When creating an ad copy, don’t go filling more air in the balloon, keeping it simple and light is the key. For example,

“Our food is fresh. Our customers are spoiled.”

This ad belongs to Fresh Direct which is an online grocer that delivers fresh food on order. Their ad says they sell fresh food which can spoil you. Isn’t it so apt! It’s a one-liner, witty & crisp and does demand both attention and action or a likelihood of action. And what really makes it unique and shining like a bright star is the conviction that comes through so naturally.

Successful advertising is NOT a complex bundle of words. You do need to impress your audience but confusing them will get you nowhere. Use creative copywriting as your tool to break through the onslaught of other messages that consumers are exposed to day in and day out! All that you really need to achieve this are the two things:

1) Know the Product
2) Trust its Goodness

So the lesson to learn here for the copywriters is to believe what they’re selling like its their own. And ads will automatically appear to strike the bull’s eye or the customers’; depends whoever is drawn to it first.

The one for us reads like – I tweet, therefore I am or I FB therefore I am and they’re those whose worlds are their vritual lives. As a copywriter doing 3000 – 4000 or more words a day, can you replace think with write in the original Cartesian assertion and do it without blinking?

If you blinked then there may be more to you than just being passionate about words. This is not that bad a thing per se because the copywriting tribe is as such doubly disposed – familiar with the classic Killer and the Poet Ogilvian split?  Read more at: http://www.copyblogger.com/get-rich-copywriter/

May be I am, therefore I write could be more appropriate for writers.

Think, Be & Write
Our thoughts make our being – that’s what Descartes said in the 16th century and defined existence.
When we write, we think and become, not necessarily in that order. There’s a correlation in thinking, being and writing and if  you want you can go be whatever and write whatever. A faculty that comes in very handy when you writing a sales copy or content for websites, in other words -

When Writing to Sell
We can’t let go off either the marketer or the artist in us while creating persuasive copies for products or services. A writer having multiple ‘selfs’ must ‘be’ what he or she is writing. We write but before the keypad is punched or the pen finds the paper, we think and become. And who we are is what makes our copies and eventually the influence it exerts on its readers.

A writer’s thought-process and the self he/ she dons is very powerful and can actually transform a nonchalant copy into one that can trigger a buying revolution. So don’t push aside your thoughts even when you have to deliver 10 articles in a day. I know it gets very hard to keep the mind sharp as a saw after draining on 10 different topics but if you don’t stop and think, you’ll lose on all that made your copy readable, better-than-others and unique. Also a copy that is mechanically written is likely to have more errors than the one written with a cogent thought and personality behind.

What to Remember
A sales copy or online content written to engage readers is not Post-Modern poetry wherein any and every thought goes and may be kept in a Post-modernist museum. Content is a well crafted message that communicates information useful for the readers and is vital to their making buying decisions.

A writer who thinks like a user or becomes the user can hit bulls eye in his or her copy. I know it’s hard to be all of them at the same time but once you ace it, that creative drive won’t dwindle.

So what does your Cartesian statement read like – ‘I think & write, therefore I am’ or something else?

SEO copywriting is one essential element of search engine optimization and one that ensures that no greatness is lost to the explorers of the web world. So what does it (SEO copywriting) involve? Only keywords?

There is something beyond the general rule of thumb about using keywords in SEO writing – the secret ingredient – that actually makes the ‘check out button’ on your website used more often.

The Secret Ingredient – Applying mind & common sense

Any kind of writing even SEO copywriting must never be without its slice of uniqueness and creativity. So while the standard must be followed, the sensational and shock should not be sacrificed. In other words, let the story impulse still be the guiding metaphor. On one hand, the content on the websites must be wisely and strategically infused with keywords that helps a website go up in search engine ranking but on the other it must be interesting enough to make the reader stick to it like a bear does to honey. Search engines love good content but readers love exciting content.

The SEO Aspect

Now we can’t leave behind the SEO out from the SEO copywriter, so here goes. Content with relevant information and keywords, intelligent formatting and zero grammatical errors is what search engines are looking for. Optimized content means content that is not only for the readers but for search engines as well. The keyword density in any copy must neither be too much nor too scanty. Stuffing keywords can get your web page penalized as it may be perceived as spam by the ever-so-vigilant search engine bots.

Need help? Check out ‘the’ 7 SEO Copywriting tips

SEO copywriting should begin and end with one mantra – “Content is King”.

• Create flawless content – no grammatical errors, spelling errors.
• Use H1 tag – for your title tags and ALT tags for internal hyperlinks.
• Keep in mind the keyword density.
• Bold, italicize and underline content that requires the reader’s notice. Don’t overdo it or for keywords.
• Use keywords in meta tags and then use the same keywords in the first line and the description tag of the content.
• Interlinking and hyperlinking is a must.
• Use Google Adwords Keyword Tool to look for your post related keywords.

Writing for the readers and keeping the search engines happy at the same time can be a task for a copywriter! But with correct measures, a little more confidence and may be coffee, you can get to the treasure at the end of the rainbow and create that elusive top ranking copy.

P.S – Unlike paid/ sponsored listings, SEOed copies can be created for free or for very less money. So don’t let this slip out from your fingers!

Proofreading is one of the most important aspects of successful copywriting. Any article that you write for the purpose of sharing with people, make sure it is properly spell checked. And by spell checked we mean, you do it yourself! How can you trust your machine to understand what you wish to write.

Better explained:

Your sentence says: ‘His pen fell’ but you have mistakenly spelled ‘his’ as ‘is’. Your machine’s spell check will still approve it as ‘is’ is a word. The same way if your sentence says: ‘Let me wear that shirt’, where ‘wear’ has been written as ‘ear’, the spell check would approve it hands down! This is because it is just a machine that has a software to check your spellings and not what you mean to write in that particular sentence.

Trust only yourself!

Reading and editing your copy on your own is very important. It not only helps in making changes in the content but also helps in pointing out wrong spellings. Using correct tenses, articles, form of verbs, punctuation marks, contribute in making a copy worth a read if not millions. You may consider it the most basic of the entire job, but trust a copywriter’s word, it is the most important job in creating a high ranking copy.

Keep the search engines happy..

If you are writing for the web, even the search engines do not appreciate a poorly written copy. Spelling errors and grammatical errors are the worst thing that can or should happen to your copy! Start proofreading now! Once the copy is done don’t stay away from it, sit back and think about the fate of your copy.

A copywriter’s word – Do not leave it in the hands of your machine’s spell check. Lightning can struck anyone.

Important punctuation and formatting rules to live by:

• Quotation Marks – Important quotes, facts and references are always written inside quotation marks. Don’t use them to highlight just anything that you feel is important in the sentence. Also, a punctuation mark in the quoted sentence should always be inside the quotation marks. For example, “I am hungry,” Samantha said and not “I am hungry”, Samantha said. The former is the correct way to use quotes.

• Semicolons – These are not necessarily required in copywriting. Use of semicolons should be minimal when creating a copy for the web.

• Exclamation Marks – Limit yourself for the use of exclamation marks. Never use too many of them in the same paragraph. A single post should not have more than two exclamation marks. Somehow, the writers feel that excessive use of exclamation marks makes you sound excited, urgent and full of gusto which is not always the case, is it? Even if it is, using too many exclamation marks will only make your copy appear like an SOS for help.

• Capitalization – There is absolutely no need to capitalize unnecessary words in a post. You have to be careful of this one especially in the headlines. Do not capitalize words like of, on, to etc. in the headlines. Also, never capitalize keywords in a post to highlight them. Important keywords are better hyperlinked than highlighted. The latter looks like an old school SEO technique. Stuffing keywords and capitalizing them in the post is a big NO while creating a copy.

• Commas – Commas are used to express pause between clauses. A comma should be used according to the rules of its existence. Never be afraid to use commas in your sentences especially if they’re pretty long. If it fits the sentence, use it. Just a small rule to take care of. Don’t put a comma before ‘and’. For example, blue, purple and grey instead of blue, purple, and grey.

• Hyperlinks and Hyphenation – Hyperlink important links and keywords in your post as a rule. Don’t add too many hyperlinks in a post as it may look like spam content. A link should be properly defined and cleanly linked. Also, use a hyphen wherever required – separate words with a hyphen that are either combination words or neologisms. And remember, e-mail is always separated with a hyphen.

Writing a sentence with correctly placed punctuation marks is like offering a free meal to someone who is hungry. As it will make for a savouring reading experience. I’m sure you would want your readers to enjoy what you’ve written rather than baffle their minds with a confusing maze of words!

Even if your post is not an extraordinary one, it would still be liked if it is correctly put together. Make use of correct grammar and punctuation to leave your readers wanting for more.

Your job doesn’t end once you’ve created a post. It is just the begining. Once the post is complete, let it rest. Get back to it after sometime to see it afresh.

Go through the post with a fresh mind and a fresher perspective. See where you can make relevant changes, use better words, re-phrase sentences. This will help take your copy from being just a draft to a copy that sells.

Redundancy can help sometimes

Editing a post includes deleting redundant words and sentences. But it isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Even to omit, one needs to think very wisely because the words are linked together. So in a way being redunant can, sometimes be useful because it forces you to better your copy.

Write what readers like to read

It is not always about being grammatically correct. A lot of times conversations on the Internet are dominated by colloquial language instead of high grammar. This is because colloquial language is the language of the people which allows bending grammar rules. For example couple words are commonly used. These are redundant and many grammarians classify them under wrong usage. However, their use is so common that now the right and the wrong hardly matters for the simple reason that everyone’s doing it.

Words like ATM machine, added bonus, end result, past history etc. are examples of couple words. You may have heard them slide even through perfectly constructed exchanges.

Brian Clark, founder of Copyblogger has put together a great post on how brevity is a killer sometimes. Read through it at: http://www.copyblogger.com/bad-brevity/.

Brian’s post is contrary to the glorification of brevity you’ll find here but it still makes sense to read the post in continuity to this one to understand the relevance of balance and what does it take to make brevity the soul of wit.

And copywriters know a thing about surviving in the big bad world of words, ROIs and referrals…. and love it, don’t we?

Creative writing is omnipresent, and forms the backbone of the consumerist world. Anything that is not on a doctor’s note, newspaper (yes), legal documents and contracts is a piece of creative writing. On the web, blogs, articles, product descriptions, advertisements, twitter updates, novels, stories, verses etc – all fly out from the umbrella of creativity with the objective to gather readers who buy.

As a receiver of million messages everyday, readers find some standing out among the rest while others simply blown away in the stream of commonness. The ones that stick to your mind are obviously creative but what about those that whiff away with just a single sigh, aren’t they? They too are but may lack in core elements. Don’t know what those core elements are? Read below to find out.

What does it take to go that extra mile when writing creatively for your consumers?

Connection – Your copy from the first word itself must establish a connection with the target receiver/ reader.

Condition – It must address the condition that the reader may be in and how can your product/ service enhance or better it.

Experience – The message must communicate the experience that your customer is likely to enjoy using your product/ service or lack in if he or she does not.

Novelty – Be as novel as you can. Even if you’re marketing for a 150 year old brand; do it the 21st century way and not what people would have liked 150 years ago.

Results – Paint the picture of the afterward i.e after your products and services have been used. And by painting the picture we mean a realistic one. Remember, you may fool by an advertisement but not in actual usage. So it’s always better to stick to the truth.

Now how you do all this and achieve what you set out to accomplish is where the real deal is. How you work your mind around those top-of-the-hat metaphors, mindblowing analogies and those contagious call-to-actions and create a copy that not only brings in the readers but happily buying and paying customers

And when you’re up to it, make sure the confidence, happiness and that the spirit is not amiss because words mirror more than you expect them to.

Copywriting is something where all your experience can make you bite your finger nails when it comes to writing that first sentence. If the headline is the hook then the first sentence of the copy is the bait that allures readers to the copy and no fish will fall for it until its juicy! No pressure but the first sentence is what sticks the reader to the copy. So be creative, innovative and work those neurons to make that bait taste even better!

First sentences won’t come that naturally as the rest of the copy. Read below to see how can you work on them:

• A writer can try different tactics – from questioning your readers to commanding them, a number of tones can be used to make it sound just right.
• Other experienced ones will use quotes by more prominent writers to have that bang in the beginning.
• Some will start with just one word. The word that aptly defines the crux of your post.
• Others may go for a humorous beginning.

These are a few ways that are used apart from the usual story telling Once-upon-a-time starts.

After the first sentence…….

Most writers relax and jot down important points they want to add in their post on a piece of paper (or the device they use). Relevance is the solution to all the confusion. Analyze what is relevant to your copy and use it in the post. And just forget that what’s written once cannot or should not be changed! If the first sentence of your copy does not satisfy your ‘writer’ mind, change it. Modify it, improve it or just add more to it but be sure of it. Instincts are useful. But not all the time and those other times are better guided by experience. Use it when everything else fails to convince you for your copy.

Last and the most important point, read, read and re-read your copy. This is the only way to know what is going wrong where and if your bait is garnished well to catch the fish.

There are other factors that prevent the copy from caving in and letting the keyword be natural in its appearance, such as:

Concision & Clarity – A copy must be concise and clear. You just cannot afford to be inconclusive in your sentences. A reader has to be very sure of what he is reading the entire time. The reader’s focus and a copywriter’s aim should never part ways.

Crispness – What is the fun of reading a post unless it hasn’t got something that can stick the reader to it! Crisp sentences add readability factor to a post.

Brevity – A few words say quite a lot, so don’t go overboard with your ideas. Create an impact on the reader in few well placed words (including the keyword, for sure), instead  of never-ending babble.

Focus – Though it is most likely to happen, but a writer should never lose focus from the keyword and the purpose of the article. Humor can be a part of the article but don’t make it sound really casual and general. Rather focus on what is relevant and then make a point or introduce your funny metaphor.

Humor – Add fun to your copy. Who would like to read something that starts with logics and ends with conclusions. Make your copy interesting and flowing. A reader should not feel that it’s too long or boring. Add real life experiences and humor elements to the copy so that the reader can relate to it.

Presentation – The presentation of the copy should be clean. Formatting is the key here. The article should also be well divided into paragraphs and each division should make relevance.

Perspective – While writing a copy, always keep two perspectives in mind. Never forget to think like a reader. That will get your copy a lot of readers.

Copywriting for the web is interesting and involves a lot of creativity. A good copywriter puts in a lot of efforts to create a fresh and innovative piece of writing each time he/she comes out with a post but is vulnerable too and may be lead astray by imagination, that’s where editing comes in.

So go on write that story lurking in your mind or post the blog you’re scared to share, because if it’s written and edited well there will be takers for it.

The error I’m talking about is the mixing up of you’re and your. Are you one of the many confused? Don’t worry, you’re reading this and your confusions will be cleared! Let’s look at these tricky words individually:

You’re is a contraction, i.e., a combination, of ‘you are’. It is often followed by the present participle, a verb form ending in ‘-ing’.

Some examples:

You’re a nice person.
I think you’re lying.
I can’t believe you’re here!

Your, on the other hand, is the possessive form of you. It is used to describe something as belonging to you. Your is almost always followed by a noun.

Some examples:

Is this your pen?
Your book is on the table.
Your hand looks a little bruised!

Important Tip:

When confused, try replacing you’re with ‘you are’ in the sentence. If it fits, you’re good! Otherwise, ‘your’ is the word you’re looking for!

Very Important Note:

There is absolutely no such word as your’e!!

Want to add something? Have any inputs? Please feel free to leave a comment or contact us. I say it again, we grammar snobs love to argue .

Let’s try and make things a little easier in the its and it’s department with explanations and some examples:

It’s – It’s is a contraction for ‘it is’ (sometimes for ‘it has’ as well, but we can put that one aside). This is an exception to the general rule that ‘s denotes possession.

Examples:

It’s an interesting theme to build a play around.
It’s easy to remember stuff with mnemonics.

How to remember tip – Try replacing it’s with it is in a sentence. If it fits, you are good!

Its – Its denotes possession (an exception to the general norm), and can be interpreted as ‘that which belongs to him/her’.

Examples:

The dog lost its tag.
A Hill Myna is known for its ability to mimic the human voice.

How to remember tip – Try replacing its with his or her in a sentence. If it fits, you are good!

Very Important Note:

There is absolutely no such word as its’!!

Have any doubts or want to add something? Feel free to leave a comment or contact us! I did admit to being a grammar snob and another thing which makes us very happy is answering and arguing .

The diversity prevailing in both spoken and written English further corroborates the difference between American and British English.

English originated in England in the 10th century A.D and  was introduced in America in the 17th century by the British Empire. British Colonialists introduced English Language in other colonies as well which adopted the language with little modifications. Americans, however  (in the real sense of the word) Americanized English completely.

The American spellings are different from their British counterparts. Also usage of Grammar and Syntax structure varies both the countries.

Let us look at the difference in spellings between American and British English:

-or v/s -our

American                            British
color                                          colour
favorite                                   favourite
honor                                      honour
endeavor                               endeavour
favor                                        favour
humor                                    humour

-ze v/s -se

American                           British
analyze                                  analyse
criticize                                 criticise
memorize                             memorise
recognize                              recognise
realize                                    realise

*Surprise surprisingly remains Surprise in American English. Overgeneralizing the rule may lead to some errors.

-ll v/s l

American                         British
enrollment                          enrolment
skillful                                   skilful
fulfill                                      fulfil

-er v/s -re

American                       British
center                                centre
meter                                 metre
theater                              theatre

-og v/s -ogue

American                      British
analog                               analogue
catalog                              catalogue
dialog                                dialogue

-e v/s -oe or -ae

American                       British
encyclopedia                  encyclopaedia
maneuver                         manoeuver
medieval                           mediaeval

-ck or k v/s que

American                       British
bank                                  banque
check                                cheque
checker                            chequer

-dg v/s -dge (or -g v/s -gu)

American                        British
aging                                   ageing
argument                          arguement
judgment                           judgement

*Management does not become Managment in American, so take care.

-ense v/s -ence

American                        British
defense                               defence
license                                licence
Offense                                Offence

Others

American                            British
Jewelry                                  Jewellery
pajamas                                 pyjamas
plow                                        plough
program                                programme
tire                                           tyre

Base Word              American         British
counsel                    counseling            counselling
equal                         equaling                equalling
model                       modeling              modelling
quarrel                    quarreling            quarrelling
signal                       signaling               signalling
travel                       traveling               travelling

*Exceptions

excel                       excelling          excelling
propel                    propelling        propelling

The above list of differences is not all inclusive but will definitely come in handy!

Using correct spellings in your copy will reflect very well on your merit as a copywriter especially when the content you are working on is country specific and sensitive.

So spell correctly and keep up the Quality!

A business is successful only if there is consistency in performance, specifically in terms of conversion rates, which depend on the user. Content creation for websites is a two-fold process, the result of which has to serve SEO as well as the users. In doing so, a copywriter should never forget the human aspect; the users. Users are potential customers that are to be reached through a copy and keywords are only mediators to reach them more effectively.

Communicability equals Usability
Copies created for SEO is usually optimized by infusing relevant keywords in it. However, when a write-up is stuffed with keywords, it loses its essence and meaning which in turn takes a very heavy toll on efficient communication with the user.

More keywords does not necessarily mean higher rankings. The course of business on Internet is determined by many factors of which content creation is one. These factors such as usability, link-ability and content creation are interdependent. One cannot depend on them in isolation.  Keywords provide a necessary channel for communication, which the write-up will induct and consequently will lead to links and conversions. So, do not make the mistake of forsaking content quality for keyword inclusion.

Content that is short, direct, precise and offers readily available information along with judicious  use of keywords, is perfect for both SEO as well as users.

Remember that keyword tools will only make you aware of the general thought process of your prospects. It is up to the content developer to appropriate them in the write-up so that clarity and quality of any write-up is not compromised.

Another significant point to remember is the position of the keywords. Having a keyword in the title and the subheading, gives out a very assuring message to the reader. It also enables your copy to stand out from the barrage of information available online.

The primary goal of SEO content creation is improving SEO results, which can be achieved by accommodating both the SEO and users’ perspective.

A brief but vital overview of the above information is mentioned below:

• Do not Neglect users and user experience
• Do not Stuff write-ups with keywords
• Do not Compromise on the quality of content for keyword inclusion
• Put the keywords in title and subheadings
• For improved SEO results, cater to both search engine as well as user specific needs

Writing a copy is like writing a story. Only interesting stories are read cover to cover and only interesting web copies are read first sentence to last sentence. Your copy needs to have a gripping build up, an interesting middle and a jolting end, but all this has to be done in some very limited words. Therefore I repeat myself, you have to know when to stop! Keep your write ups short, sweet, simple, crisp and open to possible interpretations.

The most important thing to remember here is that when you write too much, you are basically assuming that your readers NEED all the explanation; which is basically insulting their intelligence. No one likes that! Now this doesn’t mean that you start using really big words and very complex sentences. No one has the time and no one wants to read confusing stuff anyways.

The KISS mantra

Always follow KISS and Keep It Simple and Sweet. I would like to add another ‘S’ here. Keep It Simple, Sweet and Short and know when to stop. How much is too much? No one can really say. Just make sure that the words are simple, sentences are short, paragraphs are concise and you are using minimal words to put your points across (unless otherwise required).

Did I just go too far?