Plan your emails correctly

Author: Barney Thom

When ot comes to writing emails, you have to make sure every one you send is carefully planned and well thought out. A way to learn how to plan and write an effective email, that will get you your desired response, is to enroll on a Better Writing course.

Here are some tips, to get your started:

1. Plan properly

Before you write a new message, answer these questions:

• Why am I writing this?
• What outcome am I looking for?

If you can't answer these questions, it's probably best not to write. People get enough junk in their inbox as it is, without you adding to it! Don't send an email unless you have to.

Your answers should be precise:

• I am writing to invite Pat to the board meeting to do a presentation.
• I need her to say yes or no – and if she cannot do it, to suggest someone else who can.

Goals will help to focus your content.

Emails should have one main purpose. They should either:

• Provide information – the board meeting is at 3pm, or
• Request information – where did you put the data projector? or
• Ask for action – can you book me a flight to Hong Kong?

Try deciding which category your email fits into. Avoid writing emails that fit into more than one category if possible.

2. Write a precise subject in the Subject field

This makes it easier for the recipient to grasp why you've emailed them, and what you want them to do.

The subject line often determines whether the email is read.

Avoid subjects like: "Hi," "One more thing…" or "FYI." Instead, try:

• Lunch is rescheduled to Friday @ 1pm.
• Reminder: Monday is "St. Peter's Day" – no classes.
• HELP: Can you defrag my C drive?
• Thanks for the new printer – works great!

3. Get straight to the point

Your recipient is probably busy. So keep your email crisp and get to the point straight away – avoid long-winded introductions. Be brief – fit it on one screen.

4. Make it easy to quote

The recipient may forward parts of your email to other people. You can help them by keeping your paragraphs short, and using a double-return in between each paragraph. This will make them easy to copy and paste.

By enrolling on a Better Writing course, you will learn in more depth, the essential tips and advice on email planning and writing, that will ensure that every email you send is read, understood and responded to promptly.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/plan-your-emails-correctly-5305880.html

About the Author

Barney Thom

CTJT Creative Director

www.ctjt.biz

Inhouse copywriter or a freelance copywriter?

Author: Pragya Katariya

A freelance copywriter or an inhouse one? Since I am a freelance copywriter, it is obvious which side of the debate I am on. That said, I hope my arguments can stand on their own merits.

A freelance content writer offers more flexibility

If you cannot afford to hire commit to an inhouse one, then a freelance content writer is a good option. Even if you can afford to hire a copywriter, you might want to match different copywriters to different projects, scale your content writing resources up and down, or get fresh perspectives for your own text. Finally, you may not have a steady stream of work for your inhouse writers to fit a ten-to-six role.

Of course you also have the option of using someone with another role to double up as a copywriter, or write your own stuff. The problem with this is every day work will keep getting in the way and the content will never be produced.

It has generally been observed that even marketing managers find it hard to give copywriting the time and importance it needs. And as with everything else, compromised commitment leads to compromised results.

Freelance copywriter can bring in fresh perspective which is different, refreshing and revealing.

Retention of learning

It could be that you hire a content writer and then train the person to suit your business and retain the ownership of the writing know-how. However, your inhouse content writer can leave anytime. If this happens, you lose all the company-specific experience you had imparted and also the technique that the person had developed. Worse still, the content writer may take the knowledge straight to your competitor.

Diversity of ideas

Freelance copywriters work with different clients and are exposed different ideas and different approaches to their work. They can repurpose or adapt their diversified experience to your line of work. With time, freelance writers gain experience in more and more sectors, which is why choosing an experienced freelance copywriter can prove to be worthwhile.

Commitment to quality

You might expect that a person outside your organization to care less about it than some one who is part of it. However, a freelance content writer depends on positive reviews and good referrals and so it becomes all the more important for him/her to deliver. Freelance copywriters are only as good as the last job which is why for them each assignment counts. Professional freelance content writers work hard to keep their client relationships strong and stable.

I hope I have argued convincingly in favour of freelance content writers- working with a freelance copywriter means that you can tap into more enriched experience and you can be sure that you get high quality content within the timelines.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/inhouse-copywriter-or-a-freelance-copywriter-5303740.html

About the Author

Pragya Katariya is a content writer with over 10 years experience covering a wide variety of subjects, from producing articles for print and online media to writing copy for brochures, newsletters and web copy in clear, concise language. . Please visit her website http://www.oceanbluecommunications.com/ for your content writing needs.

10 Trigger Words To Use In Your Sales Letters

Author: Nick Cobb

Words. They're very important. So important in fact that I've made a career out of them! As a freelance copywriter, I write sales letters and website content for businesses and the amount of money they generate depends on the words I use in their sales copy. It really is as simple as that.

Indeed, the correct choice of words can be the difference between your business pulling in thousands of pounds from a sales letter, or millions!

And that's because certain words possess magical powers! Ok, they're not magic really, but they're as close as they come to it. These "trigger" words, as they're often referred to, can have a hugely positive psychological effect on the prospect, convincing them that the product you're selling is precisely what they need.

So if you want to generate as many orders as possible from your next sales letter, then it's absolutely imperative that you understand what trigger words are, and how to use them.

And below are my top 10...

Enjoy!

Trigger word #1. Limited

Informing your readers that you only have a limited number of products available is a powerful motivator. This well-used "scarcity" tactic can be a hugely effective sales tool because it makes the prospect fearful of missing out on the product, and thus hurries them into making a purchasing decision. After all, if they wait too long, they may miss out on the product entirely, and if they've been sold by the copy, they certainly won't want to risk that!

Trigger word #2. Discount

Come on, we all love a bargain don't we? And if we feel like we're getting one, then we're a lot more likely to click on that order button and purchase the product in question. The prospect of getting something for less than its advertised price is a powerful motivator these days, especially in the aftermath of the economic crises when more and more people are looking for bargains than ever before. Virtually every sales letter you see these days has a discounted price, and the simple reason for this is that it works!

Trigger word #3. Guarantee

The presence of a satisfaction or money-back guarantee is a huge factor in whether or not people will buy. Unfortunately, there are of lot of scammers, phishing sites and online fraudsters out there, and consumers need to be sure that you're not one of them. A good way of allaying their fears and convincing them that their money is safe (and you're an honest and reputable business) is to offer a full money-back guarantee at the end of your sales letters, should they change their mind at any point. Your sales will increase if you have one, and that's a guarantee.

Trigger word #4. New

With the ease in which people can create a product and start selling it online these days, the amount of carbon-copy products and regurgitated information has spiralled out of control, and consumers are well aware of it. Added to that, things move fast online, and information that was brand-new a few months ago, might well be old-hat now, especially in fields like SEO. So if your product is fresh and new, be sure to make that clear on all of your sales letters. With so much repetition and re-use online, anything NEW and up-to-date has a great chance of selling.

Trigger word #5. You/Your

The biggest mistake anyone can make when writing sales letters is to talk about themselves. The prospect doesn't care. All they want to know is what the product can do for them. So you need to take the attention away from you, and place it firmly on your reader. You need to speak to them directly, as if the sales letter has been written for them personally. And the best way of doing this is to use the words YOU, YOUR and YOU'RE in your sales letter.

Trigger word #6. Fast

The fact is, we're living in a "microwave society" these days. Everyone wants things done now, and aren't prepared to wait a moment longer! If someone wants to lose weight, they won't embark on a year-long exercise regime and adapt their diet accordingly. They'll get liposuction. Likewise, if someone desperately needs money. They won't get a job at the local supermarket. Instead they'll pay $50 for the latest e-book entitled "How to be a millionaire in 7 days!" So whatever you're selling online, be sure to stress the speed of the results, as well as the fast delivery time at the end of your sales letters.

Trigger word #7. Proven

Not many people will be interested in purchasing a product that hasn't really been tested. They won't want to spend their hard-earned money on something that might give them bigger biceps, a toned torso, more cash or a wrinkle-free face. They will only be compelled to buy if the product has been proven to work, and you can supply sound proof in the form of customer testimonials to support your claims. Prove to your prospects that your products work, and your sales letters will generate a lot of orders.

Trigger word #8. Easy

Come on, who wants to work for anything?! We all want instant results with the minimum amount of effort, right? Of course we do, it's only natural. Life is tough, and whatever problems we're facing, we want an easy solution. So highlighting the ease in which your prospect's problem can be solved with your product is crucial. Naturally, if a lot of work is required, then it's best not to mislead the reader or make false claims, but if your product or service is designed to make their life easier in some way, be sure to include this in your sales letter.

Trigger word #9. Bonus

The days of selling an e-book on its own are long gone. People want more for their money. They want added value, and it's your job to give it to them. And in order to provide them with added value and consequently increase your chances of making a sale, you need to include BONUSES. By definition, the word "bonus" implies something extra, and it's a powerful trigger word. The more times you use it, and the more bonuses you give, the greater your chances will be of making that sale.

Trigger word #10. Free

When it comes to marketing, "free" is the most powerful and response inducing word of all time! It's one of the most effective trigger words you can use in your sales letters, and as a result, it's a word you should definitely use if you want to boost your orders. A good place to use it is alongside the bonus items, which will help you to increase the perceived value of your offer.

So there you have it...

You now have ten hugely powerful trigger words that you can use in all of your sales letters, and I can absolutely guarantee their inclusion will boost your conversion rate!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/10-trigger-words-to-use-in-your-sales-letters-5316900.html

About the Author

Nick Cobb is a freelance copywriter, online marketing consultant and the founder and Managing Director of Write For You Ltd, a copywriting agency based in London, England. His principal website; My Freelance Copywriter provides a wide range of copywriting services to domestic and international businesses, while his sister site; Red Hot Sales Letters, is dedicated to producing profit-pulling sales copy for online marketers.

How to Win Search Engine Traffic With Content?

Author: Dia Bijlani

For any online business, flow of targeted traffic is considered as the lifeblood. Search engines are the best source to get targeted traffic for your site. In order to get search engine visibility, you site has to appear at the top one page of the major SERPs. Well, the quest to attain higher search engine ranking is now common in the world of SEO or search engine optimization. If you are looking for long term benefits, then adding unique content for your website should be your prime matter of focus. This will allow the website to become successful on the major search engines. Add unique, relevant and well optimized content for your website regularly and soon you will find the difference. This will also help your website to receive more targeted website traffic.

High rank in SERPs is based on several elements:

There are a lot of elements needs to be considered while looking for higher rank in SERPs. From domain name to Meta tags and from title to H1 text, everything needs to be placed in the right manner for a webpage so that it can find higher rank in major SERPs. Google is also there to assign higher PR or Page Rank for the webpage and you shouldn't forget about its importance. As per Google's algorithm, several factors associated with the webpage will be considered in order to assign high PR for it. Studies have proven that, sites having higher PR are achieving higher ranking in SERPs.

Well, the ranking of the site is surely debatable and at some instance this discussion has even received controversies. However, the importance of adding content for a site is still high and it will remain for a long time. Content is the King and no one can really deny this fact! Google like major search engine has even shown its inclination towards the sites that are equipped with quality and unique content. Offering relevant content as per the searches can really produce a better ranking for your website in Google SERP.

Don't fall in the trap:

There are webmasters who may fall into the trap like focusing only on a few keywords and facing a war later with them. Instead of that such webmasters can diversify their selection of keywords while adding fresh content for their site on a regular interval. There are tons of sites being uploaded with the World Wide Web.

So, it is often tough for the webmasters to draw attention of Google only in a few days of uploading their sites on the web. At the same time, trying to lead the way in the search engine war while targeting the high competitions keywords can put in negligible results. But when you add fresh content, the base for keywords increases and your website soon start to appear at the top for some less competitive keywords. This also keeps you encouraged about the work.

Never become fixated:

Once you start to add fresh, unique and well optimized content, the website will receive more visitors. Even before you become aware, then inner pages will start to receive adequate traffic. Instead of being fixated at the home page, your inner pages will start to explore new dimensions on the web due to the flow of web traffic which is always great from search engine's perspective.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/how-to-win-search-engine-traffic-with-content-5421737.html

About the Author

Having worked with high profiled individuals, entrepreneurs and business owners from almost every part of the globe, I have gained an experience of five plus years.. My specializations include SEO content writing with which I aim to take your business to the first page of search engines. From blogs to web content, from articles to press releases, I see myself as a profound writer, being in the position to communicate the messages of my clients businesses to their end customers.