The absolute minimum you need to know about brand copywriting

The brand is the face of the company. It is how consumers perceive your brand and product or service, so it’s logical that brand copywriting – writing brand names, slogans and taglines – should be done artfully and with great care. As a business owner, you already know brand copywriting isn’t just an art form; it’s vital to success. Brand copywriting affects revenue in two ways: 1) Customers satisfied with their experience will become advocates for your brand, sharing word-of-mouth marketing with colleagues and friends. That leads to what marketers call the top of the funnel effect, where new customers enter through customer referral through brand awareness campaigns 2) The language used in branding also influences brand perception, which can influence purchase behaviour. Since brand copywriting is so important, it’s essential to understand what you need to know as a business owner. Let’s look at some key points explaining brand copywriting and the effect it has on brand success. A brand name needs to communicate value in just four words or less Your brand name should describe precisely what your brand offers customers. For example, Apple Computer communicates that they are a technology brand. At the same time, KFC (after years and years of superior branding) tells consumers exactly what they’ll straight up to get. We all know it stands for Kentucky Fried Chicken. While unique brand names are typically more memorable, there are several variables to be aware of before launching a branding campaign: Does the name emphasise benefits or features? How easy is it to brand across multiple channels? Can the brand name be used as a verb, i.e., Skype? Customer equity impacts brand influence and brand salience Research shows that brand equity contributes directly to brand value, so it’s worth investing in. Customer equity or brand loyalty can affect revenue by increasing purchasing frequency and purchase volume. It is essential to consider that brand familiarity does not necessarily lead to preference because people can grow accustomed to seeing a particular brand without forming an opinion about its quality. On the other hand, if consumers prefer a specific brand over another, they will seek out information about that brand even when no direct purchases are involved. As you can see, maintaining customer equity is vital for good business, and you can do that through really cleverly crafted copywriting and assets. A brand’s personality gives it an edge over competitors. Today, brand influence is driven by brand personality. You’ve probably heard the acronym ASP— authentic, sincere and professional— used to describe the brand character. It is a simple way to explain three components of brand building: 1) Brand positioning – why a brand exists 2) brand personality – what role a brand plays in consumers’ lives 3) Brand behaviour – how a brand behaves These three elements make up a brand’s ‘DNA’ – its fundamental values that communicate trustworthiness or fun, for example. The critical thing here is that brands with personalities are more likely to be remembered by customers because they trigger emotional responses which influence purchase decisions. In other words, brand personality is the foundation of brand success, and you can convey that through written and visual assets and marketing. Taglines are the brand’s short and sweet pitch to customers A brand tagline is a slogan that expresses the brand essence in just a few words. Taglines usually define brand positioning or position brand attributes. For example, McDonald’s’ motto ‘I’m lovin’ it’ tells customers why they should be excited about their brand experience. It also uses wordplay to communicate that McDonald’s offers lots of love and not just food. A good tagline should resonate with consumers long after hearing or reading it because it conveys an emotional message. The best brands express something unique about themselves through their taglines. But make sure you choose your words carefully! Research shows that specific phrases are more memorable than others. For example, ‘Just Do It’ is a much better brand catchphrase than ‘Just Don’t Do It’. Don’t forget about brand colours Colours are powerful when it comes to brand identity. They are the first thing consumers notice when they see your brand in action, so it’s essential to choose wisely. According to research, people immediately judge products based on colour alone— before they digest any other brand information. Colours also affect purchasing behaviour because people tend to buy shades that reflect their personalities or moods. That means you need to consider all the different ways your brand will be viewed in order for colour choice to impact sales success. It’s worth noting that brand colour is not the same as brand personality. The moral? Before finalising your brand colours, make sure you think about what emotions they should evoke and how that will affect brand salience. Your brand name represents a successful investment There’s no denying it: names can be hard to come up with and even harder to test. That’s why we often end up with nonsensical or abstract brand names like Google, Twitter or Pinterest. But this doesn’t mean these brands don’t have beneficial brand equity. Research shows that solid brand associations can offset brand names that are difficult to understand or remember. The best brand names represent a brand’s personality and meet customer expectations. It is also good to avoid trendy words because they rarely last more than five years. Lastly, make sure brand names suit your brand positioning and limit the scope of future product lines. Please don’t underestimate the importance of this final point. Recently, we’ve seen some big brands change their name (e.g., Yahoo! became Altaba) for better or worse. It can have a considerable impact on consumer perception! What you need to know when hiring a brand copywriting expert Every brand is trying to get a particular message across. For example, every brand wants to make their customers feel a specific emotion towards them before purchasing their products and services. This is why brand copywriting is essential. When hiring a brand copywriter,

Writing a Good Book Blurb

Blurbs are book descriptions, and they are a crucial part of book marketing. A bad blurb can cause readers to pass over your book in favour of another book with a more attractive description, so it’s important for authors to know how to write a good book blurb that will get their book noticed. This blog post is written specifically for self-published authors who want to promote their books but don’t know where to start. Book blurbs can get your book more sales and reviews so don’t delay in writing your best blurb yet! Book blurbs are important for new self published authors Book blurbs can be written by any author using solid sales copywriting techniques but they should always be aimed at readers who might not know about your book yet. A good way to start writing a new one is with this question: “What one sentence would make someone want to buy my book?” When you answer it yourself, think about what’s appealing and different about the story compared to other books out there on shelves/eBooks stores now. The first sentence is everything The first sentence needs to be the most enticing and capture the essence and theme of the book. And you most certainly need to have a hook in the first sentence. The book blurb is the first thing that many readers see, and it’s your best opportunity to hook them. It should be short and concise but detailed enough for potential buyers to know what they are going to get out of reading or listening to your book. What do you want a reader who picks up this book to say? That they read an amazing book filled with suspense? A fantastic book with twists at every turn? Let them know before they buy the book! Writing a good book blurb tips Don’t use flowery language or tell everything about the story (that comes later). You just need a quick summary of themes, characters, setting. You know, the basics A book blurb should not be too long or too short, it needs to include the main points of what you want people to know about the book without spoiling anything. Instead, try something like “In this gripping novel by Jennifer Hillier we find out why Alexis left her hometown in shame twenty years ago.” Now their curiosity has been piqued but they don’t have any spoilers yet. Avoid being clichéd by using phrases such as ‘one man’s struggle to find himself’ or ‘the book will change your life.’ Be specific. Exactly HOW will it change someone’s life? And in what timeframe? Know what to include in the blurb and what to leave out. Sometimes, leaving out the details and getting people to work their imagination can be the biggest seller since our brains just naturally love to fill in the gaps. Writing a good book blurb (step by step guide) Start with the basics: Step one – What is your book about? The best way to answer this question might be in broad terms. For example, ‘a love story set in New York City during the summer.’ Step two – Why should people read it? Get into the mind of your reader and tap into exactly why they will want to read it. Does your book change your reader in some way? Does it reveal a facet of our minds that we are too afraid to face? Will it help them improve their business? Be explicit here. Step three – Who are some of the main characters? This question might be answered with just a sentence or two. For example, if your book has more than one protagonist, then you could say something like ‘The story follows three women: Julia who lives in New York City; Jane who lives in London; and Anaïs from Paris.’ Remember, this is to start with. The following sentence will need to be a contrast, expose the obstacles they need to overcome or the shock to their world. Eg, ‘The story follows three women: Julia who lives in New York City; Jane who lives in London; and Anaïs from Paris. And unearths how their lives or intertwined through a tragic car accident.’ Step four – Summarise Summarise your blurb in one or two sentences that acts a final convincing statement. Eg, ‘A charming book that will ensure readers learn enough about Paris to never have to go there!’ A book blurb is your biggest selling tool (alongside the cover) when it comes to your book. So you can’t afford to skimp on writing a good book blurb. If you need help, let’s talk and get your book selling like hotcakes with my book blurb writing service. Get ready to launch your author career with the international Self Publishing Formula

Sales Funnel Copywriting – Do it Like the Experts

What is a sales funnel? A sales funnel is a linear process that begins with the acquisition of new customers and ends with the satisfaction of their needs. In order to create an effective customer journey, you should start by outlining your goals for what you want to achieve from it. Then identify all steps necessary in achieving this goal or set of goals, such as gathering information on prospects. The beauty of a great sales funnel is that it works for you. Once you’ve set it up and it’s up and running, you can leave it and it will do the sales work on your behalf. Like a staff member! What is sales funnel copywriting? Sales funnel copywriting is a critical component of any company’s marketing strategy. The words you choose to include in your sales funnel will have an effect on the conversion rates, as well as how much money your business makes. In this post, we are going to cover what sales funnel copywriting is and why it matters so much for companies. Sales funnel copywriting is the process of writing content which will lead your potential customers to make a purchase. This can often be done through persuasive sales language, and it’s typically found near what are called conversion points on your website or in emails. Conversion points are any touchpoint with the customer that could potentially get them to click “buy” – for example, an image gallery may have calls-to-action overlaid on individual images so that when someone clicks there, they’ll be taken to the full product page where they can buy directly if desired. What is sales funnel copywriting and how you can do it like the experts The biggest mistake companies make when they launch their business online is not building a sales funnel that attracts their dream clients and leads them through a process When. launching a Here’s business online an, example it of what’s important not to to make do sure: your you run sales an funnel ad has that all takes of the opportunities for all those who an click up onsell its and down to your home page sell. Sales funnel copywriting tips Good copywriting knows how to get the readers attention and hold it! Here are some tips on making sure this happens… When you create your sales funnel, to make it work for every person with different needs and wants. Make sure that the landing pages are ready so people will convert into leads. Don’t forget to have a clear call-to-action on each page of your website, including about us and contact information. Otherwise, no one will be able to find out more or buy what they need to move forward in their business goals! Create landing pages and follow up messages based on where visitors enter into the funnel. People who visit during early stages are more likely interested in lowering prices while those at later stages will be looking for free trials or demos. As a general rule. Not always. When creating your sales funnel, be clear about what people need when they land at each point in their journey with you . Sales funnel copywriting is what companies use to persuade their potential customers to make a purchase. This often includes persuasive sales language, and it’s typically found near conversion points on websites or in emails. Conversion points are any touchpoint with the customer where they could potentially click “buy.” For example: an image gallery may have calls-to-action overlaid on individual images so that when someone clicks there, they’ll be taken to the full product page where they can buy directly if desired. People should be given a clear idea on what to expect from your company and its product or service. This is done by presenting the value you provide alongside any limitations in regards to how it will affect them. For example, if someone’s goal is lowering prices, then they may want to know that there are cheaper options out there for competing products. If their main concern is getting a handle on customer traffic patterns, then they would benefit more from benefits related specifically with managing visitors into your funnel than price discounts. You should also consider which stage of the sales process someone enters before sending promotional messages so as not to send too many details about an offer when prospects haven’t even decided whether or not to buy yet; only promote offers once people are hooked! Attention grabbing headlines and subheads that get your prospect’s attention from moment one. Catchy, powerful sentences throughout that compel prospects to continue reading. Framing benefits in language they readily understand (e.g., “saving time” instead of “time saving”) Writing the emotional benefit behind each feature, without sounding too cheesy. A compelling call to action at the end which includes clear instructions on how they can claim the offer, act now or get the product or service that you are offering. You can use curiosity to drive people towards a landing page. This is because, according to statistics, 96 per cent of your site visitors aren’t ready to buy on their first visit. To do this, you should focus more on the commitment aspect by asking for someone’s email address and less about how much the person will spend right now. You have to warm them up a little first! Keep in mind what you’re trying to accomplish with the writing: get them interested enough so they’ll read your headline or click on a link, but not too much detail about an offer when prospects haven’t even decided whether or not to buy yet; only promote offers once people are hooked! How to structure your sales funnel Step one: the bait. This is the first time your prospects know you exist. Step two: they decide to follow you or engage with you a little further. Often this is signing up to your mailing list or engaging in some sort of lead magnet. Step three:

Copywriting Hacks: Better Business with These Simple Tricks

We all want our marketing assets to do better for our business. Generate more leads, talk to more people and seduce more website visitors. But not everyone is a copywriter. That’s why I’ve compiled some easy copywriting hacks that just about anyone can do! Copywriting hack 1: Headlines Use a bold headline to capture attention and sell your product. If the headlines you have, haven’t quite been working, then why not change them up? Be sure to use your SEO keyword and try some stronger language. Since people always just scan web text, hook your readers by using headers to divide sections. This makes it easier for people to find the information that they need and navigate through content. Headers are also handy if you want someone to read a specific part of an article. Copywriting hack 2: Key messages Repeat key messages over and over again in the copy for maximum impact. Find different ways of saying your key message so that your audience will absorb it. The key to writing a successful key message is repetition. You want your readers to be able to remember the message you are trying to get across, so it’s important that they will see and hear your keywords multiple times while reading. Not only should you repeat these words in an article itself but also use them as subheadings throughout. The same principle applies for social media copy and web page copy. Copywriting hack 3: Modify the tone Depending on what your business or service is and who your clearly identified target demographic is, be sure to keep your tone of voice and language conversational so that you sound like a real person instead of just another company talking at people about how great they are all the time. Copywriting hack 4: Change the words The way your brain reacts to textural adjectives is fascinating and is an underused tactic when it comes to copywriting and marketing. Using words like ‘gorgeous,’ ‘rich,’ or ‘delicious’ are not only positive but will also come off as more natural and less forced than other descriptive phrases. A textural adjective is a word that describes something as it feels, tastes, or smells. For example ‘silky,’ ‘lush,’ or ‘smooth.’ Using words like these can be more effective than using adjectives describing colour and shape. So ditch the bland describing words and get more specific. There are four easy to implement copywriting hacks that you can easily try on your existing copy and won’t take you long to do. Give it a go and measure your results. For more extensive copywriting projects or to completely nail that website, please enquire about my copywriting services now.

Why You Need a Professional to Create Your Brand’s Tagline

A brand tagline is one of the most important marketing tools for a brand. It’s what people think about when they see your brand and it can help them decide whether or not to buy your product. Your brand tagline should embody everything that you want your brand to be known for. However, if you’re like many small business owners who are in charge of coming up with their own brand taglines, then you may tempted to come up with your own. And just because you think it’s a catchy pun or play on words, doesn’t mean it is a powerful tagline to help solidify your brand and speak to your customers. Your brand tagline should embody everything that you want your brand to be known for. Your brand is a representation of your company’s identity and what it offers to its customers. You cannot just use any old words for your brand tagline, you need one that will not only convey the right message about your brand but also build an emotional connection with the customer. Professional brand copywriters know exactly how to do this! If you are tired of trying in vain to craft a memorable brand tagline on your own, hire a professional freelance copywriter who can help get those creative juices flowing and take care of all the hard work for you. Brand copywriting experts have great minds (if I do say so myself) when it comes to crafting messages that engage people emotionally. Something most entrepreneurs struggle with because they don’t specialise in marketing like these pros do! Below, I discuss why it’s so important to hire a professional to come up with the perfect brand slogan for you and why doing so could make all the difference between success and failure for your brand. Hiring a professional brand tagline creator is necessary for these reasons: It’s important to hire someone who understands how brand slogans work and what they’re supposed to do because you don’t want your brand slogan to go unappreciated by customers. You need professionals in order to produce brand slogans that are unique and offer a competitive edge in the marketplace. There’s no point having something similar to most of the taglines out there. You need professionals to come up with brand taglines because it’s difficult for you to do so on your own without any experience or knowledge of branding. Other people might steal your brand’s tagline if you don’t protect it properly. You might miss out on valuable SEO opportunities. You need to brand your website with a brand tagline that’s unique, memorable and strong. Hiring professionals is the only way you’ll be able to create something powerful in time for your new business or website launch. Brand slogans are integral pieces when it comes to branding because they set up an image of what people should expect from your brand; customers will feel more loyal if they have a connection with them. A brand tagline can help people easily identify who you are or what idea you represent so make sure not to miss out on this opportunity by trying to do it yourself without professional assistance! Overall, the tagline has to speak directly to your target demographic, evoke the right sentiments and increase your branding proposition, not detract from it. The brand tagline is the one thing that will stick with people whenever they see your brand. It’s what they think about when they see your product, website or other branding and can help them decide whether or not to buy from you. You may not want to spend the initial outlay of a professional copywriter but getting it right from the start is the most incredible investment. Plus, if you ever sell your business or brand, investing in a professional tagline as an asset will only increase its value. With a professional brand copywriter on hand, crafting something powerful won’t be a headache anymore!

How to Write SEO Product Descriptions – 10 Tips

Below, you will see my tips on how to write SEO product descriptions. But not just any product descriptions, ones that really suck people in and give them a thrill about what they are just about to purchase from you. 87 per cent of shoppers rate product content extremely or very important when deciding to buy so you need to make sure it’s perfect if you want to improve sales. Here are some of the best practices how to write bewitching SEO product descriptions: Semrush eCom special offer

Copywriting for generation X

Generation X are people who are 38 to 53 years old in 2019. And, as a target demographic, when it comes to copywriting and marketing, they are ripe for the “attacking”. Generation X in Australia are known as the ‘forgotten generation’ and aren’t as noisy or given as much attention as all the other generations, particularly when it comes to marketing. Which is silly because once you onboard them as customers, they are ridiculously loyal. So marketers and brands are doing themselves a disservice by not creating and marketing products to them.  They like to research a lot and are keen information sharers amongst their friends, colleagues and family. Which means, they are going to Google the heck out of your brand and compare your product or service to your competitors long before they make a decision. But, like I mentioned above, once they have made a decision, they are highly likely to be brand loyal.  Although the most brand loyal out of all the generations, they are still constantly seeking value for money and convenience at stores such as Big W, Aldi and Target. 70 per cent of generation X want brands to make their lives simpler and more convenient because many just want more time with the family and more “me time”. They want to create more time so they can spend with family and have an active hands on role in parenting How generation X live and work It’s incredibly important to them to spend time with their family. Constant seekers of the elusive work/life balance, they are hard workers and live by the motto ‘work hard, play hard.’ Generation X, are big into planning and considers hard work just part of being human. ‘Gen X was also ranked highest among fellow workers for having the strongest work ethic’ and we can generally find them in middle management in professional fields.  So, if you are marketing products or services, consider using experiences and family orientated activities to appeal to their leisure preferences as well as rewards for career related achievements and acknowledge how hard they work.  What they believe Generation X also believe in being grateful for the opportunities they have in life, that may not have been afforded to generations before them. They believe that higher education is crucial to their success yet they are quieter and humbler about their achievements because would rather fly under the radar. Generation X values include: honesty transparency trust resourcefulness independence self sufficiency quality time (with self, friends and family). So it’s crucial you think about these values when you market to them. How can your business show that you are the most trustworthy? How can you allow this demographic to be more self sufficient when accessing your offerings? Generation X want a brand that: they can be highly loyal to makes their life simpler and more convenient genuinely earns their trust reassures and supports (before after and during their purchasing journey) offers less overt sales techniques (no pushy sales tricks for this generation) are ethical and eco conscious and that do good for the world nurtures their lifestyle (think subscription services for the home). Furthermore, it’s really important to connect with this generation that you create copywriting that is positioning situations as real world and relatable, rather than highly aspirational (which, say, millennials respond to). ‘Nielsen reports that both men and women of Generation X are drawn to TV Advertisements that showcase everyday life and real-world situations. Generation X women in particular enjoy sentimental ads that focus on family life. Appeal to Gen Xers by rooting conversations in real-world possibilities.’ Some words that can enhance your copywriting targeting generation X are: trustworthy relaxing family convenient consistency reliable “me time” fuss free resourceful truthful work hard rewarding independence balance no nonsense clean eco friendly Some of generation X’s favourite brands include: Amazon Netflix Android Hershey If you want more information like this, grab a copy of my book Potent: improve your website with effortless copywriting.

Why should website copywriting answer questions?

Major search engines like Google have grown from being a simple way to navigate to a doorway to boundless knowledge. As a result of this, the number of search requests that are question related are rapidly increasing, making solutions focused website copywriting more critical than ever. There are three main reasons why your website copywriting needs to address a user’s question and problems. If you’re providing solutions based copy, then it: is better for SEO improves your bounce rate provides more credibility and trust. A 2017 Jumpshot study published on Moz predicted that approximately eight per cent of search queries are phrased as questions. This may not look like a significant figure but Internet Live Stats suggests that people made around 3.5 billion searches per day in 2018 and this figure is only going up. Questions in SEO search terms As a real life example, let’s take a related topic using some of the leading SEO search software available.  The SEO search term ‘how to improve my website ranking’ had a higher search volume of 70 (average number of times it has been searched) with a 100 per cent click potential (the likelihood that people will click on your link should it rank high enough). Similarly, ‘how do i improve seo on my website’ (search volume of 50) whereas ‘improve my website’ has a search volume of 20. This keyword data shows us that people are searching more question based terms for this particular example (and likely many others), specifically 350 per cent more enquiries.  That means if you aren’t factoring in question based SEO keywords into your website content, then you could be missing out on a whole heap of searchers who are specifically looking for the answers you can directly provide.  … if you aren’t factoring in question based SEO keywords into your website content, then you could be missing out on a whole heap of searchers… Answer the question Even more important than including question based terms, is actually being able to answer them in clear, concise wording. If someone visits your site and isn’t able to glean the answer they are searching for, they will leave your site no matter how great your web design is. This may seem like an obvious thing to keep on top of but it goes much deeper than that. It points to an aspect of SEO known as bounce rate. Your bounce rate is how long a user stays on your webpage (not website) before leaving. The shorter their stay, the less authority your site has and vice versa.  A bounce rate signifies the visit quality of your site and if you are getting a high bounce rate, that is an obvious indication that what you have on your website is not relevant to what viewers are searching for.  Neil Patel, one of the world’s SEO experts, has suggested that the average bounce rate is around 40 per cent. However, this average is different for each industry and function of your site. For example, targeted retail sites can expect an average of 20 to 40 per cent bounce rate.  This is where relevant website copywriting is of the utmost importance. Good copy will engage, inform, educate and promote at the same time. This ensures that your readers spend more time on your page, boosting your search visibility. Credibility Perhaps the most central thing to consider is the level of credibility and trustworthiness you are offering a potential new customer or client. ‘80 per cent of users say that being able to trust the information on a site is very important to them as they decide to visit a website.’ If you have misled them to your website without providing genuine information and solutions, they are going to easily dismiss your services and likely not return. Directly answering a searcher’s question or addressing their problem will build trust, which is the ‘cornerstone to all customer experiences.’ But it’s not just the website that people are trusting, this lack of trust could also extend to your whole brand if you are not careful. ‘Eighty-one percent say, “Trust in brands is an important part of my purchase behaviour.” The best way to answer questions Website copywriting focuses on creating familiar triggers that your readers can quickly identify with while emphasising different aspects of your product or service. It does this by finding, highlighting and solving a problem, even if the reader doesn’t know they had that problem in the first place. This is often known as the PAS formula and it stands for: problem agitate solve Problem The first step involves introducing and identifying a problem that your reader has using familiar triggers. For example, if you’re a small business owner a problem may be that you need a website but don’t have the time to create one. Staggeringly, 50 per cent of small businesses in Australia do not have a website. And of that number, 17 per cent they don’t have time to build or manage one.  Immediately, we can identify and highlight the problem which is that making a website is too time consuming. Agitate Next, we identify their most significant pain point and provide examples or ask questions to agitate it. The goal here is to make your readers realise the solution even before you point it out, providing the reader with more sense of control. The more specific you can be, the more effective. In the example above, there’s an opportunity to use emotive language such as exhausted, time pressured, worried, frazzled etc. And you can push the points of what they are missing out on by spending time worrying about the website or spending time creating the website (eg, not home in time to see the kids before their bedtime). For example, ‘Are you too constantly frazzled to get your website up and running?’ Solution Finally, after you’ve stirred the pot sufficiently and made them anticipate the solution you’re offering, it’s time to hand it over on a silver platter. For example, ‘get a custom website built

Ask a copywriter: bite sized answers

Here is a collection of quick, bite sized answers that I have provided using my extensive experience as a copywriter on the Q&A site, Quora. Failing at doing your own copywriting? Stop mucking aroud and hire a professional.

Copywriting that sells

Businesses, like Apple, have mastered the art of seducing a significant number of buyers and creating a massive buzz around each product launch. They have a strong product, stunning images and an incredible website. But their sales copywriting plays an important role, too. They use copywriters who know precisely how to sell using words. They know the copywriting tricks, formulas and techniques that convert potential buyers and sells products. They know what words to use to justify the purchase of an iPhone 11, even when you own a fully functional iPhone XS. So, how do they do it? How do they write persuasive sales copy that engages and fascinates doubters, turning them into buyers, often without their realising? Here’s how: 1. Have one big idea and state it clearly The first thing most visitors look at on your website is your headline. Most headlines are comprised of one or two sentences that are crafted to immediately capture attention and spark interest. The key to writing a strong headline is focusing on one big idea. Usually the most valuable benefit of the thing you’re trying to sell and showing it off constructively. Great headlines are attention grabbing, without being too salesy or overstuffed with keywords. Tip 1 Start by clearly defining your primary value proposition and presenting it in an exciting way. Tip 2 You can include some interesting data or statistics to help make your headline instantly memorable. For instance: ‘25% of NSW teachers use our education supplies.’ 2. Present your idea in short sentences A large number of your website visitors are people looking for quick answers to immediate problems. Although lengthy prose like content can help explain exactly how what you’re selling can help them, few will take the time to read it. Excellent sales copy has to be easy to read and understand, so visitors don’t have to make an effort to read your content. Short sentencesare easier to assimilate and they help give your copy some rhythm. For instance, ‘All-new Lightning connector. Smaller. Smarter. Durable. Reversible.’ The above Apple ad includes one word sentences that pass the idea across effectively. Tip 1: Aim for an average sentence length of 11 to 15 words for maximum impact. Tip 2: Don’t worry about starting sentences with conjectures like and, or, and butas they help draw attention to individual sentences. 3. Understand the type of awareness you’re aiming for Depending on your market position, your customers may be at different levels of awareness about their problems and the solution you’re proposing. Therefore, the type of content and messaging you put out should depend on the stage of awareness your customers are at. If your customers are entirely unaware of their problems: your copy should be crafted to bring their issues into focus. If your customers are aware of their problem: your copy should provide helpful information about their problems and available standard solutions, including yours. If your customers are aware of the solution: your copy should promote the high level benefits of your product that’ll make them want to choose it over others. If your customers are aware of your brand/product: your copy should highlight its value proposition as well as the rest of the benefits you have to offer. Think of the copywriting process as a journey from little or no visibility to the point where your product becomes indispensable to your target market. 4. Use stories Nothing converts like a truly engaging story. This is why companies like Apple and Facebook have invested so much in creating Hollywood versions of their humble beginnings. Stories are also a powerful copywriting tool to help readers picture or feel something that makes them want to buy from you. Tip: A great story describes the origin of your product and the challenges you’ve had to overcome along the way. Read more about how to write a brand story. 5. Employ the services of a professional copywriter There is a reason why we get a plumber in whenever our toilet backs up. For excellent copywriting that sells, you can turn to a professional Australian copywriter who knows the right words to describes a problem, presents your solution and close the sale. Or you might like to go at it yourself with my website copywriting book.

Copywriting product descriptions

In 2013, Australians spent $37.1 billion via ecommerce and 53 per cent of people regularly buy from Australia. In 2018, international shoppers were expected to spend $16 billion (AUD) annually with our local online retailers. Ecommerce is a big, huge game. But if you want to make those real sales, instead of dribs and drabs, product description copywriting needs to be at its absolute best. If you’re new to sales copywriting, read on for some really practical tips to improve your product descriptions.  How important (out of ten) is it to write a decent product description? Go on, have a guess! The answer is zero. Because you do not want to settle for decent, you want to aim for mind blowing and earth shaking. Good copywriting a product description will be ultimately what sells your product, it’ll be that final nail in the coffin that will either confirm to your users that they are a click away from living happily ever after or it will put them off and they’ll run from the room and forget about what they were doing and never come back to purchase your product. My point: make it outstanding. ‘Just over six in ten [adults] made purchases online in the past year, spending on average almost $4,400 for the year,’ Sense eBusiness Report, July 2015. Great copywriting tips for online product descriptions Keep it brief. Avoid waffle.  Your product will be accompanied by an image (right? RIGHT?) but write the description as if the person cannot see the image. This is particularly important as Google and people value accessibility more and more. Convey the most important features straight up, preferably in order of importance. Is it organic? Handmade? Are there only three in the world? Next, communicate the benefits of using the product. For example, it will make you taller in two days and you will grow wings in your sleep. (If anyone actually sells this product, get in touch). If there is anything negative about the product in the description, you’re doing it wrong. Tell me, directly, like you’re talking to me face to face, what this product will do for me in as few words as possible. Include specifics like measurements, weight, main ingredients etc in bullet points. If you’ve done a little research on your product or have been selling it for a while, describe in one sentence what most buyers do with it or use it for. For example, these vials of blood make a great, quirky gift. Double points if you link it back to one of your own products. Don’t forget to include or match your product descriptions with positive customer reviews.  Tip: nearly 63 per cent of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product ratings and reviews. According to the website Visual.ly ‘…a good product review can hike up a product’s sales by nine per cent, whilst a bad one can drag down someone’s intention to buy by eleven per cent.’ Although these are American statistics Australia often emulates these spending patterns and behaviours.  If it’s time you improve your website and update your product descriptions, why not have a read of my expert website copywriting book, Potent?

Ebooks are pivotal for marketing

Writing and releasing an ebook is a powerful marketing tool that comes with many benefits. Not just that satisfied feeling that you’ve accomplished something that is tangible and braggable. But it actually has real advantages to for your digital marketing. Although it can take some time and energy to write, the effort really pays off.  I advocate for ebooks as a mighty lead magnet (eg, something that entices people to sign up to your marketing list). Mainly because ‘…98% of your traffic isn’t ready to buy right now, and 70% of all website visitors on average will never return to your website.’ So capturing email addresses whilst you can is crucial.  Here are some real world benefits of having an ebook in your marketing plan. Credibility People have revered books for centuries. And for good reason. Books are one of the most influential tools that have ever existed for people. With an ebook you have a tool to put yourself in a locus of influence (for good, of course). Position yourself as an expert in your field so that you are the first name that people think of when considering the services you offer.  Plus, sharing your information in the form of an ebook offers that additional credibility. When people see how knowledgeable you are about a topic, you literally give them the proof that you know what you are doing and have more knowledge that your competitors or someone just entering the field.  Or if you are a startup venture or don’t have an established brand, an ebook is the perfect way to showcase and demonstrate loads of information so that it builds trust.  Control You have a bit more creative control over an ebook (than other forms of communications) and there is no hard and fast rule as to how it looks. You can go full hog and give over all your best information in thirty thousand words or you can keep it tight and enticing with your most favourite salient points in four thousand words and a few images.  More sales As mentioned above, an ebook is an effective lead magnet and attracts sign ups to email distribution list, particularly if it’s free. ‘People like to get things for free. It makes us feel like we’re getting a better value. That’s why all those infomercials on TV double your order for free, or throw in free gifts. It makes something that might seem expensive to begin with seem like a bargain, because of all the “free” things you’re getting. Tap into that same psychological drive by offering an incentive to your customers.’ Upsell An ebook is also an opportunity to sell your services or products even further, either by introducing your target demographic to an additional service that you offer or a more expensive or premium arm of services or products. You can also use it to cross sell or really solidify your businesses key message. Are you really the most creative hairdresser in the area? It’s a relevant and non pushy way to upsell to the people who are already interested in your knowledge. Longevity Ebooks are also great because people can take them away and read them at their own leisure, meaning that you will be top of mind when someone is reading your book in bed at night, on their lunch break or morning commute. Not just when they are Googling you— there is longevity in this type of content.  Value Ebooks immediately create a sense of value in a reader’s mind. Intrinsically, they promise a wealth of knowledge and people really feel like they are scoring a deal when they hand over their email address (or few dollars if you are selling it).  Easy It’s relatively easy to write and create (or outsource). You can easily publish yourself without specialised knowledge and without spending a fortune. You can upload to your site or email marketing list straight away. Do you know what else is great about an ebook? It’s an opportunity to repurpose your content. You can take your existing knowledge, presentation notes, enewsletters or blog posts and rewrite them in an ebook format.  Flexible You can include additional content that supports your key message, not just text. Ebooks— particularly pdfs— are amenable to worksheets, images, charts, hyperlinks, templates and more! And it’s all packaged up in one convenient place, rather than making your reader trawl through stuff on your website. I have always advocated creating a book for your business as part of your marketing plan. Here’s what I said in an interview with Huffpost a few years ago: “Self publishing my book has a lot of intrinsic value. Now I can refer to myself as an author, instead of just a writer. It’s also been a wonderful learning experience and has given me an insight into the publishing and bookselling industry that I might not have seen if I went with a traditional publisher,” Jones said. Don’t wait any longer to get your customised content out into the world and get those elusive email sign ups. Discover how you can get your ebook ghostwritten for you by a professional ebook copywriter now.