Posts Tagged ‘australian school of copywriting’
Monday, January 14th, 2013
One of the easiest wins you can have with a website is to include an email opt-in box so that people can elect to receive more information from you.
To me, not having an opt-in email box is a wasted opportunity – you’ve worked really hard to get those visitors to your site, they’ve stuck around to have a look and yet there’s no opportunity for them to register their details with you so they keep in touch with you. What a waste!
Here’s some tips on how you can use the email opt-in box to generate more customers and profits in your business:
Make a great offer. If you’re going to offer an opt-in option, make sure it’s a good one. A newsletter is a great start so give some thought as what you’ll call it as this is what will entice them to opt in. For example, how compelling is a newsletter called “Spring Issue, Volume 2” compared to “5 Ways To Make Money From Selling Chicken Coops”. Granted, it’s a niche market we’re dealing with here but if you’re in the business of selling chicken coops (and I can tell you with a very straight face that building and selling chicken coops is BIG business, and if you don’t believe me, check it out on clickbank.com), then that newsletter will have your prospects signing up in droves.
Be consistent. If you’re going to promote a newsletter, commit to sending it out at least once a month, if not twice. To make sure this happens, write at least 6 before you start promoting it so that you have a few in reserve and then start publishing them. Not only will it take the pressure off you to write them when time is tight and deadlines are looming but you’ll also find it’s easier to write 10 stories x 400 words in one sitting rather than rustling up the motivation to write one story x 400 words on 10 different occasions. Trust me on this one.
Don’t sell. Ramming a sales message down your reader’s throat seems like a good idea at the time, especially if times are tight and you REALLY NEED A SALE but the reality is, people won’t buy just because you need them to. The best ratio to work on is 80/20 (yes, Pareto gets a look in again) meaning offer 80% of great content in the newsletter and 20% of a sales message. If you do this often enough and with good will in terms of genuinely wanting to offer great information, then on the odd occasion when you really do need a sale or you want to push something a little harder, then your audience will be receptive, understanding and more prone to accepting your sales call.
Tags: advertising copywriting, australian school of copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, business copywriting, copywriting courses, how to write newsletters, online newsletters
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Monday, January 14th, 2013
FAQs are a fantastic tool for gaining a better Google ranking, for taking the pressure off the business owner having to repeatedly answering client questions and for helping educate the market about what your product or service can do and why yours is better.
Why is an FAQ important?
FAQs are an essential selling tool because these questions are the very same ones the target market is asking in their own head. If the business owner can’t answer these for the customer, the customer will go elsewhere to a company that can. It’s psychologically proven that if we have unanswered questions about a product (E.g. how much is it, is there a money back guarantee etc), we cannot process through the mental steps required to feel confident in purchasing the product.
Here’s a few tips on how to write a powerful FAQ quickly.
1. Write out the top 20 or 30 questions you often get asked by people considering buying from you. Start with the basics, no matter how prosaic they may seem. For example, if I was writing copy for a florist, I would write down the most mundane questions.
- Can I order online?
- Do you offer free delivery?
- Can I add chocolates or gifts to my order?
- What is the minimum purchase?
I’d then follow that up with the more detailed questions:
- What if the flowers I order are not fresh?
- Do you offer a money back guarantee?
- How long does it take to get my flowers delivered?
- Do you belong to an accredited floristry organisation?
2. Answer the questions. Then, you simply write out the answers in the most elegant, persuasive and concise way you can. This now becomes your FAQ. Easy.
Here’s a few more reasons why writing an FAQ in this way make sense.
1. It provides you with the raw material for the rest of your copy. I always start out with the FAQ because it helps me understand my client’s product better and it also becomes the foundation for all the other copy on the website or brochure. With a bit of tweaking, cutting and pasting and re-writing, I can use what I’ve already written for other pages. This is a very time efficient and productive way of writing copy.
2. They’re easy to read. Everyone loves a Q and A because they help us get answers to questions we need answered. Not everyone needs every question answered but by having a clearly laid out, well written FAQ means readers can scan quickly through the text and find what they need.
How To ‘Re-Purpose’ Your Content And Get Maximum Bang For Your Buck:
Writing copy can be time consuming but once you’ve done it or had it done for you by a copywriter, it’s worthwhile thinking about how you can use what you’ve got more than once. Here’s a few tips on how you can re-work big chunks of copy (like and FAQ) so that you get maximum usage out of the copy you’ve written.
1. Slice and dice. I’m a big believer in slicing and dicing your content so you can repurpose your content for numerous platforms. One or two FAQ questions can easily become an article or blog. Five or six can become an eBook and 20+ can become a book.
2. Send it to blogger and ezine sites. One of the quickest ways to get people to read your content and get traffic to your site is to submit your articles or blogs to industry blogging sites, ezine sites like www.ezine.com or to LinkedIn. Make sure you add a ‘bio box’ at the end of the article that includes your website address, contact details and a bit about you so that if people like what you’ve written, they can find you.
3. Use the material as the basis of an online newsletter. You’ve already written your article so why not make it an online newsletter. If you’ve written up your FAQ properly, you can compile a few questions into one and make that the basis of the newsletter. If you’re going to do a newsletter though, make it consistent and send it out on a regular basis.
4. Create Fact Sheets. FAQs lend themselves nicely to Fact Sheets. Pick a topic that you get a lot of questions about and then pick the top 5, answer them and voila, you’ve just created a Fact Sheet. Some infopreneurs I know create ‘series’ of Fact Sheets, get them printed up and laminated and sell them as part of their suite of information products.
5. Post your articles on Facebook or Twitter. You’ve already written the material, you may as well broadcast it to your followers and friends. Simply load the article up into your blog, copy/paste the URL of the blog, write a post/tweet to introduce the article and share it with the world.
Tags: australian school of copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, business copywriting, copywriting services, freelance copywriter, website content, website copywriting
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Monday, January 14th, 2013
I’ve been interviewing some of Australia’s leading online entrepreneurs lately and what I’ve discovered is that ‘success leaves clues’. For this blog, I thought I’d share with you a few of the lessons I’ve learnt from these very successful and innovative business owners.
1. Start! Yes, it sounds simple but procrastination, fear and doubt often stops us from taking action. Break the tasks down into bite size chunks, choose the easiest and get started.
2. Focus on a passion, not what will make money. Sure, it’s important your idea be commercially viable, but often that won’t become apparent until after you’ve begun. If you chase the money upfront, chances are you’ll run out of puff before the business has a chance to return a profit. Start with something you love and work from there.
3. Focus on creating great quality content. You’re probably assuming I would say that (being a copywriter ‘n all) but when I asked each entrepreneur ‘what is the most important ingredient in your website’s success’, they all said ‘get great content’.
4. Partner up. You can achieve great things on your own but if you can find like-minded people who have complementary skills and as much to gain as you do from the venture, then find a way to get them involved, help them meet their goals and you’ll be on your way faster.
5. Get comfortable with technology. Having a website that works and does what you need it to do (now and in the future) is essential to a successful online venture but without that technical know-how (or access to someone who can help you) you’ll always be on the back foot. Ask for help from your website developer to find out what your site is capable of doing, research sites that are working well and ask who did their development, or just ask a tech buddy to help you navigate the website development maze.
If you absolutely have to use free web site builder packages for budget reasons, just remember that with products like that, you generally get what you pay for so buyer beware!
Tags: australian school of copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, business copywriting, copywriting courses, copywriting services
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Monday, December 10th, 2012
We’ve found writing and editing roles for this week’s Jobs Bulletin, in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart. Don’t forget to let us know if you hear of any exciting opportunities!
- Job Title: Tender Writer/Copywriter
Location: Melbourne
Summary: This is a short term contract for an experienced copywriter to join a leading pharmaceutical company based in Melbourne. The role will be varied, and will include writing engaging copy for a range of mediums.
View Here.
- Job Title: Technical Writer
Location: Sydney
Summary: This role would see you primarily working on a translating various project documentation into more ‘user friendly’ versions. This would suit someone who has experience working on IT related projects.
View Here.
- Job Title: Mid-weight Copywriter
Location: Sydney
Summary: This is a great opportunity for a fairly experienced copywriter to assist a growing retail business, The Co-Op Bookshop, with copy across a range of channels. Editorial experience would be highly favoured.
View Here.
Location: Melbourne
Summary: This is a part-time, one day per week role for an experienced copy editor to join the team at Australian Social Work. Previous work for an academic journal would be highly regarded.
View Here.
Location: Hobart
Summary: Ever wanted to work in newspapers? Now’s your chance! News Ltd are seeking a News Editor to join their team at The Mercury & Sunday Tasmanian.
View Here.
Tags: australian school of copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, copywriting courses, copywriting jobs
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Thursday, December 6th, 2012
Research shows that there are only about 20 reasons why people buy anything. Whether it’s a Porsche, or perfume, or a poodle, you’d be surprised at how we are all driven by a limited number of impulses no matter what the product.
Let me demonstrate.
Here are the top 11 reasons why people buy anything:
1. To make money
2. To save money
3. To save time
4. To avoid physical effort
5. To be attractive to others
6. To gain praise from others
7. To have peace of mind
8. To be unique or special or to feel significant
9. To feel connected with others
10. To protect the family
11. To be stylish
Here’s a diverse range of products but you can see quite quickly that it’s quite possible people buy them all for the same reason.
Why do we buy perfume?
5. To be attractive to others
6. To gain praise from others
Why do we buy Ferraris?
5. To be attractive to others
6. To gain praise from others
Why do we bid at a charity auction?
5. To be attractive to others
6. To gain praise from others
Why do we buy expensive wine?
5. To be attractive to others
6. To gain praise from others
Why do we buy a hairdressing service?
5. To be attractive to others
6. To gain praise from others
Sure, there’s lots of other reasons why people might buy perfume, a Ferrari, or wine, or get a nice haircut, but isn’t it interesting that the same buying impulse traverses a range of different products?
Before you start writing your copy, it’s worth reflecting on what your target market seek from your product or service. What need are they seeking to fulfil and how will your product do that?
Once you know the top two reasons, you should base all your copywriting proof points around that and demonstrate how your product helps them achieve that.
This process helps you focus on what you need to write about and what you can leave out.
Tags: australian school of copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, business marketing, copywriting courses, copywriting services
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Monday, December 3rd, 2012
We have a mixed bag of opportunities for you this week. Happy job seeking!
- Job Title: Technical Writer – Health Industry
Location: Melbourne
Summary: This role would see you working to develop appropriate technical specifications for Health Purchasing Victoria’s Tender Program. It would best suit an experienced technical writer, and is a 12-month full-time contract.
View Here.
- Job Title: Technical Writer
Location: Sydney
Summary: This is a 6-month contract working for a global IT engineering and automation logistics company. You will be primarily working on product documentations. Experience with the logistics industry, and a technical understanding of software would be highly regarded.
View Here.
- Job Title: Contributing Editor
Location: Melbourne
Summary: This is a very exciting opportunity for a creative-minded person to join the team at Smith Journal as Contributing Editor. The role would see you developing and writing brilliant articles for both print and online. 5+ years in the publishing/media industry is a must.
View Here.
- Job Title: Experienced Creative Copywriter
Location: Brisbane
Summary: Do you love marketing and copywriting? This is a great opportunity to work for an established and highly successful marketing company as a creative copywriter! Prior experience is necessary.
View Here.
Tags: australian school of copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, business advertising, copywriting courses, copywriting jobs
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Monday, November 26th, 2012
This week, we have a bunch of jobs in technical writing, a copywriter position, and some editing roles! We try to feature jobs in a range of locations – there’s a bit of clustering of writing and editing roles in Sydney at the moment (as that’s where a lot of the big publishing companies are based), but we’ll try to dig up more Melbourne based positions as well over the coming weeks.
Dig in and start applying!
- Job title: Technical Writer
Location: Melbourne
Summary: This is a role for an experienced technical writer to assist with processing and writing technical documentation. Previous experience with SAP implementation is necessary.
View Here.
- Job title: Technical Writer
Location: Sydney
Summary: This State government department is looking for an experienced technical writer to join their team. Up to 5 years of experience in technical writing is a must, as well as excellent writing and editing skills – which we’re sure you all have!
View Here.
- Job title: Technical Writer
Location: Brisbane
Summary: Another great role for an experienced technical writer! This time, you would be working on a specific, large-scale project working to both create new documentation, and revise and edit existing documentation.
View Here.
- Job title: Trainee Copywriter
Location: Sydney
Summary: This is an exciting opportunity to join an established advertising company. Suited best to a recent university graduate, this role would see you working to provide copy for various advertising materials related to big name companies like Harvey Norman, Domayne and more.
View Here.
- Job title: Senior Editor/Editor
Location: Sydney
Summary: This is an amazing opportunity to join the team at Random House Australia. Best suited to someone with prior editing experience in a senior role.
View Here.
Location: Sydney
Summary: This fun and versatile role involves editing two very diverse magazine titles – Complete Wedding and Dog’s Life! Editing experience is a plus, but magazine experience is essential.
View Here.
Tags: australian school of copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, copywriting, copywriting courses, copywriting jobs, learn how to become a copywriter
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Friday, November 16th, 2012
Job seeking seems like a drag sometimes, but as writers, you already have an advantage when it comes to your applications.
Having a well-written cover letter and CV can do wonders for your chances with new positions! Remember, you’re selling yourself every time you apply for a job, so don’t forget to talk up your many skills and attributes.
This week we have roles in Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
Location: Sydney
Summary: Universal Magazines are looking for an experienced sub-editor to join their team. This is a full-time role that will involve proofreading, and some work using InDesign.
View Here.
- Job title: Technical Writer
Location: Melbourne
Summary: This role requires a fair amount of experience in the use of SAP and uPerform, and would suit an experienced technical writer. It will see you working to train users as well as create instruction sheets and documents.
View Here.
- Job title: Technical Writer – Federal Government
Location: ACT
Summary: This is a contract position with a large government department. The role will see you working with a range of stakeholders and staff to create a variety of different documents, factsheets and other materials.
View Here.
Location: Perth
Summary: This is a very exciting role for a talented copywriter to join a small creative business in Perth. You will primarily be working on copy for all forms of media, including radio, online, and print.
View Here.
Tags: advertising copywriting, australian school of copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, copywriting, copywriting services
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Sunday, November 11th, 2012
Here’s a new batch of writing and editing jobs for you to peruse! Remember, if you hear of any job opportunities you might like to share, feel free to let us know via Facebook. Our page is www.facebook.com/copyschool.
- Job Title: Digital Copywriter
Location: Melbourne
Summary: Working online, this role would see you creating and developing marketing copy for an online Life Insurance company. You would work within an existing team of marketing & web development gurus.
View Here.
- Job Title: Technical Writer/Trainer
Location: Brisbane
Summary: This role would see you working for a large mining company, to develop and produce training documents among other things, and eventually deliver a two-week training program to users. This would suit an experienced technical writer.
View Here.
- Job Title: Junior Medical Copywriter
Location: Sydney
Summary: This role is a bit more specific, but would suit any writers out there who have a background in science. It would see you assisting a team of senior copywriters to produce a range of medical/science related materials for a Medical Communications agency.
View Here.
Location: Ballarat
Summary: This is an amazing opportunity to get into the newsroom of a regional newspaper! The Courier in Ballarat is seeking sub-editors to join their editorial team. Full-time and Part-time positions are available!
View Here.
- Job Title: Legal Writer and Editor
Location: Melbourne
Summary: This is an excellent opportunity for a law graduate, or experienced writer and editor to join the publishing team at the Victoria Law Foundation. Applications need to made through the Victorian Government Careers website.
View Here.
Tags: australian school of copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, business copywriting, copywriting courses, copywriting jobs
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Wednesday, November 7th, 2012
Do You Know Why Do People Buy Your Products Or Services?
This might seem like a really obvious question to you – especially if you’re an accountant or mechanic or something straightforward like that.
But when you scratch the surface you might be shocked to discover that people buy your product or service for reasons that you weren’t even aware of.
You see, people buy for emotional reasons and back it up with rational reasons – so if you know both the emotional and the rational reasons why people buy your product, it will make your copywriting much more compelling.
Let’s take an accountancy business as an example.
You might think: “People buy my accountancy service because they need a tax return.”
But let’s dig a little deeper. What do they get when they buy your service?
1. A completed tax return yes, but what do they really get? Isn’t it peace of mind? (Emotional).
2. Maybe they buy your service because they believe that you can find more deductions for them than they can if they did it themselves. If that’s the case, they’re using your services to make money. (Rational).
3. Maybe they use you because they don’t have time to do it themselves – so they’re seeking more free time to be with their family? (Emotional).
You see, when you know all the reasons why people buy, you can start to incorporate ALL the reasons into the copy, making your message much more compelling. By the way, it works best when you include a rational decision backed up with an emotional decision.
Here’s an example of what that copy might look like:
“If you don’t have time to fill in your tax return this year, why not let us do it for you?
Here’s 3 great reasons why:
- we know what you can claim and what you can’t so you won’t miss out on any deductions
- you’ll have your tax return done overnight – so you’ll get your refund back quick-smart
- …and you’ll get to spend the weekend with the kids (instead of with your tax receipts!)
Make money, save money and give yourself peace of mind knowing it’s done right the first time by choosing ABC Accountants to do your tax return this year. Call us on 123456 to make an appointment.”
It pays to do a bit of research to find out why people really use your service. You might find the reasons weren’t so obvious after all!
Tags: australian school of copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, business advertising, copywriting courses, copywriting services, copywriting tips, learn how to write
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