Updates. Ideas. Rants. Techniques. Opinions. Blog.
Swiped: Race For Life’s Positivity
Copywriters and creatives debate negativity and positivity all the time. I've heard respected freelance copywriters say you should never use negative words. Never say bad. Never say never. But most people make exceptions when it comes to certain industries. If you're writing about health, security, or safety, emphasising the negative emotions can really help to solidify fears and drive people to take action. The problem is it feels a bit dirty. Just this week, I was interviewed by Glenn Fisher at All Good Copy. We talked about everything from my unusual approach to planning to my favourite words to use in copy. Then, we got onto the subject of whether negative or positive emotions work best. So, for this Swiped post, I wanted to use one of my favourite examples that shows how people respond to a positive attitude - even if you're talking about something that's quite frankly terrifying.
Swiped: Copyblogger’s Inverted Emphasis
This is Swiped. It's a series of posts that's like a swipe file, but with some insight into why I like particular things. For the first post, we'll be looking at one of the content marketing greats - Copyblogger. Whether you agree with what they say and the processes they recommend, it's undeniable that their website features some great copy that's tailored to the right audience. But Swiped doesn't look at generalisations. This isn't an expansive post, but a precise one that focuses on one aspect of copywriting. This time, it's something that I'll call inverted emphasis.
Website Copywriting That’s More Than SEO
I've got into these copy-heavy bits of work designed to promote myself as a freelance copywriter. They're stylish, efficient, and a great way to present my views on copywriting in a way that isn't a 140-character tweet or a blog post. The latest one covers that tricky issue of SEO. You can view it by clicking the thumbnail below. It's designed to showcase copy, provoke opinion, and steal attention. But, while I love how SEO has expanded the market for copywriters online, this is also fairly reflective of what I really think.
Committing Crimes Against Online Content
There should be a crime against weak online content. That's the argument that I put forward in my recent guest blog post for People Per Hour - Why Weak Online Content Should Be Criminal. After all, if you're not taking the time to grab attention, inform potential customers, and persuade them to part with their money, you may as well don a balaclava and invest in a knife. It's your job to court customers, not grab the cash and run. As a freelance copywriter, I firmly believe in the importance of quality online content. The web puts businesses at their most open and accessible - if you don't do a good job online, rest assured the entire world will find out about it. But let's not confuse striving for perfection with achieving it. Only one of those is possible.
Negotiate Yourself a Better Freelance Fee
One of the hardest tasks as a freelance copywriter is working with the money side of things. It's a shame, because for all of the job satisfaction and wonderful clients, it's the money that matters. If you're not getting paid, you may as well quit copywriting and write your world-changing novel or script! But negotiating a good deal with no experience is tough. Some extra advice can help you to organise your thoughts, set a price, and know how to get the copywriting fee you deserve, or the terms that suit you.
Does Your Freelance Copywriter Need a Big One?
Let's face it - a big one makes it easier for everyone involved. It can provide a handy shortcut for decision makers on whether they want to start a relationship or not. If you know that other people are satisfied, you can be more confident than ever that your freelance copywriter will satisfy you too. But a big brand just isn't the be all and end all. Size isn't everything. So why are so many copywriters eager to pull out their brands and measure them side by side?
Do You Pay Your Copywriter To Write?
Well, let's hope you pay your copywriter. But what exactly are you paying for? It is the job of a freelance copywriter to write things, of course, and only natural to assume that the fee relates to the words. But why, then, do so few professional copywriters get into messy 'per page' or 'per word' discussions? Over at the Professional Copywriters' Network, members continue to discuss how much different types of work should cost. What are people charging for website copywriting? What is the going rate for a single page sales letter? But if you're looking for a copywriter and wondering how much you should pay, think less about the words and more about their purpose.
Your Press Release Copywriting Is Not Exciting
Cue the fireworks. This piece of news is very, very exciting. You see, for the first time ever, this company is doing a thing. The thing is incredibly exciting. The company said 'We are very excited about doing this thing.' As well as calling on a press release writer, the company also decided to get their copywriter to put together a blog post. The blog post was just as exciting, but less formal. In fact, the lack of formality made the excitement all the more frenzied. Here is a tip for everybody who has ever issued a press release - it's not that exciting. But that doesn't matter.
Spare A Thought For Creative Copywriter Orphans
As a creative copywriter, inspiration often comes without notice - and not exactly when I need it to. A copywriter can write, sure, but also trades on creative ideas. Coming up with the right approach, the best angle, and the ideal way to sell to customers is the most important duty of a copywriter. When inspiration strikes, nothing is more exciting. But sometimes, getting inspired is a source of frustration.
Don’t Ask Your Freelance Copywriter To Do Social Media
For blog posts, the blog is the place. But to make the most of my new Facebook page, I've written a post about social media copywriting and published it - exclusively - on Facebook.
