Using Copywriting in Your Email Campaign

Want to double or triple the number of new leads and customers you generate each month with your emails? Try focusing your Email campaign with copywriting techniques.

Copywriting in Emails is the art of using attractively written content focusing around a service or product to sell. A tool used to tempt the reader by making the items for sale seem attractive, desirable and at the same time benificial.Copywriting is often described as a play on words where the best and the most persuasive campaigns win.

Whenever you email someone, you're basically trying to sell a point. So what better way to communicate than with the language of copywriting in your Emails.
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The secret is to balance the right blend of benefits and features in your Email marketing copy. Here are some tips to try in your next email marketing campaign.

1. Pack a powerful headline punch. Check top magazine article headlines of the day to see what's working best. Tailor yours accordingly.

2. Draw readers in with a great lead opening. Look to top articles in the news for ideas. And reach out and grab your readers in a similar fashion.

3. Keep the main message focused on no more than 3 main benefits your product or service offers the reader. Present credible info, not hype. And include testimonial when possible to back up claims.
Tip! I want to read copywriting from a real live person talking to me person to person, and not from some emotionless corporation.

4. State your proposition in a personal way, since the focus is all about the customer...i.e. write in the "You" form, not "he or she." And talk about them or things that they can relate to.

5. Focus on customer benefits. People like to save money, join in and be a part, learn more, earn more.

6. Offer multiple selling points in bullet form. Write them from customer's point of view & reflect their needs.

7. Thoroughly describe the product. Give the customer all the information they need on the product or service in order to make a well educated decision.
Tip! Missing the extras. Text links within your site and anchor text pointing to it are important elements of search engine optimisation copywriting.

8. Create a call to action. Tell the customer what to do exactly, step-by-step.

9. State your unique selling position to differentiate yourself from competition. For example, tell why your product is better than the competition's.

Go for the gusto in selling your email messages with sound copywriting techniques. Sell your audience on reading more, navigating on your site and communicating in some way to show they got your message.

Chet Holcomb of Internet Promotions Marketing Tools is a successful marketing expert providing advice for web marketers and webmasters on how to promote your website, or product using marketing tools that work. His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

You may reprint this article freely if the content is not altered and the authors resource box is displayed.

Copywriting Skills can Improve eBay eBook Sales

Having a perfect title, a great auction template, a good price and a well-conceived plan regarding how to handle inquiries and effectuate sales sounds like a recipe for success for any eBay eBook seller. However, there is one component missing. In order to really make one's sales numbers jump, there is a need for copywriting talent.

Copywriting refers to the writing of sales copy. In the case of eBay sellers, this involves all of the information provided in your auction. This is what potential customers see and read when making their decision on an eBook. In many cases, they can choose to buy that product from a variety of vendors. Why should they choose you? In some cases, they may not be sure the eBook in question is exactly what they want. Why should they buy that eBook? Often, buyers have heard about scams and raw deals in the eBook field. Why should they trust you?
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Good copywriting answers those questions for the prospect. It sets them at ease, sells them the product and closes the deal. A seller with a perfect system, the greatest eBook ever and a low price will still find sales difficult without good copywriting within the auction.

How does one develop good copywriting skills? Unfortunately, the answer does not involve a quick or easy solution. Practice and training are usually the source of the best copywriting.

This does not mean that the average eBook seller is out of luck, however. Remember, most of the competition is unskilled at copywriting, making any gain in knowledge on the subject beneficial. Additionally, there are a variety of guides, hints and tips freely available online for those who are interested in improving their copywriting skills.
Tip! Close The Deal. When I began studying copywriting many years ago, one of the first things I was taught was to ask for the sale at least seven times.

Don't expect to master copywriting overnight, however. The process of writing effective ad copy involves writing skills along with an understanding of persuasion and the consumer psychology. What may appear to be simple is actually deceptively complex.

For those who are serious about the eBook selling business, hiring a freelance copywriter may be a great idea. Some successful eBook sellers employ copywriters for virtually every project. Others rely on their expert assistance only a few times in order to get a good idea of how to write sales copy that produces results.
Tip! I want to read copywriting from a real live person talking to me person to person, and not from some emotionless corporation.

Good sales copy can be the difference between a rousing success and a horrifying failure. Too often, we convince ourselves that our education or life experience qualify us to write our advertising copy. We frequently don't even realize just how much room for improvement exists in our own stabs at copywriting. This oversight is one of the mistakes an eBook seller can make. As the marketplace begins to crowd, finding ways to improve the performance of an auction becomes essential. One of the best ways to help is by making sure your auction features the kind of copywriting that truly leads people to make purchases.
Tip! Too much time on the look, not enough on the content. If, like me, you're in the business of SEO copywriting, this is a perennial bugbear.

Copyright 2006 John Thornhill

John Thornhill is an eBay powerseller and trades on eBay under the username planetsms. If you really want to succeed on eBay with information products visit http://www.planetsms.co.uk/member_offer.htm

SEO Copywriting is a Waste of Time for Blogs

Good copywriting skills can help you sell with your blog. But if you think by "copywriting" I mean "SEO copywriting," you'd be wrong.

In fact, you're probably wasting your time even worrying about traditional SEO techniques when it comes to blogs. Here's why.

Writing for Search Engines

Search engine optimization ("SEO") copywriting means writing web page copy that is optimized to rank well in the search engines. This includes inserting targeted key words in certain places (like titles), and in frequencies and densities designed to satisfy a particular search engine algorithm.

Why isn't this as important anymore? Essentially, SEO experts think traditional SEO for blogs is a big waste of time.

Humans Matter More
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The gist of the argument is that when it comes to search rankings, what's written on a web page is less important than what other people say about that web page, and how many times.

It all comes down to links.

First of all, referral traffic (links from other bloggers) is of higher quality for the things that matter most - subscriptions and sales.

It's like the difference between a prospect who is sent your way from a happy former client, measured against someone who finds you in the Yellow Pages.

But this also impacts your search engine rankings. The algorithms favor sites and pages with incoming, non-reciprocal links from body text - in other words, express recommendations from other people. And much more weight is placed on the words used in those links (anchor text) than the words on the page linked to.
Tip! Close The Deal. When I began studying copywriting many years ago, one of the first things I was taught was to ask for the sale at least seven times.

Just ask George W. Bush.

You won't find the words "miserable failure" anywhere on the biography page of the current U.S. President, and yet that page ranks number one for the search term in Google. That's because a whole bunch of other people (mostly bloggers) decided to link to W's bio with the anchor text "miserable failure," and obtained top ranking.

The trend of search engine's favoring what others say is intensifying. Just like offline, word of mouth matters most.

As mentioned above, search engines like Google already incorporate user feedback (links + anchor text) in their algorithms. When people link to and tag the posts of other bloggers on social book marking sites, and tagging is more fully integrated into the current version of search, rankings will rely on recommendations even more.
Tip! I want to read copywriting from a real live person talking to me person to person, and not from some emotionless corporation.

The end result will be better search, and the end of traditional SEO techniques.

Content Matters Most

This is why traditonal (not SEO) copywriting skills that catch and hold reader attention are important for bloggers. I would argue that great copywriting is the new SEO for bloggers, if it gets you positive links from others. And since blogging is a new form of public relations, and PR depends on great copywriting…

Well, you get my point.

So, maybe you should quit worrying about SEO and start producing incredible content and networking in your niche. Copywriting techniques will help you excel in both.

Don't be Search Engine Ugly

Now, for that grain of salt. There's no reason to completely ignore things like keywords in your writing. For one thing, it can influence the anchor text that is used to link to you, which is a good thing.

For example, take this article. It's got the keyword phrase "seo copywriting" right up front in the post title, and yet the headline still manages to be provocative. There's no reason why you shouldn't strive for human titillation and keyword relevancy.
Tip! Website copywriting needs to be shorter It's been scientifically proven that readers' eyes tire quicker reading a computer screen than they do a printed page. But more important than that, website copywriting needs to be short because of the nature of the medium.

But… if you have to choose between the two, go for the human factor first and foremost.

So, optimize your post URLs and include your keywords, but beyond that, let it go.

Search engine algorithms come and go, but human nature remains the same.

Learn how to sell with blog copywriting and RSS marketing at Copyblogger. You can subscribe for free via RSS or email.

SEO Copywriting for Affiliates

SEO copywriting or Search Engine Optimized Copywriting is the writing (or re-writing) of text - articles, product reviews, comparisons, how-to's etc. in a way that they rank high in a search engine search. That is, if a person is searching for a particular keyword, ("swan") or key phrase ("mute swan signet") and one or both are keywords/keyword phrases for your site, that you will rank well in a search. The first page or two are what counts, because most people won't go any further.

SEO copywriting needs to accomplish two objectives: To attract the search engine and obtain a good ranking once it crawls the site, and to provide interest and value to the reader. When your site ranks high, more people will see it and visit and you will have the ability to increase your sales or fulfill other objectives, such as membership or contributions.

Using search term tools, such as Wordtracker, find relevant words and phrases that describe your content, and are popular, but not highly competitive, with a multitude of users. There's no exact science to the number of keywords or density percentage on a page, but they should be spread throughout the page and always appear in the first sentence and the headings. Be sure to use singular and plural of the words as well as synonyms, and other related words, such as waterfowl in the swan example. The keywords and Key phrases should use HTML header codes H1 for primary headlines, and H2 for subheads. Title tags appear as the title of your page in search engine results, and should contain your most relevant keywords for each page, so the searcher is delivered to highest area of interest and remains there to take the action it was created for.
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Karen Kari's articles and more information on the affiliate business can be found at:

http://www.affiliatebandit.com http://www.advertisingcellar.com http://www.billionfreeads.com

9 Copywriting Strategies for Network Marketers

Have you ever struggled to write an ad to promote your products or recruit new distributors? Coming up with creative advertising copy can be overwhelming for many network marketers.

As much as you love promoting your products and opportunity, it may be difficult to come up with new creative ads.

But never fear. Here are nine copy writing strategies that are sure to inspire you to create one brilliant ad after another.

1. Use your hand writing in ads

If you have your own Web site, post a hand written letter on part of your sales copy instead of printed text. For offline, marketing, you could use postcards or address letters by hand. Adding a personal touch can increase your sales and recruits.
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2. Use endorsements in ads

Create a list of famous or respected customers who have bought from you in your ad copy. People will think that if these people bought your products or services, they should also trust your business and purchase your products. Make sure to get their permission first.

You company may already have celebrity endorsements that are included in marketing materials that you could use. If the celebrities are independent representative for the company, promote that in your recruiting ad copy.

3. Use before & after photos in ads
Tip! Missing the extras. Text links within your site and anchor text pointing to it are important elements of search engine optimisation copywriting.

Show before and after photos for your products in your marketing materials and on your Web site, if possible. Show the problem picture and then beside it, show the picture of the resolution to the problem when they use your product.

4. Use 3rd party documentation in ads

Include an article or review that has been written by someone else about you or your business with your ad copy. This will show people that your business is respected and will increase your credibility.

5. Use a free bonus with value in ads

When you offer free bonuses in your ad copy, also list the dollar value beside each bonus. People will feel they're getting a good deal, and it will increase the value of your product or service.
Tip! Too much time on the look, not enough on the content. If, like me, you're in the business of SEO copywriting, this is a perennial bugbear.

6. Use a picture of yourself in ads

Include your own picture in your ad copy. This will show people that you're not hiding behind your ad copy and will increase their trust. Also, include your contact information below the picture and a brief statement or quote.

Besides ads, you could include a color photo of yourself on your business cards.

7. Use charitable giving information in ads

Tell your potential customers on your ad copy that you will donate a percentage of their purchase price to specific charity. This will show them you really care about a particular cause. They may just buy your product/service to donate to the charity.

If your network marketing company already donates to a specific charity, let your potential customers know about that instead.

8. Use thought provoking questions in ads

Ask your potential customers plenty of yes and no questions in your ad copy. The questions should remind them of their problem and make them think about what will happen if they don't purchase your product or service.

9. Use games & prizes in ads

Tell your potential customers that they will receive a free prize if they find the five words in your ad copy that are misspelled or spelled backwards. The longer you can keep someone reading your ad copy the greater chance of them purchasing.

This article may be reprinted as long as the About the Author resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked.

About the Author:
Tip! Good website copywriting starts with a home page that incites curiosity On a home page, many organizations wax about how long their company has been in business, how many employees they have and other assorted topics, which do nothing to whet the reader's appetite. Instead, use the homepage to introduce your company as a solution to a problem your market has.

Fran McClough is the author of "The Ultimate Marketing Plan Workbook for Network Marketers," a comprehensive how-to guide for network marketing success, which reveals marketing strategies to increase your sales and recruit more people into your downline. Claim your copy of the workbook and other resources for network marketers exclusively at MLMMarketingSpot.com.

Online Retirement Opportunity: Freelance Copywriting

For most of us, the idea of retiring simply on our pension is not a happy prospect.

While we may have always had dreams of a retirement that is worry-free and with a few luxuries thrown in, the stark reality is that our pensions will likely give us only the most basic living conditions, with none of the luxuries we had hoped for.

Whether your retirement is thirty years away, ten years away or is already upon you, the best guarantee of a happy future is to start building a second stream of income now.

For some this will mean creating their own business and marketing some product or service in the hope of making some big profits.
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However, many of us don't have the skills or the time to manage such an ambitious undertaking.

But we do have time to write.

If you have the skills to write a letter or a simple company memo, then you have the skills to make some money by writing.

There are many ways you can turn your words into cash. But the one I am most familiar with is the craft of copywriting.

For over twenty years I have worked as a freelance copywriter, raised a family and continued to make good money, year after year.

Why copywriting? What makes this such an excellent source of a good second income?
Tip! Too much time on the look, not enough on the content. If, like me, you're in the business of SEO copywriting, this is a perennial bugbear.

A few reasons:

* No special qualifications are needed. A university degree? Not necessary at all.

* It doesn't matter where you live.

* It doesn't matter how old or young you are.

* It doesn't cost an arm and a leg to get started. Just take a really good copywriting course and you're ready to go. (See link below.)

In other words, freelance copywriting is the ultimate second stream of income, giving you the potential for some good money, but leaving you with the flexibility you need to fit it around your existing obligations.

Start today and you'll soon be earning that extra income you need to ensure a happy and enjoyable retirement.

To find out more about getting started or developing your skills as a freelance copywriter, read my review of this copywriting course by Michael Masterson.
Tip! Close The Deal. When I began studying copywriting many years ago, one of the first things I was taught was to ask for the sale at least seven times.

Nick Usborne is a freelance copywriter, author and speaker. For more articles and resources on making money as a freelance writer, visit his site, http://www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com.

Want a Web Site that Turns Lookie Loos into Buyers? Seven Passion Copywriting Tips

Web Site Blues? Need one, don't know where to start? Got one, but aren't getting enough sales?

If you need a Web site soon you may be wondering where to start and who to trust. All Web masters are not equal. Some do not know the marketing language—what I call "Passion Copywriting." Before you call a Web master, check out a book writing or internet coach to help you pre-plan, create sales-pulling headlines, write your sales letter, and how to connect them so all information leads to sales on your order page.
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If you already have a Web page, I'm sure you put your heart and soul into it, even paid someone big money to put it up for you. Yet, if your home page's copy speaks lackluster, then you may be ready for a makeover. You may have submitted to the search engines without receiving targeted hits and buyers either.

You only have 10 seconds to impress your "to be" buyer. Apply these "Passion Copywriting" tips for your refreshed Web pages:

1.Write dazzling home-page copy that grabs your visitors by the collar.
Tip! Missing the extras. Text links within your site and anchor text pointing to it are important elements of search engine optimisation copywriting.

Compel them through benefit-driven headlines. Just listing your book, product, service, or ezine falls flat every time. Write copy that seduces your visitors to buy whatever it is you want to sell.

Appeal to their emotions. "After you use my services, you will feel as young as child playing in the surf." Or, use concrete benefits rather than general ones. Instead of reduce your stress; try "Create leap out of bed energy when you use this method."

2. Quote a client or customer using their testimonial.

In their own words, clients can give you a strong recommendation your visitors will believe. It will arouse curiosity enough that your visitor will keep reading to find out more.

3. Let your visitor know your financial success.

Tell a story of your success and how your client or customer can do the same thing when they follow your advice. Use specifics such as: Judy's Success

- Raised Web book sales from $75 to $3000 (8 mo) over $4500 in 2004. - Increased book and Internet coaching clients from 7 to 17 in two months. - Increased search engine placement to # 1 in Google, Yahoo and 35 others (8 mo) using "book coaching." - Increased ezine subscribers 15-25 a day (total 3500) - Listed on 3140 Web sites with a hyperlink back to my Web site where I sell my services and products

4. Present solutions for your visitor's problem or challenge.

When you pay attention to where your visitor is now, pull them in with a question on it. "Does your Web site have low sales?" Then, offer 3-5 solutions for it in bullet form. These benefits are the results of using your product or service. Benefits sell.
Tip! Good website copywriting starts with a home page that incites curiosity On a home page, many organizations wax about how long their company has been in business, how many employees they have and other assorted topics, which do nothing to whet the reader's appetite. Instead, use the homepage to introduce your company as a solution to a problem your market has.

5. Speak to your audience's resistances.

In your sales letter say something like, you're probably thinking, it will cost big time to use my Internet marketing service. Or you already have 5 eBooks on this topic and haven't used them, so why should you buy my book? Then, handle each objection of why you are the only choice for this helpful skill.

6. Flatter your reader.

Describe the kind of client or customer you want. Tell why the way they think, work or feel is important to you. Forget the "I" in your sales copy. Always approach the "you."

7. Use power words to entice your reader to take action.

Lists abound in many books, but of course you can use the basic best: free, you, discover, new, latest, guarantee, money, secret, act now, save, how to, reveal and success.

Instead of passive words like is, was, has, have, use strong verbs that either give a visual or elicit an emotion. How will your customer feel after he uses your service? Or, How will her life look after she reads your book?
Tip! Website copywriting needs to be shorter It's been scientifically proven that readers' eyes tire quicker reading a computer screen than they do a printed page. But more important than that, website copywriting needs to be short because of the nature of the medium.

Now is the time to be bold and even outrageous, so your visitor will not say "ho-hum" and leave. The more your "Passion Copywriting" entertains, the longer your visitor stays to see more of what you offer. One big compliment "I found so much great information on your site, I stay 2 hours."

Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com

Direct Response - The Fast Track to 6 Figure Freelance Copywriting

Why is freelance direct response copywriting so lucrative? Because it drive immediate sales. And if you can show that your writing will get people reaching for their credit cards, you'll have no shortage of work.

It's not complicated. Companies that depend on making immediate sales from direct mail packages and ads are very good at doing the math. They know how many sales they need to see a good profit from their investment.

As a result, they place enormous value on the skills of a good copywriter. In fact, I can't think of any other situation where the value of the writer is so completely appreciated.

In direct marketing, the writer is king or queen. Decades of testing have shown that the words can make a huge different to response rates and sales.
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And there's more good news. In fact, a number of pieces of good news:

1. Companies frequently outsource their direct marketing copywriting work to freelancers. How come? Because they are looking for the best. They'll keep trying people, and paying them well, in their search for someone who can write a package that will perform just a little bit better.

2. There is always a shortage of good direct mail copywriters. It's hard to believe, seeing how profitable this work can be, but there are just never enough good writers who can create great work.

3. There are new markets just begging for strong DM copywriters. There are plenty of industries that have been depending on direct response for decades: finance, health, magazines, cable TV, collectibles and more. These guys are always on the look out for new writers. AND, there's one new industry that is literally starved of good direct response writers...the high tech industry, particularly in the B2B area. If you have an interest in high tech, here's a niche that will drive you to that 6-figure income very, very quickly.
Tip! Close The Deal. When I began studying copywriting many years ago, one of the first things I was taught was to ask for the sale at least seven times.

If you already have strong direct response copywriting skills, be sure to do some research in the high-tech area.

If you want to get into direct mail copywriting, but don't know where to get the best training, I would strongly recommend you check out my review of this course - Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. Just click on the link below...

The Michael Masterson Copywriting Course

Nick Usborne is a freelance writer, author and speaker. For more articles and resources on making money as a freelance writer, visit his site, http://www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com.

In Direct Mail Marketing Copywriting, Specifics Outsell Generalities

Lilly Tomlin, the American comic, once said: "When I was growing up, I wanted to be a somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific."

In direct response advertising and direct mail selling, as in life, specifics sell. Generalities don't.

Consider, for example, a direct response ad that I have in front of me. I tore it from the May 2006 issue of Harper's Magazine last night.

This ad faces an almost impossible sales challenge:

1. The product it promotes is the ROM, a Range of Motion exercise machine that retails for $14,615—impossibly expensive

2. The machine promises to give you the benefits of a complete physical workout in just four minutes—almost impossible to believe

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3. The manufacturer is selling a high-ticket item on paper and not in person—almost impossible to do

But I think the folks at ROMFAB in North Hollywood, California, know what they are doing. They are likely to sell plenty of these machines using their direct response ad because they pack it with specifics and not generalities. Consider . . .

Specific price: Not $14,599, but $14,615.

Specific workout: Exactly four minutes a day.

Specific thesis: "Over 92% of people who own exercise equipment and 88% of people who own health club memberships do not exercise." Hence the appeal of their exercise machine that requires only four minutes a day.
Tip! Too much time on the look, not enough on the content. If, like me, you're in the business of SEO copywriting, this is a perennial bugbear.

Specific proof: "Over 97% of people who rent the ROM for 30 days wind up buying it" (so it must deliver on its promise of a complete workout in four minutes).

Specific credentials: Not "award-winning," but "Winner of the 1991 Popular Science Award for the ‘Best of What's New' in Leisure Products." To be credible you must be specific.

More credentials: "Manufactured in California since 1990."

Cost: Under 20 cents per use (the copy explains how they calculated that number).

Specific offer: Free DVD or video that demonstrates the product.

Specific call to action: Not "Visit our website for more information," but "Order a free DVD or video from www.FastExercise.com or call (818) 787-6460."

These specifics help ROMFAB sell an impossibly expensive exercise machine using direct response copy in a simple display ad. Notice that the offer is not to buy the machine, but to order the free video, then rent the machine. That's the easier sell. When your product is costly and your sales proposition hard to believe, overcome objections with specifics, use an offer that moves the buyer off the inertia seat, and use a call to action that requires little commitment.
Tip! Website copywriting needs to be shorter It's been scientifically proven that readers' eyes tire quicker reading a computer screen than they do a printed page. But more important than that, website copywriting needs to be short because of the nature of the medium.

---- About the author Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using business-to-business direct mail marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com.

2006 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author" message).

5 Copywriting Secrets for Knowing Your Market

If you'd like to know 5 copywriting secrets for truly knowing your niche customer then you're in for a treat. The most important element in good sales copy is appealing to your reader -- by writing about something that interests them. In other words, you have to give them what they want.

This means appealing to their self-interest. Their personal desires. Getting to know their feelings … etc. So how do you do this? By intimately knowing your audience … which is what these copywriting secrets are all about.
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Here are a few copywriting secrets the pros use on a regular basis:

1) Read all the best-selling books relating to your subject / target market. Note the book's title, then any sales copy or reviews on its back cover. Open it up and review the table of contents and index. Finally, read the first and last chapters. Makes notes on all the details / benefits readers are promised to find inside. These will give you a heads up on what your market currently desires.
Tip! Missing the extras. Text links within your site and anchor text pointing to it are important elements of search engine optimisation copywriting.

2) Find all the magazines relating to your subject / target market. If you're at the library get as many back issues as you can. Leaf through these and note any recurring themes or subjects. These will be the popular ones … the ones your target is hungry for.

3) Even more importantly … carefully read all the ads in these magazines. Find the ads appearing over and over in each magazine - from issue to issue. These ads are probably money-makers. What do they sell? What are the emotions they appeal to? What are the key benefits they promise? The key words used? Etc.
Tip! I want to read copywriting from a real live person talking to me person to person, and not from some emotionless corporation.

4) Hold on … you're not done with the magazines yet. One of the most overlooked of all copywriting secrets is reading letters to the editor. They're filled with strong feelings and emotions. Emotions powerful enough to motivate a reader to sit down and write ... then go through the hassle of addressing an envelope ... stamping it ... and then mailing it.

5) Now you're ready to confirm all the research you've done up to this point. By using the biggest secret of all - - which is getting the industry "controls" already being mailed to your subject / target market.

Direct mail packages that keep mailing over and over again are surely profitable … and a winning standard for whoever is mailing them. These are referred to as "controls" in the direct mail industry. And the following resources are relatively inexpensive ones you can use to find such controls:
Tip! Close The Deal. When I began studying copywriting many years ago, one of the first things I was taught was to ask for the sale at least seven times.

a) Who's Mailing What! … found at http://www.whosmailingwhat.com/

You have to pay for a one-year membership. This basic subscription allows you to get information about direct mailers. Paying extra fees gives you access to industry controls. They even identify the "grand controls," which refer to direct mail packages mailed many, many times … over a lengthy period.

b) Inside Direct Mail … found at http://www.insidedirectmail.com/

This excellent resource also tells you what's currently mailing to your market. Get a hold of these controls. Read them very carefully. Note every benefit promised. Every emotional hot button. These mailings can be worth more to you than gold if you've got a great mailing list and a great offer.

Alright. That's enough for now. Use these copywriting secrets to your advantage, and enjoy success with your direct mail!

Copyright 2006 Joseph Farinaccio

Joe Farinaccio helps businesses and entrepreneurs make money using direct response advertising. To discover how to prosper from copywriting and direct response marketing in your business ... visit his website at ... http://www.sales-letters-and-marketing.com

Business-To-Business Marketing: Copywriting Secrets That Increase Sales

If you want to increase your marketing results and get more qualified leads, you will need to improve the effectiveness of the copywriting on your website, print ads, emails and direct mail.

This is vital because copywriting is your "salesperson in cyberspace, in print and in the mail" … and great salesmanship produces great sales … average salesmanship gets only average or worse results.

Here are the copywriting tips that will improve your marketing results. These are proven based on our copywriting work for over 450 businesses since 1978.

This is a list of what your prospect is thinking as he reads your marketing copy. It's important to make sure everything is addressed on this list. If you do this, your marketing results will improve dramatically.
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1. You better have done your research to know what benefits I want most from your type of product or service.

If you don't, I won't even notice you, and if I do, I won't even give you a hearing.

2. What do you do? How will it help me? I need to know "what's in it for me" instantly or I'm gone.

3. Why should I believe you?

4. I already have a supplier for that - why should I listen to you?

5. Make it easy for me to read, understand, navigate, and "scan" your marketing material.
Tip! Too much time on the look, not enough on the content. If, like me, you're in the business of SEO copywriting, this is a perennial bugbear.

6. I want a specialized expert in your field for my situation or my needs or my type of business.

7. Don't bore me! I'm sick of corporate talk, business buzz terms and mumbo-jumbo. Almost all business marketing is very dull and boring and I won't read it.

8. I want ALL the details and specs, including product information, product applications, CAD drawings and plans, costs and shipping. A ThomasNet.com study finds a very large percentage of buyers say these details are not readily available.

9. I want to read copywriting from a real live person talking to me person to person, and not from some emotionless corporation.

10. I won't admit it on the record, but I make purchases based on my emotions. Sure I need logic and features for verification, but if you can touch my emotions, I'm much more likely to buy from you.
Tip! Customer testimonials are an integral part of great website copy Often, the best website copywriting doesn't come from you or your copywriter. It comes from your customers' personal experiences.

11. I badly want more from my life than just work. I'm very interested in saving time, work and stress.

12. Make it easy for me! You list many different things I can do and I'm confused. What one thing should I do now and why?

13. Don't overload your website or brochure with fluff - stick only to relevant and helpful information I need. I'm tired of all the irrelevant "filler" information on the web and I won't read through it anymore.

14. Compare your product or service against your competitors for me if it is really as good as you say it is. Be honest, as I'll see through any favoritism.

15. Be specific; generalities go right into my garbage.

16. What's your guarantee?

17. How can I test your product, service or company first, in a low or no cost way, before I make a large commitment?

18. Help me justify the investment to my boss on an ROI basis.
Tip! Website copywriting needs to be shorter It's been scientifically proven that readers' eyes tire quicker reading a computer screen than they do a printed page. But more important than that, website copywriting needs to be short because of the nature of the medium.

These copywriting secrets applied properly are a main reason one website, direct mail piece or ad can pull 2 to 3 times the response as another for the same product or service. This is why the most successful marketers hire the best outside freelance copywriters they can afford.

(Mike Pavlish of Profit Boosters Copywriting has done the copywriting for hundreds of business-to-business clients since 1978. Fees start at $3,000.00 and up. He can be reached at http://www.ProfitBoostersCopy.com)

8 Strategies To Catapult Your Copywriting Skills To The Next Level

I am about to share with you 8 quick ideas and suggestions to dramatically help you improve your copywriting skills as you get going.

You can use these tips when it comes to creating offers, E-mails and sales letters that grab people's attention.

So without further ado, here they are!

Number one: Always write your sales letter with the individual in mind.

Whenever you're writing a sales letter or an E-mail, you want to write that E-mail or sales letter as though you were talking to one person.

Number two: Pull them in with the first line.

You've got to create interest with the reader, the very first line that they read.

Number three: Use bullets.

People like to scan, they like to quickly read things as fast as they can, and using bullets makes that whole process a heck of a lot easier. So use them.
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Number four: Just let it flow.

When you're starting to write a letter, it is very difficult to just start from top to bottom and write everything. When it comes to writing it and actually putting everything down in order, I want you to just write as it's coming out. You're going to have moments when inspiration hits you and your pen is going to go like crazy or your fingers are going to go like crazy on the computer keyboard, and I want you to just let it flow.

Number five: Write like you speak.

I briefly touched on this in one of the earlier points. But it's much easier for you to envision that you're communicating with one individual as though you're having a conversation with that person, because when that person reads your sales letter or your E-mail, they're going to feel like you're talking right to them, and that's exactly what you want.
Tip! Customer testimonials are an integral part of great website copy Often, the best website copywriting doesn't come from you or your copywriter. It comes from your customers' personal experiences.

Number six: Make your communication easy to read.

What I mean by that is use short paragraphs. Use pictures. I want you to bold certain things. I want you to highlight important areas.

Number seven: I want you to stress the benefits and not the features.

I want you to put yourself in the shoes of the person reading your communication piece The number one question that they're going to be asking is: What's in it for me? You have to address those things, and you've got to stress the benefits of your particular communication piece that you're trying to use.

Number eight: I want you to keep the reader interested.

How do you do that? On a sales letter there are a ton of ways that you can keep the reader interested, and I'm going to give you a few of them right now.
Tip! Close The Deal. When I began studying copywriting many years ago, one of the first things I was taught was to ask for the sale at least seven times.

- You can use graphs. - You can use pictures.
- You can use audio. - You can use video. - Another one that people love to see are testimonials. - Another one that you can always use is giving examples of proof.
- Do you have checks?
- Do you have screen shots of people registering for certain things?
Tip! Missing the extras. Text links within your site and anchor text pointing to it are important elements of search engine optimisation copywriting.

Whatever you're trying to sell or promote, I want you to give proof that it works or that it would provide benefit to the person that is reading it - screen shots, pictures, testimonials - these are all great things of proof.

So there you have it… 8 quick tips to improve your copywriting skills. This is not the be all and end all of copywriting techniques but they will definitely help you jump over some of the hurdles that are standing in your way!

Don't let your brainchild go to waste! Discover how to start making money with your ideas by grabbing a special report entitled 11 Creative Methods To Make More Money With Your Ideas In Less Time And With Less Effort at your source for creativity

Make Big, Big Bucks Copywriting

If you're trying to break into the freelance writing market, you might often say aloud, "God, where's the money in the freelance writing market?! I swear I'll never dress up like a clown and scare people on the street again…"

According to Writer's Digest 2005 Writer's Market, copywriting is where it's at. Copywriter's make $24-$100 dollars an hour producing copy for businesses. You can earn $330-$6,000 per brochure, flier, or booklet! They are also in demand for ads! And since you blog, you may already be adept at keyword optimization.

If you think about it, we already knew who has the money in the world—corporations and small businesses. The same applies for the writing market. Copywriting can make you a fortune (It's not always fun, but it pays the bills and beyond.). Many copywriters make six-figure incomes!
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One way to get a copywriting gig is to e-mail small businesses, saying you're interested in a job. Start small and work your way up to the big dogs. Countless lists of insurance companies, electronic retailers, etc., exist on the net. Search for them in search engines.

If you move people with your writing, are technically skilled, and want to make serious cash, give it a run.

Click Here To Read More By This Author

Professional Advertising Copywriting Experts London UK

Back from a nice week in Devon, doing nothing except walk on the moors and lazing about. Couple of calls to the office - "Anything good happening?" "Well, it's good you aren't here" - and that's about it. Didn't even bother to travel 30 miles to take up the offer of a free lunch at Cornwall's most famous seafood restaurant though, as this was compensation for a lunch I had there last year that pole axed me for three days with food poisoning, my non-attendance wasn't 100% sloth related.
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Arrived to find an article - "How to Write a Job Ad" - left open on my desk (rather pointedly, I thought) which was vaguely thought provoking, though things like "most are full of corporate puff and management-speak…fail to give detailed information…generally don't get the people you want" were a bit too sweeping for me (and I hate all sweeping statements). Copy can be quite emotive, not least because it's the one area of advertising that anyone can do - we don't all know the media, we can't all design, but we can all write - so we all bring our own opinions/pet hates to it. For example, there's lots of things I don't like; from "previous" experience (isn't all experience in the past or previous?), "staff" as opposed to "employees" (I use a staff to round up sheep. Well, I would if I had sheep. And if I had a staff), "meticulous" attention to detail (you either have attention to detail or you don't). None of these are likely to alter the response to an ad (which probably should be the test of whether any copy change is necessary in an ideal world) but I will still try and amend any of these, every chance I get, so the ad is done "my way". To be honest, I can get a bit precious about my personal copy conventions (aka "he's off on one again"), so much so that we actually have a little list of them that we refer to - hey, at least it ensures consistency. Though I like to think some of them achieve more than that - isn't "attractive" salary a better sell than the rather dull "competitive", isn't "you" rather more personal than "the successful candidate", isn't "we thank all candidates in advance for their interest and would appreciate all replies by xxx" warmer than "closing date xxx"?
Tip! Missing the extras. Text links within your site and anchor text pointing to it are important elements of search engine optimisation copywriting.

Anyway, back to the article where, after the ritual slaughter of almost the entire industry's copy ("banal" was another description used), the authors laid out their modestly titled "Seven Golden Rules", based on psychological research, to get to the people you want - "who are so busy being successful in their current job that they don't have the time or inclination to read the recruitment section". Ignoring the fatal flaw in this argument (if these successful people are too busy to read the recruitment section you could write an ad that could outsell the entire "Harry Potter" phenomenon and it still wouldn't work, would it?), their rules were:
Tip! Too much time on the look, not enough on the content. If, like me, you're in the business of SEO copywriting, this is a perennial bugbear.

1. Be bold about job title, salary and location 2. Spell out what you want 3. Describe the job in detail 4. Use questions 5. Tell a story about why you are advertising the job but keep it real 6. Make applying easy 7. Fly your flag - put your logo in the ad.

On the face of it nothing much new there, although it was a shame that their own example of good copy for a sales position "you'll be called in to clients when the door of opportunity has been opened, to provide the technical detail to close the deal" seemed to include the type of management-type speak they abhor and was too wordy - the one thing all clients dislike - because, for example, "you'll use your technical knowledge to turn qualified leads into sales" says pretty much the same. In over 50% less words.
Tip! Close The Deal. When I began studying copywriting many years ago, one of the first things I was taught was to ask for the sale at least seven times.

The idea of using questions (4) and telling stories, while keeping it real (5) are well known advertising techniques which, research shows, do boost response (questions involve the reader and make the process two way, while people do read stories). But I can't think of many examples where questions can be, or are, used meaningfully in recruitment (interestingly, the authors don't provide any examples) apart from the ubiquitous "interested?" just before the response details. Which, incidentally, is another of my pet hates - because if they aren't interested, I'd like to know what they are doing reading the ad through to the end. Perhaps ploughing through ads of no interest is their sad hobby or something?

As for telling stories about why you are advertising the job, I have two issues. One, I'm not entirely sure that, if candidates see jobs advertised that they really want, they give a fig why it's become available. And two, as a Golden Rule, it has the severe limitation that jobs only become available for a very limited number of publishable reasons - mainly growth or replacement (and, with the latter, you can't, for example, advertise that you need a new FD because the last one was a total twonk), so I'm not sure how ad after ad repeating one version or another of these reasons enhances response to any of them.

Their other point about telling stories is that "recruitment sections read as if failure never happens so you should stand out of the crowd by talking about your failures as well as your success". Hmmm. I can't recall the world's number one brand - Coca Cola - advertising much about the effects of all that sugar on your teeth (If any, of course - Legal Editor). I'm all for truth (or tooth. Ho! Ho!) in advertising but, in recruitment, think this should be limited to facts - which I'd have as a Golden Rule - and a description of the challenges or opportunities. Talking about your problems because "chances are, you want people who can handle problems. And good people want a job they can get their teeth (what's this new dental fixation?) into, not one where the problems are all solved" isn't particularly logical or realistic; I'd be interested to see if the authors could sell this "warts ‘n all" approach to any client, anywhere.
Tip! Good website copywriting starts with a home page that incites curiosity On a home page, many organizations wax about how long their company has been in business, how many employees they have and other assorted topics, which do nothing to whet the reader's appetite. Instead, use the homepage to introduce your company as a solution to a problem your market has.

From my point of view, a recruitment ad is a little bit like riding down a few floors in an a elevator with your candidate - you only have a few seconds to make a favourable impression - so tone (friendly, personable), facts (turnover details, number of employees rather than "one of the largest") and having a real selling point for the job are far more important than whittering on about the issues you face, asking questions and telling stories. I'm not that keen on their rule about describing the job in great detail either - a Marketing Manager knows what a Marketing Manager does most of the time without having every single detail spelled out as if for the hard-of-thinking.
Tip! I want to read copywriting from a real live person talking to me person to person, and not from some emotionless corporation.

Basically I'm still a big fan of the Price Waterhouse 1990's research into recruitment advertising, just about the only objective work of this kind of which I'm aware. This found that candidates want straightforward adverts, giving facts, cutting out excessive jargon and glossy adjectives. That candidates get irritated by the over-use of words like "dynamic, pro-active, forward thinking, visionary etc". That they get tired of "motherhood statements that tell us nothing". That many simply find the text of advertisements hard to believe. And that popular stocking fillers like "growing, challenges, exciting opportunities" are not the winners any cursory glance at any recruitment section would have you believe. Quite the opposite.

They're in fact seen as evidence of "mass corporate delusion". Whoops.
Tip! Customer testimonials are an integral part of great website copy Often, the best website copywriting doesn't come from you or your copywriter. It comes from your customers' personal experiences.

Advertising Agency and Website Design Company London UK

After reading Law at Oxford, Kim qualified as a Barrister and then a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen(!). He subsequently held several senior finance roles in advertising, including European Financial Controller of Ted Bates, before moving into "real" advertising when he became President and Chief Financial Officer of MDK Boston (USA) in 1988. In 1995, with Maria Manzo, he set up the UK office of BSA International — a USA- owned agency — which he ran until deciding to set up Giraffe where he concentrates on copywriting and new business. Kim, a former Oxford blue, has played Welsh league football and was once chosen to play cricket for Northern Nigeria.

Copywriting for Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, and the Mystic Audience

These days, you don't have to traverse the dark forest on the eve of the Full Moon to find a gypsy, psychic or "intuitive" as many now call themselves. Chances are, the local astrologist or tarot reader is making more than a comfortable living for herself in a corporate complex near you. She's probably dressed in proper business attire, scheduling consultations from her art-deco office right now.

If you're a copywriter, the intuitive, mystical or occult audience is an ever-growing market that's worth tapping. Most Intuitives see the Web as an ideal way to attract covert followers... and in that regard, their "intuition" is dead-on.

Why all the secrecy? Pretend for the moment that you're the typical astrology client. Maybe you feel a little silly telling the naysayers at your office and even in your family that you've been seeking answers in the stars. Thanks to anonymity on the web, no one has to know that you just ran your husband's birthday through that Astrological Personality Profiler and are now clued into his Venus in Scorpio that may be clashing with your Mars in Gemini which is why sparks always fly in the bedroom after you've had another one of your hair-raising arguments.
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That said: the world's Intuitives are building websites with the intent of keeping their Private Consultations private... and they need web copy to advertise their services. As a professional copywriter, that's where you come in.

Of course, the more knowledgeable you are, the more likely you'll impress a potential client enough to land a contract. So, if you're already a dabbler in Mysterious Matters, you may want to self-educate just a bit more, to get the voice down pat. Even if you're not an expert, mastering basic concepts and terminology is the quickest way to prove your worth to a potential client in this (or any) field.

Are you a Good Witch, or a Bad Witch?
Tip! Close The Deal. When I began studying copywriting many years ago, one of the first things I was taught was to ask for the sale at least seven times.

Pagans sometimes use the terms White Magic and Black Magic in their practice. Simply stated; White Magic is the means to a positive or good end, and Black Magic is the means to a negative or malevolent end. While many modern-day Intuitives steer clear of such outdated terms like magic, the underlying meaning remains. A Spiritual Advisor has an ethical responsibility to guide her clients to a positive end. If you function as her Web Scribe, that means you do, too.

Folks who deal in the unknown view the Universe in a holistic way. Theirs is a world of vibrations, frequencies, channels, energy flow, positives, negatives and other such intrigue. Therefore; in writing copy for the Spiritually Enlightened audience, there will be many occasions when you'll have to describe things as having a "negative" influence on your reader. If you must cast a dark shadow with your intuitive interpretation, do it in such a way that the recipient of the news can deal with it.
Tip! Missing the extras. Text links within your site and anchor text pointing to it are important elements of search engine optimisation copywriting.

Let's use astrology as an example since it's probably the most familiar. Suppose after a customer enters his birth information on an astrology website, the "reading" that comes up goes something like this:

"Over the course of the next several months, you may feel out of touch with relatives, coworkers and friends; and even out of touch with yourself. You'll experience a constant sense of anxiety and unrest lurking just beneath the surface. Although you might think you're working toward a productive end, this "out of sync" feeling can cause you to become ineffectual in all of your dealings. People who are experiencing the "heaviness" that this planetary influence produces often turn to addictive behavior, typically drugs and alcohol."

How do you imagine that an impressionable reader might react to such news? She will either, 1. take it to heart, becoming discouraged and depressed at the approaching downer that's about to befall her, or 2. grow angry at the relayer of the dismal forecast for insinuating that she is anything short of perfect.

She might even head out to the liquor store to load up for her upcoming bender that she didn't know she was going on before the astrology website sealed her fate. (And to think: she didn't even drink before this!)
Tip! Website copywriting needs to be shorter It's been scientifically proven that readers' eyes tire quicker reading a computer screen than they do a printed page. But more important than that, website copywriting needs to be short because of the nature of the medium.

It's true that not everything in this world is positive, including whatever comes up on your computer-generated astrology reading. But in dealing with the sensitive human psyche, one who writes for this field should know how to comfort, motivate, inspire and encourage. She should fill the reader with faith and hope in herself and the world around her... as well as the power to deal with whatever adversity may come her way during the course of her lifetime.

Therefore, to lessen the blow of a "bad reading," a good copywriter will know how to "break the bad news gently." The same astrology client who received the dismal report above might do well to hear something along the lines of:

"During this period, energy is at an all-time low. You may find yourself feeling ineffectual and self-defeating, with positive relations being put on a temporary back burner. Such "down periods" are the psyche's way of 'recharging' its internal battery for more progressive action later. You may wish to spend this time in deep reflection, or perhaps taking a short repose from the pressing responsibilities of life until the temporary stormclouds give way to brighter days. Emerge stronger, more focused and more effective than ever, for the transformation such a period ultimately brings."
Tip! Customer testimonials are an integral part of great website copy Often, the best website copywriting doesn't come from you or your copywriter. It comes from your customers' personal experiences.

Now, that doesn't sound so bad, does it? If you were the recipient of such a reading, you'd surely be armed with a better way of dealing with the oncoming discord in your life. This, in effect, gives the Spiritually Hungry what they really need: nourishment for their discontented souls.

Aside from the havoc that "spreading bad vibes" can wreak on the Universe alone, the Spiritual Advisor should consider the impact of her words for marketing purposes and the success of her business. If you were selling fruit baskets on your website, would you ever tell the reader, "Beware the occasional rotted pear in your gift sampler!" You certainly would not, if you ever expect to sell anything. Likewise, if you're pitching Enlightenment, you want your customer to have full faith that you can deliver the Good (as opposed to the Bad).

If a psychic's clients don't care for the way she tells their fortune, guess what? They're probably not coming back to her for future advice.

It's in an Intuitive's best interest to remember the tender, vulnerable souls of her audience, and deliver her readings with temperance, good intentions, empathy for the human condition, and above all, Love. From both a moral and marketing standpoint; if you're writing the copy for her website, you're obligated to do the same.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

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