Writers and the web.

If your dream is to get published, the chance is before you.The web has opened the portals of opportunity to all aspiring writers and freelance writers. It’s a whole new world with unlimited access to ideas and subjects for writers. Endless resources and information are available at the click of your mouse to help you get started and keep you going.

It’s up to you to exercise due diligence to make your dream of writing a reality. It does not happen overnight. It all starts with that first, small step towards pursuing your dream. The internet offers all kinds of avenues for anyone who has ambitions to write. Where do you begin?

Read what the multitude of e-zines and newsletters have to offer. This gives you an idea of what interests people as they spend more and more time surfing the web. What are the latest trends ? Pay attention to issues that tend to pop out here and there, again and again. Subscribe to pertinent groups or forums that can be helpful in your quest. Stay abreast with the latest news, be interested in anything and everything.

Open up your mind. Then, you can decide which venue is right for you. Ask yourself, are you interested in mainstream type of writing? Or would you choose specific areas of interest?

Assess your inclinations, your passions and your hobbies.What beliefs do you hold close to your heart? Make a list. In your career, what is your area of expertise? Do you write reports? Do you keep a journal? A diary? You’re already a writer!

Get excited about writing down your ideas. The golden opportunity is before you, as never before. Actually, jumping in the bandwagon of writing for the internet can be overwhelming for the faint of heart, confusing for the skeptic, yet exciting for the go-getter. Which one are you?

The internet is open to all segments of society and to people from all walks of life. Access is not limited to the technologically inclined. It is no longer as intimidating as it was when the information superhighway first opened in the 20th century.People are less apt to admit their computer illiteracy, rather, more members of our society are learning how to navigate the cyberspace.

Learn about the basic rules of writing for the web. Cyber readers tend to be fast thinkers, speed readers, with only seconds to spare. If you want to grab their attention, remember, you only have precious few seconds to do it.

Take heart. You already know this. You love to see your by-line. The web will help you get your name out there. The more you write, the better you’ll get at it. Technically, if your work gets published on-line, you are considered published.

Only thing, writing for the web for the countless e-zines and newsletters and web-sites is not for those who intend to make a living from their writing. Not at the start.

If you are willing to write and submit your articles for free, don’t miss out. For the aspiring writer, it is a good way to start. The more you write, the more exposure you will get, readers will get to know your name. Writing for the internet helps to drive traffic to your website.

What are you waiting for?

Aspiring (and would be) copy writers.

As an aspiring copywriter, I am always seeking advice on how to get a foothold in the industry. It's obviously a popular topic, so I thought I'd put some of the more common questions (and the answers I have found) on paper in the hopes that it might provide a bit of an insight.

Q: What does a copywriter do in a typical day?

A: To summaries, copywriters do some or all of the following:

- meet with prospective clients ("prospects") or talk with them on the phone to sell your services to them (freelancers only)
- liaise with clients to take a brief (learn what the client needs from the copy, who the audience is, what benefits the client offers their customers, etc.)
- research the subject matter
- plan the structure and approach of the writing
- write the piece
- liaise with the client through the review process (the client reviews the work and the copywriter fixes whatever needs fixing - so long as it's not out of scope, e.g. a new requirement)
- get the client to sign off (approve) the job
- invoice the client (freelancers only)
- chase payment of invoice (freelancers only)
- process the payment using an accounts package (freelancers only)
- keep detailed records of all correspondence and activities throughout the process
- manage the business (freelancers only - including manage your IT systems, accounting, create and maintain a website, create advertising materials, writing proposals, generate a search engine ranking, maintain a database of contacts, etc.)

Q: What are the working conditions like?

A: Most copywriters work either for themselves ("freelancing") or for advertising or web design agencies ("employees"). Freelancers tend to work from home, but may sometimes work at the client's workplace. Employees almost always work at the client's workplace. Conditions for freelancers tend to be pretty relaxed (they're at home, after all!!!). I haven't worked at an agency, but I suspect things are a little different there.

Q: What is the pay like?

A: I've heard of freelance copywriters being paid by the article at a rate of USD $12 per 600 word article (seems ridiculous to me!). I believe these people were college students looking for a way into the copywriting industry. At the other end of the spectrum, talented freelancers who treat writing as a serious business can earn in excess of USD $100,000 per year. I think that agency copywriters tend to earn somewhere in between these figures, maybe averaging between USD $35,000 - $70,000.

Q: What skills do I need?

A: A copywriter needs to be able to write very well in many different styles (from short 1-2 line ads through to long 3000 word articles). They also need to be able to adapt to heaps of different subjects (from IT to kitchen surfaces to accounting to nutritional supplements to cars). They need to be organized and hard-working, with an eye for detail and an understanding of writing for different media (website, brochures, radio, TV, etc.). Freelancers need good business sense, an understanding of search engines, some ability with IT systems, and patience. They also need to accept that they're going to be poor for the first 2 years!

Q: What education do I need?

A: Formal education never hurts, and often helps. But it's no guarantee of success. If a copywriter has all of the above skills, they won't need formal training in writing. Also, in my humble opinion, you can't train to become a writer; you're either a writer or you're not. Training can sharpen certain skills, and teach new styles, etc., but if you don't have 'the flow' when you start the course, it's unlikely you'll have it when you finish.

Q: Do I need a website?

A: Yes! The best place for any freelance advertising copywriter or website copywriter to start is to fork out for a website. A website is invaluable because when you cold call and email prospects, you will need to direct them somewhere that gives them more information.

Q: What should I include on my website?

A: Keep it simple, include a portfolio page, add any samples of any sort of copywriting you've done, talk about the places you've worked, the clients you have written for, and include any testimonials you have received. Make sure you include your address and contact details as well, so people don't think you're a fly-by-night operation. Of course, it doesn't hurt to include a photo either. If you can't say much about your experience, don't say much. It doesn't even really matter if you don't say anything. Remember, just like any other form of advertising copywriting, writing about yourself requires the art of subtlety. If you lack experience, but you are confident you can do the job, you can be very clever in what you don't say, and most people will read it the way you intended.

Q: Should I target agencies?

A: If you have never worked as an advertising copywriter or website copywriter before, don’t target advertising agencies and web design agencies. They know exactly what they’re after, so if you don’t have a portfolio, you won’t stand a chance. Target end-clients directly.

Q: Should I cold call?

A: Yes. One of the best ways of generating business in the early days is to cold call potential end-clients. It is hard work and very time consuming, but you can generate some very qualified leads. For more information on cold calling, take a look at ME .

Q: Should I write samples?

A: Yes. If you are targeting specific clients or industries, don’t be afraid to write a few samples and send them through. You can offer the pieces free of charge (everyone likes something for nothing) or at a discount, or you can use it as an incentive to sign them up for future work. It all depends on the type of work and the type of client. The important thing to remember is that samples are virtually as good as a portfolio to most prospective clients.

Q: Do I need an accounts package?

A: Yes! Don not be fooled into thinking you can handle your accounts manually (or with Microsoft Excel). Even if you only have a few clients, you NEED a proper accounts package like MYOB or Quicken (they both offer small business versions). You will understand why the first time you do your GST reports or annual taxes. In fact, you will understand why whenever you need to chase down outstanding invoices.

Ad copy that sells!

When I write copy for my advertising clients, I always check to make sure the three key elements are in place. 1. Psychology, 2. Logic, and 3. Creativity. These are three very different aspects of ad writing, which, when combined, produce a highly effective message. Master the technique of each, and create ads that really sell!

It doesn’t matter which part you address when. You can write out a first draft and then go back and insert the missing aspects, or you can craft your copy piece by piece and then put it all together at the end. For the most part, I tend to piece together my message, but you can work however you’d like.

Advertising wouldn’t be advertising without psychology. How else would you persuade or convince people that your product is outstanding in its category? What other way is there to go about creating a need for what you sell? Persuasion relies on emotional appeal, and emotions are driven by our psychological make-up. A long time ago, someone thought up the AIDA method, which is good enough to serve my purpose in explaining the psychology of advertising. It’s really very simple. A.I.D.A. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

Attention: Capture your audience’s attention right away, with a riveting photo and headline. Exceptional ads showcase headlines and images that work together. (Read more about this in the paragraph about creativity.)

Interest: If you wrote a good headline, likely they’ll be intrigued and continue reading. Your ad copy is where you can isolate a fear, problem, concern or need of theirs. Then go right into:

Desire. Make them want what you have. Pose your product as the solution to the aforementioned problem. Build your case with examples, or even testimonials.

Action. Finally, tell your audience what to do. Buy Now! Click here and save! It’s amazing what just a quick directive will do.

The next key feature of your message should be logic. By logic, I’m referring to how you order the words and sentences in your message to make your point. A good writer knows to craft his message in an outline form- with the first paragraph driven by a main idea, and supporting sentences following that premise. Each paragraph should reinforce what’s been said in the main paragraph. This is basic English, and it’s the key to crafting a solid argument. You should be able to convert your sentences to bullet points if you had to- with each bullet logically supporting a main concept. In fact, you may even want to use bullets, as they’re a quick way to sum up the benefits of what you sell with no extra words to dilute the impact of what you say.

Finally, creativity is what will give your ad presentation that POW, and your copy that extra sparkle that makes it interesting to read. Earlier, I mentioned headlines and images that work together conceptually. What I mean by this is a play on words that’s reinforced by an image. This is the stuff of amazing advertising, the kind that brings home a Cleo or an Addy award! Think of those incredibly powerful Nike ads: Just Do It. Tell your customer something they won’t forget, and use a dramatic photo to cement your message into their brains. Map out your long-term campaign, if you plan on having one, following the same creative concept in each ad. This is brand-building at its finest!

Infuse creativity into your written message. Write in a clever and/or amusing way, and make your ad stand out from the crowd. Use a tone that’s appropriate to your audience. Choose words that belong to that particular genre.

At any point during the conception of your written material, you can brainstorm words or phrases that your audience uses and will likely respond to. I call this “learning their language.” What this is, essentially, is imitation. Remember when you were a little kid playing make-believe? (okay, maybe you don’t--but I do!) Play make-believe now. To warm up, read some existing material that relates to your target group. Next, sit in a quiet spot and pretend you ARE your key customer. Write out a list of their expressions. I wrote web copy for a high-end caterer last month. To get my thoughts flowing, I made a list of words. “Sophistication, delectable, tasteful, elegant” so on and so forth. When I was done thinking of as many different words as possible, I was ready to inject them into my copy. Replace lackluster words with more zippy ones. But use your adjectives and adverbs sparingly! There’s such a thing as copy overkill, and it will make you look like an amateur.

No matter how you approach the creation process, the most powerful ads require that each of these key elements are in place. Again: you can implement them in any order. When you’re ready to bring it all together, take a good, hard look at your finished draft. Go through it with a fine-tooth comb. Get a couple of outside opinions. Step away, for a little while, and then go back to it when you’ve cleared your mind. Make your changes, then give it a final once-over. Your final presentation should be error-free and perfect in every way!

To those that think advertising is an easy or slap-dash process: not true at all! The greatest ads are a perfect fusion of three very different modes of thought, expertly combined and presented in a powerfully compelling and persuasive package. Realize this, and you’re on the way to creating magical ad copy; the kind that sells!