Category Archives: Copywriting

What Is AIDA? And The Belief That You Only Have 7 Seconds To Catch Your Readers’ Attention

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ID 10084822 300x210 What Is AIDA? And The Belief That You Only Have 7 Seconds To Catch Your Readers AttentionOkay, I don’t mean Aida the girl. But if you’re an advertiser or a marketer, you really can’t breathe without AIDA. AIDA is a basic principle used in marketing and advertising that describes the process of wooing people into becoming customers, buyers, leads, referrers, subscribers, etc.

AIDA is an acronym credited to advertising pioneer E. St. Elmo Lewis. It stands for four ideas on which an effective copy or advertisement is based: attention, interest, desire, and action.

Attention – Before you can make a customer or buyer out of someone, you need to catch his or her attention first. Your campaign must hook the audience like fish. It has to be a marketing head turner! Campaigns can employ sophisticated styles, simple but interesting quips, or plain cheap tricks.

This is old news:

You’ve just won a gadget for being the 999th visitor of the site! Click here to claim your gift!

This is cheap, but I tell you this can still hook some hapless individuals into clicking the link only to find out that the promised gift is NOT really free.

Grabbing attention rests on your headline. This is because people don’t read from the bottom up.

Attention is something like ivory in the world of business. Advertisers and marketers bleed for it. You don’t have to be loud and screaming. Catching attention isn’t necessarily shouting or having your text in all caps PLEASE READ ME. Sometimes it comes as cool and simple as this:

We Make The World’s Most Awful-Tasting Chicken Wings!

Interest – Maybe you have their attention in 7 seconds, but are you able to sustain their interest? Even if you have a scene-stealing headline, but if you fail to deliver when they check you out, you’ve wasted those 7 seconds!

To get your audience to do what you want them to do, you must sustain their interest. What do you think are the things that may get them to like your idea? An example is to provide solutions to daily problems and satisfy their need for a certain piece of information. Offer something of use for your audience, for instance, an internet marketing product that could help them out of a bread-and-water existence.

More often than not, people need a second look or more before finally doing something concrete about what you’re offering. They can come back to your site a hundred times just to read, chill out, etc.

But sometimes, your campaign’s journey stops at the point when your audience is interested but doesn’t do anything after. Now, that’s fish letting go of the hook.

Desire

As you sustain your audience’s interest, you create a desire in them. “I want to have this or that. I want to do this or that.” If your audience acts upon this desire, then you’re happy.

“Let me get those six-pack abs!”

“I want that remodeling company to install my drywall!”

“That advertiser is a genius! I do need those knives in my kitchen!”

Action

In running an advertising and marketing campaign, what do you want your audience to do? Do you want them to buy a product? Sign up to a subscription?

The audience of today is more critical and more difficult to convince. People can’t be led by the nose anymore (well, except for a few maybe). Your audience isn’t a group of people you can hypnotize into buying, signing up, etc. Master the AIDA principle, and you’ll be a marketing rock star.

Okay, if you have completed the AIDA process with one person, does this mean you can now laugh all the way to the bank? Not likely. This isn’t a one-time deal, and success isn’t measured in a cup. Most successful advertising and marketing campaigns have a certain “je-ne-sais-quoi” quality in them.You can’t really identify what makes them effective, but you can be sure they’ve been well-planned. I’m NOT saying spontaneity is out of the picture though.

They say behind every successful advertiser are customers who are a few bucks poorer. I say, behind every successful advertising and marketing campaign is AIDA executed to the fullest.

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You Can Write Catchy Titles

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Think of your title as bait. People should take it.  

It serves as a door or window to the rest of your content. If people see a dull entrance, why would they bother to come inside?

You only have a few seconds to make an impression. One look and two things can happen. People either:

  • Proceed to read the whole of your content
  • Or hit the back arrow right away

    Fishing 300x300 You Can Write Catchy Titles

    digitalart / freedigitalphotos.net

1.    Pick an interesting, in-demand subject (earth-shaking even).

Choose a topic that you know people want to read or need to read about. Start with practical subject matters or something they need on an ordinary day. Be it a list of tips to create an interesting blog or how to remove carpet stains.

You can also do fun content. After all, many people go online to be entertained.

 What Your Email Says About Your  Mentality

 Reasons Why You’re Broke

2.   Be faithful to your title.

See to it that it accurately reflects what you’re talking about in your article.

You can’t disappoint your readers. For instance, if your title is “Win a Trip to Paradise,” but your content actually talks about the possibility of winning a trip to paradise, you would appear lying – and lies disappoint.

3.  Entice.

Find out what your target audience wants. Put yourself in their shoes. Now ask yourself, “If I saw this title, would I be interested to read the article or not?”

4.  Use your keywords.

Don’t forget SEO basics.   Make your title relevant to your target audience. Imagine what they would likely type as they search for information on the internet. If they want to “order pizza online,” you can make your title exciting by adding more words or a phrase. So, your title would be like:

     Order Pizza Online the Quickest!

5.  Compel people to action.

Involve your readers as participants in your content. Empower them. Encourage them. Make them realize they can do something.

     You Can Remove Molds and Mildew

     You Can Get Rich Online

     Multiply Your Savings

6.  Be specific and direct.

You don’t have to be wordy to catch attention. Say what you mean to say without winding. This is okay, but you can do better:

     What To Do To Get Your Furry Best Friend To Obey You

These are better:

     Teach Your Dog Obedience

     How To Make Your Dog Obey You

7.  Get conversational.

Write your titles in such a way as if you’re talking to your readers.

    What Does Your Name Mean?

    Watch Your Weight!

8. Keep the language simple.

Don’t make your titles complicated. You don’t have to use BIG words.

Yes, “Getting An Effulgent Personality” is the same as “Getting A Radiant Personality.”

Quick Points:

  • You can teach.

How-to articles, no matter how common, are still effective because they provide solutions, and people often go online for solutions. That’s the point.

  • You can ask questions.

It spurs people to be curious, especially if the subject holds their interest.

          Why Is The Blackboard Green?

          Why Is The Black Box Orange?

We can go all day discussing how to create catchy titles, but the bottom line is this:

          Grab their attention, and don’t bore them!

That should take care of the rest.

 

How To Be A Great Copywriter

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pencil 180x300 How To Be A Great Copywriter

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When you write a poem, you’re not thinking of a throng of people to sell an idea or product to(or you’re not thinking of pleasing your boss). A piece of literature is almost always written as pure self-expression, while a copy is written to catch people’s attention and to get them to respond with the desired action. Writing poetry or fiction is different from writing marketing materials. What is constant is the writer’s skill.

If you want to know how to be a great copywriter or want to hire one, this list might come in handy.

Ideas – Before anything else, a copywriter has to have ideas.  Sometimes, there are too many ideas that the hands can barely keep up with the mind. When theseare written down, they become the realization of a copywriter’s creativity.

Engaging Content – A great copywriter is able to pull off “you-can’t-put-it-down” contents, knows how to hook you from the first line on, and makes you want to read on right down to the last punctuation mark.

Organization – His or her ideas may come in spurts, but he or she knows how to put them together in one cohesive piece.

Great Grammar and Vocabulary – Anyone who wants to be a copywriter should know how to use words well. Correct grammar shows how serious one is in his or her craft. A copywriter doesn’t have to use BIG words all the time though.

Correct Punctuation – He or she knows the value of punctuation marks in the right places. A period puts a stop to a sentence or shows you the end of an idea. A comma is used to separate similar things in a series, so you can breathe. Punctuation marks are here for important reasons. They are here to prevent confusion, to organize ideas, and to express feelings and thoughts more clearly and more emphatically.

Ineffable Gift – You don’t know the specifics of what makes him or her talented. His or her works just cast a spell (sort of) on you.

Wit – Wit is like a condiment. When used in the right amount and at the right timing, it makes the content much more palatable. But don’t get me wrong, sometimes we’re required to write content devoid of wit!

Unique Play of Words – A great copywriter can pull off a unique copy from words we normally use in everyday conversations.  

Responsibility – I don’t believe in the idea of bad-mouthing competitors to get your share of the pie. A responsible copywriter doesn’t have to criticize to attract attention. Also, he or she understands that his or her skill is not the star in a particular copy or content, but the idea or the product being marketed. 

Sense of Persuasion or Convincing Power – He or she is able to convince the hesitant, convert the non-believer, and lead people to:

  • Buy
  • Sign Up
  • Subscribe
  • Share
  • Click A Link

Sense of Urgency – A great copywriter can make buying scented candles feel like a matter of life and death (without resorting to lies).

Good Judgment – He or she must have the wisdom to know what is too much and too little. He or she must know when to apply humor and when not to, where to drop the bomb, and what emotions to evoke.

Imagery – A great copywriter is rich in imagery. He or she can put into words an entire dining experience in a way that the readers also get to experience the juicy steak.

Knowledge of News and Trends – He or she needs to be well-informed and updated. It always helps to have some intelligence on the side!

Knowledge of Pun – He or she can add a creative touch to content for the purpose of humor. By the way, coffee is not my cup of tea. Pun intended.

Versatility – He or she can write anything: newsletters, emails, homepages, etc.

Specificity – A great copywriter is detailed and is able to communicate general concepts in specific details, which drives home the message of the copy more effectively.

We only use fresh breads in our sandwiches.

We only use hot, oven-fresh breads in our sandwiches.

Memorability – His or her words stick on your mind.

Truth – He or she doesn’t deliver false promises or guarantees and doesn’t exaggerate and deceive.

There’s a belief in literature that your work becomes public property once you finish it. It’s hard to accept this idea completely. Hey, that’s my work. You can’t have your own farfetched interpretation. It’s completely different from my intended message. But I can agree that a literary work’s merit depends on how people receive it.

That idea can be applied in copywriting. A copywriter can only measure his or her copy’s effectiveness through people’s reaction to it. Sounds like a demanding list? Good news. Copywriting skills may not be purchased, but they can be learned.

 

Defining Copywriting

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Copywriting is not copying someone’s writing. 

Copywriting2 300x199 Defining Copywriting

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It’s not a remote possibility that some copywriters prefer to be simply called “writers” because the well-meaning population misunderstands them and mistakes them for plagiarists when they say they do copywriting.

Copywriting is writing with a commercial intent. Copywriters write to sell or market ideas, products, and services.

       Free Fries on Fridays!

      Buy this, or you’ll miss half of your life!

Copywriters write content for advertisements, brochures, leaflets, banners, newsletters, and other marketing materials.

Copywriting is about persuading, convincing, and their synonyms.

A good copywriter is able to sell tea to a coffee drinker. He or she can weave lines that prompt people to take action. He or she can turn a skeptic into a believer. Read: an awesome copywriter can move mountains.

Actions from readers that copywriters are aiming for:

  • Buy
  • Sign Up
  • Watch
  • Click
  • Subscribe

Copywriting is about truth. It doesn’t exaggerate or lie.

Copywriters cannot deliver false promises. Consumer disappointment is hard to live with. We need disclaimers all the time.

     On a slimming tea label: Only works with regular exercise

     On a bottle of shampoo: Works best with conditioner

Disclaimer: Disclaimers are not excuses to create low-quality products.

Copywriting, real copywriting, is not forgettable.

If you still remember the words to your favorite TV commercial in kindergarten, then you got there a happy and fulfilled copywriter (if he or she only knew).

This doesn’t include annoying marketing earworms (things you don’t forget because you’re forced to listen to them).

 

 

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Attention!

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shout 198x300 Attention!

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I don’t know why they usually say, “Pay attention.” We don’t pay love, pay care, and pay help. People don’t owe us attention. We can’t demand for them to pay us back.

The word “attention” can mean several things. Sometimes, it goes with “Chest out. Stomach in.” Attention from a girl you like? That’s sweet. Attention from your cat means his ears are perked up.

If you’re doing business online, attention is almost like a commodity. You want to buy it. Everyone’s dying for it, and many resort to cheap tricks just to have it.

Attention is the foundation of interest. And interest can translate to:

  • Traffic
  • Income or revenue
  • Popularity

These three are the perpetual reasons why people want to create websites or blogs.

“Attention” for the internet marketer means more than a nod or a pat on the back. A lot of effort is invested in creating great content, to attract people’s…well… attention. You only have ten seconds or less to figuratively turn heads.

Create great headlines. Put the meat on top. Unlike fish which may come slow, people examine the bait quite quickly. One wrong move in the headline and you’ve lost readers.

Putting the meat on top doesn’t mean the rest of your content should be bland. Attention should be escalating. Interest can trickle in drop by drop. Get people to read your headline enough for them to read your first sentence. Get people to read your sentence in a way that makes them want to read the whole paragraph and so on.

Your content should be tight and with no room for loopholes. It must be worth reading from beginning till end. If you can’t sustain the interest of your readers, don’t write long pieces. Don’t write long pieces for the sake of writing long pieces. If you can say anything in a ten-sentence paragraph, say it. Otherwise, your content will end up winding.

Remember, readers are busy people. They want information, and they want it quick.

What you must bear in mind:

  • Seek attention for the right reasons.

You want people to read your content because you have something real and good (it must work) to offer like:

Tips on choosing a great domain name

Recipes for homemade hand-pulled noodles

  • Seek attention without using deception.

As the one millionth visitor of this site, you just won a gadget! Claim your prize here!

The link leads to another link where the visitor needs to buy something to get the prize. It turns out each visitor is the one millionth visitor. This is not the way to go. Be interesting, but don’t mislead.

Antidote: Online readers are smarter now. They now know how to avoid the trap.

Attention doesn’t necessarily translate to interest. It can also translate to annoyance. This is why hate comments exist. You get people’s attention, but they don’t end up liking you, your content, or your offering. It’s not their fault if they fail to like you.

I read a comment like this before on one blog:

“I find this annoying. Each time I come to this site, the video starts to play automatically.”

Give your readers some space.

Don’t beg for attention.

Please listen to me. I have great things to offer you. If you click on this link, you’ll save my life.

It depends on how you do the begging. But begging, for the most part, doesn’t work. Feed people’s eyes, but don’t force your content or whatever it is you’re offering into their mouths.

So, what’s the most important tip? Create unique, interesting content!

Usually in life, those who “work hard” to get attention (think of people who do all sorts of cheap gimmicks) are the ones who don’t earn the interest of people. On the other hand, in internet marketing, those who work hard for that precious attention usually get the sweetest rewards.

Going back to my first line, I have this realization. Because we need to earn attention, we need people to pay us attention.

 

How To Improve Your Copywriting Skills

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Photoxpress 1324542 1024x682 How To Improve Your Copywriting Skills

How To Improve Your Copywriting Skills

Good copywriting skills are indispensable in the lucrative business of pitching sales. With the appropriate preparation and determination, you can easily enhance your copywriting skills. Excellent feedback is necessary to stay in the business. You can follow the following tips to improve your copywriting skills:

Groundwork is the key to copywriting persuasive contents. Sell, not mess up. Do some research before working on a project. Use the phone, and call the clients or companies for the information you need.

Ask questions that are relevant to the project. You must understand the product entirely: its uses, benefits, advantages, disadvantages, major features, and marketability. You should also collect testimonials from satisfied customers to add credibility to your content.

Don’t focus only on the product. Think about the target consumers as well. Think of the primary audience and the consequent clients that you need to convince that you have a great product.You should consider the background of your target consumers. This includes culture, character, and economic factors. You can appeal to their emotion when doing your pitch.

Study the marketing and advertising channels. Read many magazines or newspapers that you are planning to run advertisements in, to get a better idea of the tone of the general audience. Study published ads. Follow the essential rules, and then try to work on the factors that will make your ads stand out from the rest when it will be etched with numerous ads of the same type.

Figure out the main purpose of your copy. It’s very important that you write with your preferred ideas on your mind, but it should also be approved by your client. Your copy’s main goal might be to get many phone inquiries to your clients or sell a product. You can include some calls to action all over your copy, so that the audience can have several chances to take action while reading it.

You can also sum up the main advantages or benefits of the copy. Emphasize the greatest advantage in attention-grabbing headlines, and use details to boost your assertions such as testimonials, verified laboratory results, and product testing. You should write in the style relevant to the needs of your market. Chatty or informal copywriting with a whisk of professionalism can do the job in accordance with the industry you are doing business with. Write as if you are face-to-face with the consumer. There’s nothing wrong with editing your own copy several times to get the right tone and pitch. S

Send the copy, and ask for feedback. By a feedback mechanism, you can figure out the effectiveness of your work. Enhance your copy if you need to.

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How To Find A Copywriter

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Not everyone is born a good writer (including me…). Oftentimes,  we need to hire a freelance copywriter for our website, blog, or newsletters.

Finding the best freelance copywriter to develop content for your website could actually make the difference between having a certified image and the one that would cast doubt on your site. Copywriters should be well-trained in the subject and experienced to develop a successful and qualified content for your website.

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Choosing A Good Copywriter For Your Business

You can check out websites devoted to copywriting services, where freelance copywriters are enlisted and form a forum for specified services. You can also check out freelance platforms and search for copywriters. A few good websites to start with are (some are not only for freelance copywriters but also for other freelance professionals):

You can find enough information on how to find the best copywriters from checking out these sites.

Choose a copywriter who is well-versed in the language you will use for the content. Although native speakers make great copywriters, there are individuals who are also well-trained to write copy in their second language. Never commit the mistake of choosing a copywriter who doesn’t know how to speak or write fluently in the language. Although they charge lower fees, saving you extra bucks, your website will have the essence of absurdity. It’s wiser to spend a few more bucks, and get the contents in top quality than to save more money and not be satisfied with the content.

When selecting your copywriter, first evaluate his or her proposal, and make sure it is relevant to your project. Don’t award your project to someone who doesn’t understand the requirements of the project.

Figure out what type of credentials, background, and experience the potential copywriter may have, and be sure to discuss your expectations and requirements with him or her. Has he/she worked on similar projects? Does he/she have an impressive portfolio?

You should also do the copywriter a favor. Fully disclose the project details and make sure that he/she has a very clear grasp of what you like for the contents. Talk to him or her via phone or e-mail, and provide some background of your website. This also includes payment options and final settlement of agreed price and charges.

You can also check if your prospects have their own website for their business. Most freelance copywriters who have been in the freelance business for some time have a website that features their portfolio.

 

How To Start A Copywriting Business

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Become.a.good .copywriter improve.copywriting.skills002 How To Start A Copywriting Business

Start A Copywriting Business

If you’re fascinated with starting your own copywriting services, either as a full-time copywriter or a freelance copywriter, you need to do some preparations first.

Learn, learn, and learn.

If you do not have a lot of information and enough background as a copywriter, then learn the trade. You can get training (online or physical) where you can be certified by agencies as a good copywriter, or if not, you can study the trade by yourself. After all, the quality of your writing will reflect on your completed projects, so you don’t need to worry about the educational background if you have sense and style in your writing. However, if you would like to be an expert copywriter in a specific field, you should get proper training. If you like to write about legal studies or medical transcription, training will greatly help especially if the topic you would like to write about is sensitive or needs a touch of ethics and professionalism.

Write a resume detailing your copywriting skills. Emphasize any knowledge, background, credentials you have. Since copywriting is all about marketing various services and products, you should include the outcome of your education or training. If you don’t have credentials as a copywriter, then emphasize the study or proper training you have gone through.

Invest on necessary equipment.

In a copywriting service business, you just need a few bucks to begin with. For a great copywriter service, you should have a quality computer with a speedy internet connection, a printer, and necessary computer peripherals that will help you a lot in developing contents. You also need to have an email address for your business, aside from the mailing address you may want to settle for your clients. This will aid you to maintain business and private emails separate, also to put forward a professional atmosphere in your business.

Start looking for offers.

Although you want to begin a business, most copywriting projects are for part-time and can be done from home, therefore allowing a good beginning for your business. Sites such as Craigslist, Elance, and Guru post freelance jobs, which include copywriting services.

Develop you own professional website.

If you have the enough resources, you should make your own website. Today, copywriters need to be in the electronic world for faster communication and business transactions. Make it so that those looking for copywriting services online will have the chance to stumble on your website. You can also use it as a site to refer possible clients to get more background about your copywriting services.

Look for referrals.

After a successful project for your first clients, request them if they know other possible clients that they can refer to you. You can even devise a referral system as a bonus to your clients who can refer new clients to you.

Lastly, you should not spend too much effort and money in making your websites, purchasing equipment at the cost of looking for referrals. It’s very essential to be ready, but you want to devote most of your time on business transactions such as writing your first copywriting project.