The truth is that most types of marketing copy work. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t still be around. What you need to figure out, as either a copywriter or a business owner / webmaster, is what kind of copy will be most effective for what you’re selling to the specific audience you’re targeting.

So please, stop simply copying what everyone else seems to be doing in the moment, and start taking time to understand your audience and what motivates them to act or buy. Test different types of Web copy, or even test different language choices. Watch what happens to your conversions.

And remember, the best copy isn’t necessarily the type of copy you think you want going into a project. You may want something touchy-feely, and find out that it’s not what actually sells to your audience (what they tell you they want and what makes them buy aren’t always the same thing; that would be like asking any of us if we want commercials playing during our favorite TV shows — we don’t, but that doesn’t mean they never work). Or perhaps you want something flashy, but your audience would respond better to a serious case study. The audience comes first. Then comes testing. Then, and only then, comes your amazing, high-converting copy.

Here’s something else to keep in mind: Just because something “works” doesn’t mean something else wouldn’t work better. Don’t stop testing and tweaking just because you’re satisfied for now. Would you really be happy with a 20% increase in conversions if a different style of copy could net you an 50% increase? Probably not.

This post was originally featured on July 27, 2008.

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The basic process is this: the list builder will offer something for free, but it’s only available to email list subscribers. Anyone wanting the free item or information would then opt-in to the email list to receive the incentive.

There are many things that can be used as email list building incentives. Here are a few examples:

E-books – If the email list builder is an expert in an industry or niche, it’s likely that people will want to learn from him or her. By offering a broad collection of basic information to readers in an e-book for free, subscriptions can be built easily.

Reports – Generally shorter than e-books, reports can also be effective email list building incentives. Reports can be anything from an abbreviated e-book to original research and survey results in an industry.

Memberships – Offering even a limited free membership to the list builder’s site, or a partnering site, that’s relevant to the targeted subscribers can increase both subscriptions and potential membership upgrades or sales.

Exclusive Sales or Offers – Give special discounts to mailing list subscribers only (especially if the mailing list is for a retailer or service provider and the messages are designed to lead to direct sales).

Software – Offering a free software program or tool can be an effective way to build an email marketing list, and software exists that would interest just about any target group.

What incentives have you used to build your email list, which which have been the most successful for you? Share your ideas and experiences in the comments.

Note: This post was originally published on April 20, 2007. It was updated and re-published on its currently-listed publication date.

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Let’s look at what content writing and copywriting are, along with a few examples of each.

Content Writing

When you hire a business writer to write content for your company, you’re hiring them to write something that will:

• Inform;
• Educate;
• Entertain.

This includes projects such as blog posts, feature articles, or e-book content. There is generally little to no direct selling in content writing, which is why it’s so important to hire a qualified copywriter if that’s your goal.

Copywriting

On the other hand, copywriting is designed to:

• Influence;
• Persuade;
• Sell.

This can include direct “hard” sales copy, such as a sales letter. It includes public relations copy, such as press release writing. And it includes much more subtle copy such as the About page on your website — which is designed to influence visitors into considering you a trustworthy company or authority in your niche or industry based on your background.

Of course there can be some overlap between content writing and copywriting. White papers are a great example. The bulk of the white paper is meant to be informational or educational. Only the closing section of a white paper generally pushes into sales copy.

The best way to find a business writer for your project is to know which area it falls into — content or copy. Then find writers who specialize in what you need. Better yet, search for writers who specialize in your specific project type.

If you need help with an upcoming copywriting project, it never hurts to have a pro in your corner. Get in touch and let me help you with your project today.

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So today I want to share some thoughts on email marketing not from the perspective of a business writer, but from the perspective of a subscriber who receives several poorly constructed email marketing messages every day.

Here are three surefire ways to piss me off in my inbox and guarantee I won’t give you a dime.

1. Your email copy is just a bunch of one-liners. Getting to the point is fine. But this is a common spam setup (each sentence as its own paragraph in a poor attempt to make things “pop”), so visually I associate you with spammers and delete the email without reading.
2. You use hyped up headlines making big promises. No one signs up to your email newsletter for the sales pitch. They want real information. Give them that first to hook them, and then pitch your product or service as a solution. It needs to be more subtle than slamming me in the face with promises you very likely won’t ever live up to (you’re not the “best,” “greatest,” or “#1” anything, except in your own mind — don’t tell me; convince me).
3. Your tone is too personal. When at first you act like you know me, and then I realize you don’t, you tick me off and I leave. It’s one thing to try to connect. But don’t try to act like you’re a pal unless you know me personally. You might get away with it once by making me wonder “how do I know him?” But after that, you become a broken record oozing your best bud tone. I recognize it quickly, and you will be blocked. This might be completely fine if you’re targeting your Average Joe. But if you target a business audience, getting too personal won’t cut it. You aren’t setting yourself apart from the other marketers. You sound just like the rest of them.

As always, know your target market and focus on benefits to them. We don’t care about your company. We don’t care about your product. We might care about something entertaining or educational you have to say. And we’ll definitely care if what you’re offering helps us solve a problem. Remember. It’s not about you. It’s about “me.”

Do you need help writing better email newsletters that won’t turn your customers off? Contact me and let a professional copywriter help.

The post 3 Ways to Lose Me With Your Email Newsletter appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

Hard Sell – This is the more aggressive form of selling. Think of infomercials and peppy spokespeople on commercials shouting out you enthusiastically about a new product. Hard sell techniques can be very blatant and in-your-face.

Soft Sell – Soft sell techniques are more toned down, less direct, and on the subtle side. The idea is to make a potential buyer see a problem and see your product, service, or company as a solution worth considering without directly saying so.

Let’s look at selling a book as an example:

Hard sell techniques for selling a book might be things like blatant paid advertisements, having the author on a radio interview pitching the book by literally telling them to buy it (and where and how they can do that), etc.

Soft sell techniques for selling that same book might include the author publishing free articles or excerpts that let people have a glimpse at what the book has to offer, and how it may answer a question or solve a problem they have. A lot of publicity tactics can also be looked at as soft sell techniques, such as press releases which help to raise awareness about the book and the author, as well as the book’s purpose and how it might benefit future buyers.

Some people find hard sell techniques to be obnoxious, but in some markets they’re extremely effective. In some industries too much soft selling might not get the desired results, and in others it can lead to huge sales volumes. The key is in knowing your target market and what kinds of messages and outlets are most likely to appeal to them (and of course knowing your own selling abilities and preferences).

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