Smart Biz Internet Marketing & Copywriting Blog

Look anywhere and copywriting Sydney is buzzing with advertising: bill boards, neon signs, hot-air balloons, etc. When was the last time you read something that made you stop, write down the number or made a phone call? If you are like me, I honestly can’t remember. So how effective are these signs? Are the mega bucks spent on advertising copywriting in Sydney worth it or are the Sydney copywriting experts sometimes missing the boat? That may depend on how the advertising campaign is structured and how the advertising campaign fits in the overall marketing plan. Marketing is about creating an environment where sales can happen. Let me give you an example of what may happen:

You have been thinking about buying a new car. All for a sudden you notice the bill board - which has been there for some time - with this beautiful car and a very clear ad text directing you to a website.

As soon as you arrive home, you look up the website of this car manufacturer to check out the models, colors, extras, etc. As a result of this search you may click on a dealership. Which one do you select? Of course, the one you know about or have been aware off through their advertising.

This is where Sydney copywriting experts leave their mark – by creating an environment where sales can happen. They are responsible for the ISYOT (I See You Out There) effect, the display ad, the ads in papers and magazines, press releases, brochures, direct mail campaigns and of course the internet. Over 70% of potential buyers use the internet to research a product or select a company before making a buying decision. As you see in the example above copywriting alone won’t get the desired result the right marketing strategies have to be in place. Although the internet is only a part of a marketing strategy, the percentage of people searching the internet shows that it is essential to have a website. No business today can afford to be without one. That is where a web copywriting expert comes in to create content that:

• attracts leads
• boosts sales
• builds the brand name
• is interesting, relevant and informative
• easy to navigate and
• is built for search engine optimization.

So are the copywriting experts in Sydney missing the boat? I don’t think so. Companies that analyze and measure their ROI on advertising know if a campaign is working or not. Glyphius copywriting software for example helps to improve profitability by using statistical analysis to mathematically study profitable ads. Having said all that copywriting in Sydney is a very competitive market. If you like a slice of the big pie in a hungry advertising and sales driven market then take in the whole picture before putting pen on paper. Do your homework and ask questions. The end result is worth it and after all it’s your reputation that is on the line. A good friend and colleague, Trevor ‘Toe Cracker’ Crook - the Crocodile Dundee of copywriting – has this amazing arsenal of proven and tested strategies on copywriting and other advertising and marketing strategies that will explode your business. Find out why he is so successful in the copywriting business. He shares all his secrets in The “Ultimate Direct Response Advertising and Marketing Tool Kit – Judgement Day”. Click Here for Trevor’s Copywriting Tips and Tricks Now

This morning I received an email from a great Aussie copywriter Trevor Crook bringing 20 Ancient Quotes to my attention.

These wise words of the past did not only help craft the world, but many of these ancient quotes are still very relevant today. These famous quotes are used and adapted by people to create successful people.

Here are 3 of these quotes:

“Every man is the architect of his own future” - Sallust (86-35 BC) Roman Historian.

“Your life is an expression of all your thoughts.” - Marcus Aurelius Antonius (121-180), Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher.

“Men are not troubled by things themselves, but by their thoughts about them”. - Epictetus (C.55 - C.135), Greek Stoic Philisopher.

You can read the other 17 quotes on Trevor’s blog

http://www.toeurl.com/short_url/?NKYMS

Enjoy these wise words of the past!

Janna

Somebody said to me the other day that he found it really difficult to get testimonials and why were they so important anyway.

I told him if he values his business, testimonials are important and here is why.

We are living in a society that doesn’t trust anybody. We don’t trust the police, we don’t trust lawyers and least of all politicians. Why should people trust you and your claims of your product or service. Many people have bought a ‘lemon’ before including me. Needless to say that the product and its claims haven’t lived up to their expectations.

Thus in most cases you are selling to people that have been disappointed before. Who have the feeling that they have been lied to and as a consequence are very skeptical and can you blame them?

So what could be a better advertisement to overcome this skepticism then when a buyer of your product gives you a glowing testimonial of how happy they are with your product and the reason why. Testimonials help to overcome your prospects’ hesitation and fear of buying from you.

How to collect testimonials

When customers make a comment about your product or service, ask, “May I quote you?” Write down what they said, send it to them with a short note to add or change the content if they wish. Ask to grant permission to use the testimonial in your marketing publications and to sign the letter. Always enclose a self-addressed stamped envelop.

• What works very well in the accommodation industry and other service industries are evaluation forms. In valuation forms you ask the questions. Make sure the questions are valuable so that you are able to use the comments in your advertising.  Always ask customers for their permission to use the information in your advertising material and ask them to sign on the dotted line.
• People like to receive something for their effort. By attaching an incentive, such as a discount coupon for their next purchase or a free …, people are more willing to go through the trouble of filling in the evaluation form.
• Send a thank you email message to recent customers and at the same time ask what they like best about your product or service. You will be surprised about the comments you get. Most people appreciate an after sales follow-up. It makes them feel important.
• Create a special file with all your testimonials. Sort them according to different products and/or benefits.

Get a variety of testimonials

Different people buy for different reasons so you need a variety of testimonials that cover the specific benefits for the different people that buy your product or service.

Using testimonials

• Always get permission from the customers to use their testimonials and let them know how they may be used.
• Tell the customers how they will be identified. I usually include their name, city, and sometimes the date.

Why do testimonials work?

Testimonials work because they are third-party endorsements of your product or service. They help to overcome the fear of buying from you and third-party endorsements are much more credible and convincing than you glorifying your own product or service.

Now that I have explained why testimonials are so important, how would you like to finally stop throwing your advertising money down a black hole? Get accurate measurable, quick results from each and every dollar you put into ANY kind of advertising, marketing, or promotion?

And …

At will, attract a flood of new customers? At will, spark a huge cash flow surge? Define and DOMINATE any “target market” of your choosing ….. for less than $2.00 per prospect?

I guarantee you’ve never gotten your hands on anything quite as powerful and practical as this.

It’s called “THE MAGNETIC MARKETING SYSTEMS KIT” and you might think of it as a complete direct marketing department in a box. Everything is a real no-brainer because at least 80% of the work is already done for you. And here is where you get it Sure Fire Marketing

Trust me, you really need to check this out.
Janna Halioris

P.S. I forgot to tell you that all the documents are marked ‘Copyright Free’, which gives you permission to take them and use them virtually as-is! Sure Fire Marketing

I was at a convention last week in Queensland. Queenslanders say the weather is “beautiful one day and perfect the next!” Well, this time the weather was not so perfect, but we had a good time anyway. I like meeting people from all over the world.

One person at our dinner table one night said she wanted to start her own business utilizing her passion for writing. This topic of course is right up my alley and I suggested she looks at becoming a freelance copywriter.

Many freelance copywriters enjoy working from home, having flexible working hours and being around when the children come home.  Being your own boss is a wonderful feeling, but you definitely need to be disciplined at the same time.  copywriting jobs are deadline-driven and procrastination may cost you. 

If this sounds appealing then there are two things you should be looking for:

1. Skills needed to become a copywriter involve

• How to create great advertising
• How to come up with the ideas to create great advertising
• How to write killer headlines that sell
• How to create compelling offers that drive prospects to action
• How to use inspiring or persuasive words with clarity
• How to write different publicity materials

2. Setting up a freelance copywriting business

• How to set up your home office ready for work
• How to build a creative and professional looking portfolio
• How to build a network of new contacts
• How to write a creative brief and ask the right questions
• How to condense clients’ ideas into money spinner copies
• How much to charge for your work
• How to find work as a freelance copywriter

These two subjects are integrated but not necessarily offered together in a copywriting course.  It will depend on the duration of the course – some are longer than others. Don’t forget that with modern technology you can learn to be an expert in the field with some great copywriting programs written by very successful copywriters in the comfort of your own home.
One such program that I highly recommend is “The Ultimate Direct Response Advertising and Marketing Tool Kit – Judgement Day”

Before you do anything check out what Trevor ‘Toe Cracker’ Crook - the Crocodile Dundee of copywriting – has to offer.  Trevor has this amazing arsenal or proven and tested strategies on copywriting and other essential advertising and marketing strategies that you need to know to set up your copywriting business and explode it.
Click here to get all the details:
http://smartbizcopywriting.com.au

To a successful start of your freelance copywriting business.

Janna

P.S. Find out why Trevor Crook is so successful in the copywriting business. He shares all his secrets in The “Ultimate Direct Response Advertising and Marketing Tool Kit – Judgement Day” - http://smartbizcopywriting.com.au

Do you know what makes your advertising valuable? You’ll agree that headlines and Close are the most important part of your sales letter

… but BULLETS are a close follow-up.

Bullets hit the scanner in the eye when scrolling down the page to find the bottom-line. Bullet points jump out. Bullets arouse interest and convey information very quickly. 

Bullets are short and descriptive points about your products or services and when placed strategically draw attention.

How and when to use bullet points:

• In sales letters, opt-in pages or anything you want to draw attention to.
• As a teaser to keep the reader in suspense.
• As key selling points – packed with BENEFITS.
• Use action verbs to break into the reader’s mind and break down resistance.

Imagine the value of a whole program full of copywriting strategies and samples to use! Check out the details for yourself http://smartbizcopywriting.com/

To a healthy and successful 2008,

Janna

P.S. You can now have an entire collection of hard-hitting, profit-generating powerful advertising, marketing, direct marketing, customer/client attraction and persuasion strategy samples ready at your beck and call – “The Ultimate Direct Response Advertising and Marketing Business Tool Kit – Judgement Day” Click here for details
http://smartbizcopywriting.com/

Wordtracker, the leading Keyword Research service, is offering 15% discount for first year subscribers during December.
 
A great offer not to be missed if you are serious about maximizing your web content as a powerful advertising tool that will transform your website into one big advertisement that drives visitors to purchase your product or service.
 
Wordtracker provides an online solution to find the best keywords and key phrases for your products or service to be advertised on your website. It identifies those keywords and key phrases that website visitors are actually searching for and that precisely reflect the content of your individual web pages.

Once you have determined the highly searched keywords and phrases with the help of Wordtracker you are ready for copywriting a professional marketing content by strategically placing these words in the natural flow of the website content for search engine optimization.

… And 15% discount is not Wordtracker’s only offer. You also get FREE access to Wordtracker’s outstanding ‘Using Keywords’ mini-course.

Click Here To Find Out The Details Before Christmas!

To your keyword research success,

Janna

P.S. Join the Pros in their SEO success.

‘A picture says a 1000 words’ does not count for selling online. What does count for selling online is a benefit-driven headline, followed by a powerful compelling copy that grabs the attention of your website visitors.

However, there is much more to it!

Research studies show that where you say it is just as important as the words you use. Website visitors tend to focus most of their attention on the left 1/3 of the page and scan over the rest.

The Eyetrack III research also discovered when testing headlines and type size that smaller type size headlines promote reading, while larger type size headlines promote scanning.

What this means is that you’ve got to start with a Big Bang right at the start, whether you write content for a web page, a blog post or an article. Your headline, sub-header and introductory paragraph need to say it all in a nutshell!

To your copywriting success,

Janna
www.smartbizcopywriting.com

Every month I am looking forward to buy the new Better Homes and Garden magazine. Last month however a different magazine totally grabbed my attention so much so that I bought that magazine in stead. I could not resist it and deserted my normal buying pattern.

… And do you know what did it the headline: “SITTING PRETTY – Decorate your way to comfort and style.”  I am a bit self-indulgent; I do get pleasure out of nice things and I like my comfort.

Believe me emotional triggers work.

STOP … and think when you had a similar experience.

Sure, everyone has bought things on impulse, seen something and wanted it there and then.

I can’t emphasize enough that the headline is the most important element and the first thing your prospects see when they look at your advertisement or website. The purpose of your headline is to hook your reader into wanting to find out more.

There are many different types of headlines and proven words to use, but the four basic magical headline ingredients – and variations thereof – that will work include:

• An offer – people buy all the time because of the offer, rather than the product or service it is attached to.

• Strong testimonial – use a testimonial that tells the prospect specifically what the satisfied buyer has achieved from purchasing your product. Only use testimonials that relate to the same passions, desires and fears as your target audience.

• Focusing on your prospects major problem – people that have a major problem are desperate for help and have the desire to get it solved. So hitting the prospects with their problem and their strongest emotion relating to the problem makes a powerful opening.

• Focusing on your prospects major benefits (“What’s In It For Me?”) is fundamental to successful advertising. Focus on the fact of what you prospects will get from what you are selling. Open with the strongest benefit you target audience wants.

These are only a few tips on headlines. Of course there is a lot more to copywriting. “The Ultimate Direct Response Advertising and Marketing Tool Kit – Judgement Day” offers an amazing arsenal of proven and testes practical strategies on copywriting and other advertising and marketing strategies that will explode your business.

This Tool Kit is loaded with strategies and samples to create a series of hard-hitting, profit-generating headlines and advertising copies that make your life easy. It’s all there ready for you to use and adjust. Click here to get your copy
http://smartbizcopywriting.com/

Start now with writing headlines that pull the trigger.

Janna

P.S. If you think you’ve seen and heard it all when it comes to advertising copywriting I can tell you that you haven’t seen  “The Ultimate Direct Response Advertising and Marketing Tool Kit – Judgement Day”
Click here now for all the details:
http://smartbizcopywriting.com/

I’ve been receiving a series of emails lately that are highly manipulative and very unethical.  These emails annoy the living daylights out of me. I don’t even know how they get passed my spam filter.

Nowadays most organizations have a ‘Code of Ethics’, which is usually put up in a visible place for everybody to see. All staff is expected to adhere to this code.

copywriting goes far deeper than the code of ethics. By nature copywriting is a persuasive skill, but don’t forget that there is a very fine line between influencing and manipulation. It is very easy to go on a ‘slippery slide’. Facts can be easily manipulated in such a way that they are hardly noticed by the reader.

Do not go down that slippery path, because your emails will sooner or later end up in the block senders list.

You are in the business of building a relationship with your customers, that’s why you go through the trouble of putting together an email marketing campaign. For customer relationships to work well, these relationships should be built on trust and the trustworthiness of your business. Trustworthiness is about persuading your customers to take action in an honest ethical way and not by manipulating the facts. Don’t compromise your integrity!

… And talking about building trust – prove to your visitors that you can be trusted with their personal data.

With spam, scams and fraud commonplace on the internet, visitors are now extremely cautious about giving out their personal information. Become a Spam Safe Site and add the Trust Seal to your website near forms and checkout pages, which explains to how your visitors you can be trusted with their personal details. Visitors can also click the Trust Seal to view information about your business. 

Customer relationships is a matter of trust,

Janna

P.S Spam Safe Site also offers a verified way for customers to unsubscribe from your mailing list. It builds trust in your website which increases sales and sign-ups. Click here for the details.

Is the product or service you are selling on your website doing as well as you would like? Is your website content written for search engine success?

For high conversation rates you need website content that:

• Rank highly in the search engines for the targeted search terms.
• Is easy to read for the targeted audience.

Search engine copywriting must also contain:

• Well researched keywords and key phrases, based on the information product or services to be advertised on the website.
• Keyword and key phrases that are precisely reflecting the content of individual web pages.
• Keywords and key phrases that are strategically placed in the natural flow of the website content.

Copywriting web content that have a high conversion rate is challenging. A good friend and colleague Trevor ‘Toe Cracker’ Crook - the Crocodile Dundee of Copywriting offers this amazing arsenal of proven and tested strategies on copywriting and other advertising and marketing strategies that will explode your business.

Check out Trevor’s “Ultimate Direct Response Advertising and Marketing Business Tool Kit - Judgement Day“.

And don’t forget to download the Search Engine Success - Do-It-Yourself Guide by Alan Twigg - ABSOLUTELY FREE.

This audio book has been created to enable you to achieve search engine success for your website and will show you how to:

• Significantly improve the position and fortune of your website in the major search engines.
• Attract hundreds and thousands of potential customers to your website for free everyday.
• Understand that search engine success is not an accident but a simple skill.
• Achieve top rankings, free traffic and control over your website’s online fate.
• Establish a significant advantage for your company over its competitors.
• Add valuable skills to your resume and boost your value and opportunities.

Get ready for your Search Engine Success.

Janna

P.S. Investing in your future success will give you a significant advantage and a huge competitive edge. Check out the DIY Guide - Search Engine Success and “The Ultimate Direct Response Advertising and Marketing Business Tool Kit - Judgement Day” NOW.