So now you have built the perfect sales message.
You have written a great headline that has grabbed your prospect’s attention.
You have put the “you” in your writing – focusing on the what the customer wants and needs and not what the seller wants. Yes, as sellers, we all want to sell something, but it’s your job to help the buyer want to buy.
You have figured out that features are nice but buyers buy benefits. They want to know what’s in it for them – and because you are becoming a great copywriter you now know just how to present product features as benefits to the buyer.
And you have separated yourself from the competition. You have made your product or service diferent. You’ve created that profit-making “unique selling postion”.
Customers today are constantly being sold. They are hit left and right with marketing messages – from TV to good websites to advertising everywhere. So, it is reasonable for them to be wary of any new marketing message they get.
Your great brochure might just be another bit of Spam in their minds. You have to win over that mind to win over their decision to do business with you. You have to back up your claims or you will lose the sale or a customer.

So, how do you help them believe?

Offer solid proof!

Provide a testimonial that your customer can believe. Offer credentials like certifications or licenses or relevant education.
Maybe photos are right for your business, showing results from the use of your product. Provide statistics that prove your claim. Give third party endorsements.
Back up claims with verifiable proof whenever possible.
Or make using your product no-risk!
Show your customer the money by letting them know if they are dissatisfied, you’ll refund every penny.
This techinique can probably not stand alone, because just about everyone is doing it. It is hard to sell today without a guarantee but it is a tool that should be in your toolbox and used freely.

Put your reputation on the line!

Let you customers and prospects know that you presonally guarantee results. You pledge to them that your product and service will do what you say it will do. One way to do this is a simple letter from you to your prospects included in your marketing materials.

Your name becomes the proof.

Remember – if your marketing materials are meant to sell – to turn suspects into prospects and prospects into customers – first promise a benefit – and back up that benefit with proof.
For clear, concise and compelling copy that will sell, motivate and intrigue, call me, Greg Wood, at 985-264-1910. You have my word that I will turn your words into profit.

There are a lot of companies and products that seem identical or almost identical to the client or customer. To get their business, you must separate yourself from the pack and you need copy that does just that.

You clients, customers and potential customers have a lot of competitors to choose from. How do you stand out from the herd?

When you don’t do so, you may wind up like Oldsmobile, Buick and Pontiac – three sides of the same coin. If you want to win you have to explain why your Oldsmobile is better than his Pontiac. At least it has to be better for the particular customer or market segment that you want as clients.

So how do you stand out when everyone else is standing in?

Try a different way to serve your customers. Everyone touts their service today. You have to be different. Are you more experienced? Do you have a way to do business online when other do not?

Offer a better guarantee. Offer something for free like a trial or a free service call or just about best of all a money back guarantee, no questions asked.

Offer a better warranty. If the competition offers 60 days, you offer 120. If the competition does not include labor in its warranty, you do. Make your warranty the best in class.

 Make yours the most trusted brand. Sometimes, I think the term “branding” is over used, but once you have developed a strong brand, you can stand out. You can become the most trusted name around the block.

 Tout your track record. If you have been in business a long time, let people know about it. Companies shut down about as fast as restaurants. If you are proven, make sure you use that.

 Use those testimonials. Make sure you get a list of testimonials and use them. You will stand out.

 Better payment terms.  Pay only interest until January 2011 or pay no interest until January 2011.

 Other ways to make yourself different:

• More glamorous
• Longer lasting
• Costs less
• Better for the environment
• Easier to learn and use
• Extras are included (a little lagniappe in south Louisiana)

 When I was working with home builders, I always asked why a client should buy from that home builder and not someone else. Ask yourself that question about your product or company.

And when all else fails, do what Avis did. They used their number 2 position in the industry to make themselves different. They tried harder.

If you want to improve your sales copy, call me today at 985-264-1910. Believe me, I will try harder. I want to be your salesman behind a typewriter and someone you can count on to boost your business.

After failing to gain attention for an ad or marketing piece, the biggest mistake that most marketing copy makes is failing to promise a benefit.

You can’t bring benefits to life in you do not promise a benefit. Why should anyone buy your product or service if there is no benefit to them?

You Must Promise a Benefit

Look at any magazine and you will see ad after ad with nothing but a list of features. The potential buyer probably is not even reading the ad because if a copywriter does not know how to promise a benefit, he probably did not gain attention in the first place.

So what’s the difference between a feature and benefit?

A feature is about the product, how it is made, what it does, how much it cost, where you can buy it, and so on. A benefit is how those features affect you, the customer. And you the customer cares about benefits and not all the malarkey that revolves around them.

Writing about features is easy. Translating those features into a benefit that will light up a buyer’s interest is more difficult.

Here’s a way to do it.

Features and Benefits:

When writing copy, keep the list of features and benefits where you can see it and refer to it as you write.

And for professional copyewriting services, call me today: Greg Wood at 985-264-1910.

What is SEO Copywriting

SEO Copywriting is writing for web pages so they are composed and contain text to place them high in search engine results. It emphasizes skillful use of words and placement to enhance search engine friendliness.

Keywords are only a part of SEO Copywriting, and, in fact, it is a mistake to overemphasize keywords with so-called keyword stuffing. Keywords should flow as part of carefully constructed text that stays on-target, is unique, and directed to the correct end-user. Other important elements are Meta tags, headlines, scanability, subheads, bulleted lists, word count, and succinct, persuasive text.

Some SEO Copywriting overlaps pure design options. Examples are

·        Keyword rich title page

·        Description meta tags

·        Keywords in headers

·        Keywords in the first paragraph

·        Descriptive keywords in Alt tags

·        Keywords in hyperlinks (anchor text)

·        Site Map

·        Individual web pages that target keywords

·        Web pages that localize the site

In addition, SEO Copywriting should be planned to use elements of a copywriting formula. A simple formula is AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Not every page can go through each part of a formula, but each page should attend to at least one marketing message.

Any one company may have more than one target user or buyer. In some common new jargon, these targets are often called “persona”. SEO Copywriting should focus on each “persona” of the company either in a single website or sometimes in multiple websites.

While search engine algorithms are somewhat of a mystery and the rules to meet the needs of search engines are developed somewhat intuitively, if you follow the rules and preferably use a professional writer, your website will score well in organic search.

For better search engine results, use a professional SEO Copywriter. Call me at 985-264-1910 or visit http://wordsintoprofit.info

Freelance Copywriter – Gregory Wood wordsintoprofit.info

Customer Focus

Earlier this year, I took a freelance writing job to write copy for a lawyer’s website. I interviewed him after he did not have time to fill out my usual data collection questionnaire. I tape all of my interviews for later reference. As part of the interview, he gave me some local samples of websites that he wanted to emulate. I reviewed them all.

I wrote his copy using the copywriting formulae that I have learned and studied over the past several years. A sample formula goes like this:

* Get Attention * Define the Problem * Offer Your Solution to the Problem * Offer Proof * Call to Action

All of these steps can be handled in different ways and some pages do not lend themselves to a step by step adherence to the formula, like an About Us page. In general, however, this is a time proven way to increase sales of your product or service. I assumed that is what this attorney would like to do.

Evidently, I assumed wrong. His response was not just negative but insulting using brow-beating verbiage. I don’t know if that was just his courtroom persona or his usual personality.

I learned some time ago to move on and out when a relationship with a client goes south. I did just that and resigned the job before I invested any more time and effort into it.

After I did, I checked his sample sites in a so-called “we-we calculator”. It is not perfect but it calculates copy’s customer focus versus self-focus. His samples showed 0% customer focus and 100% self-focus. This is not a way to sell yourself and your services to a potential client, though it might feed your corporate narcissism.

I happened to see his finished site last week. I ran it through the we-we calculator. It scored 0% customer focus and 100% self-focus. It is like talking to someone at a cocktail party and they spend the whole time telling you how great they are. You just can’t wait to get away.

The moral is simple. When you write copy, write for the client or customer, not for yourself.

If you want to learn more about copywriting that brings results, contact Greg Wood at 985-264-1910

This message was sent to blog@wordsintoprofit.info from: Gregory Wood | 2615 N. Causeway Blvd. C45 | Mandeville, LA perplexed

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Build Your Brand with Internet Marketing

Well, why is Branding important?

Branding is important because if it is done right it yields more repeat business, more dependable work and higher profits. I think you all want that, right? Branding influences the thoughts of people in the marketplace when they think of your firm.

How does Branding do this?

Let me ask you? Do you always buy the cheapest product? Do you always buy the most expensive? Do you buy the one that is advertised the most? I bet not. I bet you buy products with which you are comfortable, and I bet you buy from people and companies with which you are comfortable.

Well, how do you create that comfort level if you want to sell to someone? You do it with Branding. Branding can be as simple as wearing your company shirt when you are shaking the hand of a prospect. It can be the sign on a truck, a well-kept truck that presents the image of success. It is whatever you do that creates an emotional connection between you and your customer. In today?s marketplace, your presence on the internet is probably the most important branding device you can use.

What is the first thing you should do?

The first thing you should do to brand yourself, your company and your product is to take stock. You have to ask yourself questions about your product, your image and your customers, as well as the marketplace, of course.

You need to know who is buying from you, why are they buying from you, what are they buying, and you need to access the future. Are you satisfied with what is going on now or do you want to change it? Do you want to move up in price or to a different market niche?

The Message.

Once you have asked the questions, come up with a message that says what you are all about. Get you and your staff on the same page. Your presence on the internet should build your brand based on your knowledge of what the customer wants, needs, and will buy to solve those needs and his perceived problems. You build your brand by using the internet to impart your knowledge to customers in a way that educates them and starts a conversation with them. When you become the expert, you will garner more business.

Call me at 985-264-1910 if you want to talk about Branding, Internet Marketing, and how Copywriting fits in.

This message was sent to blog@wordsintoprofit.info from: Gregory Wood | 2615 N. Causeway Blvd. C45 | Mandeville, LA perplexed

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SEO Copywriting

What is SEO Copywriting

SEO Copywriting is writing for web pages so they are composed and contain text to place them high in search engine results. It emphasizes skillful use of words and placement to enhance search engine friendliness.

Keywords are only a part of SEO Copywriting, and, in fact, it is a mistake to overemphasize keywords with so-called keyword stuffing. Keywords should flow as part of carefully constructed text that stays on-target, is unique, and directed to the correct end-user. Other important elements are Meta tags, headlines, scanability, subheads, bulleted lists, word count, and succinct, persuasive text.

Some SEO Copywriting overlaps pure design options. Examples are

* Keyword rich title page * Description meta tags * Keywords in headers * Keywords in the first paragraph * Descriptive keywords in Alt tags * Keywords in hyperlinks (anchor text) * Site Map * Individual web pages that target keywords * Web pages that localize the site

In addition, SEO Copywriting should be planned to use elements of a copywriting formula. A simple formula is AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Not every page can go through each part of a formula, but each page should attend to at least one marketing message.

Any one company may have more than one target user or buyer. In some common new jargon, these targets are often called ?persona?. SEO Copywriting should focus on each ?persona? of the company either in a single website or sometimes in multiple websites.

While search engine algorithms are somewhat of a mystery and the rules to meet the needs of search engines are developed somewhat intuitively, if you follow the rules and preferably use a professional writer, your website will score well in organic search.

For better search engine results, use a professional SEO Copywriter. Call me at 985-264-1910 or visit http://wordsintoprofit.info This message was sent by: Gregory Wood, 2615 N. Causeway Blvd. C45, Mandeville, LA 70471

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Internet Marketing

Over the past two years, 95% of my writing has been for the internet. That is where the market is right now. There are several writing opportunities for internet marketing. I have outlined those in another document.

On the internet, content is king and most content is written, although video is becoming more and more important. Much of that video does need to be scripted.

Read more about[1] Internet Marketing here.

References

1. http://builderwebmarketing.com/2010/10/internet-marketing This message was sent by: Gregory Wood, 2615 N. Causeway Blvd. C45, Mandeville, LA 70471

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HELP THE SEARCH ENGINES FIND YOU

Almost all of the copywriting jobs that I’ve been getting have been for websites. Most of the time the job is for an entire small site, five plus pages.

Sometimes, the job is for a so-called landing page ? a page that readers first open either after clicking on a pay per click ad or from organic search. Landing pages can be home pages or they can be a separate and specific page focused on getting the reader to take some specific action, like buying a product or making an inquiry.

A squeeze page can be a landing page that is simply designed to squeeze an email address out of the visitor so the website owner can set up an email marketing campaign to those visitors.

SEO copywriting

While you may not be too concerned about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) when you are writing a page driven by Pay Per Click or some other form of advertising, if your page is a generic home page or another internal page, you should consider how your content relates to the SEO.

Surprisingly, almost none of my clients ask me to be so concerned?

Keywords play less of a role in SEO than the average person might believe, but you would be foolish to build a site that Google or other engines find credible and then not write pages which match words that people are actually searching for.

The good news for both website developers and for copywriters is that a good writer will naturally place important keywords and keyword synonyms on a page if that writer sticks to the knitting ? stays on target and uses simple, straightforward text that most of us would use when we talk about a particular topic.

If you write good, targeted content with normal, everyday words and phrases that are reader focused, you will likely do well SEO-wise. You’ll get folks to follow your site, and Google will love you for it.

You might want to carefully fine tune some wording. For example, lawyer is searched for more than attorney but you should certainly use less common words sometimes.

The bottom line is that you should use keywords, be aware of keywords, but never pack your content with them to the point where your writing is gibberish. The search engines and thus the market will punish you for it. This message was sent by: Gregory Wood, 2615 N. Causeway Blvd. C45, Mandeville, LA 70471

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