Blogfeeder - The Copywriting and Marketing Blog from Wordfeeder.com

Copywriter Fan Mail

I received an email from a reader who wanted to know if she could "pick my brain." She asked some good questions, so I thought I would share them on the Wordfeeder blog...

Elise Writes:

I have been slaving away as a marketing communications specialist in corporate America for several years and am thinking about making the leap into the exciting world of freelance copywriting.  While researching "what's out there," your website really jumped out at me.  I was especially impressed by your creativity, professionalism, and just sense of fun.  If you have a moment and it's not an obnoxious invasion of your personal space, I'd love to pick your brain(s) about your personal road to Wordfeeder.

Hi Elise,

 

You caught me at the computer. :) I'm going to just bang out some quickie answers for you.

 

In your bio, you touch on your own personal history, but what background do you feel is needed to get into this line of work?  Any specific work experience, education essential to being fully prepared?

 

Elise, you basically must convince people that you're capable of delivering what they need. If they can't write but want marketing presence, then they'll be relying on you to provide that. So, what ways will you show them that you're capable of this? I mean, it could be anything you want it to be. You will of course attract different types and quality of clients depending on what you say. As far as being "fully prepared," obviously the more experience you have, the better your chance at succeeding. What you lack in experience now, you will eventually make up for "in the trenches" of web freelancing.

 

What's a typical work day like for you?  Your daily duties, functions?

 

I'm a freelancer. There is no "typical" day. :) I might spend one day responding to six different requests for a copywriting and/or marketing quote, another day working 12 hours to meet a deadline, and a third day playing hooky to go fishing. You make the rules and you set the schedule, Elise. The harder you work and the more talented you prove yourself to be, the more money you will make.

 

What's the best part about your career?  

 

The freedom and flexibility. Choosing which projects to take on and which to politely pass over, for whatever reason. Maybe I'm just not feeling like I can handle a tight deadline this week. Maybe the client and I are not a good fit. Maybe the client calls me on a Friday afternoon, but it's a superb opportunity and I get a good vibe so I jump on it.

 

The most frustrating?

 

The frustrations you experience as a full time copywriting, communication and marketing professional are the same exact ones you will experience as a freelancer. It's essentially the same job, Elise.

 

What do you feel a person needs to be successful in this field?  Any particular skills that are "a must?"

 

I can't believe you're asking me this. ;)

 

Do you read any particular publications and/or are you a member of any associations to stay current in this field?

 

Not currently. I've been doing this since 2003. The last thing I want to do when I'm finished with work is read. In the past I had memberships to various online women's business organizations, a freelance writer's guild in my state, things like that. When you're first starting out, these types of memberships can prove beneficial. There was a great resource for freelance writers out there that was run by Jenna Glatzer. She sold the site and basically the group disintegrated. So that was disappointing. I'm still a member of EzineArticles.com but have not been an active article poster for some time.

Pertaining to the steps you took to get to where you are now in your career, if you could go back and have a "do over" what would it be?

 

I'm not the type to focus on "do overs". What's done is done... the question is, what will I do NEXT?

 

What advice would you have for me as I ruminate making the leap into this field?

 

Always remember (and credit) those who have helped you along the way. My success is due at least in part to valuable advice and information that was offered by some highly specialized people who took time out of their busy day to advise me. I'm forever grateful for their generosity and have sought to return the favor in the form of client recommendations, testimonials, occasional free work and such.

 

Best of luck and much success to you!

 

Warm regards,

 

Dina Giolitto

Wordfeeder.com

Business Owner Breakthroughs from the Copywriter

Have you noticed how much your view of life changes once you own your own business? It's like all the rules suddenly don't apply anymore. Just this past week I caught myself doing the "typical" stuff that I do now... only I never would have done any of it in my "old corporate life." Such as:

1. If you want something, you just ask for it. Last week I went into the Chinese restaurant across the street. I asked if they knew of someone who could hem my pants, and came out with a pair of pearl earrings. How bizarre... and yet not so strange once you realize that in life, the only rules that really exist are the limitations that exist in your own mind. The Chinese know that there are no rules... otherwise they wouldn't try to sell me a new "fashionable outfit" from their little side rack every time I go in there for egg foo young!

2. If you want to talk to someone, just reach out. I sent a little note to Celestial Seasonings herbal tea company a couple of days ago via their website. I decided that I missed their old packaging, with the cute little painted scenes on their boxes of fragrant tea. Old me would have said, "Don't bother, Dina. No one is listening anyway. No one cares what you have to say." The self-supporting copywriting business owner in me makes sure to put my title and website link at the bottom of my message. If they don't reply, so what? I still put it out there and that's what counts.

3. If you don't care for the price, you just work to reach a new compromise. I guess a lot of people do have the haggling gene or skill... but some, like the person who I was five years ago, just thought the price was the price and that was the end of the story. Wrong.

When you own your own business, you realize that nothing is really set in stone. I hate it when I toss a price at people for my copywriting services and they scurry away to hide. I WANT them to come back to me and tell me what they need... even if it's not the figure I had in mind. An agreement can always be reached as long as there's good communication.

Right now I have two *deals* in the works - one for a bulk copywriting job, the other with my attorney for the house I'm buying. Yeah, being a homeowner is new for me. It will be a challenge, and I'll learn some things, and I may get burned a bit.

But it would have been so much more traumatic, and nerve-wracking, in the old days when I worked for the man. That was because The Rules were all-consuming and all-important back then. What to say, who to talk to, who has the answers. (Hint: YOU have the answers, when it comes to Your Life!)

If I don't get exactly what I asked for, so what? At least I'll get something... as long as I make my needs known. I wish I could take all my potential clients and breathe this awareness into them somehow. There's nothing to be scared of! Things will always work out.

The rules are, there are no rules. Remember this as you embark on your personal journey. And if you want to start your own business? Just do it. I promise it will change your life.

Deep thoughts from the copywriter at Wordfeeder.com.

Comparison Shopping and Your Copywriting

This is the time of year that people switch from "impulsive spender" to Major Tightwad. Who can blame them... coming down from the holiday sugar high, feeling the pinch of those post-Christmas credit card bills... yikes.

(With the exception of lunatic copywriters like myself, of course. Seems I've fallen into a creative slump this month. So instead of ignoring my task list, I'm farming it out. Yes. Paying others so that I may salvage what's left of my dwindling sanity.)

Since we're discussing paid service providers: when you give money to a copywriter to help position your brand, you're INVESTING in the future success of your business. You get that money back, and then some.

You can't measure it by ONE web article or ONE blogging campaign or ONE year of email newsletter publishing.

The success of your advertising effort is measured by the cumulative effect that all of these things have in making you popular and sought-after in your niche.

I know I've said this before, but I don't believe there's a way to accurately gauge this. You can't do it because sometimes the reaction isn't immediate. If you plaster your logo onto the side of a bus that goes roaring across town on a daily basis, your logo is seen by thousands each day. But how many of those thousands are going to drop what they're doing immediately and call you up wanting what you have? How will you *really* know if the ad worked?

Even if you put out a survey and ask customers how they came to be yours... there will still be that group that never bothers to fill out the survey. I signed up for Geico insurance this year. If I was asked which ad was THE ONE that reeled me in, I'd have to say I have no idea. I just know and trust their name from the CUMULATIVE effect that their ad campaigns have had on my psyche.

So you're just never really going to know which advertising converted which people when. You SIMPLY HAVE TO TRUST that doing it well is going to bring results.

Getting around to the point of this post. I was going to offer you some price comparisons.

Let's say you want some copywriting. One page of copy, with research, draft review, changes, back and forth email discussion, editing, and proofreading. This will run you about $100 to $150 depending on who you are and what's being written. Let's say $120 to simplify things.

Yikes, that's a steep fee, you say.

Ahh, but first remember that copywriting service falls under the category of advertising for your business. Advertising is TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Mark that $120 right down on your Schedule C, it's coming right back to you!

Now think about other things you'd drop $120 on WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT. Things that are NOT an investment in your future, and will NOT benefit your professional knowledge or business acumen in any way.

Seasonal shopping trip to The Gap - let's say you get a shirt, jeans, and a pair of socks. Cha-ching, bye-bye $120, hello, dopey-looking outfit that you're later going to decide is ugly and not to be worn in public.

Impulse purchases at Target - scented candles, two photo frames, a couple of new eye shadows, some shaving cream, 3 facial cleansers, your favorite shampoo, a few hair doodles, two CD's, an exercise ball, a case of bottled water... another $120 into the wind.

How much "junk" do we blow our hard-earned cash on without a second thought?

The last time you saw a movie at the theater, you likely paid $20 to get a seat and a snack.

Did you argue with the guy at the door that you could easily wait for the movie to come out on video, stay home and watch it on your own DVD player while eating popcorn that you popped yourself in the microwave?

No. You felt like going out to the movies, and you paid the astronomical fee without batting an eye. How many times did you do this in 2007?

These are the things that run through my head when I'm faced with a potential client who resists the going rate for top-quality copywriting work that will come back to them at the end of the tax year, and will pay for itself a hundredfold in the form of new clientele and repeat business.

Even if you decide you'd rather do the copywriting yourself, you're still losing out on TIME. Time is money. If you're a coach or consultant who's getting the typical $70 to $100 hour rate... and you spend five out of eight hours of the working day writing your website copy instead of helping clients...

then you just missed out on anywhere from $350 to $500 of fresh cash in your bank account!

I think I've made my point, have I not?

Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing

Top Gun Copywriting: Real or Imagined?

Are some copywriting professionals better at what they do than others? Well, yes. Some were simply born to write, others may have drifted into the occupation on a wayward life path. Many copywriters who boast very low prices try to pass off their ability to write in American English, but they're in Romania or other faraway lands. It's generally safe to say these are not what you consider "top gun copywriting pros."

But what about all those copywriting geniuses who bring in hundreds of thousands, or even millions, with one simple sales letter that gets celebrated the wide world over? How are these guys so gosh darned good, and where can you get some of that? I'm going to share with you a few reasons why one copywriter who is equally as talented as another copywriter would be able to pull in thousands more than the first guy. It's far more than a linguistic gift, although there's no denying that's where it all begins.

1. Influence. Dale Carnegie taught us about this in How to Win Friends and Influence People. When you pay top dollar for a copywriter who is purportedly "one of the greats," you're paying for more than just a snappy sales letter, ad, website or all of the above. You're giving your copy legs that lean on his social influence (assuming he will be handling your marketing, which would only make sense if he wants to prove to you just how much you can pull in).

2. Consistency. Hitting the right voice in a single sales letter is important, but doing it consistently is key. A good communicator never wavers in his manner of addressing the audience, whether it's in his print marketing collateral, emails he's sending the customer, or even in a speech he's about to deliver. If you hook up with a top dollar copywriter who boasts the highest sales conversions around, much of the results he owns the bragging rights to can be credited to techniques that were applied consistently over time.

3. Longevity. Longevity and consistency go hand in hand. If you're consistently delivering great work, consistently putting your best face forward with impeccable copywriting and verbal communication, and doing it over an extended period of time... it only naturally follows that you will become well-known, respected, and revered in your field. For a long time. So when someone tells you that they're on the A-List of world famous copywriters, that means they've been around a while, doing their thing better than the next guy, and doing it the same way every time.

4. Exposure. Exposure is about networking - just getting out there and being social with as many different folks as possible. If you're talented to begin with, and letting folks know, offering them access to your talent and letting yourself be seen, it only follows that your reputation for excellence will grow.

5. Backup. Yes, there are many lone wolves out here in the wild and wooly land of free enterprise. But a potent and effective team of experts, each who specialize in their own area, is the fastest and truest path to success. Even famous copywriters who work for themselves have people supporting them behind the scenes.

By now you may be thinking, well, these five caveats certainly apply to more than just copywriting. Any type of business would benefit from the above. And THAT is the difference between a copywriter who is "talented" and one who is a top gun. The top gun copywriter puts business savvy and social skills to work for his own business, and for his clients.

Copyright 2007 Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing. All rights reserved.

The holidays are coming! Don't miss the chance to send a postcard mailing, offer a can't miss deal, or tell the world what good things you've been up to with a press release on the web.

Email dina[at]wordfeeder.com for a quote today.

Hype in Your Copywriting?

There's a lot of talk by and about internet marketers concerning "hype" in your copywriting. How to avoid it, how to know if you're being hyped, how to write a hype-free sales letter.

I think we all get a sense of when someone's getting all hypey on us. My personal favorite is when the copywriting gurus tell you that they're going to teach you how to take the hype out of your sales copy, and yet their entire presentation is riddled with hype.

So now you may be asking, "What's hype, exactly?"

The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines hype as:

hype: noun  Informal. –verb (used with object) 

1.	to stimulate, excite, or agitate (usually fol. by up): She was hyped up at the thought of owning her own car.

2.	to create interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or publicize showily: a promoter who knows how to hype a prizefight.

3.	to intensify (advertising, promotion, or publicity) by ingenious or questionable claims, methods, etc. (usually fol. by up).

4.	to trick; gull.

–noun 

5.	exaggerated publicity; hoopla.

6.	an ingenious or questionable claim, method, etc., used in advertising, promotion, or publicity to intensify the effect.

7.	a swindle, deception, or trick.

I think we've all been subjected to hype as defined in #3: "to create interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or publicize showily: a promoter who knows how to hype a prizefight."

Generally, people don't like to be hyped, even if it's less deception and more hysteria in the copy. Why? It's annoying. Tell me you don't get slightly aggravated when bombarded with big, loud, RED headline fonts and outrageous claims that seem to be "yelling" at you from the sales page.

It's like, relax, man. What are you getting so worked up for?

I had someone call me up looking for a copywriter, and he told me that some web marketers out there get on his nerves with their God complex. That guy didn't appreciate being HYPED. If you're selling a product or service, you don't want to come across as a drama king or queen.

So, now I'm wondering, what are your experiences with hype?

Ever have a copywriter write you a sales letter that's riddled with hypey language? What did you do? I hope you didn't just accept the writing as-is. Sadly though, that's what happens to many business owners.

Ever see a hyped up product pitch that made your stomach turn? What did it say that got you feeling all icky inside?

And the bigger question: what are you thoughts about writing copy that presents a strong argument, but doesn't cross over into the Hype Zone?

Feel free to leave your remarks in the comments section, below!

Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing
"Hype-free sales copy on the fly!"

Share Your Grammar Pet Peeve With My Readers

Okay, I have this copywriting thing. I feel like, when I talk to my readers about marketing plans and strategies, I'm swimming with the Big Sharks. (Ask Lori Davis about Sharks). Plans and strategies are synonymous with profit.

And yet, if you're writing marketing copy, it's still important to dwell in minutiae, i.e. be mindful of all the little things. Like grammar and punctuation.

I plan to feature a Grammatical Pet Peeves article in the next issue of Word Food: the Copywriting and Marketing Ezine. If this intrigues you, sign up now!

Mind you, my intention is not to whine and complain. It's to point out that good ol' fashioned grammar is still a critical piece of your professional image. I want to deliver concrete examples that my readers can make a mental note of and save "for next time" they're writing copy.

When I was still corporate, I worked alongside a lovely young woman who seemed to think that "supposably" was a word. She was, ahem (coughing) a copywriter. She wrote this word, "supposably," in her emails all the time.

So how does this happen? Beats me, but I'd love to get your input on this upcoming grammar feature. What's your grammar gripe or punctuation peeve? Send your stories... respond right in the COMMENTS section of this post.

If they're relevant, I'll share your remarks and your website URL with my newsletter audience!

Thanks.

Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing

Tell the Wordfeeder What You Want.

So, I have this yearly promo going on from January 9th through February 9th, called Web Content Awareness Day(s). What I do is give the floor (meaning, space in my copywriting ezine) to a group of trusted web marketing experts. I then share articles these professionals have written that contain tips and advice on how to get your website noticed and generate more sales.

So far, we are up to Mailing 4 out of 6 of Web Content Awareness Month. *To sign up, click the link and drop your email into the box at the bottom of the page.

Now, some folks who took my WCAD Survey (still open by the way!) expressed the desire to receive more copywriting tips - which only makes sense, this being a copywriting and marketing-geared website and all.

However, to be fair to all WCAD participants, over the celebration it's my goal to strive for a good balance of content. This is one of the few times I'm able to share NON-copywriting tips (meaning, all those other things you MUST do to get your business out there in front of the right eyes. And believe me, this is stuff that I didn't know about when I first arrived on the web - so it's been VERY helpful to me in my own business growth).

Now, in terms of what everyone is asking for - I'm delivering a Copywriting Grand Finale on Web Content Awareness Day proper, which takes place on February 9th.

The sixth mailing will contain a free copywriting giveaway - a special report, created by Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing, designed to teach you web copy techniques that bring real results.

Now, here's the problem: I can't make up my mind which copywriting report I should share with you. In my estimation, they're all terrific (if I do say so myself).

I cover three different key aspects of copywriting in my reports.

• The mechanics of web copywriting - word placement on the page, directionals, links, etc.
• Emotion, psychology and persuasive tactics
• Logistics, categories, and keyword placement (believe it or not this is FAR MORE CRITICAL to driving targeted traffic than you would ever imagine)

Each report I'm thinking of offering covers one of the above three aspects of writing copy.

So, here it is: if you want to have a say in the type of report I deliver on the big day, take a moment and cast your vote in our WCAD Copywriting Gift Poll!

Will you take a survey for the copywriting chick?

Do you know what's funny about surveys? They seem so clinical, and yet there are real humans behind them. The first time I had to create a marketing survey was for my Advertising Practicum class in college. The professor had worked out some kind of deal with a few local businesses where we, the students, would develop advertising campaigns for them. They got free ads and we got credits. Great fun! Our team was working with a local pizza kitchen that sold "unusual" pizza - I guess it was sort of California-style, very avante-garde for the early 1990s. We had to develop the whole target audience profile including demographs and psychographics, and then create a survey based on what we needed to know. Most people were really nice, and actually answered the questions! Me, I would have hung up the phone. No mercy for telemarketers and college students.

Back to my original point. I was wondering if my Web Content Awareness Day readers would mind taking a survey. Why? Because I need to know if my information mailings match the audience. Does it address your needs, not just in terms of copywriting and marketing tips, but other aspects of online business as well. Web design, public relations, podcasting, ezines... do I take for granted that the advice shared by myself and my online consultant friends is new and useful for you? Or is it just another form of frenzied communication that you can't be bothered to read?

I get the feeling that as people like myself "come of age" in the marketing world, informational mailings become obsolete for them. I mean really, I remember 3 years ago when all of this was still so new for me. I couldn't wait to receive free tips and advice from marketers in the know. Now though, it's a little different. Most of the marketers who used to leave me spellbound by their knowledge don't really have the same effect. So I would imagine that some people who are on MY list could have the same thing happen to them... outgrowing my emails. And if that's the case, what do you do?

Do you know what I *think* you should do? I think this ezine marketing stuff is cyclical. You show up in some new places, publish a few articles, and prospects come funnelling in. But then, while you manage to hold the attention of some people, others grow weary of hearing the same old advice. Believe it! I think that's why you have to keep on pushing yourself out there and continuing to sniff out new communities where you can attract new readers and connect with new faces. Really.

So, the Web Content Awareness Day survey. I would really appreciate it if you could take it for me, and answer the questions honestly. While you're there, have a look around at SurveyMonkey's convenient survey software. Just like me, you can create surveys as a way to gauge the wants and needs of your own audience.

About the WCAD ezine mailings: does this information help you? Or are you on the list because you know me from "way back when" and you feel guilty unsubscribing? I really think it depends on whatever stage of the marketing game you're in. Struggling newbie, old hand, or somewhere in between? As a subscriber to both my Web Content Awareness AND Word Food Copywriting and Marketing Ezine readers, I really want to know if I'm providing enough value to keep you happy. And if not, what can I do differently? And if there is nothing I can do, will you go gracefully and leave the list without fear or guilt? You know you can always come back, or switch to a different email address, or whatever.

I'm not interested in having *the most* subscribers in the world. I'm interested in having the most subscribers who actually find my copywriting and marketing mailings useful as they move forward with their business plans.

Thanks for reading. Now take the survey, would you? :)

Your friend,

Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing
Creator of Web Content Awareness Day - the Information Celebration Happening Right in Your Email Inbox!

Copy Review on Audio

One of the best ways that I know of to determine if your copy flows well, is to read it out loud. Today I have a very special post from Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing - an Article Review on Audio.

This is the first time in my life that I've ever attempted to record audio from my computer, so please pardon the flubs. I only figured out how to delete like ten minutes ago. Still grappling with how to record over what I just deleted. I missed one key point at the end of my review, but we'll have to live without it for today.

This recording is a read-out-loud test of my latest article, 6 Techniques Copywriters Use to Make You Sound Highly Important and Sought After. You'll want to have this particular article open on one area of your screen, then download copyreview1.mp3.

My goal here was to locate the weak spots in this copy by reading aloud and listening to the way the speech flows. You'll find that this technique will help you immensely as you craft copy for your own readers.

Today's recording session is brought to you by Dear Old Santa Claus, who donated a microphone to Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing for Christmas. Thanks, Santa. And it's also brought to you by Deepak Morris, who wrote the Podcast Tutorial that allowed me to pull this off with relatively no problems. Thanks, Deepak.

Click the article so you can read along, then click the link below to hear the Copy Review on Audio:

Download copyreview1.mp3

Wordfeeder.com on Myspace

Ugh, well I did it. I went and created a Myspace profile. I did it all for the linky, I did. My Myspace profile is the most boring profile EVER! Wahhooo...

If you have a Myspace page, why not connect with me?

One thing that I cannot figure out, and maybe I'm just braindead from being in a Turkey Coma all week, is how to upload a song for my Myspace page.

My life has a soundtrack, so naturally I want my poorly designed Myspace page to "sing" to people when they visit. I am so serious about this. There was a Dina who you don't know, who spent the entire night playing unofficial deejay at college and post-college adult life social gatherings. That Dina was a mad concert-ticket purchaser, as well. And I must tell you, quite the mix-tape maker, back in the day when there were mix tapes to be made. Although admittedly, I missed the short but memorable 8-track craze. In all likelihood, I was being potty-trained when 8-tracks where popular. I was once at a frat house in Hoboken where the crawl space was decorated with stolen street signs and 70's tunes were cranking on the 8-track. (This was long after I was potty trained.) Ahh, good times!

Ahem, so, back to reality and my partyless, grown-up, copywriting and marketing-obsessed, non-concert-going existence. HOW do I get the song of my choice to play on my Myspace page? Can anyone tell me this? I don't want just any song. I tried doing searches on a couple of artists, but when I get to their "official" Myspace page, all I find is a couple of songs that they've selected to promote. I don't want those songs.

I have the tunes right here. Just tell the copywriting and marketing chick how to upload them to the Myspace, and I will.

THANKS!