Showing posts with label World Wide Web. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Wide Web. Show all posts
Headlines and Tone Testing: Are You Able to Get Your Message Across?
Writers often depend on headlines to create appeal for their write-ups. Headlines, after all, are often the first line of writing that a person reads when he comes across an article, news story or book. A headline can create curiosity, stir up interest and generate wonder. The tone of the headline also affects the readers' response and elicits reactions right then and there. For proper headline creation and tone testing, here are some things to keep in mind:
The headline should set the tone
Whether your write-up is upbeat, formal, businesslike, provocative, engaging or a call-to-arms kind of thing, the tone of your headline should reflect it. Very often, your goal as a writer helps set the tone of the headline and the subsequent body of the write-up.
Are you trying to give information? Raise a question? Intrigue the reader? Create a sense of urgency? Decide on the goal of your write-up first and this will help guide you on finding the tone for your headline.
Write down the keywords that define your article
This is especially important if you will be writing for the Web and quite useful even if you will be writing for print. Keywords are words that reflect or represent the main idea or topics that will be found in your article. These keywords should then be found in your headline.
Although some keywords are rather neutral in tone, there are some that best express the feelings or emotions that you might find appropriate for your write-up. Write these words down so you can decide later which one to use to achieve the best effect. When you go through tone testing later, this effect will be easier to determine.
Write down the words that reflect the tone of your headline
Some words, like adjectives such as 'truly', 'really' and 'absolutely' set the tone of the headline, making it seem like what you have to offer is the ultimate. These words give a sense of exclusivity and can help your headline stand out. 'How to', 'Guide to' and 'Tips for' are often used in headlines to set the tone for an instructional article. Action words, on the other hand, set the tone for enthusiasm, making the headline sound urgent.
Tone testing
So how do you know that you truly have the right tone for your headline? Test it. Go online, use at least three search engines and type the headline you're planning to use. Use the exact words initially to test the headline.
Once the search engine has produced a listing of results, go to the top 3 or 5 of these links and check how relevant your headline is. Read the articles as well and check if the tone is similar to the tone of writing you wish to use.
As part of the audience, you should be able to tell if the tone of the headline works. Test it against your reaction and how you responded to the headline and the subsequent body of the article. Check reader reactions in the comment section as well. There's a good chance you'll find frank assessment of the write-up there. Then use what you've learned to apply in your own writing.
Test the tone with a limited audience. Try showing the headline to friends and ask them what they think. More importantly, ask them what kind of emotion/s the headline produces. If the answer is exactly what you intend the headline to create, you're on the right track. If not, revise the headline.
You could also tone test the headline by posting it online. Then change the words strategically to see the kind of reaction you receive. Once you achieve what you want, stick to that headline.
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How Is Online Copywriting Different from Offline Copywriting?
To become an effective copywriter for the Web, the first thing you need to learn are the major differences between online and offline copywriting.
Who Reads It?
Offline copies are printed on various materials, and they’re something that some people may read just to pass the time. With no expectations, offline readers can afford to be more patient and forgiving.
Online copies, however, don’t have that luxury. More often than not, Internet users have a reason for visiting a website and they definitely have expectations when it comes to reading any online copy. And since they know what they want and what to look for, they’re more inclined to be impatient and wouldn’t hesitate to switch to another article if what they’re currently reading proves to be unsuitable.
One Chance from Start to Finish
Again, certain situations in the offline world give readers no chance to be choosy. Reading from a single magazine limits them to the contents of the magazine. If there are no other magazines available and they need to acquire certain information or, once again, they’re desperate to pass the time, they have no other recourse but to read the magazine from start to finish.
Second chances are rare for online copies and as such, you need to make every word powerful and significant from start to finish, beginning with your headline and until you finish your call to action.
Switching from one copy to another is also easier for online readers. With search engines more than ready to supply them with the next best link if your copy proves to be inadequate, the only way to keep their attention is by making every sentence worth their time.
Cost
Offline copywriters may occasionally have to worry about the costs of printing their works in a certain format. Too many paragraphs as well as larger fonts could make the cost of publishing escalate in an alarming rate, and for this reason, they’re forced to make adjustments, which are not always favorable to readers, to their works.
Online copywriters, in this case, stand to gain more from their line of work. Since text weighs little in terms of bytes, formatting rarely make a substantial difference to their work. As a result, they can afford to make more paragraphs and keep it short – exactly the way their online readers like it. Having large fonts aren’t a problem either. Indeed, they can change the color of the text and suffer from no additional cost.
Skimming
Online readers have a habit of skimming, and they do it more frequently than their offline counterparts. Web copywriters will, of course, have to adjust their work accordingly.
Skimming makes optional formatting techniques in offline writing necessary in online copywriting. Subheadings are one of them. Their presence ensures that online readers are still able to comprehend the gist of the copy even if they’re skimming. If you can supply one subheading for every paragraph, that can only work to your favor!
Now that you’re aware of the differences between online and offline copywriting, you can apply what you’ve learned the next time you write an online copy. These newfound tips may make writing more difficult at the start, but rest assured they come with greater rewards!
Remember to double-check for errors before uploading your work. Good luck on keeping the attention of your readers!
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7 Ways to Show Authority in Writing a Copy
Know your topic
Never write copy about a subject you have little or no knowledge about. If you want to prove you have authority in writing that copy, you should be able to show your audience or readers that you know exactly what you are writing about. Your readers can tell if you're only bluffing.
Prove your experience
Another way to show you have authority in writing copy is by proving you have the correct experience about the subject. You can't write about rocket science with authority if the closest you've ever come close to a rocket is by watching a fireworks display.
Use your USP
Every product, idea or statement has a USP or unique sales proposition. Find out what yours is when writing copy. The USP will help define your statement and make you stand out from write-ups that have a similar idea. You can use this to your advantage to create authority.
Make the statement clear so your readers will understand immediately the message you are trying to put across.
State the benefits and advantages
There will always be disadvantages or limitations to your product, idea or statement. Instead of detailing them to your readers, focus on the advantages and benefits. Tell your readers what it can do and what it can't do.
If you're promoting a bicycle, for example, you don't have to state that it's not as fast as a car. It can't fly but it can help its user reach his destination. It's cheap, doesn't pollute the environment and can even be an instrument of fitness.
Use facts
Embellishing your statements may sound harmless but the effect on your readers may not be advantageous to you. Consumers and readers are a bit sensitive and they will take it personally if they find that you were pulling the wool over their eyes. There is nothing that works as fast as an overstatement to decrease your credibility.
If you want to have authority in writing copy, state only the facts – statements that are easily verifiable.
Back up your claims
Authority in writing copy is similar to writing news stories – you need proof of your statements. If you make one, make sure it's backed up by details and figures that may be corroborated. If there is a study, research or statement made by an expert that will support your claim, use that as well. So in case someone asks, you can point them to the reference that will support what you said.
Don’t mess with the language
If you want to be trusted as an authority in writing a copy, make sure you take care to show good grammatical and spelling skills. Nothing destroys an authoritative position than bad language because it speaks of carelessness and a lack of knowledge. If you want to be seen and accepted as an expert, show respect for your readers and write well.
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Tips for Setting Your Copywriting Rates
Different copywriters charge different rates
This is due mainly to the type of skills you have, your writing expertise and experience. Beginner copywriters, for example, cannot charge the same rates as more experienced ones.
The key here is to prove that you can deliver. Even if you have the skills but don't have the experience, it can take a while before you can charge a rate as high as those charged by a copywriter with more experience than you do. This, even if you will be writing on the same topic. A Web article, for example, may cost only $75 for a beginner copywriter while a more experienced copywriter may charge at least $120.
The type of writing and topic
The type of writing project and its topic will also affect copywriting rates. An article written on a general topic, for example, may be charged at a lower rate than a write-up about a project with a specialized topic. Article writing, newsletters, brochures, ads, ghostwriting a book, news stories, press releases, etc. – require different types of research and styles of writing.
The type of research that has to go into writing will also influence the rates – the more difficult, intricate and technical the writing needs to be, the higher its rate. Extras that add value to a copywriting service such as search engine optimization or writing using HTML can also allow a writer to charge more.
To give you an idea how much copywriters charge for their services, here are some ballpark figures you might find useful:
For articles that will appear on a website, copywriters charge anywhere from $100 to $400 per write-up. If you choose to charge by the hour, the range can be anywhere from a low of $50 to around $85. For Web content that will fill 10 pages, you might want to charge for about $1,000 to $1,500, depending on the type of content.
For press releases, copywriters often charge from $300 to around $600 while others may charge lower, starting at around $100 or $150.
For sales letters, freelance copywriters usually charge a whopping $1,000 to around $2,000 per letter. Some, such as those still building their portfolio, can charge from a low of $200 to around $500.
The number of wordS
Many copywriters charge per word while others prefer a set number of minimum words per write-up. These become the basis of their copywriting rates. For example, a copywriter may charge a lower rate for a 300-word write-up than he would for a 500-word article.
The frequency of the writing project
There are different copywriting rates set for one-time writing projects and for continuous assignments. Copywriters will generally charge a slightly lower copywriting rate for continuous projects than for one-time only articles.
After service
As part of their copywriting services, copywriters often allow one revision per article which is included in the set rate. Further revisions and additions are sometimes billed extra or based on a per hour rate. Copywriters may charge from about $30 to $70 an hour to make their revisions.
Self-marketing
Believe it or not, how much you can charge for your copywriting rates will also depend on how well you can sell your writing skills. If you're unsure of what to charge and less confident about your writing, you're likely to charge a rate that is less than what's reasonable for your level of skills and experience. Know your skills and be confident so you will never have to charge an unreasonable rate.
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How to Review Your Copy
First, you need to remember that you need to shed the skin of the writer and put on the fur of the reader. You, the Internet reader, are not interested in every single word of the copy: you need to get the information at one click, at one go, and get a lot of this information without having to go through every single word, but by looking quickly through the copy. In order to test this, you may need to have a few friends on hand. Skim the copy and see if you get the information immediately. Does the copy interest you at first glance? Don’t read into the sentences too much: see if the copy stands out and if it entices you to start at the beginning and read more.
Remember, a copy is your magic ticket to getting a casual reader to start reading your work and going through your website. It could well be your magic ticket turning that same casual reader into a buyer! So be careful with your review. Ask yourself: if I had only five minutes to spare, would I read this? Is it too long and daunting? Is it too short and careless? There’s nothing wrong with a moderately-sized copy: it shows that you have a lot to say, but you know your stuff well enough so that you don’t need a lot of flowery words to get your point across.
Do you have all your facts straight, and all of them written into your copy in a concise manner? This means that you need to deliver your key points through a single line or two, at the most, of text. If you keep on going for far longer, you may as well write a blog entry about your day and all your feelings: the longer you go, the easier it will be for you to lose your visitor.
Is the copy written with the right grammar and syntax? You might be surprised: people will communicate via text shortcuts on your local forum or mailing list, but they will demand that they be written to in proper English. The right grammar and syntax will also show how professional you are: if you can’t take care of something as basic as grammar, then how can your customers trust you to take care of their needs and wants? How can customers trust you to have a product or service that actually will help them?
Is the copy formatted well, with a lot of white space? White space will give your readers’ eyes some respite from the text, and it will actually invite people to read your copy. Moreover, avoid putting text in daunting, big seas of paragraphs: break these paragraphs down. Put text in narrow columns so that your customers do not strain their eyes. Not only should your copy be suited to match a certain professional tone, it should also have the appearance of being something that should be read at all.
These are only a few tips that you should remember when reviewing your copy. If you have a well-written copy, you will find it easier to get more customers and catch people’s attention.
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How to Set Up Your Copy
In particular, you need to answer four basic questions when writing web copy. First, why are your visitors at that website and why should they be there? Are they in need of a product or service? Do they fit a particular demographic that needs your help? Second, what should they do? Should they buy your product or service? Should they call you? Provide your visitors with a road on which to travel instead of telling them that they should get to a destination by their own terms.
Third, answer why your visitors should even do anything. Should they buy a product or service to get themselves out of a financial rut? Should they buy something from you so that they can enjoy life better? Finally, what should they do next? Should they go out and buy things, save money, ask for more help? What should they expect from you?
Remember these four basic questions when you set up your copy. You will need maintain consistency in your look and tone, moreover, so that when people read through your copy, they will feel comfortable and not have their brains scattering all over the place, what with the multitude of ideas that you present.
When setting up your copy, remember that you need to keep it from looking like a sea of text. Break up your pages and format information your information into smaller pieces of text. If you have a well-formatted page in a single font that is easy to read, it can be more inviting, and can actually beckon potential customers to start reading. Moreover, provide some white space: don’t have very large paragraphs so that your customers’ eyes can be soothed and relaxed as they skim over the page.
When formatting between paragraphs, leave two empty lines beneath the paragraph, as well as after every title and heading, in order to mark off and delineate ideas. This can provide white space, as well as a logical division of information that can tell your customers what to think and how to organize their thoughts. If you must use large amounts of text, keep them in narrow columns so that your customers do not have to read from one end of their computer screens to the other.
Subheadings can help you out and make your work more interesting and accommodating. In fact, they can aid visitors in scanning through the text and knowing what ideas to expect and where to find something that they are looking for. Have attractive titles, too, so that you can better catch your visitors’ attention.
These are only a few tips that you may want to use in setting up your copy. For more tips, look through effective web copies and see what makes them tick. Moreover, practice so that you can produce better copies every time.
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Steps on How to Put Action on Your Copy
A call to action is a web copy which instructs a reader on what you wanted him to do. This call to action can be in the form of a declarative, imperative and a command statement or just mere suggestions. With any marketing materials, it’s important to get your prospective clients to act… NOW! Here are several steps to follow to make a call to action that will definitely have your phones ringing and your sales increasing.
The first step is to do your research on the terms to be used for your call to action. The term must be associated with what your content is advertising. Chances are, the terms you maybe thinking had already been used by other copywriters and you should pay attention to this.
The second step is to write your content to lead to a straight call to action. Write the call to action clearly so that your visitors will know precisely what to do and how. Use phrases like “Register Now” or Click here” at an exact location where there is a button or a click through. Tell readers to call a toll number that is correct and still available.
Third step is to try to put your call to action on several locations on the web site, especially if there’s a lot of copy on your page. You can put the call to action after an introductory paragraph, the top of the page, and other parts of the site.
The fourth step is to make your site as direct as possible. Your visitors will want to know what they’re getting from your page as soon as they land on it. Get straight to the point immediately without having making your copy awkward.
The call to action may include a registration blank which ask for information such as the email address. The fifth step is to link these details to a shopping cart or an autoresponder to create your mailing list. Once you add a centered call to action to your copy, your efforts will make your web visitors to take your call to action.
As a word of advice, there are certain tips that you can apply. One is to start your call to action with a verb. To achieve clarity, keep the subject and verb close together; for example: “Ask your sales representative for details”. You must keep your call to action on your screen the entire time. If this would not be possible, you must let it pop several times so that irregular viewers may have a chance to see it. Lastly, inform yourself more about contextual relevance, serial position effect and chunking and coding.
Creating a simple, smooth and effective call to action is still an art. A straightforward and strong call to action can really bring a difference to your copy content and can convert it. The message on your call to action is really vital to the performance of your website. As an end note, always remember that a good copywriting will always include a call to action.
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