Why You Should Read This Message…

Dear colleague,

The reason I created the subject line, “Why You Should Read This Message…” is so you would read it.

I could have written “Read This Message Now” or Please Read This Message” but that would not have had quite the same impact because by writing the word “Why” right up front, I am implying I have an answer or a solution or I am going to divulge something interesting.

The word "Why" is inquisitive and demands attention. That's just one of the tricks you could learn in my book about successful email marketing: https://emailsuccessbydesign.com

I’m a Direct Response copywriter and my style of writing is specifically designed to encourage readers of my copy or web content to take action. That could be anything from signing up for a newsletter subscription to buying a product or service.

The reason why my copy works so well is that we are all flesh and blood human beings. We have hopes and aspirations. We have fears and uncertainties, we have wants and needs and more importantly, we are all driven by emotion. Greed, lust, desire, love and envy are fine examples.

It doesn't matter who you are or what position you hold at work or in your community or society as a whole, you cannot escape being human. You can try to hide behind a front and you can act your way to success but your life will still be governed by fear and many other, sometimes debilitating emotions. 

It’s what makes us who we are…

My job as a DR copywriter is to exploit these human frailties by tapping into people’s wants, needs, fears and desires on the very same emotional level, which governs their decision making and to some degree… their whole lives. 

My clients understand the power of DR Copywriting and so they hire me to help them sell all types of products and services to people all over the world.

There is a good reason why the pen is said to be mightier than the sword. It’s that you can solve problems or achieve your purpose better and more effectively through communication with words than by violence with weapons - Edward George Bulwer Lytton (1803-1873), English novelist.

In business, we all know that the written word has value. However, it's how the words are structured into sentences that make them so very powerful as selling tools. That’s “Why” I’m sending out this message.

Bill Knight

https://topcopywriter.co.uk

Blogs or Articles… Which Are Best?

Everyone who is responsible for marketing a website knows only too well that you need to keep on pumping out new, fresh content if you want to keep flying high in the google ranking stakes. The problem many marketers face is deciding whether to churn out product or service related articles or to just keep on blogging about their company’s activities. It would appear, and certainly from my experience, over the last few years, the demarcation line between articles and blogs has somewhat blurred. So the question is… when is an article an article and a blog a blog?

The casual blogger…

The word “blog” is short for weblog. It’s something people do to let others know what they’re up to. A blog is generally a short post consisting of around 200-300 words. Its content is usually biased and based solely on the opinion of the blog writer or blogger. It’s written in a very casual way and just about every man, woman, child and the family dog can write one. Well, perhaps not the latter. However, it’s not quite what you might expect a serious, professional business to be using for its marketing… right?

The arty article…

Now an article is a totally different type of textual presentation. It’s based on an impartial viewpoint and is usually backed up with credible facts and figures. Very often, an article is at least 500 words long and as much as 2,500 words, which might also include a few quality images and diagrams. In many cases, it’s more like a report although it shouldn’t be written in the style of a whitepaper, a thesis or even a factsheet. However, it will have a degree of professionalism and sophistication about it. Does it work?

Keyword magic…

In my opinion, and that of many other marketing writers, neither a blog nor an article is going to help your business in any way unless it also contains some “magic ingredients”. These being Keywords but not any old keywords. They must be highly relevant keywords and you’ll need more than one variation of them. However, you cannot overdo it or you’ll risk the wrath of Google for keyword spamming. You’ll need to include just the correct density of keywords if you want your article to get noticed, as in “ranked.”

More to SEO than keywords…

You’ll need a good title, which should include the main keyword and some sub-headers, which also contain keywords. Headers are known as H1 and sub-headers are H2 and H3 tags. You’ll need images and you might want to link to external websites, as a reference to your information sources. Google likes that. There is more of course, as we worldly wordsmiths know but the main focus with article writing is structure. So, articles are winning hands down over blogs, right? Hmmm… not necessarily.

A star is born…

As the Internet and everything digital constantly evolves there is now a new type of written content, which is basically a hybrid. I’m not entirely sure what it should be called. Maybe an “Artiblog” or a “Blarticle” or even a “Blogart”. Whatever… anyway, it’s an article that lives on a blog. It’s written like an SEO article but in a more casual style. It’s designed to engage the reader, inform the reader and even entertain the reader. However, deep down behind the jargon, glib and flippancy. Lurking somewhere amongst the facts, figures and flamboyant phraseology is a serious message. It’s… “BUY ME”.

The bottom line…

Blogs and articles on blogs are no longer a mainstream way of keeping everyone in the loop about some new discovery, invention or an individual’s daily working habits. These precious masterpieces of well-engineered content are now designed specifically to sell products and services… albeit indirectly. And they work. People love to read them. The Google bots are all over them and websites are a buzzing with new leads and hordes of fresh traffic. Want one?

Who wrote this stuff?

Bill Knight is a UK, Direct Response Copywriter specialising in creating informative, compelling and engaging content to help promote a broad range of products and services all over the Internet, to a wide range of audiences. For more details call 01275 837 577 or visit: http://topcopywriter.co.uk

How Important Is Your Web Page Content?

Hi All,

Well? How important do you think your web page content is?

If you're in business and you're hoping to make sales or generate leads from your website then it's the most important thing there is. Your web page content IS your business. It's the information you want to share with your prospective customers... it's the copy that you want to link back to from emails, articles and your social media ads.

Your web page content is SO important, the whole future of your business depends on it!

Why then do some Internet marketers and online business owners look for the cheapest copywriter they can find and accept poorly written copy for their flagship websites?

Beats me!

Yet I see it all the time....

Bad grammar, glaring tpyos and badly written presentations. And very often these are the people who complain that they can't make any money from the Internet... well what do they expect?

Look... if you went into a shop to buy... say a new computer, and all around, there were blatant spelling errors on the promotional signs and the salesperson was continually badgering you to buy something but had no idea about the products you wanted... would you buy something?  

Here's what the sales assistant might say, "Hiya matey, you wanna buy a new computer in it? We've got loads of them bro and they're all really cheap mate. Yeah, they'll do anything you want them to do, no worries. I'll even give ya some 10% discount for cash in it"

It's not very professional is it?

People... that is your prospective customers are very wary about buying anything online these days, so unless you're a well-known trusted brand you've really got to convince them that you know what you're talking about, will offer them great products or services, money-back-guarantees, and will not try to rip them off.

Unlike the salesperson in the shop, you're not dealing with your customers face to face so your web copy had better be exceptional in every way.

INVEST in your web content... get the best... the most compelling... the most interesting... the most informative copy you can get written by a a trusted reputable copywriter. It will pay HUGE dividends in the end.

All for now,
Bill

www.topcopywriter.co.uk
www.busyvids.com

Starting Out In Business?

Hi All,

You know, starting out in a new business can be an exciting time but if you haven't planned your new business venture properly or given the whole process of running your business some very serious thought then you could end up very disappointed. 

Every January, many thousands of wannabe business people decide it's time they struck out on their own, which I think is a great idea. However, going it alone can be a traumatic affair with pitfalls and minefields at every turn. 

So, as much as I would encourage these budding entrepreneurs to have a go, I would also like to remind them of a few important aspects worthy of some consideration. Let's start with product or service...

Whatever you want to sell, get a website. Learn to market your business online and offline. If you are planning on selling a digital product then you will need to direct more energy and resources to promoting online.

Generate customers!

You'll need plenty of paying customers and plenty of prospective customers, who you can convert to paying customers. Without customers you don't have a business... simple.

Don't waste money buying emails lists. I know it may seem like a quick way to get started but it will cost you megabucks and the return will be abysmal. The only sure way to get a list of valuable customers is to build your own.

You may think you can get a head start by doing Joint Ventures, but if you're just starting out that may not be a viable option as very few marketers will be willing to work with a newbie.

So, build your own list by creating a website with an opt-in form. This is simply a form for prospects to enter their names and emails. But why should someone just give away this important information for free? Simple answer is they won't... you'll have to bribe them.

You'll need to offer them something for free. A downloadable ebook is generally the best option here, which should in some way be related to the product or service you are offering. 

Ensure the free ebook contains valuable information. It must be something your prospects will really want or need.

This free offer and email capture form will be on your squeeze page or landing page. Next you will need a sales page, which will hopefully convert your prospects into buying customers. You will also need a series of follow-up emails to try and convert those who took your free offer but didn't buy your product.

For all this writing work you will need a professional copywriter. You'll find one of the very best right here: TopCopywriter

Yes, it's me :)

You'll need to start marketing and driving traffic to your website and you'll need to do this every day... or automate the process.

Look at both free and paid forms of lead generation. Paid forms, such as PPC and Facebook Ads will bring instant traffic, whereas free will bring a slow but steady stream of traffic. For free traffic try video marketing.

I know there's an initial cost in having the video created and uploaded to Youtube but after that all the traffic you get will be free. We have created videos that are now over 7 years old and still generating free traffic!

Check out BusyVids

Yes, that's my business too :)

And what is one of the best ways to promote your business? Well, you've just been reading it. It's called a blog. Start one and get writing about your business exploits, your offers and anything else related to your business. It's free!

Also, start a Facebook page for your business... it's free!

Need help or advice?

Just contact me and I'll help all I can... it's free!

Look out 2017, here we come...

All for now.

Bill
www.topcopywriter.co.uk
www.busyvids.com

Does Video Content In Emails Work?

Hi All,

Email marketing is notoriously difficult, especially if you plan to send out emails to a cold list. Cold prospecting is neither welcomed or encouraged but you have to get your offer in front of customers some how don't you? Of course, it's always best to build your own list but that takes time so what can you do?

First, remember your email will never get opened or even seen if you don't get your subject line right. Spam filters are full of unopened emails simply because of this reason alone. So, the subject line has to both get past the filter and then be compelling enough to warrant the recipient's attention. Now, assuming the recipient has clicked on the subject line, the body copy has to hit them within a second or two with an offer so outstanding they have to read the rest of the message... right?

But what if it just had a link to a video? The video could do the pitching rather than your words, which the lazy recipient would have to read. Videos in emails is only just catching on but many of the companies that have adopted this method rely on html emails, with the video running as soon as the email is opened. This is great if every email account shows images and videos but they don't, and a video that runs the minute you open your email is irritating to say the least.

The answer is a plain old text email with a link to your video but not any old link. A youtube link will sometime work but better still is a text link that makes the recipient want to click on it. For example, a link that looks like this: Would Your Mother Hate This? or Does This Guy Have Everything You Want? or something similar. A question is always a good way to get a link clicked on because a question needs an answer.

Once the linked has been clicked, your marketing or promotional video takes over and sells the product or service for you. Just make sure the video is actually worth watching. Quality counts! No longer than a minute should do the trick and it should include plenty of imagery and a clear professional voiceover. Video marketing is BIG and video links in emails will be the next BIG step towards making more sales and getting more customers.

Nobody has perfected the video in email formula yet... but we're all working on it.

Email marketing isn't dead, it's just evolving.

All for now.

Bill
BusyVids.com
BusyVids.co.uk
TopCopywriter.co.uk
 
*** Need help with your online marketing? Contact me.

Building Your Brand With Video

Hi All,

We've just finished working on our new website at BusyVids.com and it's now live. This is a different website from the .co.uk version and it's targeting bigger businesses and corporate companies. It's really just another branch in the continuing growth of the BusyVids brand. And that's what I'd like to talk to you about today... branding.

More specifically using video for branding. 

To build brand awareness you need to have lots of exposure for your business. I mean your business has just got to be everywhere. You have to become a household name or at least synonymous with your products or services and an expert in your field. You have to build trust, you need loyalty from your customers and you obviously want them to buy your products... often.

Big brand names like Coca-Cola, Nike and Google absolutely dominate their markets. Their logos are instantly recognisable and their marketing messages are welcomed. Branding is important if you want to dominate your market but it takes quite a bit of work to get to the top and even more trying staying there. However, I think of getting to the "top" as more like teetering on top of a very thin spire. Take your eye off the market and you can very easily fall off.

Big names fall hard and it only takes a little scandal or a dodgy product to turn devoted and loyal customers into arch enemies baying for blood... or justice... or compensation.

So is it really worth all the time and effort trying to build a brand? Of course it is... it's just business at the end of the day.

There are several ways in which you can build your brand and video is just one of them but in my humble opinion it's one of the most effective both in terms of cost and investment. ROI is measurable over long periods because the life expectancy of a video is hundreds of times longer than that of a text ad or a banner ad. However, the most interesting aspect of all, with video marketing, is something that no other form of marketing has the power to do...

Go VIRAL...

People share videos on their smart phones and on social media every single day, irrespective of whether it's an advertisement or not. This just goes to prove that people love video. And if people love video then why are you not getting yours out there where people will share them, spreading the word... for free.

Now let's look at why people share videos...

It's because they're funny, crazy, ridiculous, furry, baby, insane, unusual, spooky, loving, caring, human, sympathetic, revealing, newsworthy, cutting edge, musical, inspiring... I could go on and on but do you see... it's really not too difficult to have a video that fits snugly into one of these, well... reasons why people share.

The video content simply has to reach out and touch people. It has to engage them, motivate them, hit the emotional button and hey presto!... it will be on its way around the Internet. Keep doing this and you will surely build your brand very quickly. For the most part, you can forget about the old ways of getting your business message out there. 

Make your business product or service seem like fun and deliver your message in a sensitive way that triggers emotional feelings and the credit cards will be out before you know it.

Busyvids can help you... Visit our new website here: www.busyvids.com

All for now,

Bill
www.busyvids.com
www.busyvids.co.uk
www.topcopywriter.co.uk


 

Scoring Goals With Cracking Headers

Hi All,

No... I'm not about to write a blog about football but the end result is very similar. It's about achieving your goals in business. I interpret this to mean hitting sales targets and the only way you can do this is to... well make more sales. Whatever you are trying to sell online you need to first attract your prospects attention... "Hey over here! I've got something you might be interested in! Yes that kind of thing.

So how do you do that?

You need a great headline. And the same rule applies to web pages, printed sales letters, email subject lines and video titles. It's the first line of text anyone might read regardless of what type of advertising or marketing method is being deployed. Take a sales letter for example...

So you receive a letter in the post and you open it. It's a letter from someone who wants to sell you something... that will quickly become obvious as the order form and replied paid envelope slip out onto the floor. You unfold it and  there it is... "If You Don't Do This Today, You Could Be Destitute In Your Old Age" It's a scary headline, and so you need to know what it is you must do.

If you get this far then the headline has done its job. It's then down to the rest of the copy to make the case.

Here's another example...

You're searching around Google looking for a cheap hotel. After checking out a few you come across a website landing page with the headline, "When One Of Our Guests Stayed In A Cheaper Hotel He Got Bitten By Bed Bugs". Oh No! I don't want to get bitten by bed bugs on my hard-earned short break just for the sake of saving twenty quid. If the headline made you sit up and take notice it has done its job.

With Video it's the title that makes all the difference and it's twice as important because a video title not only helps searchers find the video but it should also contain several keywords so that it gets a high ranking on Youtube. The advantage with video is it can attract attention with both the title and the thumbnail image. Instagram has an edge here too.

With emails it's the subject line that needs to do the job. If you can write an interesting or intriguing subject line, chances are the email will get opened. Get it wrong and it's destined for the spam filter or junk folder.

Work on your headers!

All for now,

Bill
www.topcopywriter.co.uk
www.busyvids.co.uk