Whitepaper Copywriter

Smile! Content Marketing as the Coming of Age of Copywriting

Monday, September 12, 2011 by Sharon Long

It's enough to make you smile...

Every day I get a Google alert for "content marketing" and every day I am more and more convinced of one thing: content marketing is the coming of age of copywriting.

Lee Odden started an article on content marketing published today with these words:

"Companies are jumping on the content marketing bandwagon in increasing numbers, investing in new content for articles, newsletters, whitepapers, blogs, and video to better attract and engage customers." (Emphasis mine.)

I've been heading up the copywriter firm We Know Words for 11 years now. During that decade plus, we have created more of this type of content described by Lee than any other (i.e. ads, brochures and other content not considered "content marketing"). We've written articles for national publication. We've written countless newsletters for everyone ranging from staid government organizations to go-getter dotcoms. We've written whitepapers ranging from extremely technical to almost pedestrian. We ghost blog for several companies sometimes for thought leadership and sometimes for SEO. And we've written scripts for video too.

Yes, the bulk of the work we have done all these years as freelance copywriters is now in the spotlight as content marketing.

That makes the heart of this content provider very, very happy and puts a big smile on my face! It's as if finally our work, our laboring, our writing is now finally something everyone sees the value in...not just the consumer but the client too. We've always argued for compelling, customer-centric content that engages by talking to customers, not at them. Now we can stop arguing for that approach. Now that approach is mainstream.

So bring it on, marketers! Let's keep this content marketing train a chugging along! And these copywriters smiling! :-)

Getting Words Right vs. Getting Words Wrong: A Compelling Contrast

Tuesday, April 26, 2011 by Sharon Long

I have a love/hate relationship with the long drive to Seattle. When I make the trek for meetings, I dread the length of the drive. That's the hate. On the other hand, it's a chance to see all kinds of do's and don'ts in action all within a two-hour time span.

During this week's drive, I witnessed a great contrast that illustrates the importance of talking to, not at, your customer. It doesn't matter if you're a freelance copywriter or you're providing content marketing services. If you're in the business of words, your words must be customer-centric.

Driving north in the morning, I passed an electrician's van branded with Mister Sparky, America's On-Time Electrician. The tagline below the logo guaranteed they'd be on time. This is brilliant.

Talk to anyone about their frustrations with service providers like electricians, plumbers, the cable guy and others, and you'll hear the same thing: You have to wait. And wait. You're given a window of 4 to 8 hours and you have to stay home and wait for that person to show up to make the necessary repair. That's a pain point, one this electrician services company is addressing with the company name and tagline. They are addressing it and talking to the customer. Their company name says, "Hey, we know you don't want to sit around and wait. So we're going to be the electrician you don't have to wait for." Kudos!!

On the way south that afternoon, I saw a billboard advertising a home builder. Their slogan was "the fastest growing home builder." I thought long and hard while driving and couldn't come up with a single pain point around that. Who wants to know their home builder is the fastest growing? Do people sit around wishing they could find the fastest growing home builder, really? For me, that's not only talking at me, not to me, as a potential customer, but it's a little scary too. If you're so focused on growth, I wonder, what are you sacrificing in quality?

This home builder must have some idea of their customers' pain points, wishes and concerns. Maybe it's quality. Or price. Maybe it's a certain style of home, or a certain size or layout. But the fastest growing builder? I doubt it. Maybe they are so busy building, they're not listening to their customers!

The electrician is talking to customers. They are talking about the customer's concerns.

The home builder is talking at customers. They are talking about themselves.

One is doing words right. The other is doing words wrong.

When we're in the business of words, we must be customer-centric. Content marketing is nothing if it's not engaging and customer-centric. Then it's only empty words, a bunch of filler on a page or a screen. People might claim there's a difference between what a copywriter does and what content marketing services provide. I disagree. The only difference is in the types of content produced. Both have to be focused on the customer's concerns. Both have to be engaging and meaningful. I don't care if you're writing an ad (copywriting) or a whitepaper (content marketing). Your content lives and dies by your choice of words.

Make yours about the customer and your words will work.

From Copywriter to Content Marketer...It's a Matter of Semantics

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 by Sharon Long

On page 7 of the popular content marketing book "Content Rules" by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman, a sidebar attempts to clarify the difference between copywriting and content marketing. It essentially says copywriting is ads and the like and content marketing is everything else.

What's funny about that to me, as someone who has spent the last 11 years as a freelance copywriter, is that most of those 11 years have been spent writing the very things the people now say are content marketing. But I thought I was a copywriter...

As much as I love the book "Content Rules," and as much as I admire Ann Handley as the chief content queen at MarketingProfs (and have for years), I confess to being a little confused by the statement. I can count on two hands (and maybe the toes of one foot) the number of ads We Know Words has written for clients in the past decade. And we've been the brochure copywriter for some printed projects and done some direct mail, yes.

But really since the year 2000--11 years now--our bread and better has been content marketing services, it turns out: case studies, whitepapers, ghost blogging, website writing, SEO work, articles, video scripts, newsletters, press releases written as part of what was meant to be a content strategy.

I didn't know it was called anything but copywriting.

And I do see a huge difference between what people call content marketing today and what We Know Words has been doing for the past decade: strategy. That was not part of the content marketing services we offered. The clients would come to us with a content or copywriting need and we would fill it.

I'm delighted to know that copywriting as I know it has now come of age, it's now considered something much more honorable and it's more strategic! Let's face it. Walk into a crowded room and start introducing yourself as a freelance copywriter and you're not going to impress anyone. (Never mind the confusion some people have with the word "copyright" and the trying lunch-time conversation I had with a former state governor trying to explain copywriting vs. copyrighting.)

But now I get to walk into a room and say I offer content marketing services...and that's a lot more important sounding! And a whole lot more important.

Now there's really a strategy, or should be. I have long wanted clients to make better use--and re-use--of the content we've created. I've long talked about repurposing and re-using. And now that can happen. I can turn to the experts and authors like Ann and C.C. and Joe Pulizzi of Junta42 or Russell Sparkman of Fusion Sparkmedia and I can cite them...and get heard.

I think it will enable us to create the kinds of engaging, real, authentic copy I've been trying to talk clients into for a very long time, as well. Now we are backed up by the experts! No more generic copy!

From copywriter to content marketing? I'm all in. I just never realized I was out. And I'm not quite sure I ever was. :-)

Freelance Copywriter Says Content Marketing Takes Style

Thursday, February 17, 2011 by Sharon Long

freelance copywriter says content marketing demands style

Twice in the last couple of weeks, I have had copywriting clients comment on how much they like my style.

They're not talking about my clothes, trust me. They are talking about my approach to their content as a freelance copywriter. And I find that funny, because I don't think I have a style. As a freelance copywriter, I mean. I know I have a style as a writer, and I love to entertain my family and friends with my writing when it's personal. But I think of myself as a professional copywriter who shouldn't have a style because I should simply be adapting to the client's voice and brand.

But then I realized, I can and do adapt when necessary. But clients like these, who just complimented my style, fit with my natural writing style. They probably like me as their freelance copywriter because I write naturally in a way that meshes with their brand. I am free to write like me when I write for them.

And I think style is something we're going to want a lot more of as Content Marketing becomes the norm! As we're creating more content, more whitepapers, more web writing, more blogs as marketing tools, we're also setting ourselves up to get lost in the whirl of words that will be swirling all around our prospects as they attempt to navigate all this "stuff" we're putting out there and online.

Just like the woman who walks into the bar dressed with style will shine compared to any plain Jane counterparts, so will the content with style outshine the drab and dull.

Style, huh? Well, yay for that! This freelance copywriter is going to consider that a plus to be exploited, not a minus to be escaped!

You Can Love Design But It's the Words That Win in Content Marketing

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 by Sharon Long

Love your design but words win says freelance copywriter

Reading David Baker's email marketing blog, I just had an "ah ha" copywriter moment.

He makes the point that we spend so much time, effort and money on creative, and maybe we should spend less on creative and more on content:

"We spend far too much energy on revitalizing creative. Don't get me wrong, good creative does pull, but does the effort involved warrant the output? Depending on your business, I believe most could compress creative costs 25% with rational approaches and better content management."

Is this music to the ears of a freelance copywriter? You bet it is, but not new music, rather classical. Good content, engaging content, customer-centric content...this is what We Know Words copywriters have been crafting for 10 years. That is what content marketing is all about.

And we have often as the freelance copywriter taken a back seat to the creative. Many times we've been called in as the website copywriter only to find the design and navigation are set...and aren't appropriate to the message.

Many times have we as the freelance copywriter been tasked with writing brochure copy or other sales collateral with very specific word counts...we couldn't write the right amount to get the message across, rather we had to write long or short enough to fit the already determined space...because the creative was foremost.

Now that we've entered the age of content marketing, and more and more emails are read on smartphones, words will matter more than ever. Content has always been king...but a bit of a tepid ruler, hidden behind a mighty council of designers.

But you know what? The right color doesn't get you found in Google. The right words do. The right logo doesn't get someone to click on your call to action in your email marketing. The right words do. And the design of your whitepaper is irrelevant if you haven't hired a whitepaper copywriter who builds a compelling case for your product...with words.

Thank you, David! I know this wasn't the direction you meant for your comment to go, but I appreciated taking it there just the same. :-)

From Webinar to Whitepaper: Voila! Content Marketing!

Friday, February 4, 2011 by Sharon Long

freelance copywriter creates content marketing

Why am I sharing this paper on the top 5 misconceptions about corporate blogging? Because I wrote it. OK, I transcribed it, wordsmithed it, edited it and formatted it, using the conversation between Debbie Weil and Chris Baggott as the source. But it's share worthy for two reasons:

1) It shows how a freelance copywriter can help you repurpose content for content marketing. This was a webinar. Now it's a whitepaper too. How cool is that?

2) There's great information in here about blogging and social media marketing and how it all ties together. If you're making blogging part of your content marketing program (and if you're not, why not??), read this.

How to Start a Copywriting Business: Leave the Ego at the Door, PLEASE!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Sharon Long

I've had an interesting email dialog this week with a freelance copywriter who started his own freelance copywriting business a couple of years ago, but would like me to send overflow work his way because he doesn't have enough work. He's only about the 20th freelance copywriter to ask that of me in the 10 years I've had We Know Words, so it wasn't a new request.

What was new was my response. I finally, after years of trying to figure out how to work with other freelance copywriters in a way that made sense but didn't make me a freelance babysitter, have come up with a way for copywriters to work for We Know Words that easy for all of us...and doesn't require any babysitting on my part.

I told this freelance copywriter about the new business model and he balked. Big time. But what about his brand (meaning his name), he asked. What about his website? Um, if you're that busy, if your name and website are working so well for you, why are you asking me to send work your way?

And I got to thinking, this is soooooo typical of freelance copywriters! Do you realize how many of them have their name as their business and their website URL? Why is that? It's seems to ego-driven on the one hand, and so short-sighted on the other. How can you grow your business if you are just John Doe, will always be John Doe? How can you serve every copywriting need of a client if it's just you? You can't be good a good script copywriter and a good SEO blogger both. And if you are, well, are you any good as a whitepaper copywriter? You can only grow your business if you're more than you. You can only serve every copywriting need of a client if you're more than you.

When I started We Know Words as my copywriting business 10 years ago, it never even occured to me to call my business Sharon Long. (Or Sharon Baerny, my name in 2000.) I went through a huge long list of potential company names to get to We Know Words...and not one of my choices had my name in it.

What other business is as short-sighted as that of the freelance copywriter? Even my accountant has his business set up as Roland and Associates. Plus you totally lose on the SEO front when your name is your business and URL. (If I were to do it all over again, I would have named my business something SEO friendly...but I didn't know anything about SEO 10 years ago!)

So my number one advice to anyone asking how to start a copywriting business is this: Leave your ego at the door. Please. No one cares if you are John Doe or Mary Schmoe. They care if you know marketing and words. They care if your rates are fair. They care if you meet your deadlines. But they do not care about your name or your ego. And they never will.

And there's another point to this: You are dooming yourself to isolation, and you'll never be able to work with others together. If I'm building a brand for Sharon Long, and you're building a brand for Mary Schmoe, then we are missing out on the opportunity to work together to build a brand for freelance copywriters.

OK, that's what I have to say on the subject. Are you about to start a copywriting business? What do you think?

Even on Facebook, Content Is King, So Hire a Professional Copywriter to Set You up Right

Saturday, April 24, 2010 by Sharon Long

Reading a SilverPop whitepaper on social media, I as the professional copywriter was drawn to section 4, called Create Content That Connects. It starts off:

"The foundation of effective marketing remains the same: content is king. For example, a company with 50,000 social media followers disseminating highly relevant, engaging content that users feel motivated to share can be more effective than a competitor with content that is not deemed valuable and is rarely shared by its fan base of 100,000." (Emphasis mine.)

Again, I see my role switching from Copy Writer to Copy Coach. In the social media marketing age, yes, customers will create content, as they use wikis, comment on blogs, post on your wall...or blog or tweet about you! But, you will set the stage for that content. Or you'd better, anyway, by getting a professional content copywriter in there to set it for you. If you don't set the stage, you won't have any say over the direction it goes.

I believe this so strongly, I'm now officially acting as a sometimes Copy Coach, helping small businesses and big companies figure out how to harness social media through great content...after figuring out if it even makes sense to do so.

Want a Copy Coach to guide your business onto the right path for social media marketing? Email me at sharon@weknowwords.com.

Freelance Copywriter Finds 18 Great Tips for PPC Ads

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 by Sharon Long

Although I've been a freelance copywriter for 10 years and I've worked on all kinds of copywriting projects--websites, email, direct mail, brochures, whitepapers, and more--I've resisted doing pay-per-click (PPC) ads all this time.

Why? Probably fear. Unlike organic SEO that takes time to gain traction, PPC is immediate...so I'd know right away if my copywriting was working or not.

But change comes into the lives of all good professional copywriters, including me, and I am embarking on my first PPC ad copywriting project. (Gulp.)

In doing research for hints and help, I came across this great article of 18 tips for copywriting PPC ads.

Whether you're a freelance copywriter doing PPC ads for clients, or a small business owner tackling that copywriting job yourself, take a look at the tips, they're good.

All right then, enough procrastinating by blogging. Time for this freelance copywriter to earn her keep with some PPC ad work!

Web Copywriter to Rescue: Trying to Salvage a Crappy Copywriting Job

Monday, March 15, 2010 by Sharon Long

Sigh...

Why is it people think anyone can be a copywriter? I just did a rush job as a website copywriter trying to save a project for a poor soul with hardly any budget or time. She had been sucked into what I think sounds like a shifty web designer deal. He hired some friend of his to write her website. She didn't like the copy. She turned to me in desperation, with little money and a hard due date of today.

I deleted 90% of the crap I was given that the supposed freelance "copywriter" had done. It wasn't poorly written. It wasn't wrong. But it wasn't doing its job. This guy had gone off on some tangents that while potentially helpful information to a prospect later in the sales cycle were totally irrelevant and useless as far as the website's job: marketing this person.

Not only did I delete most of the thousands of words, I completely redid the sitemap. None of the copy made sense, none of it, not even the structure.

In only seven hours, I did the best I could and the client now thinks I'm a goddess. (I even did some basic SEO, but very little.) But it's not going in my freelance copywriter portfolio because I know how much better it would be if I'd had the time. And this woman has to move forward with a "good enough" website, having wasted money on the schlep.

Too many freelance writers pass themselves off as freelance copy writers. They think because they can write, they can write copy. And people seem too accepting of whatever their writer gives them. So we get literally millions of bad websites, poorly written direct mail, spam instead of email copywriting, ads that do nothing but take up space in a magazine...I could go on and on.

The best copywriter is the copywriter who knows marketing as well as she knows words. And she knows her strengths. I am strong as a:

Website copywriter
Email copywriter
Whitepaper writer
Case study writer
Newslettter writer

I do not do, because I don't know how to do:

Script writing
Speech writing
Presentations (OK, I can do these, I just don't want to)
True journalism
Catalog copywriting
Those convoluted direct mail pieces that have letters and postcards and...

I know my strengths, I know my limitations, and I'm honest about both. Every professional copywriter should be.

People, if you are hiring a freelance copywriter, be picky! Don't assume simply because they say they are a copywriter that they are. Ask for proof. Don't be afraid to question the samples you're given. Expect more.

This is your marketing, your branding, your voice, your reputation. Do you want the best copywriter for the job? Or any ol' freelancer with a laptop?

Content Is Still King, so Hire the Best Copywriter and Get to Work for SEO

Monday, March 8, 2010 by Sharon Long

MarketingSherpa just rocks. They put out great reports and summaries in addition to their weekly wisdom. And speaking of wisdom, reading through their recent “Marketing Wisdom for 2010” report prompted quite a few insights for this freelance copywriter. This week, we’ll delve into one per day (since there were a total of five, I figure it was meant to be!)

Today, I gush over what Dean Rieck of Direct Creative had to say. Any comment that starts with "Content is king" is going to speak straight to a freelance copywriter's heart. But he gives proof, talking about a client that created more than 7,000 pages of blog posts and pages. And got results. As he says, it boosted the website in search engine rankings and it created a large pool of keywords.

Although I'm "just" a copywriter, I keep up with all things marketing...or at least as many as I can. How to increase your search engine rankings via organic SEO is one of those things. It's not rocket science, but it does take work. As this guy says, in this case, thousands of pages of work. But that's not hard!

Over and over I am approached by company's that want to improve their SEO and over and over I tell them to consider blogging...and they do not listen. It's like me saying I want to lose weight while chowing down on chocolate chip cookies. I have a choice to make. So do they. But blogging takes commitment and they must want a magic bullet instead (which is, I think, why so many companies turn to pay per click instead).
If you want to improve your search engine rankings, add blogging to your marketing mix. Blogging is not hard, nor is it time-consuming! In addition to blogging, your company has ample opportunities to be creating content that can go on your website: press releases, tip sheets, whitepapers, how to guides, FAQs...

Content is king, especially in the world of search. The way to win search is to have great, keyword rich, relevant content. It's that simple. Hire the best copywriter you can find, and let her get to work creating your content so you can get the rankings you want.

It's not rocket science, but great content might take your SEO to the moon.

Seattle copywriter happy to see her copywriting prowess featured in Book of Lists

Friday, January 29, 2010 by Sharon Long

I just got an email from a client annoyed because I didn't ask him for the results of my last email copywriting project (the opens and click throughs). I realized I'm so used to my copywriting work getting done far in advance of any end product that I don't think to ask, it's true.

Ad copywriting for Washington Federal, IG Creative design

For example, I was the ad copywriter for IG Creative on two ads they did for Washington Federal, to appear in the Puget Sound Business Journal 2010 Book of Lists. I enjoyed being the Seattle copywriter for them and was proud of my work...but two months went by before the Book of Lists was published so I completely forgot about it until yesterday.

One ad was for the back cover, one was a full page ad inside. As the copywriter, I was to work within strict guidelines that were part of a rebrand. I love challenges like that! So for example as ad copywriter for these, I had to have one, single strong compelling word (like solid in one ad and proven in the other) but then a sentence before it that the word actually belonged so. So the word becomes a graphical element, but still makes sense as a word too. (Does that mak

e sense?)

It was also a fun challenge because the ads had to be somewhat similar but still different. At first I tried too hard to make them the same, but IG Creative straightened me out and I like the "just similar enough" result.

And believe it or not, it was a challenge to do copywriting for a bank because so many banks make so many false claims and I was working against that cynicism!

These ads are also huge. It was funny as the Seattle copywriter to have all that space...but to know the words had to be few...and exactly right. It's easier to be a verbose copywriter using lots of words to convince! Harder to be a concise one. :-)

Thank you to IG Creative for hiring me as the copywriter for these ads, I'm proud of them. And thank you to my client not happy with me for being honest about it so I can do a better job of follow up on my copywriting projects, whether email or websites or ads or whitepapers or whatever... :-)

Tweak your copywriting and bowl a strike...or two

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 by Sharon Long

Last night we went bowling, something we rarely do so I'm not very good at it. I'm definitely a better freelance copywriter than bowler! In the middle of the second game, my friend said "Hang on to the ball a little longer." I did...and bowled two strikes in a row.

That one little split second change improved this copywriter's bowling game dramatically. Which got me thinking about tweaks, and how one little tweak can make a big difference in copywriting, whether it's web writing or small business marketing or blogs as marketing tools.

What can you have your freelance copywriter tweak to improve your company's marketing? How about email subject lines? The heading on your website's home page? The cover of that postcard? Maybe it's even your staff's signature block in their emails, or the title of your next blog post. Or your call to action? How you word your registration form on your landing page? Your banner ad, the executive summary for your next whitepaper, the CEO quote in your next press release...the possibilities are endless.

Copywriters work with words. But not just any words. The right words used in the right way. Tweaking those words can make a big difference. Never stop looking for places to tweak!

You might end up bowling a strike instead of a spare.

Under promise and over deliver: Can that rule apply to the copywriter role?

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 by Sharon Long

Last week as part of our 12 days of Christmas festivities, I took my daughter and her friend to the Washington State History Museum and then to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. We got to the restaurant early, before 5:00 even, but because it was the holiday break, there was already a wait for a table.

The hostess said 10 minutes but sat us in less than five. The two girls were both surprised and impressed! Plus we got a table in the trolley when the hostess had only replied “maybe” when we requested it.

That shows the power of under promising and over delivering. And the power of the experience. Our dining experience started out on a positive note, and even if things had gone wrong from that point forward, our attitude was bound to be good and our meal enjoyable.

The hostess could easily have said, “Oh, it will just be a couple of minutes.” But the restaurant gained an emotional advantage when she said 10.

The girls were still talking about this when we walked to the car after dinner. Their reaction made such an impression on me, I’ve been looking for a copywriting lesson to pull from this. This approach works in marketing and sales, but in copywriting?

As a freelance Seattle copywriter, I try to under promise and over deliver on projects, meaning I often over-estimate the amount of time I think a project will take (and therefore the amount of the final bill), then I happily get the project done in less time and delight my clients with a bill under budget. (This doesn’t happen every time! But I finally after 9 years of doing this learned it’s easier to over estimate and charge less than the opposite!)

But when it comes to the actual copywriter end product--the website, email, direct mail postcard, ghost blog, whitepaper or press release--how does a copywriter under promise and over deliver, and should I?

I do cringe when clients ask me for copywriting that promises the moon and I suspect they can’t deliver it.

Alternatively if someone can offer the moon but I as the copywriter don’t tell prospects that, we likely won’t get their attention in the first place, meaning what we deliver is irrelevant.

On the other hand, I’m relentless at times, hounding clients to give me a moon to promise. I recently worked as a Web site copywriter for a client with a wonderful story to tell…and they reined me back in copywriting wise again and again and again.

I don’t have the answer. I know I don’t like to get less than I expect when I spend my money. And I often do! I’m delighted when I get more than I expect, which happens on occasion. But the sad thing is, I’m delighted when I get just what I expect because I’m so used to the over promise, under deliver that seems prevalent today.

Does that mean my clients must promise the moon…and then deliver even more than that? That would certainly wow the new customers and turn them into lifelong fans. But is it possible?

I don’t have the answer. Only a fond memory of two young ladies learning the power of the under promise, over deliver approach.

Why this copywriter loves writing whitepapers

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 by Sharon Long

Yes, I admit it. I’m weird. I’m a copywriter who loves writing whitepapers. Is it because I spend too much time alone and my mind is warped? Is it the wet Seattle weather? Or maybe my hours spent as an SEO copywriter has damaged my perspective?

Nah. It’s none of those things. I enjoy working on whitepapers because they are such great sales tools, and because they give me as a copywriter the chance to really delve into the customer’s mindset.

I just got off the phone with one of my favorite copywriting clients. We are about to do three whitepapers around a new product launch, so this morning’s call was to get me ramped up. But we don’t spend all our time talking about how the product can do A, B and C. No, I as the copywriter want to know what to say based not on the product’s capabilities (what it can do) but rather based on the customer’s worldview (what do they want).

I get to learn about, and write to, their pain points, desires, daily frustrations and wish lists in a way I can’t do when a copywriter for ads or direct mail pieces.

The benefit for you as the marketer is the appeal of the whitepaper because it’s customer centric. The potential customer who downloads your whitepaper is pretty sure he or she is going to get mostly factual, useful information, not a 5-page sales pitch. That’s a feel good in your favor as the company they might buy from!

And crazy as I might sound, I think whitepapers are easy to write! They are straightforward and objective. They don’t require clever turns of phrase or picturesque verbosity. They are what they are.

I’ve also written enough whitepapers, and studied information about writing whitepapers, to have a structure I use pretty much every time. That’s how straightforward it is.

Plus they can be about a variety of topics. I started out writing whitepapers for high tech only, but over the years We Know Words copywriters have even written whitepapers for the corporate travel industry, and we wrote a series of banner ads and landing pages for a whitepaper written for the HR industry.

Whitepapers. They rock. For the copywriter and the customer both. Are you using them as part of your marketing mix?

To see a bit more about whitepapers written by We Know Words copywriters, go to http://weknowwords.com/whitepapers.htm.

Hmmm… I love them so much, my next blog topic might just be on how whitepapers help you date your prospects and customers!

Your marketing and copywriting can delight your customers by anticipating their needs

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 by Sharon Long

Yesterday I read an email marketing blog post on surprising your readers, that that’s a type of “relevance,” anticipating their needs, wants or desires by offering them something unexpected but welcome. This is a classic “marketing is like dating” scenario.

It reminded me of a man I dated who was a single dad with full custody of his kids. He could spot things that needed doing as soon as he walked into my house in a way another man couldn’t, because his experience running a household made him aware. I kid you not, this guy amazed me. He was usually early to pick me up, I was usually late to be ready. One typical day when this happened, I had a pile of laundry on the dining room table waiting to be folded. I came around the corner into the dining room, and there he was folding the laundry and thinking nothing of it. Other times he’d step right in to help with dishes. I certainly appreciated his help but I was also struck by his awareness. I can honestly say that he’s the only guy I’ve dated who folded laundry unsolicited! And it delighted me!

As a marketer and copywriter, you too can delight your customers and prospects. Consider Amazon.com’s recommendations, or ecommerce Web sites that suggest other items you might like based on what you’re looking at. Offline, maybe it’s a birthday card with a special offer, an unexpected coupon for a timely item like lemonade during a hot spell. To get more in-depth, how about a whitepaper or tip sheet that clearly explains an issue that frustrates your customers? Or add some particularly useful articles links to your Web site. Or…

If you want to delight your customer/date, the first step is to be aware, to think about things from the perspective of your target audience. Anticipate the need. Get out of your head and into hers. Once you do that, you’ll spot opportunities for marketing and copywriting that might not be as hands-on as folding laundry, but will be equally appreciated.

Got a dating or marketing story to share, good, bad, or ugly? Post a comment, and let me know if you want it kept private or not. J

Tips for story telling: best practices every copywriter should know

Friday, January 30, 2009 by Sharon Long

As a relevant follow up to my Agri Beef blog, see Tableau Software’s whitepaper on using data to tell stories.

The whitepaper is pitching their software, but it offers best practices for story telling, which I’m paraphrasing here, as I encourage you once again to have your copywriter use story telling…

One, use a story structure. As the whitepaper asks, who are the characters? What is the plot/marketing challenge? What is the happy ending?

Two, be authentic. Your story and copywriting must be real or people will know!

Three, be visual. They’re talking about representing your data, I’m talking about copywriting and words. But I’d say the same thing as a copywriter: paint a picture with words, use numbers, be specific.

Four, make it easy. Keep it simple by simply telling your story, something any copywriter worth her salt should excel at.

Five, ask for feedback. This is one reason for using blogs as marketing tools: You can tell stories in your blog, and encourage people to respond, maybe with their own stories…and that could lead to even more compelling copywriting, provided by your customers!

But most of all, remember that story telling can also be a real fun way to go about your marketing and copywriting!

Copywriting is a dream job when clients are different, unique and GOOD

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 by Sharon Long

Michael has been cutting my hair for over 22 years. My relationship with my hairdresser outlasted my marriage. Seriously, I met Michael when I was just newly dating my ex. My ex is, well, now my ex, but Michael is still around.

I’m not Michael’s only loyal customer. Heck, I’m not even the most loyal! When two of his clients moved to San Francisco, they flew him down to do their hair still. And I’ve had my hair affairs, trying a salon closer to home or less expensive. But I always go back to Michael for one simple reason: He’s the best. (No one else can make my gnarly hair look the one it does in this photo!)

He’s also busy. He hasn’t taken on any new clients in years because he doesn’t have time.

Now, this is a copywriter's marketing blog, you’re probably wondering what kind of kick ass marketing Michael does to guarantee he’s always busy. The answer? None. No Web site, no email marketing, no small business blogging, no nothing. He doesn’t even have a nice salon!

Michael only has to do one thing to keep his schedule full: Stay the best. Michael’s marketing is all those gorgeous heads of hair walking around downtown Seattle. His clients tell their friends how great he is, but they have proof too.

How I wish every copywriting project were like that, but sometimes my copywriting is “me too” copywriting because the clients are “me too” companies. As a Seattle copywriter, I strive to write Web copywriting, email marketing, brochures, whitepapers, etc. as different, to help these clients stand out. But in truth the differentiators between my clients and their competitors is sometimes miniscule, irrelevant or non-existent.

Why don’t we try harder to be different instead of trying harder to out market or out sell the other guy?

The clients who are really are unique? That help their customers solve real-world problems? They’re a copywriter’s dream job. Just as wonderful as one of Michael’s haircuts. And just as likely to establish a loyal customer base because they are the best at what they do.

Are you doing everything you can to be different? To truly be unique in a world full of wanna bes? Then your freelance copywriter is lucky! And you are smart!

Email copywriting: Proof that all emails need copywriting!

Friday, November 7, 2008 by Sharon Long

I’m vindicated! JupiterResearch says work that transactional email!

I’ve long advocated for email copywriting in your transactional emails to take advantage of an opportunity to reinforce your brand, cross-sell, or even grow your in-house email list. And a new report from JupiterResearch, sponsored by StrongMail, not only validates my opinion but takes it a step beyond: JupiterResearch is saying time to get promotional in those transactional emails, people! And for this Seattle copywriter, that means make your messaging promotional too!

A transactional email such as a welcome email, order confirmation or shipping confirmation email is another chance to market to your customer. They’ve already purchased from you (like a widget) or requested something from you (like a whitepaper), so they already have a relationship with you and expect to hear from you. Take advantage of that warm, fuzzy feeling to say “Hey, by the way, you might also be interested in our gadget to go with that widget you just bought.”

It was interesting for me as a copywriter to read that transactional emails often aren’t owned by marketing. OK, that makes the lack of email copywriting make sense! So the first thing we need to do is change the mindset about the transactional email…and any other opportunity we have to touch a prospect or customer, like packaging, customer service, etc. Although I’m just a copywriter, I’m constantly preaching that everything you do is marketing. This just proves it, but also proves how narrow-minded we sometimes are, with clearly defined ideas about what marketing “is” or “is not.”

Peoples, marketing is everything and everywhere. It’s 24x7, round-the-clock. And it should most definitely be happening in your transactional emails. So pull those dry, straightforward text-based emails out of the system, do some kickass email copywriting, and stop wasting opportunities to sell and brand.

Now. J

Yeah, so I guess all this Seattle rain gave me some attitude today!

Email marketing resources

Friday, October 24, 2008 by Sharon Long

One time I was so late in sending a thank you note to a relative that I ended up never sending one. That was over 20 years ago, and I still feel bad about it. But it got so awkward, you know? It became a matter of what was worse, sending the note ages after it was appropriate, or ignoring the situation.

That's how I feel about my blog right now! It has been sooooooo long since I blogged! It's hard to get back to it! But I am back, for a quick note from the Seattle copywriter.

Although I get so busy I don't keep up the way I should, I push blogs as marketing tools for good reason. They work. My blog is one reason I've been so busy with copywriting and web writing. Clients have been finding We Know Words because using blogs as marketing tools is equivalent to being an SEO copywriter: you blog with keywords, you get found.

I'm happy to say I convinced client ClickMail Marketing to begin blogging on email marketing. Hurray! You can find their blog at www.clickmailmarketing.com/whitelist. And, yes, I help with it. So I can tell you it's a useful blog on email marketing, one you should check out.

Other marketing tools I've helped them with that I can recommend are the whitepaper on driving ROI after your email gets to the inbox, download it at http://www.clickmailmarketing.com/whitepaper.html. And we've started publishing the ClickMail Marketer for advice on email marketing. See a sample issue at http://www.clickmailmarketing.com/newsletter.html.

Remember, email marketing makes sense for any size business, and I strongly recommend small business email marketing. But as easy as it is, there are lots of parts to it, so big business or small, make sure you educate yourself on email to make sure you're doing it right. These tools from ClickMail will help.

And of course if you need a Seattle copywriter to help out with the content, you know whom to call, er, email. :-)