Been ruminating on this one for a little while now but it's probably
one of the most profound discoveries of my life. It all began with a
little book about music and it's had such a deep influence on my
copywriting and small business, indeed my whole outlook on life, I'd
like to share it with you all now.
Here's what happened...
About 8 years ago I bought the book "Man and Music In India" by Roshmi
Goswami and was introduced to a staggering thought from within it's
pages... that every note sounded by a musician is actually a container
for the spirit of the musician.
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Showing posts with label Copywriting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Copywriting. Show all posts
2/3/15
Getting Results from Your Writing & Speaking
When we communicate, we usually want something to happen. We want
results. And, when we're conscious of results, we're seeking effective
communication.
To put it another way, the effectiveness of communication can be measured by the responses it gets. It's not measured by how well we wrote or how eloquently we spoke, although those can help us get the responses we want.
Good writing and speaking help us get a response because they help get the message across. As I've argued in my book, A Manager's Guide to Newsletters, a newsletter that doesn't get read cannot get a response from readers.
So, writing, designing, speaking, and all those other creative activities matter. But, in the end, responses are what count, and effectiveness means getting the responses we want.
To put it another way, the effectiveness of communication can be measured by the responses it gets. It's not measured by how well we wrote or how eloquently we spoke, although those can help us get the responses we want.
Good writing and speaking help us get a response because they help get the message across. As I've argued in my book, A Manager's Guide to Newsletters, a newsletter that doesn't get read cannot get a response from readers.
So, writing, designing, speaking, and all those other creative activities matter. But, in the end, responses are what count, and effectiveness means getting the responses we want.
Data Delivers Credibility
Data Delivers Credibility
By: Robert F. Abbott
Over the past couple of days I've been setting up visitor counters, so people in another organization can accurately count the number of people who visit their event.
They got the idea (and the counters) from an association I belong to, and they, too, are learning how data delivers credibility.
I'm always impressed by how much respect I get when speaking or writing with specific, solid numbers. For example, when I talk about the number of visitors who came through the gates of my association's event on a specific night, I don't talk about "a lot" or "a few" or "more than the night before."
By: Robert F. Abbott
Over the past couple of days I've been setting up visitor counters, so people in another organization can accurately count the number of people who visit their event.
They got the idea (and the counters) from an association I belong to, and they, too, are learning how data delivers credibility.
I'm always impressed by how much respect I get when speaking or writing with specific, solid numbers. For example, when I talk about the number of visitors who came through the gates of my association's event on a specific night, I don't talk about "a lot" or "a few" or "more than the night before."
How Does Spellchecker make you Lazy?
It's a crime what laziness can do. That's the downside of automation and software tools. People get lazy.
Don't get me wrong, I love technology and I depend on Spell-checking software to help with my writing. It finds the typos but it does not find all the spelling mistakes.It does not find the contextual mistakes. What do I mean by that?
Here's an example: "The kid's got heat."
Maybe, the "kid" is a pitcher with a really wicked fastball. Or maybe, I meant to type "heart" as in:
"The kid's got heart."
Don't get me wrong, I love technology and I depend on Spell-checking software to help with my writing. It finds the typos but it does not find all the spelling mistakes.It does not find the contextual mistakes. What do I mean by that?
Here's an example: "The kid's got heat."
Maybe, the "kid" is a pitcher with a really wicked fastball. Or maybe, I meant to type "heart" as in:
"The kid's got heart."
The Power of Rhyme in Copywriting
Effective copywriting consists of creating words and phrases that are
clear, easy to understand and memorable. Rhyming is one way of creating
catchy slogan that people will find hard to forget. When you use rhyme
in your advertising readers can process information easily, get a better
understanding of the idea and absorb the information more readily.
"One, two, buckle my shoe, three, four, knock at the door.€ One of the interesting ways used to teach children their lessons is rhyme songs. This method makes it easier for children to memorize and remember their lessons. The same technique can be applied to advertising. By adding rhyme to your ads, you will find that even adults will find them easier to repeat and hence easier to remember.
"One, two, buckle my shoe, three, four, knock at the door.€ One of the interesting ways used to teach children their lessons is rhyme songs. This method makes it easier for children to memorize and remember their lessons. The same technique can be applied to advertising. By adding rhyme to your ads, you will find that even adults will find them easier to repeat and hence easier to remember.
1/30/15
Finding Professional Arabic Translation
As demand for any service grows, there will be the inevitable influx
of entrants into the industry who are really only interested in chasing
the money associated with its success. This is not something exclusive
to the rapidly expanding translation industry in the Middle East, every
industry falls victim to bandwagon-jumpers at some point, and they end
up diluting what was there at the beginning and costing credibility to
the pioneers. Music, sport, App development and pretty much all streams
of popular culture can testify to this.
Knowledge Gaps
Within the Middle East currently, we are seeing a situation where translators without the necessary skillset to deliver quality in their work, are merely €rendering one form of letters into another.€ This is according to Dr Salah Basalamah, Translation Professor at the Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha.
Knowledge Gaps
Within the Middle East currently, we are seeing a situation where translators without the necessary skillset to deliver quality in their work, are merely €rendering one form of letters into another.€ This is according to Dr Salah Basalamah, Translation Professor at the Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha.
Academic Editing Helps You to Achieve High Scores
Academic writing is putting forth a scholar's ideas and research to
his/her academic peers. It is usually confined to the domain-specific
academic crop of people, but may find a larger audience through journals
and pamphlets.
A research student may be good in conducting research, but may also be acutely aware that the writing may not be good enough to be published. They generally agonise over phrases, work and re-work on the sentences in the manuscript until they can't face it anymore. It takes them weeks to put forth their research on paper. They will thus need help from editors for editing their research paper, as editing a manuscript or a PhD paper is an element important for success in academic career.
A research student may be good in conducting research, but may also be acutely aware that the writing may not be good enough to be published. They generally agonise over phrases, work and re-work on the sentences in the manuscript until they can't face it anymore. It takes them weeks to put forth their research on paper. They will thus need help from editors for editing their research paper, as editing a manuscript or a PhD paper is an element important for success in academic career.
Remembering Arabic by Amani Abuseedo
It has been claimed that the English language is responsible for the
€seduction€ of Emirati pupils across the country by Dr Lana Mamkegh, the
Minister of Culture in Jordan. When addressing a panel at the First
Knowledge Conference in the UAE, he also stated that many students are
unable to speak and write proficiently in Arabic by the time they start
university.
Because of the cosmopolitan nature of the UAE, it is perhaps only natural that English would become a prominent language, however the concern is that Arabic must remain at the forefront of everything locals do.
The government has placed this issue high on the agenda, and a law is set to be introduced which will see Arabic installed as the compulsory language of instruction in public schools.
Because of the cosmopolitan nature of the UAE, it is perhaps only natural that English would become a prominent language, however the concern is that Arabic must remain at the forefront of everything locals do.
The government has placed this issue high on the agenda, and a law is set to be introduced which will see Arabic installed as the compulsory language of instruction in public schools.
6/1/14
Quick and Easy Sales Letter Writing
For many people, writing sales letters is a chore that they would
either rather not do or, if pressed, will leave it until the very last
minute and then throw something together that doesn't do their product
justice. You can tell these slapdash sales letters at a glance and
you've probably ignored more than one. They're to be found everywhere
from the description in Amazon through to regular sales pages that are
hoping to sell you a product directly.
Start with your headline
If you don't think you're any good at writing headlines, you're not alone.
I often start by using one of the online headline generators. They're free and explain the different boxes that you need to complete before you press the button to generate the suggestions.
Start with your headline
If you don't think you're any good at writing headlines, you're not alone.
I often start by using one of the online headline generators. They're free and explain the different boxes that you need to complete before you press the button to generate the suggestions.
Do Long Copy Sales Letters Still Work?
Sales pages are necessary for almost any product sold online.
It's not like wandering around a local store where you maybe know what
you want to buy or are maybe swayed by the latest special offers.
Online, unless it's a regular product on somewhere like Amazon, you
usually need a sales letter. Either to sell the product directly or to
pre-sell it to encourage people to sign up to your list before you
slowly pitch them over the coming days and weeks.
Long copy sales letters
If I asked you to think about a sales letter format, this is likely the one you'd choose.
It's worked for years - since well before the internet and even before direct mail was the preferred format for sales pitches.
The logic behind long copy sales letter is that you go through the complete sales process that you'd do if you were face to face with people. Except that - since you're not face to face - you have to cover absolutely everything.
Long copy sales letters
If I asked you to think about a sales letter format, this is likely the one you'd choose.
It's worked for years - since well before the internet and even before direct mail was the preferred format for sales pitches.
The logic behind long copy sales letter is that you go through the complete sales process that you'd do if you were face to face with people. Except that - since you're not face to face - you have to cover absolutely everything.
5/26/14
The Three Questions of Copy Writing
The Three Questions of Copy Writing, Writing sales copy isn't easy, and most people who try to do it
on their own end up losing time that could've been spent selling their
product or service. In the worst cases, they lose their businesses
because they never truly understood the three most important questions
in copywriting. Having your copy written by someone who does could make
the difference between you prospering and suffering.
So, what are these three questions?
1. Why buy the product/service?
In some instances, this is pretty straight forward. For example, people buy cars for transportation. In other cases, such as those in which not many people buy your product/service, it takes some explaining.
Here's the key with this: you want to convey how the prospective buyer's life will be different with the help of the product/service. Use only the details of how it works that are absolutely necessary for the reader to understand. If it's backend stuff, that stays in-house. You know all those FedEx commercials about logistics? How often do you hear them go into detail?
2. Why your product/service?
So, what are these three questions?
1. Why buy the product/service?
In some instances, this is pretty straight forward. For example, people buy cars for transportation. In other cases, such as those in which not many people buy your product/service, it takes some explaining.
Here's the key with this: you want to convey how the prospective buyer's life will be different with the help of the product/service. Use only the details of how it works that are absolutely necessary for the reader to understand. If it's backend stuff, that stays in-house. You know all those FedEx commercials about logistics? How often do you hear them go into detail?
2. Why your product/service?
5/25/14
The Best Content for Your Website
Getting the best content for your website depends heavily on the
topic of the website you are creating and the type of content that you
are looking for.Essentially, every content writer has his or her
own individual style. Inevitably every article written by him or her
will have some similarities; this style reflects the nature, likes and
dislikes of the content of the writer. So what you are really looking
for is a writer who has the mindset you want to represent! Simple as
that and that's where everything gets complicated!
While its not difficult to hire a professional content writer, the problem you may face is getting one who sees things the way you want them to see it. Everyone has a certain perspective that they would like their site to reflect, this is where the challenge lies. While getting a talented and professional content writer is not difficult, it may be more of a challenge if you are picky about the tone of the content or the angle you would prefer.
While its not difficult to hire a professional content writer, the problem you may face is getting one who sees things the way you want them to see it. Everyone has a certain perspective that they would like their site to reflect, this is where the challenge lies. While getting a talented and professional content writer is not difficult, it may be more of a challenge if you are picky about the tone of the content or the angle you would prefer.
5/24/14
The Secret to Writing Great Copy
The Secret to Writing Great Copy, Before we get to the part1 secret to writing great copy, I'd like to
list a few features of the new Honda Civic. This won't take but a
minute.
The Honda Civic is a safe car. Check out these features:
The Honda Civic is a safe car. Check out these features:
- Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) II Body Structure
- Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)
- Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
- Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags (SRS)
- Front 3-Point Seat Belts with Automatic Tensioning System
- SmartVent™ Front Side Airbags
- Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH): Lower Anchors (2nd-Row Outboard), Tether Anchors (2nd-Row All)
- Side Curtain Airbags with Rollover Sensor
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
- Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control
Where Can I Learn Copywriting Online
It doesn't matter if you are a creative screenwriter, a
playwright or even a novelist, you now have the chance to become a
copywriter and turn that hobby of yours into a full time career making
money doing what you love.
With the help of the online world, the demand for high quality copywriters that are able to create advertisements has grown dramatically. Since the majority of these companies need to have content that they can market, this is a career that never ends and always has possibilities for growth.
There are millions of freelancing copywriters that will work from the comfort of their own homes during their own time, which allows them to have all the time that they need to finish what they need to. Just think about what could happen with all of the extra cash and time that you would have.
There are many places that you can learn copywriting online, the only thing that depends on the choice you make is the time that you have and how quickly you are able to take information and apply it to your actions.
With the help of the online world, the demand for high quality copywriters that are able to create advertisements has grown dramatically. Since the majority of these companies need to have content that they can market, this is a career that never ends and always has possibilities for growth.
There are millions of freelancing copywriters that will work from the comfort of their own homes during their own time, which allows them to have all the time that they need to finish what they need to. Just think about what could happen with all of the extra cash and time that you would have.
There are many places that you can learn copywriting online, the only thing that depends on the choice you make is the time that you have and how quickly you are able to take information and apply it to your actions.
5/3/14
How a Copywriter Can Help You Improve Your Online Presence
How a Copywriter Can Help You Improve Your Online Presence, If you have a business and a website, it's important to take full
advantage of your presence online. Having a website allows customers to
reach you and find information about your company online. And, in order
to take full advantage of your site, you will need to have articles
that not only promote your business, but make your company seem
interesting. This is possible thanks to a copywriter.
This professional is a freelance writer, who can produce articles quick for your company. There are many benefits that come with getting help from a copywriter. Professionally-written content improves the first impression your page makes on visitors, attracts the target audience to the website as well as help search engines find and rank your page.
When you get help from a freelance writer, you can rest assured the content will be delivered on time. All you have to do is set a date for when an article, for your site, needs to be completed. The article will be turned on this date, so you can have the article when you ask for it. This gives you a peace of mind, as you know the article will not be sent in late, which could be detrimental to your company. Read: Copy Writing Master Class
This professional is a freelance writer, who can produce articles quick for your company. There are many benefits that come with getting help from a copywriter. Professionally-written content improves the first impression your page makes on visitors, attracts the target audience to the website as well as help search engines find and rank your page.
When you get help from a freelance writer, you can rest assured the content will be delivered on time. All you have to do is set a date for when an article, for your site, needs to be completed. The article will be turned on this date, so you can have the article when you ask for it. This gives you a peace of mind, as you know the article will not be sent in late, which could be detrimental to your company. Read: Copy Writing Master Class
5/2/14
Copy Writing Master Class
Copy Writing Master Class Creating Content Vs Creating Sales Copy. There is defiantly an art to creating sales copy that gets read. There is also an art to creating content copy that gets read.
Both are useful and both need to be used in their place.
Providing highly useful content is a great way to gather social media following, educate your audience and prepare them for complex sales.
However, the main drawback of content is actually the relatively short half-life of a given piece of content. A tweet or a Facebook post has a half life measured in hours or minutes. More prolific authors tend to be more rewarded.
And think of a blog that hasn't been updated in the last few months - it feels abandoned doesn't it - life the author has abandoned it. Then take the next step and if that blog belongs to a company you start to wonder if it is even open for business.
Even offline content is similarly hamstrung with fresh content required for every edition of a magazine, newspaper or newsletter.
Both are useful and both need to be used in their place.
Providing highly useful content is a great way to gather social media following, educate your audience and prepare them for complex sales.
However, the main drawback of content is actually the relatively short half-life of a given piece of content. A tweet or a Facebook post has a half life measured in hours or minutes. More prolific authors tend to be more rewarded.
And think of a blog that hasn't been updated in the last few months - it feels abandoned doesn't it - life the author has abandoned it. Then take the next step and if that blog belongs to a company you start to wonder if it is even open for business.
Even offline content is similarly hamstrung with fresh content required for every edition of a magazine, newspaper or newsletter.
3/28/14
Writing And Speaking
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