October 6, 2016August 8, 2019 by Copley Sutton

7 Copywriting tricks for SEO-focused landing pages – by Olivia Colville

A well-crafted landing page can drive more traffic to your website. But visitors have to find your landing page before you can direct them to your website. SEO copywriting is the art of writing copy that helps your content to rank well in searches. This is how copywriters in South Africa get your company in front of potential customers.

Attention-grabbing headlines

Without a headline that ticks all the boxes, your visitors won’t click on the link to read the rest of your content. Studies have shown that headlines with a number in the title tend to attract more attention.

If you want your whole headline to show up in search results, keep it down to 65 characters or less. Include at least one of your keywords in your headline for best results.

Crisp and clear copy

Your visitors are busy people, so keep your content short and sweet. Remove adverbs and use the active voice to hold their attention. Delete unnecessary details and don’t explain the obvious.

Answer every question

Don’t be afraid of including as much information as you need to answer all your prospects questions. While your copy shouldn’t be bloated, there’s no limit to the length of your landing page. It may depend on your product or audience, but always take the opportunity to provide visitors with all the information they need to make a decision.

Speak to your customer

Don’t be tempted to rattle on about your company or your product. The focus should be on the prospect and what benefits they’ll get from using your products and service. Use the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ before ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’. This is a tip that can be applied to any form of copywriting.

Include long-tail keywords

Did you know that 40% of searches consist of phrases made up of four words? Copywriters know that while long-tail keywords may only be searched for every 2 – 3 months, it’s still important to include them. Your landing page should draw qualified leads to your website. If a visitor has used a long-tail keyword to find your landing page, chances are they’re interested in what you have to offer.

Quick tip: Managing the data of short-tail and long-tail keywords can be challenging at scale. Use a tool like Linkio to keep your various keywords organized.

Use the language your customers use

Blog comments, social media sites and product reviews are all places where you can get a feel for the language your customers use. Learn how to speak to them in a language they understand and your landing page will resonate better with new visitors.

Make your content original

Search engines don’t appreciate duplicate content. Make sure the copy you use on your landing pages is original and unique. While you can copy style and content, don’t be tempted to copy and paste words directly from another page on your website.

If you’re battling to write your own landing pages, consider hiring a South African copywriter with the skill of writing landing pages that deliver. It takes time to produce a well-crafted landing page, but it’s worth the effort. A landing page that’s SEO-focused will drive qualified leads to your website and increase your profits.

July 12, 2016 by Copley Sutton

5 things every junior blogger should do before they start blogging – Olivia Colville

Congratulations! You’ve taken the plunge and launched yourself into the wonderful world of blogging. Being a writer in South Africa is a great way to make a living. But it isn’t as simple as you may think. Whether you’ve already set up your blog, or you’re still staring at a blank page here are five things you should think about before you hit the keyboard.

What are your blogging goals?

It’s easy to get carried away with the image that being a junior blogger conjures up. Being able to spend your days in a creative space is the dream of many. But to turn it into a profitable reality you need to have goals. Do you have a story to tell, a product to sell or a business to promote? Figure it out before you start writing so you know what you’re working towards

Set up a blogging calendar

It will help you to focus on the goals you’ve set for your blog and help to stick to deadlines. Experienced copywriters in South Africa typically have to juggle more than one project at a time. Get into the habit of using an editorial calendar to help you develop this vital habit from the get go.

Create a community

Blogging shouldn’t be one-sided. You should be aiming to start a conversation and spark some interaction. Ask your audience questions such as how they feel about what you’ve written and what their opinions are. Then respond to those comments and keep the conversation going. It will give you the opportunity to learn about them and what they need from your blog.

Embrace SEO

To be discovered and grow your audience, your blog needs SEO. You don’t have to be an expert before you start, but you should know the basics. You’ll learn as you go along and then you start applying SEO in a way that’s natural. Don’t alienate your audience by stuffing every post with as many keywords as you can. But don’t neglect them either. Proper use of SEO can make a real difference to the success of your blog.

Set up Google Analytics

It’s easy enough to do and being able to track statistics on your site will help you become a better blogger. You’ll get a better sense of what’s working and what’s not getting the response you want. Monitor the performance of individual posts, find out how much time people are spending on your site and what search terms they use to find you. You can use this information to make your blog better and get you closer to the goals you want to achieve with it.

South African businesses crave content and setting up a blog is a great way to show off your writing skills. Being a junior blogger is fun, but don’t neglect the serious side of blogging. These simple tips will set you up for success and it won’t be long before your work gets noticed.

April 5, 2016 by Copley Sutton

5 steps to follow before you become a writer

There are thousands of people around the world who think they’d do well in a writing career. For many existing writers, this career choice has become a copout because it’s seen as an easy profession. After all, it’s all about good spelling, fancy words and a dash of creativity—right? WRONG! The fact is that if you want to be a good writer, you need to think this through. If you don’t you aren’t likely to get far.

Identify your field

The first action you should take is to identify which type of writing you want to do. Fictional writing is probably the dream of every writer, but most of us don’t have the luxury (or courage) to start there.

Non-fictional writing has lots of categories. Consider how different many of these are:

Formal writing
Legal writing
Sales writing (copywriting)
Internet writing
Finance writing
Academic writing
Translation

…and the list goes on

Make a solid choice to focus on one writing field. This is an important part of success—focusing on your core strengths.

Take a relevant course

If you thought you could become a writer without studying first, think again. Talent will only get you so far in this industry. Experience will also hit a dead end if you don’t have some qualification behind your name.

The most talented writers have admitted to learning invaluable information by attending a course or a writing college. Learn from the experts. You can’t expect to reinvent the wheel. Get the basics down before you try to make it big as a writer.

Check the market

Now that you know which direction you want to take as a writer, check out how much of a demand there is for your field. A good way to do this is through freelancing websites. Jobs from all over the world will pop up every few minutes. Write down which of these fits your field and work out a percentage.

If you’re entering a field for which there is little or no demand, you’ll be out of work most of the time. This does not mean that you’re not good enough to make it. It simply means that you will have to fight harder to get to the top. Ask yourself if you’re willing to do this.

Work for free

The golden rule for every beginner writer is to work for free. This is invaluable for multiple reasons:

You will get experience to display on your portfolio
It will teach you how to work with a client
You will learn from your mistakes and grow from constructive criticism
Your confidence will grow—especially if you see your work published

Find a writing mentor

Many writers are looking for fresh talent to share their workload with. If you can find a writer who is good at teaching you the ropes, stick to them like glue. These individuals may ask you to write for very little money, but you’re still getting paid to learn—which is invaluable.

So if you’ve been considering a writing career, use this as your checklist. These five actions will effectively prepare you for the industry. Good luck!

January 28, 2016January 29, 2016 by Copley Sutton

5 quick tips for blogging like a pro – Olivia Colville

Everybody’s doing it—blogging about their passion, their business, their travels. If you’ve created a blog you’ll appreciate how tough it is to stand out from the crowd. There’s a lot of competition out there. Creating trust with your audience starts with creating a blog that looks professional.

Here are some quick and easy ways you can make your blog look like the real deal:

Give your readers a search bar that’s easy to find

Ever come out of the mall and forgotten where you parked your car? That’s how your readers feel when they’re looking for a post you wrote a while back.

Don’t let that happen. Put a search bar in your header or sidebar and make it easy for them to find what they’re looking for.

Include links in your sidebar and blog posts

This is the perfect way to keep your readers engaged. Adding links in your sidebar to your most popular posts will keep readers on your blog devouring your content.

Another clever trick is to include links to other posts you’ve written in the body of your article. Let’s say a visitor is on your blog reading about the hottest hairstyles for 2016. At some point in your post you could include a link to another post you’ve written about hair colour trends. Ensure that your links are on topic and you’ll see how engagement improves.

Add links to your social media accounts

Not all of your readers want to leave a comment on your blog. Some people prefer to interact via social media because it’s easy for them. So give them the option of getting in touch with you using social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

Use a professional photo of yourself

Don’t rely on a blurry selfie for your bio or About page—get a professional photographer to take the shot instead. It will make a real difference to the way your readers perceive the quality of your blog and the content you offer.

Add a quality image to each blog posts

A compelling image helps capture attention and draw your reader in. Place it near the top of your blog post for maximum effect. Alternatively, you could include a photo in the middle to break up your text.

Images are essential for social sharing. If someone likes your post enough to share it on Facebook, the link will include your image and make it stand out.

Even if you’re an amateur blogger, your blog doesn’t have to be. All of these tips take less than 10 minutes to set up. But they’ll leave your blog looking more polished and professional. Try them out and let us know how they work for you.

About the Author – Olivia Colville

Since she was a little girl, Olivia has always had her nose in a book. Her curiosity knows no bounds and she spends her time collecting stories. Her greatest wish is to become a sought-after copywriter. Fingers crossed!

October 29, 2015 by Copley Sutton

Why hiring a copywriter can help grow your business – by Olivia Colville

Whether you own a small, medium or large business you’re probably always thinking of ways to grow it. You might have considered hiring more staff, developing a new product or expanding into a new market. All of these ideas usually involve a significant amount of time and money. And unfortunately, there’s no guarantee of success.

But something as simple as hiring a qualified copywriter can take your business to the next level without costing the earth. This is especially true for new businesses. Laying the groundwork for building a trusted brand starts with the way you present yourself to customers.

A good copywriter has skills that go beyond filling up the pages on your website. These are five ways a copywriter can improve your business:

They know what you’re really selling

While you’re familiar with every inch of your product or service, customers are more interested in the benefits. Does it make their lives easier? Give them confidence? Make them happier? A good copywriter looks beyond the obvious to connect with your customers on an emotional level.

They know how to speak to your audience

Perhaps you’ve already created a detailed profile of your target market. You know how old they are, where they live and how they spend their money. But copywriters know what motivates them, how they use language and how to tailor a message they’ll respond to.

They know what your story is

Every business has a story to tell—even law firms and plumbers. Copywriters are skilled at creating a narrative around your business and communicating it with your audience. Telling customers your story helps them connect to you on a personal level. It’s the first step in changing a business into a brand.

They know how to keep it simple

If you’ve ever tried writing your own copy, you’ll know how easy it is to get lost in the details. A copywriter knows how to keep the reader’s attention and avoid the clutter. They understand the power of a succinct and structured message

They know how to make people take action

The best way to grow your business is to increase sales. Investing in advertising may get your name out there, but the real challenge is getting potential customers to take the next step. Copywriters can get them to pick up the phone, click on that link or add that product to their basket.

Copywriters can add real value to a business in ways that you may not have imagined. They can help you reach more people, increase your sales and grow your business. Hiring a copywriter may be the best business decision you make.

September 26, 2015September 28, 2015 by Copley Sutton

In-house copywriter or freelance copywriter?

Which is best for your business?

It’s inescapably true: every company will at some point need a copywriter. If that company wants to be competitive, market themselves or simply propose a deal, a professional writer is qualified to execute these tasks professionally. So should you simply hire a good writer? Is it much of a hassle finding one that offers his or her services on a freelance basis?

The answer is not black and white. While I would highly recommend that copywriters in South Africa work as freelancers because of the financial and time benefits, the fact is that permanent workers are still needed. So here are some questions to ask yourself about your company:

How much writing does my company need?

If your company doesn’t have enough writing to keep a full time copywriter busy for seven hours a day, it’s simply not worth getting one. If your writing needs are intermittent, consider finding a decent freelancer who is on call whenever you need him or her.

Do I have the time and energy to find the right person?

Finding employees that fit in with your company culture is hard. It takes time and money to find the perfect person, and even then you can be fooled into hiring a trouble maker! With freelancing, you have the option to not use someone again if they are not a good fit.

Will my company need many different styles of writing?

An in-house copywriter will have strengths and weaknesses. If your writing needs are diversified, you may find that one writer cannot do everything you need (unless you spend more money on training that person). Hiring multiple freelancers to work on your project is a cheaper, more effective means of getting your project off the ground.

Can my company provide outsourced copywriting services?

If you run out of work for your in-house writer, will you be able to offer copywriting services to your clients? If your business is structured in such a way (like a marketing company is), then an in-house writer is a great idea. However, if the writer is limited to your projects only, hiring a freelance copywriter is the way to go.

Answering these questions will give you a better idea of what direction you should take. Think carefully before making this decision. If it’s the wrong choice, you’re stuck with it.