If there is sufficient interest, I hope to start publishing the first book in my fantasy trilogy (now out of print) via my blog, a chapter at a time. Again, if there is sufficient interest, I aim to publish the second and third books free of charge as well over the coming months. But we shall see….
Phil
Freelance copywriter
Web: www.phila.co.uk
Email: info@phila.co.uk
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/philallcock
ARE YOU READY FOR THE UPTURN?
Sorry, it’s been a while since my last blog – although I have been writing occasional blogs on Ecademy. In this blog, I want to focus on the delicate issue of the recession – and how you can get yourself ready for the inevitable upturn.
Going for growth
There has been a lot of speculation in the media about the ’green shoots’ of recovery from the recession – although these seem to be taking a long time to appear in the UK! One big mistake that many companies make during a recession is that they immediately cut down on their marketing. That means that when an upturn comes, they’re not really ready for it.
So, if you’re not already cranking up your marketing activities, now’s the time to start. And it doesn’t have to cost the earth. There are some low cost but very effective ways of raising awareness of your company and its solutions. So why not start getting your products and services in front of potential customers before your competitors?
Keeping the costs down
One good and very cost-effective way of keeping your name in front of customers is by using monthly email newsletters (or ezines). These don’t have to be long – each issue could include four or five articles, each of which is just two or three paragraphs long. These can have links to ‘landing pages’ that contain a more detailed version for people who are interested enough to read further. Just make sure that you ezine is targeted at the right people and that it has a subject line that will grab their attention.
Even if the customer doesn’t always read the ezine, you’re at least getting your name in front of them on a regular basis. Then, when they do need something that you can provide, they’re more likely to remember you. You can even get very low cost templates that you could use (‘Constant Contact’ is one that is very popular)
Staying on an Internet theme, you could also write a regular blog. This can help to raise your profile and increase your ratings with search engines such as Google. A blog is just an informal, chatty article – you can use it to impart information or just to talk about something that you think might interest your customers.
Press releases are another inexpensive option – although you may not have much control over whether or not they get used. Similarly, articles for trade magazines can help to increase your credibility as a company.
Help is at hand
If you need help with copywriting – at competitive rates – please contact me for further details.
Meanwhile, start marketing!
Phil
Freelance copywriter
Web: www.phila.co.uk
Email: info@phila.co.uk
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/philallcock
LEARN TO BITE THE BULLET
In my last blog, I wrote about the need to break up long passages of uninterrupted text by the careful use of sub-headings. Another effective option is the use of bullet points.
Bullet points are useful because they can:
If you’re using bullet points for lists, it’s advisable not to take this to extremes – a long line of bullet points can become very tiring and may not be easy to follow.
The same applies if you’re using them to identify individual points or to act as mini-headlines. An article that is peppered by bullets looks as if it’s been written by a gunman who’s lost his specs and can’t hit the target (an appropriate analogy for a rambling and poorly structured article!)
If you look back over my past blogs (and this one), you’ll see that I favour bullets in groups of three. For some reason (I’m sure a psychiatrist could explain it!) groups of three are more powerful than groups of two, four or five. It’s a good rule of thumb to practise and will help to strengthen your copy.
So, the rule with bullets is – use them but do so sparingly, otherwise they could lose their impact.
Right, I must shoot off! Bye for now.
Phil
Freelance copywriter
Web: www.phila.co.uk
Email: info@phila.co.uk
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/philallcock
HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
I’ve often come across articles (and websites) that consist of a long block of text – and very little else. Sometimes, it will be broken up into paragraphs but that is the only concession made towards enabling the reader to understand the text.
Now, I know that I’ve spoken before about the need to let copy flow seamlessly from one idea to the next. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be broken up a little. Indeed, anything of any length (as a rule of thumb, say, over 250-300 words) will benefit from being formatted into sections so that it is more attractive and more accessible to the reader.
One of the best ways of doing this is by the judicial use of sub-headings. They enable you to break up a long article into more easily digestible chunks. Sub-heads can help to strengthen the flow of your feature by highlighting different sections and acting as a powerful link between two different ideas.
How to use your head
You can use sub-heads in various ways:
However, I would caution you against using too many sub-heads – because that WILL interrupt the flow of your article. There’s no hard and fast rule, but you may want to opt for three or four sub-heads within an article of, say 750 words. It’s your choice – just try and tread a fine line between too much uninterrupted text (which is usually boring) and too many sub-heads (which can make everything seem disjointed).
Have a good week.
Phil
Freelance copywriter
Web: www.phila.co.uk
Email: info@phila.co.uk
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/philallcock
THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING THING YOU’VE EVER READ…
..or rather, it isn’t. That heading is there just to make the point that you need to avoid too many superlatives in your writing. Newspaper editors don’t like them; magazine editors don’t like them; and readers don’t usually like them (although there are still people out there who will believe anything you write…)
Spinning out of control
It’s okay to put a positive ‘spin’ on the products and services you write about, as long as you can back up any claims you make. After all, it’s your job to portray your company and its solutions in the best possible light – but without stretching the truth too much.
However, if you go overboard, you probably won’t get your press release or article printed – and if you do, most discerning readers probably won’t believe you!
Facing the facts
So, try to keep to the facts as much as possible. But that doesn’t mean boring people to death with lots of technical details! As I’ve said before, focus on benefits wherever possible – the reader wants to know how your solution will help them. Those are the details that will really grab their attention and make them want to know more…
Oh, and while I think about it, check out my new copywriting packages on my website Home Page. There could be one that’s just right for you. They are the most superb, astounding and utterly brilliant packages you have ever, ever seen…
Have a good week –
Phil
Freelance copywriter
Web: www.phila.co.uk
Email: info@phila.co.uk
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/philallcock
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