Copywriting has been called the single most important skill you need for Internet Marketing. Talk to any Online Gurus, Famous Names and Internet Millionaires, and that’s what they’ll tell you.

I heard a speaker make this point at an Internet Marketing seminars. He asked everyone, “What’s the most important ingredient for success on the Internet?” Then he paused dramatically. A few brave people shouted out, “Website?” “Traffic?”

Nope. I knew what was coming. And I admit to feeling just a wee bit smug when he said, “Copywriting.”

What most people don’t realize is that once you understand copywriting, you have a new all-purpose business weapon. I call it the sneaky strategy because most of your audience won’t realize you’re using it.

You don’t have to become a copywriter yourself to gain the benefits of what I call the “copywriting mindset.” You can take some classes and work with a professional copywriter. What’s important is to understand the way copywriters think. Then you can apply these principles to anything you write to promote yourself, your services and/or your business.

Example 1: A few years ago, I joined to an organization that offered a showcase for members to present themselves. The catch was, you had to send in an application, describing what you’d talk about and why you should be one of the three featured speakers.

I’d never written a proposal like this one, but I figured I’d just use my copywriting mindset to promote value, even though I was less experienced than my competitors. It worked.

You can also use your copywriting mindset if you’re nominated for awards. You’re selling yourself, right?

Example 2: When you’re invited to be a radio or teleseminar guest, you will need to prepare a list of questions, a summary of your topic and a brief biography (”bio”).

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? In fact, each element calls for a copywriting mindset. Your questions need to be as compelling as headlines. Your bio needs to showcase your expertise - without a hint of boasting. Your interviewer needs to be sure you won’t sound like you’re using her show to promote used cars.

Example 3: When you create an information product (or propose a book to an offline publisher), your title and chapter headings need to reach your target market in the same way your home page copy invites visitors to stick around and maybe buy on their very first visit. Every chapter needs hooks - elements of text that grab the reader and won’t let go.

So…here’s a challenge for you. Are you working on a project today: an ebook, speaking bio or services description? Write five captivating headlines and ten beefy bullets. Notice how your secret weapon changes what your readers see.

And now I invite you to find out more by visiting
my Website Marketing Website . Download my free report, 7 Secrets of Websites that Really Attract Clients. From Cathy Goodwin, The Website Makeover Pro. Visit me at Copy-Cat-Copywriting

[tags]copywriting,attract clients,branding,service business,marketing,internet,web site[/tags]

Writing and distributing articles to online article marketing directories is a highly effective method for building and maintaining a successful online business.

These days it is possible for anyone to be an online publisher, and any online publisher can submit their words at no cost to the seemingly endless selection of online article directories. These online directories are not only read by a countless sea of readers, each article you publish also sets in place a back link that leads directly back to your site.

When you are first building your website or blog, it is fundamental that you author and submit as many articles as you can. While you are attempting to spread your presence as widely as possible, it really is a case of the more the merrier. But there is a catch: your words are a reflection on your business, and it is imperative that you not only come across as articulately as you can, but that you also make sure your copy reads no different than it would be if you were handing it across the desk to a paying client.

Here are 9 tips to help you tailor your articles closer to perfect.

1. Make sure the majority of sentences in your article are succinct and to the point. Typical offline sentences run between fifteen and seventeen words. Try to write your article so that the majority of the sentences fall below that count. If you make it simple for your readers to receive your message rapidly, they will be more inclined to follow your call to action.

2. Stay far away from boring, slow, or passive sentences. Begin sentences with a subject, followed by a verb. This will help you avoid passive construction. Abandon unnecessary verbs and replace them with more powerful, active verbs.

3. Begin your piece with a question or perhaps an interesting tidbit of data. Hook your reader right from the first sentence by reaching right into the belly of their emotions. Never forget - it is about the reader rather than the writer.

4. Keep your online copy zippy. Make sure the introduction carries carefully written paragraphs that stretch to no more than a couple sentences and proceed to keep the copy just as tight throughout the body of the article. Online readers are looking for quick, easy-to-read articles, not Faulkner.

5. Be specific. General references do little to engage your reader. Use specific nouns. Allow your reader to clearly see size, shape, and color. Do not simply tell the reader that a train is moving quickly, describe with subtle details the effect that speed has on the passenger.

6. Write your copy so it is clear and compelling. Draft with simplicity, intelligence, and precision. Try speaking to an audience of one and you will find you are speaking to an audience of many.

7. Get rid of all unneeded adverbs. This should be most of them. Adverbs are most often unnecessary and can frequently act as roadblocks on an otherwise well paved literary highway.

8. Appeal to the universal sense of humanity. Do not explain to a reader what they should do - tell them instead how they will feel upon completion of the action. The 5 senses are universal. Tie benefits neatly into sensation, and half your work is done.

9. Trim the fat. Few people appreciate conversation with someone who constantly repeats themselves. Writing is not any different. It is okay to get wordy when still in the rough draft, but by the time you are staring at your final edit, it had better have lost 10% to 20% of the final word count.

Your copy is a reflection of your business. Follow these 9 tips and give yourself the confidence you need to break through the barrier and make your business boom.

Sean Platt is a ghostwriter and blog writer. Visit him at GhostWriterDad.com and order your custom blog post, web copy or press release today!

[tags]article marketing, writing, writing articles[/tags]

Depending on which source you read, anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 new websites are published every single day. And, this number is only increasing, which leads every small business owner to wonder, “How in the world will my site ever get found?” This is where SEO content comes into play.

Small Business SEO: The Good News

While the stats can be daunting, it is relatively easy to get found online. Why is this? Because once many small businesses publish their sites, they promptly forget them. This presents an excellent opportunity for savvy entrepreneurs who are willing to invest in traffic-driving SEO content. Following are two types that every website should have.

Easy, Breezy Distributable SEO Content: This is content that you distribute far and wide on the web. Its purpose is to entice prospects to visit your site for more information and to get all-important backlinks.

What are backlinks and why are they important?

Backlinks are simply links from other websites and blogs back to your website. They are also known as inbound links. They are important because search engines use them to rank your site. The more one-way backlinks you have to your site, the more popular and important it is deemed by search engines.

The more popular search engines think you site is, the more traffic they send to it. This means your site ranks higher in search results.

Where do you distribute easy, breezy SEO content? Free article directories, newsletters and industry blogs, for example.

Foundational SEO Content: This is content that should only be found on your site. It should not be distributed any place else. It is usually more in-depth than easy, breezy SEO content and its purpose is to educate visitors about a particular aspect of your product/service.

Easy, breezy content usually refers a visitor to more in-depth, foundational content on your site. This is what we mean when we say that easy, breezy content is used to entice prospects to visit your site.

Small Business SEO Content: How Often to Produce New Website Copy

Search engines love new content. If your site is brand new, adding new content 3-5 times a week for the first 30-60 days will get you some good traction. After this, you can scale back to once or twice a week.

The reason you want to be really aggressive in adding content initially is that sometimes it takes search engines a few days or weeks to regularly index your site.

The most important thing to remember is that you can’t build your site and forget it if you expect to generate leads and sales. Producing fresh SEO content on a regular basis is key to achieving your business goals.

Learn how to write traffic-generating, sales-producing SEO content like the pros in How to Write SEO Copy That Sells: An SEO Content Writing Guide for Business. Details at http://newmediawords.biz, an SEO Content Writing and Distribution Firm.

[tags]seo content writing,SEO copywriting services,seo copywriter,search engine optimization copywriting[/tags]

Tens of thousands of websites go live every day, anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000, depending on which source you read. Proof?

Tens of Thousands of Websites Are Published Each Day

According to Netcraft, a site that provides research data and analysis on many aspects of the Internet, the number of websites added to the internet increased from over 185 million at the beginning of 2009 to over 231 million in April. This is an increase of over 46 million in just a few, short months.

Interestingly, this is more than the total number of sites added for the whole of 2008. In this year, the web added right at 30 million new sites.

As these stats prove, the web is growing by leaps and bounds. This brings us to the question, how will yours found? That’s actually not as hard as you think. The key is content; more accurately stated — SEO content.

And, it should be added on a regular basis.

Affordable Small Business SEO: Why SEO Copywriting Lets You Leave the Masses Behind

SEO content is written to conform to how web surfers search. For example, let’s say you owed a green commercial cleaning business in Chicago. If a restaurant chain wanted to hire such a firm to clean their establishments, the first place they’d probably start their search is the internet.

They may type in words like “Chicago cleaning services,” “green cleaners Chicago,” “commercial cleaners Chicago,” etc. to start their search. These are what’s known in SEO copywriting lingo as “keyword phrases.” To get these surfers to land on your site, you need content on it that includes these keyword phrases.

Once the copy has been written, you’d also distribute it to free article directories, with links back to your site.

A professional SEO content writing firm can provide this content, and handle the distribution for you as well.

Affordable Small Business SEO: Is SEO Copywriting Really Affordable?

Cost is relative to each enterprise but generally speaking, search engine-optimized content is the least expensive way to get found online. This is because it’s something you can do yourself if you’re on a really tight budget.

Affordable Small Business SEO: Two Types of Internet Marketing Capital

When you’re a small business owner, you work with two types of capital — money and time. To get the most out of your online presence (ie, sales, leads), you’re going to have to spend one of them. It’s up to you to decide which.

Get SEO Copywriting Training for You and/or Your Staff: Learn how to write lead-generating, sales-producing copy like the pros in How to Write SEO Copy That Sells: An SEO Content Writing Guide for Business. Details at NewMediaWords.biz.

[tags]small business seo,affordable small business seo,seo content writing,seo copywriting[/tags]

All professional writers must occasionally face the tyranny of the blank screen. Sitting there with nothing on your mind and nothing on the page - minutes melt for over an hour and with little hope of things turning toward a different direction. Your fingers are ready to write, but inspiration is giving you the cold shoulder.

What do you do?

Perhaps you are looking writers block right between the eyes, or maybe you are just facing the evils of boredom. Either way it is quite clearly time to abandon the empty screen and start driving your engine toward something that is more likely to work.

Effective writers should have a folder of active files of already finished work that has been previously published, along with various half finished works and near complete drafts. A well balanced portfolio should be added to with regularity, and so across the many months from the calendar of a writer, files will get tucked into every nook and cranny of the hard drive.

Open that file, search for something that will whisper sweet nothings to your muse, and then get going with the difficult task of putting pen to paper, or at least rearranging the bulk of the text that was already there.

After a few minutes of browsing, chances are good that you will find an old title that will cause you to spread a new smile. Do you remember the original work? Who was the audience you originally wrote it for? Would they like to see it again or do you have a new home where you can place your repurposed article? Could the old writing be made new with a little retouching, rewriting, or reinvigoration?

Of course you are not the same person today you were when you first wrote the piece. Celebrate that simple fact with an even simpler rewrite.Take who you were, blend it with who you are, and blaze through a quick re-imagining of your work that could never have existed before that moment.

The portfolio of a writer is a virtual treasure chest of previously articulated ideas. Whether the piece of writing will be presented to the same audience who read it before or a different audience entirely, the simple virtue of a new perspective will render it instantly worthy of a repeat.

How many times have you revisited a favorite book or movie, only to love it every bit as much. Can you imagine if the author or director had returned to the material taking into account their new experience?
In no way am I suggesting we tamper with the classics, but every online writer knows that their web copy is largely disposable.

Copywriters and blog authors are used to publishing their words one day only to see them fade the next, all but disappearing within the space of a week. Revisiting something old can be a wonderful thing, not only for the readers, but for you as the original author as well.
Writing does not have to be about the constant search for new ideas and new ways of saying things.

Writing is an art, and like the best art it imitates life. Sometimes the best things in life are found by taking the time to reflect, remember, and revisit days gone by.

Sean Platt is a ghostwriter and blog writer. Visit him at GhostWriterDad.com and order your custom blog post, web copy or press release today!

[tags]writing, article writing, repurposing articles[/tags]

Content is king. It’s been repeated ad nauseam so that nowadays, the majority of business owners realize the need for content; specifically, SEO copy.

Whether you write copy yourself, or outsource it to a freelance SEO writer, following are three things to keep in mind so that you not only get search engine optimized copy — but copy that sells.

1. Focus on Customers: Many business owners focus on traffic. This is understandable as more traffic ostensibly means more sales and leads. As a side point, this is something many with SEO copywriting skills fail to recognize, and why they don’t get great results.

Remember, the focus should be on your return on investment (your ROI). Hence, you don’t want visitors (ie, traffic); you want customers. If you understand this from the get-go, you will be able to attract the following . . .

2. Targeted Traffic: Targeted traffic may generate less traffic. But the payoff is more sales. And, this is exactly what SEO copywriting is all about.

To use a very simplistic example: right now, news about the death of Michael Jackson is all the rage. So, you think, I’ll construct a website that comes up first in search results for “Michael Jackson,” which will generate a ton of traffic.

If your business is selling Asian-inspired pottery, your chances of making any sales are between slim and none. This is because the traffic is not targeted traffic.

This brings us to the third key in writing SEO copy that sells . . .

3. Keyword Research: This is perhaps the single most important SEO copywriting skill you need to develop. Why is this? Because — and read this over a few times to really let it sink in - choosing the right keywords is how you qualify your site’s traffic.

Remember, you don’t want visitors; you want customers. There are several elements that go into this beyond how popular a keyword is; like choosing “action-based” keywords and keyword phrases instead of simply popular ones. Following is an example.

Let’s say that you ran a day spa in Miami. You’ve done your keyword research and see that “day spa Miami” is a popular keyword phrase.

Notice that this is a noun, ie, an object. You want prospects that will take action, hence, you need an action-based keyword phrase. Hence, a better keyword phrase might be “schedule massage Miami”.

The rationale is, a person who types in the keyword phrase “schedule massage Miami” is more likely to be interested getting a massage — now — than the person who is simply investigating what’s available (eg, types in “day spa Miami”).

See the difference?

SEO copywriting is not hard, but it takes a keen sense of knowing what to look for, when and putting together an action plan that separates good SEO copywriters from less skilled ones.

Yuwanda Black heads New Media Words, an SEO Writing and Internet Marketing Firm that focuses on organic search. Learn how to write lead-generating, sales-producing copy in How to Write SEO Copy That Sells: An SEO Content Writing Guide for Business. Details at htp://NewMediaWords.biz.

[tags]how to write seo copy,seo copywriting training,seo copywriting course,seo copywriter,seo copy writer[/tags]

Being a professional writer can be one of the best online careers imaginable. The commute is awesome, pay is great, and you get to work for yourself. Once you have a steady stable of paying clients to constantly bring in the barrels of bacon, your writing rhythm can add a steady beat to the beauty of your life.

But how do you stand out in a field as over crowded and competitive as writing web copy. You must first be able to get the client and then groom and maintain each relationship, always adding new clients to your roster while never losing the old.

Of course being a good writer is important, but it might not be nearly as important as most first time freelancers probably imagine. Following these few suggestions can make a remarkable difference in the overall health of your freelance writing career.

1) Be as professional as possible. If you are going to whine, then you are probably best served with an assault upon the ears of your significant other. Never whine to your clients. Be delightful to work with and never make things difficult on the people who are paying you for a service.

2) Under promise and over deliver. Make sure that whenever you are handing your completed copy into your client it is before the promised due date if at all possible. If it is just at the due date, that is fine as well, but it should never be late under any circumstances. If a client has a stalled project, it should never be because they are waiting on the copy.

3) Realize that you are a part of a team. It is a good idea to freely share your sources with your client. You are not in competition with your clients, and it would serve you well to not see yourself in that manner. If you see some tidbit of information that will help your client grow their business, send it their way. What is good for them may be what is also best for you.

4) Accept criticism. Everyone carries different expectations. Do your best, send off your work, and hope that it is all your client was hoping. If it is not, accept the feedback with humility and use the criticism to make yourself a better writer.

Above all, be your best you. Do your best and treat every job as though it is the most important job you’ve ever booked. You never know, it just may be.

Sean Platt is a ghostwriter and blog writer. Visit him at GhostWriterDad.com and order your custom blog post, web copy or press release today!

[tags]professional writing, writing career, freelance writing[/tags]

Essentially, for the lack of a better definition, the article directory serves as a collection of information, and more importantly links, about problems and solutions, as well as the experiences of the various authors. These links serve as a network, which can not only serve as link referral to your website, and obviously your services but literally serves as an online brochure and business card, which therefore implies that the content of your article submitted to the article directory should in fact represent your business accordingly.

In addition to providing useful and adequate content within your article that is submitted, there are certain rules that must be followed in accordance with the rules imposed by the editor of the article directory. This rules may vary from one directory to another, however they do have some sort of basic structure, which can range from issues of hate speech and racism to punctuation and grammar. You will most likely find that the more well established an article directory is, the stricter they become, which is in defense of their good name and standing.

What you have to bear in mind with using the article directory mechanism of generating free traffic for your website, is that the success factor will not be realized overnight, but will take time and continuous effort, and you should furthermore realize that this is a long term endeavor that will produce results for your business and website respectively. The benefits for your business will include added sales possibilities and for the website, the main benefit is the links and the generation of a higher page rank where applicable.

Having said that the articles will also remain within the article indefinitely, and any links that you put into your authors bio will return that person to the relevant page that you put in the bio. Therefore you should bear in mind that these links should be maintained or at the very least redirected in the event that you take a product or specific service down. This will further retain a professional look for both the business and the website.

By further following the rules of the article directory, you will also save a lot of time and effort of having to redo any articles or submissions that you have provided, and you should strive to achieve first submission acceptance. This can mostly be achieved by taking your time within the article writing process, checking the completed work and then rechecking, this will enable you to study the content, context and punctuation of the article prior to submission and will enable you to pick up any mistakes or even omissions that may be there.

The article directory can truly be a partner in your business, as well as provide long term contacts and links, if conducted and managed correctly, in accordance with the rules and procedures of the directory concerned.

A whole world awaits curious eyes at talkinmince.
Find out more on our articles at TalkinMince
which is at http://www.talkinmince.com/

[tags]article writing, article directory, article directories, directories, articles[/tags]

As a copywriter, I’ve worked with a few lawyers who want to develop web sites. I’m always impressed with these lawyers. They defy the stereotypes. They genuinely care about their clients and they’re passionate advocates for truth and justice. Yet their web site marketing sends a different message: buttoned up and boring.

Even worse, lawyers who know their way around a courtroom of ten choose a marketing team that can’t deliver. They know how to choose an effective secretary, paralegal, or associate counsel. But they often don’t know what questions to ask when they want to hire a web developer or designer. I’ve written copy for lawyers and watched them wait six months or more to see a finished website.

Here are 3 of the most common lawyer marketing mistakes:

(1) “Just a brochure, please. Hold the strategy!” That’s what one lawyer expected from her website. “All our clients are referrals. So we don’t need a client-attracting website.”

Maybe. But a lawyer website needs to build relationships with prospects and existing clients.

These days, even your pinstripe corporate clients will come to your web site to learn more about you. They don’t want hype-y copy (who does?) but they do want to know why you’re the best choice for their difficult, complex, embarrassing and/or messy situation.

(2) “We need a design that will stop visitors in the tracks. We want to create a real WOW experience.”

Spending all your energy and resources on a brilliant design is like going to court in your Armani suit and skipping the late nights, reams of notes, and hours of mind-numbing research. It works on television.

Lawyers frequently get caught up in discussions of colors, photos and elaborate designs that actually detract from their messages. Yet words win court cases and save everyone’s sanity in a contract dispute. And words are what makes a prospective client say, “I want to hire you.”

I like to use a football analogy. Your copywriter is like the team quarterback who calls the plays, gets the ball into the end zone and puts points on the board. Your designer is like the offensive line, making sure nothing gets in the way of your message.

(3) “Skip the social media. Twitter and Facebook are for teenagers and desperate, lonely people.”

I don’t recommend that all my clients hop over to Twitter. But a blog can be a valuable marketing tool for a legal practice. Your blog helps you develop credibility and awareness. You can communicate your personal style so clients know what to expect on their first office visit. You can even showcase your accomplishments without appearing to brag.

And for some lawyers, Facebook and Twitter will build connections that can’t be made anywhere else.

And now I invite you to find out more by visiting
Lawyer Marketing Online/ From Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., the Website Makeover Pro.

[tags]copywriting,lawyer marketing,lawyer websites,attorney websites,marketing for lawyers[/tags]

Online business owners are always challenged to create compelling content for their web sites, blogs and articles. For effective copywriting, you can get inspiration from your passions outside your business. As an avid fan of basketball, I believe we can learn a great deal by watching the game. (Anyway, it’s a way to justify the hours and energy invested.)

To take just one example, great basketball players take a LOT of shots. They shoot from all over the court, even when they’re double-teamed (which they usually are). They take many bad shots and, every so often, they have a really bad game. When they’re hot, they take three-point shots and make them look easy.

Experienced copywriters take shots by writing a LOT of content. They write for web sites, blogs, ezines, article distribution services, and more. When they don’t have clients, they create products and use their skills to write promotional copy.

Copywriters warm up by taking LOTS of shots…at headlines, openings and bullets. Some write twenty, fifty or even a hundred headlines before choosing two or three to test. They test three or four openings to see which has the best chance to hook their target markets.

Players who keep passing the ball, waiting for a perfect shot, come across as timid. Fans get frustrated. Let’s not even wonder what the coaches are thinking. Timid players often end up creating turnovers.

In the same way, sometimes you can’t keep waiting for the perfect words and the ideal ideas. Often it’s better to take your best shot - write the best sales letter or web site page you can - and then test to see what happens. When you wait for perfection, your competitor might jump in, just as the opposing team can grab a pass and race down the court for an easy lay-up.

Copywriters can’t be afraid to take risks when they write. When you write an edgy sales letter or send around a controversial article, you lose subscribers and you get critical comments from self-appointed “referees.” But you also attract your most lucrative clients and your strongest business allies.

Basketball players keep their game faces. They always look they really want to be out on the court playing. Some of the great ones look like they’re having fun.

That’s the recipe for copywriting, too. Take a lot of shots. Don’t wait till everything is perfect. Take calculated risks. And look like you’re having fun. Readers, like fans, can always tell.

And now I invite you to learn more about how you can use copywriting to increase web site sales and attract more clients, more easily and effortless than you might realize. Get immediate access to my free guide, “7 Copywriting Tips To Jumpstart Your Sales.” Free Copywriting Tips . From Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., Copywriter and Web Site Marketing Coach. Copy-Cat-Copywriting.com

[tags]copywriting,attract clients,internet marketing,service business,marketing,internet,web site[/tags]