knew when I first started in 1999. All I knew was I desperately wanted to work from home to raise my two sons after my divorce. It took a lot of trial and error to get to the stabile and profitable business I am running now in 2005. There are some things I learned along the way I wish I knew much earlier in the game.
One thing I learned is that writing is a very small part of being a successful freelance copywriter. Don’t get me wrong. You DO need to know how to write. But your success depends largely on your savvy as a businessperson. How do I know? Because I’ve played it from both sides of the street. And I didn’t begin to enjoy success until I started doing some very distinct things in my business.
Please let me share with you some of the mistakes I made starting out so you can avoid those pitfalls yourself?and catapult to success much faster than it took me.
Mistake #1: Don’t attract new clients.
Dont Forget The Copywriting
April 9, 2008
Copywriting And Content Creation
One of the most important, but often overlooked aspects of marketing is copywriting. Businesses afford much attention, time and money, on graphics, mail formats and all of the website bells and whistles. But the copy–what is said about the businesses product–is often left to the end, receiving little focus or refinement.
Whether your marketing plan involves ads, direct mail or a website, you need to ensure that all of your copy is professional and furthers your marketing goals in the most effective ways possible. With all that you invest in each marketing effort, you must ensure that your copy is a help and not a hindrance to your marketing goals. You are undoubtedly very well versed on your product. But you may not know the appropriate angle for each specific medium.
For direct mail, what makes the targeted customer open your letter and continue to read? With print ads, how do you get your point across quickly and memorably? And with your website, how does a prospective customer find you and decide to buy your product? Each marketing medium requires specific copy know how, as the copy must further the different goals of each effort. Valiss has the experience in the marketplace to apply successful and appropriate copy principals for every form of campaign–principals relating to broader copy goals or the more subtle nuances.
Who is Your Customer?
April 6, 2008
When you want to sell something?anything? you need to first know who is going to buy it. Why? Because your ad copy has to be written to that person.
You should actually picture a real person and write to them. It might be someone you know or someone you know about. But it is someone. Give your person a body and a face you can visualize as you begin to write. If you have a photo, tape it up where you can see it as you work. If you don’t, try finding someone in a magazine and cut out his or her picture. SEE your customer. Give him a name.
Then, consider what makes him tick. What does your customer want from life? What worries him? What does she dream about? What are his goals? What motivates her?
Is your customer wealthy, or on the edge of poverty? Well educated? or barely educated? What kind of work does he do? What does she do for fun?
Once you have a firm picture of this person you can direct your advertising directly to him (or her) because you’ll know why your product or service will make his life easier, more fun, healthier, or more prosperous.
Four Simple Steps to Improve Your Sales Copy
April 4, 2008
You know what it’s like, you’re reading the sales material about a product you’re considering buying, but, as you read, all these questions seem to pop into your mind, but there’s no-one there to answer them, so you shelve your plans to purchase.
If it happens to you, you can guarantee it also happens to your customers when they read your sales copy. So, what’s the answer? You don’t have to practise mind-reading, just good-old fashioned common sense so here’s a four-step format to help you reassure your customers by answering those unasked questions:
1.”What’s in it for me?”
Paint a Picture
You already know it’s important to promote the major benefits of using your product in your opening copy, but don’t just list the benefits. Paint a picture so your readers can visualise themselves enjoying these benefits.
Not: “Save time and money with Acme widgets,” but “Free! Four hours a week to read a book, walk along the beach and follow your dream when you use Acme widgets -? the quickest Widget on the market today.”
2.”How can you give me this?”
Explain Why
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