Copywriter’s Selling Trick: Embedded Commands
February 28th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comMost forms of copywriting fall under the umbrella of direct response writing. Basically, you’re asking the reader to do something specific as they’re reading, or once they’ve finished. This can be ordering a product, subscribing to a newsletter or entering their e-mail address.
There are many different techniques used to get a reaction from people, but I’m going to tell you about an effective, if often underused, way to get readers to do your bidding.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Posted in Direct Response Copywriting, Sales Letters, Wordfeeder Copywriting | 5 Comments »Copywriting: How to Nab the Voice
February 26th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comYou’ve probably come across those articles on the web that work nicely as a sleep aid. You can’t really pinpoint a problem with the writing or grammar… but just the same, they’re about as exciting as the warning label on the back of a box of Tylenol.
What makes one article jump off the page and suck you in immediately, while others are merely yawn-worthy? The strong article clearly expresses a voice. The weak one does not. Writing can be a lot like people in that way. No one wants to hang with a dullard. So DO apply a personality to whatever you’ve penned.
Mind you, this is not about the logical arrangement of paragraphs, or the sentence structure. It’s about word choice - verbs, adjectives, adverbs. It’s about colloquial expressions and natural speech - even purposeful errors that wouldn’t fly in a grammar stylebook. It’s also about pauses and establishing rhythm in your writing. You’re not just stringing lines together; you’re singing your song.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Posted in Copywriting Techniques, Writing Voice | No Comments »Copywriting Lessons I’ve Learned While Squatting in the Trenches
February 20th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comUnbeknownst to my readers and clients, I’ve got a lot going on behind the scenes here at Wordfeeder.com. In both my personal life and my work, I’m experiencing major change, with some growing pains along the way. For those of you who buy into dream interpretation, my sleeping hours are taking me on a wild ride lately. Last week I dreamt that two of my back molar teeth fell out. I tried to screw them back into my gums but they weren’t having it.
I don’t know if every copywriter is like this, but I seem to have a talent for dual perspectives. Although I’m looking ahead toward expansion, team building, and a higher level of service, my mind is simultaneously in reflection mode. I find myself constantly assessing where I’ve been as I navigate a new and unbeaten path.
Here are some tips for those who want to be successful in the field of copywriting:
1. You MUST be Other-People Oriented.
People who “break into” copywriting begin by writing their own material. They stream their own consciousness on their blogs. This is enjoyable, and easy. They think, “Hey, I’m cut out for this copywriting thing. Soon I’ll be making millions.”
Popularity: 19% [?]
Posted in Business Management, Project Manager, Small Business Marketing, Target Audience, The Copywriting Client, Wordfeeder Copywriting | 5 Comments »Smart Quotes Again
February 16th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comSometimes I feel like a broken record with all my squawking about Smart Quotes. And yet, I’m constantly receiving copy drafts that are rife with these pesky little buggers. Let me share with you a copywriting tip that will make web designers love you.
Have you ever published a web article or email newsletter that somehow ends up littered with funny looking symbols? This is the MS Word Smart Quotes issue. Let me show you what I mean, so you can identify when it happens to you…
Smart Quotes is the term for that thing Microsoft Word does to straight inch marks and footmarks. It turns them all curvy and cute so they look nice in your document and won’t be confused with their straight edge counterparts.
This would be fine, except that HTML doesn’t recognize Smart Quotes and converts them to gibberish as soon as you publish your web page of copy. In fact - none of the special formatting in Word translates to the web properly. So I would advise you to turn off ALL formatting before you type web copy into MS Word. Here’s how it’s done.
Step 1. In MS Word, go to top menu bar and click on the Tools pulldown menu. Scroll to Autocorrect options and highlight that.
Step 2. Tab over to Autoformat as you type. Then uncheck all the boxes in that category.
Now, when you hand your copywriting drafts to clients, or you transfer your Microsoft Word based text to an email newsletter, you won’t have to worry about those pesky Smart Quotes symbols littering up your document.
- Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing.
Popularity: 100% [?]
Posted in Article Marketing, Copywriting for the Web | 4 Comments »The Quick and the Good: How to Be Fast on Your Feet in the World of Online Business
February 16th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comI worked as a copywriter in the creative department of a large corporation for many years. The downside to this is that “creative” is not so creative when you’ve got fifteen or 20 sets of hands stirring the sauce. The upside is the organizational skill you gain with after working with a group of graphic designers and computer geeks all passing and sharing files on the same network.
If you’re in this business game to serve people well and make a good living, then that’s a huge upside - and it applies to any business, not just advertising or copywriting.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Posted in Business Management, Copy Right, Project Manager, Small Business Marketing | No Comments »How Looking Good Will Help You Write Better Copy
February 13th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comMost *normal* people feel good when they look good. A couple dropped pounds, a clean close shave, and a hot new outfit definitely do wonders for the attitude. When we look good, we’re on top of it, ready to be seen and heard. We get more accomplished in a day.
The same goes for your web copy. Now on the one hand, people want to get the best deal on website and blog design. They’re putting their trust — their image, and their future for God’s sake — into the hands of high school students, faceless coders in India. They’re turning their jobs over to the guy with the fake name who learned web design by downloading a 10-step tutorial.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Posted in Marketing Communications, The Creative, Wordfeeder Copywriting | No Comments »The Almighty Tagline and Why Your Company Needs One
February 13th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comThe tagline is a short, one-liner that follows your company name and makes an emphatic, philosophical statement about your business. A good tagline captures the heart and soul of your company in a single, compelling sentence or phrase. It’s often a call to action (Nike: Just Do It) but it doesn’t have to be.
A tagline is conceptual in nature. It is the abbreviated version of your Company Philosophy or USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Your tagline should convey the greatest values embodied by your organization, or your reason for being.
Who doesn’t enjoy a snappy and clever tagline? Recall these famous taglines that have stayed with us for decades:
Popularity: 25% [?]
Posted in Branding Strategy, Copywriting Techniques, Taglines, The Creative | 2 Comments »Benefits Vs. Features in Your Copywriting…
February 13th, 2008 Dina at Wordfeeder.comHow Knowing the Difference can Increase Your Sales
People don’t normally buy products based solely on technical specs and data unless they’re working in R&D labs or in some other science based environments. The fact is that most people buy based on emotion and then rationalize their purchases using logic.
That’s why it’s not enough for you to simply spout off the features of what you’re offering - you have to give customers a benefit that they can clearly embrace and understand.
Popularity: 11% [?]
Posted in Direct Mail Copywriting, Marketing Communications, Persuasive Copywriting, Wordfeeder Copywriting | No Comments »