Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Is it time for a copy re-write?

Once you’ve written your award-winning copy, you’re all done, right? Well… not exactly. Wise marketers always keep an eye toward the future. While your product might remain the same in the months to come, people will not.

Their needs will change, technology will change and their goals will be adjusted to fit their lives better. By tracking customer feedback, you will be in a good position to tweak your copy from time to time (or rewrite it completely) to better fit the emotional standing of your target audience.

Here are some ideas to consider.

1. Keep up with the times.
Pay attention to technological changes relating to your product or service. With the invention of the Internet, small business took on a whole new meaning. While previously, only a tiny percentage of small businesses were based from home, now that number is growing at an amazing rate. This invention swung the door open wide for those who wanted to quickly set up a business from home.

2. Feedback is your friend.
Keep focused on the game and watch out for complaints and comments from your customers. Complaints need not be a bad experience. Swing past the upset emotions of the complainer and look for any legitimate ideas or suggestions he might have to offer… and improve your business constantly (this is a very important element for success).

3. Track your sales.
Often times, when sales slow down, it can be attributed to a particular event. Summers are normally slow for retail and for parent-oriented services because the kids are out of school. People are moving faster and going more places. On the other side, this increases sales in travel and tourism. However, if you can’t justify why sales have dropped, it may be a change in your target audience that you haven’t noticed. Do a little research to see if any major changes have come about in your industry. If so, adjust and tweak your copy to address those changes.

Summary:
Understanding that people and technology change is a big part to keeping your copy filled with current emotional triggers. Just by paying attention and with just a few hours of research every now and then, you can undoubtedly keep your copywriting stirring emotions and making the sale!

By Miguel Alvartz at his copywriting blog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some of you know I spend some time at Miguel's website forum at www.copywriting.com. I highly recommend perusing his blog for up to date and informative copywriting information. I will also be posting some of his articles here at ABHP for your consideration.

Eileen :D

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

How to Write Headlines That Work
by Brian Clark

Your headline is the first, and perhaps only, impression you make on a prospective reader. Without a headline or post title that turns a browser into a reader, the rest of your words may as well not even exist.

But a headline can do more than simply grab attention. A great headline can also communicate a full message to its intended audience, and it absolutely must lure the reader into your body text.

At its essence, a compelling headline must promise some kind of benefit or reward for the reader, in trade for the valuable time it takes to read more.

In The Copywriter’s Handbook, copywriter extraordinaire Bob Bly sets forth eight time-tested headline categories that compel action and rake in sales:

Direct Headlines go straight to the heart of the matter, without any attempt at cleverness. Bly gives the example of Pure Silk Blouses – 30 Percent Off as a headline that states the selling proposition directly. A direct blog post title might read Free SEO E-book.
 
An Indirect Headline takes a more subtle approach. It uses curiosity to raise a question in the reader’s mind, which the body copy answers. Often a double meaning is utilized, which is useful online. An article might have the headline Fresh Bait Works Best and yet have nothing to do with fishing, because it’s actually about writing timely content that acts as link bait.
 
A News Headline is pretty self-explanatory, as long as the news itself is actually, well… news. A product announcement, an improved version, or even a content scoop can be the basis of a compelling news headline. Think Introducing Flickr 2.0 or My Exclusive Interview With Steve Jobs.
 
The How to Headline is everywhere, online and off, for one reason only – it works like a charm. Bly says that “Many advertising writers claim if you begin with the words how to, you can’t write a bad headline.” An example would be, umm… oh yes… the title of this post.
 
A Question Headline must do more than simply ask a question, it must be a question that, according to Bly, the reader can empathize with or would like to see answered. He gives this example from Psychology Today: Do You Close the Bathroom Door Even When You’re the Only One Home? Another example used way too much in Internet marketing guru-ville is Who Else Wants to Get Rich Online?
 
The Command Headline boldly tells the prospect what he needs to do, such as Exxon’s old Put a Tiger in Your Tank campaign. Bly indicates that the first word should be a strong verb demanding action, such as Subscribe to Copyblogger Today!

Another effective technique is called the Reason Why Headline. Your body text consists of a numbered list of product features or tips, which you then incorporate into the headline, such as Two Hundred Reasons Why Open Source Software Beats Microsoft. It’s not even necessary to include the words “reasons why.” This technique is actually the underlying strategy behind the ubiquitous blogger “list” posts, such as 8 Ways to Build Blog Traffic.
 
Finally, we have the Testimonial Headline, which is highly effective because it presents outside proof that you offer great value. This entails taking what someone else has said about you, your product or service, and using their actual words in your headline. Quotation marks let the reader know that they are reading a testimonial, which will continue in the body copy. An example might be “I Read Copyblogger First Thing Each Morning,” admits Angelina Jolie.
 
Hey, I can dream, can’t I?

Copyblogger

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Private Reply to Laura Wheeler

Private Reply to bkrupp16

Readability - What is it?

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

This is another "Did You Know? " for web site content.

Making your text count means making it first and foremost,
Easy to Read.

1.) Text lines should be short. Around 500 pixels wide, which
equates to somewhere between 50 and 70 characters using a
regular font like say, Arial and between 10 and 12 in size. This
is for ease of use - the readability factor.

People will be able to read the text much easier. Have you ever
seen a web site where the text line length is a variable? Sure
you have, because morethan 60% of web sites are set up that
way. Sometimes the lines are so long you get lost and cannot
follow along. Not very user friendly. Copywriters know this and
according to the stats, a lot of web designers don't.

2.) Use white space around text boxes. Don't jam your text
up against the side walls of your pages. It diminishes readability,
yet again. Have, if possible, 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches of space around
the text box. Or more, never less.

3.) Use a size type that is big enough to read without squinting.
Make the type large enough to be easily read. I know you know
exactly what I mean on this one.

If this is news to any of the writers here, I'll eat my cowgirl hat!

Eileen :D

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Private Reply to Reg Charie

Private Reply to Eileen Brown

Private Reply to bkrupp16