Press release services may abound on the web, but that doesn’t mean that every company can give you an equally effective piece. Writing a press release differs from writing other articles in some substantial ways, and you need to make the most of those differences if you want to grab the attention of a news agency.rn•tWhat’s happening? The most important information should go in the first paragraph, since busy news writers may stop reading if you don’t get to the point quickly. This includes what makes your company newsworthy at this particular time. Answer the five W’s—who, what, when, where, and why—in the first few sentences so that even if someone does set aside the piece without finishing it, he still knows the basics.rn•tWhy is it important? Your audience needs to know why the information affects them and what they should do about it. If you’re using a company that offers press release services to write for you, provide them with an angle such as what demographic group you cater to or what new services you’ve added that will interest your audience. rn•tWhat are the facts? Your audience will want to know concrete information about your company and the specific reason for the press release. Avoid using flowery language with lots of adjectives that make it sound like you’re trying too hard. Phrases like “unique,” “state-of-the-art,” “excellent,” and “one-of-a-kind” should be reserved for services or products that really fit the bill. When they’re overused, they become meaningless.rn•tHow does it relate to the consumer? Give people something they can connect with. Have you sponsored a charity event, merged with another company, developed a product that fills a need, or published new research? These items will draw the reader in and create interest in your company. If you have quotes from a company representative, be sure to include those as well.rn•tHow can someone find out more? Always include a final sentence or two with contact information including a contact person, the company name and address, a phone number and fax number, an email address, and your company website.rnMost importantly, your press release should be informative and should avoid sounding like a promotional item. Always ask yourself why a news agency would be interested in picking up your story over others. If you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of creating an effective press release, look for a copywriting company that offers press release services. Well-written press releases will receive more exposure than those put together by hurried or inexperienced writers, so always make sure that when you’re looking for a company that offers press release services, you know the writers have experience writing this kind of material and that they’ll give you a product that will present your company in the most favorable light.rn
Writing an online press release requires more than good writing skills and knowledge of the event taking place. It even takes more than creating interest and presenting good information about the company in question. Effective press release writing involves thinking like a journalist and incorporating search engine optimization for best effect.rn rn*What Do Journalists Look For?*rnOne word: angle. Journalists want to know what makes your story newsworthy. Why should they present your story as news? How does it affect people in general and why would they want to know about it? You can help your press release writer by determining your angle before you send your information along. A good angle might include charity work, celebrity endorsements, family events, or free offers. You can also create an angle by building controversy and presenting your product or service as the solution. The key idea to remember is that most products or services do not in themselves constitute news. It’s the unusual or unique aspects about the product or service that make them newsworthy. Do you sell cookware? So do a zillion other companies. But maybe you’ve developed a new burn-resistant design or you’re giving away a free cookware set to a lucky winner. That’s your angle. Tell your press release writer what makes your story interesting and he or she will put it in a form that attracts the attention of journalists. rnrn*How Do You Get Noticed?*rnYou may have a great story and a riveting angle, but if no one ever sees your press release you’ve wasted your time. Getting noticed online means incorporating search engine optimization so that when someone types “burn-resistant cookware” into Google, your story pops up. A good press release writer will know how and where to incorporate keywords for best effect and can make sure your copy is interesting not just to readers but to search engines. Understand that simply stuffing an article full of as many keywords as possible probably won’t produce good results since search engines have become more intelligent. They now look for substantive use of those terms in order to determine which stories might be relevant to a given search query. Your press release writer should know how to incorporate keywords effectively so that your story receives as much exposure as possible. rnIn order to get news coverage for your press release, choose a writer who understands these two key concepts as well as the basics of good writing. If you don’t have a person like that on staff, you can turn to professional copywriting services that will have the experience and know-how necessary to produce an effective piece for you.rnrn
Tight budgets force everyone to pinch pennies, especially during an economic downturn. Although the economic storm may be passing, most businesses still look for ways to cut costs and make the most of every dollar. In such an environment, you may be trying to design your website internally as much as possible, but don’t overlook the importance of using a professional website copywriter to produce the written content. Whether you’ve got a writer on staff or you need to hire one from a copywriting service, here are four good reasons to make sure you use the best.rn*1.tWriting for the web is unique.*rnYou may have a writer who can put together great advertising copy, write excellent newsletters, or come up with a catchy slogan for your team building week, but online writing requires a different skill set. Your website copywriter needs to understand search engine optimization and should know the nuances of writing for an online audience consisting of both human readers and electronic readers (search engines). Successful online writing caters to both audiences and understands how to communicate effectively in a venue where attention spans grow ever shorter.rn*2.tYour copy will make or break your website.*rnDo you think that a great website design equals a successful online business? Think again. Online readers want informative content that answers the question represented by the words they’ve typed into the search box. If your website doesn’t give them what they want, they’ll hit the back button without a second glance at your amazing flash animation.rn*3.tSEO is king.*rnYour website copywriter absolutely must have a firm grasp of SEO. Without it, you may as well take your website offline, because you’ll be buried on the thirtieth or eightieth or hundred and eightieth page of search results. Effectively incorporating SEO concepts into the written copy on your site can help bump you up in the search ranking, ensuring that your website appears on the first or second page of results. rn*4.tWeb users don’t read; they scan.*rnCan the most important information on each page of your website be understood within ten seconds? If not, you’ll lose 50% or more of your readers. Online readers rarely take time to read a page until they know it will give them the information they’re looking for. A website copywriter must know how to put important points in bite size chunks and use bullet points or headings to point readers toward the primary message.rnOnline writing requires an understanding of the venue as well as the intended audience. Investing in a website copywriter may be the best investment you make to improve your online sales and increase conversion rates.rn
Finding a content writer for your website is like looking for a piece of hay in a haystack. No, it’s not the wrong analogy. It’s that everywhere you turn, it seems like content writers have hung out shingles offering their services to help you fill up your website with words. But not all content writers are created equal. As you’re looking for someone to provide the content for your website, look for these three qualities in the sample writing they provide for you.rnRelevancernOnline content needs to be up to date. It should discuss things happening currently, especially if you work in a technological field. When readers visit your site, they want to know whether you can offer them something that other sites can’t. The first way to win their loyalty is by giving them content that offers information or advice that relates to their lives. If a content writer can’t be bothered with researching your field enough to write knowledgeably about current events, then you should look elsewhere.rnAccuracyrnNothing screams “Incompetence!” more than posting inaccurate information on your website regarding the field in which you work. Look for content writers that can provide you not only with accurate information, but also accurate construction. The pieces they send to you should include correct grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. They should be able to back up assertions they make with research. Remember that your company will be judged based on the written content you post on your website. If the information is inaccurate or poorly constructed, your business could suffer.rnSearchabilityrnThe copy you post on each page of your website becomes your greatest tool for generating traffic. Written pieces should include well-placed keywords and key phrases that relate to your industry in order to attract the attention of search engines. Good content writers will demonstrate training in search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and will know how best to incorporate them so that you get the most benefit from the copy on your site. rnIt’s easy to find content writers online. But perhaps finding one who can deliver quality content that works for you to promote conversions and generate traffic truly is like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Anybody can type some words about a topic and call themselves a content writer. But the best content writers will give you sharp, poignant pieces that promote your business in an ever more competitive online environment.rn
Thinking of hiring a copywriter? It’s easy to come up with lots of reasons not to contract writing out to someone else, especially when budgets are tight. “I’ve already got a marketing expert on staff. Why do I need an additional writer?” “I know my business better than anyone.” “I just need to get my keywords on the page so people can find my website. How hard can that be?” If these arguments sound familiar, take a few minutes to consider when you should hire a copywriter—and what great content can do for you.rnrn*Flesh Our Your Marketing Campaign*rnYou may have an out-of-this-world marketing guru who can provide detailed statistics and come up with creative ways to promote your business—but it doesn’t necessarily follow that he or she can put those ideas into compelling written form. A professional copywriter can team up with your marketing staff to present marketing ideas in a format that sticks in the reader’s mind. He or she can breathe life into a marketing idea that’s in its formative stage, giving it the ability to engage the mind and stir interest while encouraging readers to find out more about your business.rnrn*Bridge the Gap Between Ideas and Expression*rnSure, you know your business better than anyone and you’ve got the best ideas for how to communicate what you can do to your audience. But there’s a gap between knowing what you want to say and knowing how to say it. When you engage the services of a copywriter, you capitalize on that writer’s ability to put ideas into written form and to present your company in the best possible light. You not only want to communicate your ideas, you want your readers to really listen to what you have to say without being distracted by the presentation.rnrn*Merge SEO Techniques With Creative Writing*rnUsing keywords to attract the attention of a search engine may not seem like rocket science, but there is an art to doing it well. These days, search engines can tell whether you’re stuffing your page with keywords or whether you’re actually providing substantive content. A great copywriter can strategically place keywords within written copy while still presenting a creatively written piece that gives readers useful information about the topic at hand. rnrnThe content for your website provides a key means of attracting and keeping the attention of your target audience. When you engage a copywriter to create your written content, you make a choice to invest in the overall success of your online business by taking advantage of the skills of a professional wordsmith. It’s an investment that will be well worth a place in your company budget.rn
In the world of social media, businesses large and small find themselves competing for the same audience. Millions of web users log onto their Facebook and Twitter accounts every day and for companies, that means millions of potential customers. With so many media venues and images vying for attention, your business has only seconds to impress any given customer. If you don’t immediately deliver great content that speaks to his situation, he’s gone. Social media isn’t just about blasting tweets and accumulating followers on Facebook. It’s about building relationships with customers that enable you to engage them in conversation. That’s where a copywriting service can help you.rnrn*Commanding Attention*rnIn order to stand out from the crowd of other businesses online, you need copy that holds the reader’s interest by providing substantive, creatively written content. A copywriting service will team you up with writers who have experience writing for the web and who can put information into a format that will command the attention of the reader. Whether your social media strategy involves blogging, tweeting, posting on Facebook, or engaging in discussion on a forum, a great copywriting service will provide copy that positions you as a trusted source of information in your field.rnrn*Connecting With the World*rnSocial media puts you in a position that business leaders of the past could only dream about—that of connecting instantly with customers and other business leaders around the world. With such a large audience, it’s important that you provide content that will be widely appreciated. Filling web pages and blog posts with generalized mumbo jumbo won’t help your business. Instead, your social media venues should offer current commentary on topics of interest in your field. A great copywriting service can not only keep you up to date, but also create articles and posts that will be of interest to a broad audience.rnrn*Communicating Personally*rnThe web is a big place, and it’s easy for viewers to feel disconnected from businesses among all the online noise. While you do want to provide copy that speaks broadly to diverse audiences, you also want to make each customer feel personally appreciated. This alone can make or break your social media strategy. A copywriting service can help you stay up to date on replying to blog post comments and other customer communications, enabling you to engage actively in your business while knowing that your individual customers are taken care of. rnrnThe value of social media lies in its ability to communicate both broadly and personally. Making your customers feel like they are talking to real people who care about what they think should be your number one priority when you go online. Find a copywriting service who can help you with this task and they’ll enable you to build a social media presence that truly rises above the crowd.rn
Mention the words “web content writer” and some people pucker like they’re eating a sour jawbreaker. Mention those same words to others, however, and their smile will brighten the room. What’s the difference? Why do some businesses love contracting work out to content writers while others wouldn’t touch a web content writer with a ten foot pole? The answer lies in the writer’s view of himself and his work. rnWeb content writers often work independently, meaning they’ve got to keep the work coming in order to pay the bills. In some cases, this translates into shoddy work done by writers who don’t view the pieces they’re writing as important enough to warrant their best efforts. Others have a hard time carrying their skill as writers over into the new world of SEO writing, resulting in keyword stuffed pieces that display little thought or substantive content.rnA truly skilled web content writer, however, will consider each piece he writes as part of his portfolio, meaning he’ll put his best efforts into every article since each one will represent his talent as a writer. He’ll also cater to both search engines and actual readers, producing content that incorporates SEO techniques while also engaging the reader with thoughtful and informative subject matter. If you’re looking to hire a web content writer and you want to avoid the sour jawbreaker complex, look for these dead giveaways that the writer under consideration doesn’t take his work—or your business—seriously enough.rnrn*Poorly written content.* Bad grammar, incorrect word usage, spelling problems and limited vocabulary set your readers’ teeth on edge as they’re reading an article. Look for a web content writer who minds his p’s and q’s and makes it a priority to produce readable copy that follows the rules of the road in the English department.rnrn*Rehashed content.* It’s easy for a copywriter to Google a topic and simply rewrite an article that’s already online. This is not only bad writing practice; it’s also illegal in many cases. Plagiarism involves more than using someone else’s exact words. It also includes copying ideas and structure. A good web content writer will be able to produce original, unique articles by researching a topic without borrowing directly from someone else’s work.rnrn*Boring Content.* Even if a writer does everything correctly, he still might produce a piece that no one wants to read if he doesn’t know how to use words creatively and engage his audience. As you evaluate a web content writer, ask yourself whether his or her work makes you want to find out more. If so, your audience will be more likely to keep exploring your site rather than backing out after one click.
Great marketers know that in order to sell something, they have to create a sense of need in the customer and then show how a certain product or service can fulfill that need. Great content writers should do the same thing. Any time a reader comes to your website, he implicitly asks the question “What’s in it for me?” He wants to know whether your company can meet his needs or answer his questions. Your copy, then, should focus on the customer and his needs, not on you.
Content Writers: Focus on the Customer’s Needs
Imagine this scenario. You are a real estate agent. A visitor lands on your website looking for real estate listings. He reads about what a great agent you are, how many homes you have listed, what your average sell time is, and how you approach each sale. He reads about your awards and community involvement. And he drifts away and ends up contracting with another company. Why? Your copy never communicated to him that you understand his needs and that he is important to you. By shifting your focus to his needs rather than your experience, you can capture the reader’s attention and build trust by communicating to him that you understand what he’s looking for. Once he knows what’s in it for him, then you can talk about your qualifications to provide what he needs.
In order to create compelling copy, your writing needs to be “you” focused, not “we” focused. The average reader wants to know what you can do for him. Most companies who have tested this shift in focus have realized significant increases in their conversion rates simply by answering the “What’s in it for me” question. Great content writers know how to use this to advantage by drawing the reader in with an understanding of his problem and then showing him how your company can fix that problem with a product or service.
Content Writers: Creating Compelling Copy
As you develop the theme and design for your website, be willing to invest in content writers that can write compelling copy. If you don’t have writers like this on your staff, a content writing service can help you by providing experienced writers who have been trained to understand what viewers want to hear and how they can keep that viewer on your site.
Don’t settle for blasé writing that leaves readers feeling you’ve wasted their time. Instead, find content writers that can propel your business forward by giving customers the information they want about their most important question: “What’s in it for me?”
Your website caters to a particular group of readers. If you sell Harley Davidson accessories, you naturally attract a different audience than another business that sells baby furniture. Within your target audience, however, there are shoppers with different personalities and at different stages in the buying process, and your writing needs to cater to each of their needs as well. So how do you hire a web content writer that can effectively persuade your audience? You need to find someone who pays attention to your business goals and understands the importance of writing for a variety of audiences.rnrnWho is Your Target Audience?rnYou’ll need to give your web content writer some guidance about who your target audience is, so it’s important to make sure that you know them well. Your target audience is the group of people who will be most likely to convert on your site. This will be affected by age, gender, income level, relationship status, type of product or service, educational background, cost involved, and customer values. Of course, not every customer will fit a perfect target customer profile, which is why you need to proceed to step number two. rnrnWhat are the Personality Types of Your Customers?rnThere are four basic types of customers that visit your website. By understanding the needs of each, you can develop customer personas for which you want your web content writer to write. As you interact with people, you’ll discover that some are competitive quick decision makers, wanting to be convinced as to why they should buy from you. Some are impulsive, wanting to know why you are the best company to meet their needs. rnrnA third group is relational, looking to get to know you as a company and wanting to see how your products/services have helped other people like them. The final persona is methodical, wanting to see detailed specifications and comparisons of your product with other similar products. Your web copy needs to answer potential questions that all four of these personas might pose in order to be most effective. In other words, you need to give big picture pros and cons, informational articles, testimonials, opportunities for interaction and detailed discussion of specific products or services.rnrnBe aware also that people of each customer type might visit your website at various stages in the buying process. Your web content writer should be able to persuade visitors who have a detailed knowledge of your industry and are ready to make a conversion decision as well as those who know little to nothing about what you offer and are just browsing. A skilled web content writer can engage readers of various personality types at every stage of the buying process in order to give you the greatest opportunity to convert them into buyers.rn
Copywriting sometimes falls to the bottom of the priority list when it comes to redesigning your website. It’s easy to focus on the latest and greatest design techniques and gadgets hoping to wow your audience, but the truth is that copywriting carries more weight than those fancy flash animations or videos. Why? Because copywriting holds the key to getting viewers to your site in the first place, and once they’re there, it holds the key to keeping them there. If you want to increase overall online effectiveness, here’s how a great website copywriter can help:rnrn* Improved Google RankingsrnOrganic search plays a huge role in website traffic generation. Your website copywriter should be able to create content that plays the SEO game, keeping the rules so search engines will award you higher rankings. SEO rules include strategic keyword choice and placement, avoiding keyword stuffing, and implementing secondary keywords that strengthen your impact as an informative website. rnrn* Increased TrafficrnIncreased traffic results directly from higher search engine rankings. The more people that see you, the more clicks you’ll get: it’s that simple. Your website copywriter will determine how many people see you based on how effectively he or she can implement SEO strategy into the written content of your site. rnrn* Stronger PersuasionrnDoes your website copywriter know how to persuade effectively? Persuasive writing is a learned skill and creates a watershed between great websites that convert effectively and so-so websites that don’t. Ask yourself whether the content on your site answers questions while still creating the desire to find out more, leading the reader to keep clicking. Or better yet, ask someone who isn’t familiar with your company how well the copywriting persuades. rnrn* Increased ConversionsrnCopywriting that makes you visible, draws traffic, and persuades effectively will naturally result in a higher conversion rate. You’ll need to keep in mind, though, that in order to maximize overall conversions, the content should cater to various types of readers at different stages in the buying process. It should also be easy to skim while still communicating the key points. rnrnIn a market where consumers can afford to be picky due to the vast number of options available, online marketing strategists urge companies to pay more attention to copywriting than ever before. As one of the deciding factors for many readers, copywriting absolutely must take top priority for companies looking to increase online effectiveness and improve internet sales in 2011.rn