AFFILIATE TOOLS AND TRAINING
Learning Copywriting
If you are a good writer, you should be able to pick up copywriting. The key behind copywriting is that you must understand that you’re writing in a different style and to a different audience. A good quote that will be used to start this article comes from the book The Copywriter’s Handbook, A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Copy that Sells. “A copywriter is a sales person behind a typewriter.” (p.1 of book mentioned above)
This is the key when you are learning copywriting. You must learn to communicate with the audience in a way that persuades them to buy the product or service that you are writing about. There must be an initial connection that is made or else you’ll find that you’ve lost the audience’s attention. In this day and age, people are inundated with the number of advertisements that they see every day and quickly discard any advertisement that does not fit within their perspective immediately. You must realize that your writing cannot be for the entertainment of an audience now but rather to sell a product or service.
As a quick introduction to some of the important points on learning copywriting, the first key is to pay attention to the headline. The headline is read more often than copy at an exponential rate. If you cannot catch someone’s attention with the headline, you have wasted the rest of your sales copy. A sales letter essentially only has about five seconds in which you can grab a person’s attention and the headline is one the most important factors in being able to pull that attention. This is just an example of copywriting and what you must look for.
In learning copywriting, look into the works of Dan Kennedy. He is one of the foremost experts on the subject and he has said before that he became better by continual development of his skills. If you would like to learn more about any one of his books, look into the following title: The Ultimate Sales Letter. You will want to make yourself a lifelong student of the subject in learning copywriting because there is always something more to know.
Hopefully this article on learning copywriting has helped you. This field will seem very challenging but at the same point it is one of the more interesting fields that you can find out there. The key to being successful and copywriting is to learn from what you do. If you constantly read and continue to develop your skills, you’ll find that you will become a great copywriter. It is hard within a single page to truly give you an idea of what it takes to be a copywriter but go back to the quote at the beginning of the article that a copywriter is a person who sells. Your goal is to educate an audience in a way that persuades them. This is the only difference between how you currently write and how you will write as a copywriter.
How To Choose A Professional Copywriter
You already know that professional copywriting is worth its weight in gold. You know that a good copywriter can help both to drive traffic to your website, and to keep it there once it arrives.
What you don’t know is how to find that copywriter.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The problem with copywriting is that, unlike, say, soda or bathroom cleaner, it’s not something you buy every week, or even every month. And unlike the products and services you’re familiar with, it can be difficult to know what to look for – or to spot a good thing once you’ve found it.
Luckily, as with most things in life, finding a copywriter is easy once you know how. And this article is here to show you how.
What to look for in a copywriting service
If you’re like most people, the first place you’ll turn to in your search for a professional copywriter is a search engine like Google. Wise move. Your copywriter’s website is probably the biggest clue of all as to just what kind of service you can expect. Here’s what to look for:
- Client testimonials
Any good copywriter will know that testimonials are one of the most powerful sales tools you can use to create copy that converts site visitors into buyers. (If they don’t know this, then they’re not a good copywriter. Hit that “back” button fast…). You’d expect your copywriter to use testimonials on their own site too, then, wouldn’t you? Look for a link that states “testimonials” or “customer comments” or similar. If it’s not there, ask yourself why…
2. A portfolio
No decent copywriter will expect you to commission them for a project without seeing some examples of their work. A copywriter’s portfolio is his or her calling card: without it, they’re going nowhere. Spend some time looking at the portfolio on your copywriter’s website. How does the copy read? It should be crisp, clear, and easy to understand. It should also prompt you to take some kind of action once you’ve read it, whether that action be making a purchase, joining a mailing list, or simply reading on. If the copywriter’s portfolio doesn’t persuade you they’re worth using, nothing will.
3. Client list / resume
There are no particular qualifications a copywriter needs to begin practicing. Some copywriters have English or journalism degrees, others are completely self-taught, having learnt their craft from the ground up. Instead of asking your copywriter about their qualifications, then, ask about their experience. Who have they worked for in the past? What have they done for those other clients? The answers to these questions should tell you all you need to know about how well-equipped the copywriter is to work on your project.
Some copywriters state their fees up front, others prefer to give quotes only on enquiry. No matter how your copywriter prefers to reveal their rates, though, make sure you have something to compare them to. Shop around. You wouldn’t buy the first house or car you laid eyes on, and neither should you settle for the first copywriter you find either. Once you have some quotes to look at, however, don’t make the mistake of assuming that the lowest quote must be the best value. Make sure you’re comparing like with like. Beware of “article mills”: companies who sell articles for just a few dollars per time. These companies tend to employ amateur writers, many of whom don’t even have a good grasp of English. Remember, you get what you pay for, and if a quote sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The going rate for website copywriting is around
Choosing A Great Copywriter
No two copywriters are the same. So how do you know you’re getting the best writer for the job? Unless you know what to look for, choosing your copywriter can be a bit of a lottery.
The truth is, copywriters range from the great to the not-so-great. Just like any other profession, there are high flyers, under-achievers, rogue traders and young pretenders. And even if you bag a top banana for your project, who’s to say they’ll gel with you? Or your product? Your style? Your chosen media?
The answer, of course, is research. Knowing what you want and sniffing it out is wiser than saying yes to the first person with a ready typing finger. But remember, a copywriter is someone who can – and should – do more than write. Their greatest asset is curiosity.
Copywriters want to know the ins and outs of every little thing. They’re fascinated by human nature, knowing how to capitalise on motivations and get inside the consumer’s head. A good copywriter will research your market inside out, then look at you critically through your customer’s eyes. It’s their curiosity – not their way with words – that finally helps them see your business in a whole new light.
Whatever your project, this is the first quality to look for in your copywriter. Curiosity is the key to persuasion. And persuasion is the only reason copywriters exist in the first place!
So, your copywriter needs a way with words – fairly obvious! And they have to tick the curiosity box. But you still need to whittle down the field and find the one you can spark off.
Try asking yourself a few of these questions when you’re weighing up a candidate:
Who’s doing the talking? Are they listening to you or talking about themselves?
How quickly have they grasped your business? Not just your products, but also your marketplace?
Can they write passionately? About anything? Even the dullest product? If they get you excited about sprocket valves, hire them on the spot!
Have they worked in your industry and chosen media? If not, does their other work show they have a grip on your marketplace?
When you’ve chosen a suitable copywriter, you’ll know you’ve made the right choice when you start offering feedback. Professional copywriters thrive on constructive criticism – it’s a surefire way of knowing they’re heading in the right direction. That doesn’t mean they’ll roll over and accept any changes you make, but they will keep an open mind and listen to every point of view.
When you offer feedback, however, you should see it as a two-way street. You may have to let go of some of your preconceptions. Great copywriters can realise why your current marketing isn’t working, and won’t shirk from telling you. They’ll be cruel to be kind.
But for now, these small measures should protect you against hiring the wrong person. Of course there’s no guarantee – creativity by its very nature demands that element of uncertainty.
But if hiring a copywriter really is a lottery, you should be pretty close to scooping five numbers plus the bonus ball…