Copywriting Titbits...by James Daniel

Follow up...but be subtle!

2012-01-05T10:12:00.010Z

There’s a new generation of snooping tactics on the web, offering new ways to interact and get a second chance of selling. But it will only work if you handle the conversation carefully...

When you visit a website, you’re just an anonymous statistic. That’s something we all love as consumers, but in business it’s been a source of anguish for a whole web generation.

As webmasters, we go to the ends of the earth to drive in traffic – paying Google, or endlessly building links and carefully optimising – so it’s painful to sit back and watch as visitors leave, like the in-store customer who refuses help because they’re “only browsing”!

We want a second bite of the cherry!
OK, a handful might leave a name and email address, but opt-in rates have been in decline for a good few years now:

(1) Because “Join our newsletter” has become meaningless – and most sites that offer an extra bribe are pedalling the same old resources.

(2) Because Social Media and all those newsletters are giving us info overload.

(3) Because to quote Bill Gates, “People hate, hate, hate to subscribe to things on the Internet!”

So if the visitor won’t co-operate, we’ll have to smoke them out!!
In the last few years, boffins have been hard at work, developing new widgets that identify the visitor in one form or another. Examples being:

Live Chat: plenty of tools out there, letting you track the visitor in real time and initiate a conversation. It’s all slightly Big Bro, but if you set parameters (like waiting a minute, and only bothering people who hit transactional pages), it can boost conversion without scaring the proverbial pants off the visitor.

Re-Marketing: Google’s own miracle, that puts a mark against the visitor when they get to your site. Then as they move around the web, dropping into Google’s Content Network, they see your ads, as if by accident – thinking you’re a ubiquitous brand instead of a new-age cyber-stalker!

Lead Forensics: my personal fave will ID the (business) visitor’s IP address and tell you who they work for! You don’t get names, but you see what they searched for and which pages they viewed...more than enough for intelligent follow-up to the relevant department.

So the big question is...

How to exploit all these new-fangled (or in some cases mid-fangled) gadgets?
And the answer is, learn from the last generation of visitor intelligence.

Mail Servers have used “smoke ‘em out” tactics since the dawn of spam. When someone clicks on a link from your email or newsletter, you can see where they went and when. And that’s info that’s been handled well by some, disastrously by others!

Right approach – ring fence people who click through and send a more detailed follow-up message, building on the info you’ve already given. Or invite them into an inner circle, like a Social Media group where they can ask questions or join in discussions.

Wrong approach – get straight on the phone and say “I saw you’ve been on the website, what do you want?”

Obvious, I know, but we all know it happens! But no-one wants to think there’s someone out there who can crack the code and work out where they’ve been online! It’s a sure-fire way to make the visitor feel uncomfortable - and chances are they’ll never darken your virtual door again.

So what does that mean when it comes to the new generation of snoopers?
Well, it means be subtle! Use the technology for opportunity and intel, without spurring the prospect into taking out a restraining order:

...Using Live Chat, don’t jump on the visitor before they’ve found their feet.

...Re-Marketing, make your ad relevant to the product or service viewed...but stop short of reminding them they've seen you somewhere before.

...And if you get the visitor’s company details, wait as long as you can before contact - then spark a gasp of “coincidence” via a phone call or follow-up letter.

Ultimately, with all these tools, you can act on two things: the fact that the visitor is interested here and now, and your knowledge of the product or service they’re looking at.

Use that to your advantage, and keep your surveillance tactics under wraps, and you can finally get that second bite.

In other words, be subtle...and you can enjoy the cherry!

So, did you get mauled by the Panda?

2011-09-13T10:50:00.002+01:00

Now the dust has settled on Google’s divisive Panda Update, and the nightmare stories of overnight ranking dips have fizzled back into the ether, it’s a good time to take a discreet peek at the aftermath, and what it all means for SEO in the long run.

Bit of history first: ‘Panda’ (if you didn’t know) is the name affectionately given to a sweeping change Google made to its algorithm back at the start of this year.

Don’t ask me why they called it ‘Panda’. Pandas are cute and cuddly, and this algorithm can do the business equivalent of ripping your head off and using it as a novelty serving bowl for bamboo shoots.

Still, they had to call it something, and maybe ‘Rottweiler’ was already taken?

For all its ferocity though, Panda was a big fat necessity. It was all about downgrading the trashy 83rd rate content that’s been littering the web in the name of link-building. Google is about relevance and user experience as much as popularity, so the boffins had to do something to end the frenzy of synthetic ‘voting’ that came from directories and article hubs.

Any website with genuine, useful content supported by relevant backlinks might have felt a slight wobble post-Panda, but defo not the Richter-shattering tremors reported by the spam-happy link-stuffing brigade.

So, how did Panda change the rules?
Clearly, the big casualty has been Article Marketing. It’s no longer ‘good practice’ to write an article and syndicate it to 300 article hubs, and the industry has been quick to point this out.

A few caveats, though: (1) multiple links can still send you multiple visitors, who follow through from the article site direct to yours; and (2) a well written article placed on a good article site (without mass syndication) can still give you a valuable SEO boost.

Here’s an example: a few months ago, I optimised a page of my main website for the keyword direct mail copywriter. Initially, the page made it to something like 93rd on Google (despite ticking all the boxes for on-page optimisation).

My next move was to write an article about direct mail, and post it to Article Base (one of the better article sites IMO). The article included a footer credit with an anchor text link back to the target page. A week later, I’d made page 2 of Google, and I’ve now graduated to page 1, with no other links from any source.

(Except the one I’ve just added above!)

I’ve seen dozens of other cases just like this, so if you’re reviewing your article strategy, I’d be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. There is still value there – just know that the rules have changed.

And the other casualties are...?
Scatter-gun link building is out, full stop. Google’s emphasis is firmly on quality over quantity – so if a link is relevant and adds value to the visitor, it’s brownie points all round. But if it’s one of 12 dozen links on a page or a fish out of water content-wise, the spiders will shrug it off like never before (and laugh at you behind your back).

Of course, this all points to one large hairy question:
With so many opportunities to manipulate the linking process, can links be taken seriously now as a measure of popularity?

For the time being, the answer seems to be a tentative Yes, qualified by the new Draconian steps. But other displays of social proof (Facebook likes, retweeted links etc) are suddenly the young pretenders, likely to dethrone links as the big boss arbiters of genuine popularity.

OK, so what does it all mean in practice?
To put it succinctly, it means quality rules - and any site that plays the SEO game nicely (that means putting the user first) is unlikely to suffer significant knock-backs.

Here are 5 steps you could take:

1. Take a fresh look at your content. Make sure it’s user-focused, intuitive and a handy source of info.

2. Add some video. As you probably know, Google owns YouTube, so best to import it from there...pretty soon, they’ll be analysing the audio track of every video, and factoring in the transcripts when they place you for given keywords.

3. Get blogging. These days, blogs are a big and much under-used opportunity. Choose your keyword, then optimise a quality post and see what happens...

4. Write some guest articles. Team up with people who target the same market as you and worm your way into their contacts by sharing some expertise. You’ll only get one link, but with the right partner, it’s one worth having.

5. Add social media icons. Invite people to join your facebook page, ask them to share a link or just click the ‘Like’ button. This could make a massive difference somewhere (not too far) down the line.

OK, there are lots of other things too, but that’s enough to be getting on with!

And if you’ve had an Apres-Panda experience, feel free to share it below...

Incredible...25% of Welsh SMEs have no website!!

2010-10-28T10:45:00.004+01:00

As a Web Copywriter based in sunny Wales, I don't know how to react to Google's latest revelation. I don't know whether to dance on the table and shout "Kerching!" at the prospect of what's to be done, or slump over my keyboard in despair of an economy that needs a boot up its proverbial jacksy.

Frankly, I don't know how any business - even a local corner shop - can refuse to get up to speed with the web and all it has to offer. Whether you're acquiring new customers, retaining, upselling, building loyalty or just promoting word of mouth, you can do it more efficiently - more effectively - online.

And yes I know I'm not making any great revelation there - it's what the whole world has known for the last 15 years or more.

So why is Wales falling so far behind the UK? I'm sure there'll be extensive, costly and inconclusive studies to follow, but just to throw in my tuppence I'd say there are three issues here:

1. A publicly-funded economy. Wales has stifled the entrepreneurial spirit by getting SMEs hooked on European cash - to the point where investing in anything without the cushion of grant funding is counter-cultural.

Outside Wales, I'm sure that'll raise a few eyebrows, but that's what we've become. We're clinging to Europe's apron strings - and now the funding's drying up, a £5-10k budget for a half decent website feels like a billion pound decision.

2. Broadband coverage still ain't what it should be. True, the Assembly is tackling this (one of its few worthy measures) but until Rural Wales joins the rest of the world with a super-fast connection, we'll always have dial-up companies who don't believe the internet myths they have to read in yesterday's newspaper.

3. A dogged attitude of "This is how we've always done it". Bizarrely, Wales is home to some of the UK's best web developers, but so many local companies - including some in the Wales Top 300 - are attached to old business models and just "not getting" the internet.

And that goes deeper than companies who refuse to set up online...it's an attitude that plagues thousands of firms who've reluctantly made the transition.

Soz if that offends, but it's true. Roam through Wales' top companies and you'll see a massive disparity online. At one end of the scale, you've got companies like Admiral who play the web for all its worth - but at the other end, you'll see token websites that were clearly built in 1996 from one of those 'Build It Yourself' CDs that should have been destroyed in the interests of taste.

These companies are succeeding now in spite of themselves, but it'll only take a handful of web-savvy competitors to knock them off their perch and send Wales' fragile economy further down the swanny.

OK, so that's the problem - what about the answer? I've got to say, for the most part it's not about government...it's all about hearts and minds.

It's about appreciating the full potential of the web. Even if you're stuck in a broadband blackspot, the web is still out there and it can only become more important to your customers as time moves on.

Like it or not, the web has changed the face of marketing - and there's no going back. Grant money or not, no business is going to survive the next 5 years without a considered presence online.

If you're struggling to make your mark online, join me and a team of marketing ninjas at The Growth Circle's next Media Summit in Swansea - a chance to learn some vital new tricks and tap into a whole new way of thinking. See http://www.4thnovember.com/

Google Instant: great news or tragedy?

2010-09-18T14:15:00.002+01:00

Google is raving about their new brainwave Google Instant, running around like the excited baker who had the presence of mind to pre-slice a loaf of bread. But is it anything more than a cute toy? And is it set to destroy the efforts of honest SEO Copywriters like yours truly who’ve played the long-tail keyword game to the letter?

Google Instant, if you don’t know, is the clever new gizmo that second guesses what you’re searching for while you’re still typing in your query. Personally I just find it annoying, like they don’t trust me (poor cretin) to know for sure what I’m looking for. But my own irritations aside, I can see four victims in all this.

Victim #1: the searcher
Let’s say you get to Google intending to search for ‘Sony Digital Camera’...you get as far as ‘Sony’ and you see a predictive result for ‘Sony Ericsson’ in the corner of your eye - not what you were after, but hang on, this mobile phone looks cool...let’s take a look. (Admit it, you get easily distracted online!)

Suddenly, you’re checking out all manner of things you weren’t really looking for, wasting time instead of answering your search with the efficiency of old.

I know you’ve only got yourself to blame if you let that happen...but that’s how we all behave online, so whichever way you cut it, searchers will be getting a less valid experience.

Victim #2: the web host
If you’ve played the Google game and optimised for long-tail keywords, clearly Mr & Mrs Searcher are less likely to find you. True, Google has promised that actual rankings won’t change, but with shiny distractions cutting off searches mid-stream, these results won’t be showing up as often as before.

And it’s not just long-tail. The new tool uses historic search data to make its predictions, so even short-tail keyword searches can be disrupted. Try typing in ‘’Holland’ and before you see a single windmill, ‘H-o-l...’ shows you the more popular keyword ‘holidays’ – effectively saying “Don’t visit Holland, come to Spain, Barbados...anywhere else!”

It’s not great news for the Dutch Tourist Board! And the same principle applies with any keyword – there’s no point ranking if visitors are hijacked before your listing appears!

Victim #3: pay-per-clickers
Adwords are subject to the same predictive impulse, so in some cases an ad could show up for just a nano-second before another letter is typed and throws it out of contention. Click Through Rates will suffer, so advertisers can only hope that Big G will amend its quality score accordingly...otherwise the advertiser could be penalised for non-selection with a higher cost per click!!

And of course advertisers risk losing their searchers through distraction – just like the web hosts who rank in natural search. So whichever way you look at it, their campaign is less likely to deliver.

Victim #4: Google
Search is all about relevance, isn’t it? And if users, web hosts and advertisers start to feel the ripples, Google is going to feel the pain. If they don’t offer relevant results and an efficient user experience, they simply don’t have a business. And even if it is the user’s fault for getting distracted in the first place, the end result is the same...Google has lost some of its impact.

Maybe this is just an over-reaction to something that might not matter one bit. But IMHO it’s encouraging users to be less patient and more impulsive – so visitors will reach your website through a random whim instead of commitment to solving a problem.

With Facebook ads already mounting a massive challenge to Adwords, this might not prove to be the smartest move they’ve ever made at Google Towers.

Time will tell...

Every dentist needs a fan club

2010-07-30T15:12:00.004+01:00

I got chatting to my dentist this month about social media things. (No, I'm not sad enough to socialise with my dentist, it was pre-appointment small talk). Anyway, she spouted that weird phrase "Why do I need a page on Facebook?"

I don't get it! After Google, Facebook is now the world's most popular website. Yes, a lot of people waste a lot of time playing Mafia Wars and sending each other virtual cows and ‘poking’ relative strangers...but used properly, it’s an awesome tool for any business (ANY business) that needs to attract and retain customers.

I'd have said so there and then, but by that time she was doing something nasty with a wisdom tooth and it was best not to antagonise.

Anyway, here’s my 10 reasons why every business needs a Facebook fan page:

1. You get to show the people side of your business. In my dentist's case, it's a chance to ‘pull off the mask’ and smile for once in a while...

2. You can share your expertise via posts and discussions – adding some extra value for customers and showing prospects the kind of service levels they can look forward to.

3. It’s another point of presence online – so another chance to be found. Unlike your personal Facebook page, your fan page is searchable...so use Facebook’s power to target the big league keywords that your main site struggles to rank for.

4. You create a link back to your main website, from a site that Google loves and respects...massively boosting your site’s own credibility in the process.

5. You can update people in seconds. So if you’ve got some vital news or you’re launching a new product or service, you can spread the word without waiting for your next full-blown newsletter to hit.

6. You keep your business front and centre – every new post you make shows up on every fan’s home page (just don’t abuse the privilege or you’ll end up hidden or dumped!)

7. Facebook promotes you to friends of friends...when one person joins your fan page, all their friends get to know about it...you’ve got your very own viral messenger!

8. People get to engage with you: unlike your website, which is all one-way, this is a place where they can interact. Let them ask you questions, make comments and generally get involved!

9. You become the ‘heart’ of your industry. While your competitors are relying on passive media like their website and offline marketing, you’re the one reaching out to the market and cultivating a loyal fan base.

10. You get to know exactly who your most important customers are. The ones who join you on Facebook are the ones who really value you – the ones most likely to refer you to friends and family and colleagues. So make sure they know exactly how they can help your business – and let them tell you how you can help them in return.

Oh yeah, and a bonus reason – it’s all free! For now, at least...

It doesn't matter whether you're a dentist, chiropractor, insurance broker, candlestick maker, whatever...everyone needs to be on Facebook!

And while you’re on there, don’t forget to join the EarthMonkey fan club. All comers welcome...

Keep your mission statement under wraps

2010-04-15T15:17:00.002+01:00

I’ve yelled this a few times lately, so time to put it in writing: whatever type of business you’re in, please pretty please keep your mission statement out of the public eye!

I know this plea will fall on deaf ears (or blind eyes, as I’m not actually talking). But I’ve read hundreds of websites and brochures and stuff that just regurgitate MSs in the hope that a spirited round of "we’ll be the best" is enough to convince the sceptical prospect.

And guys, it is not! Your MS is there, as 007 would say, for your eyes only.

Think about it. Your MS probably says something like “we’ll delight our customers through a system of excellence underpinned by class-leading service and customer-centric value-led solutions” or other such twaddle. If you can make that stick behind closed doors, great, you’ve focused your team on their goals (although something in English would probably be more effective). But your customers don’t want abstract pledges, they want tangible benefits: what does your "class-leading service" mean to them in real terms? What problem are you solving? How are you going to change their life?

MSs worm their way into every inch of corporate marketing, with no thought for their lack of impact. Online the biggest sinner is the humble ‘About Us’ page, but even then - when you're ostensibly the subject - too much navelgazing is a risky approach! ‘About Us’ should be less about you, more about what you do in the context of the customer’s needs and desires – a way of proving that you’re geared up to deliver what they expect. That's a long way from insisting that you “demonstrate first rate system implementation”!

Rant over! But corporate peeps (you know who you are), I’ll consider this post a victory if you remove the MS from your marketing bits. And it’ll be a triumph if you change the MS to something your staff can relate to...

If you annoy 50% of your market, you're good enough to be Prime Minister!

2010-01-21T12:43:00.004Z

Copy can never be timid. If you want to excite your readers to the point where they grab the phone, visa in hand and beg you to take their cash, you can't be afraid to make the occasional bold statement!

That doesn't mean lying or even strecthing the truth...it means telling the truth, even when it's unpalatable - and it means stepping out of the ordinary (what's deemed 'professional' and 'acceptable') to make sure your message stands out above the 3000 others we see every day.

Still, there are companies who choose to keep their marketing in neutral, for fear of upsetting a fraction of their market! I know, the UK government has decided it's naughty to cause offence and you can get 10 years in prison and a smack off Harriet bloody Harman just for hurting someone's feelings...but come on! Marketers can't play nursemaid.

Shake the hornet's nest once in a while!

In terms of response, it stands to reason that the 'safe' approach never works. Say you have 10 prospective customers: 3 might be interested, 4 are preoccupied and the other 3 are suspicious of any kind of marketing so they'd never touch you anyway! So why the hell would you pander to the last 3? They're the 'never-wills'! Why would your first objective be to cause them as little offence as you can, when they're never going to thank you for it and reward you with vast lumps of cash?

All you're doing is diluting the message for everyone else.

Marketing is a numbers game, and if someone is never going to accept your message you have to say bollocks and address the people who give you a chance of business. And if the message that inspires real prospects has to alienate the rest, sorry but that's just collateral damage. (Grow up or get a life!)

The best marketers actually take pride in the number of complaints they receive. They accept that you can't please all of the people and that any strong response is better than simply going unnoticed.

Just try it the next time you write a sales letter or place an ad. Do something off the wall...something that will cause a few tuts from disgruntled people in Tunbridge Wells...it will fly around offices and from email to email, because it's new and different.

And remember: no government has ever had universal support...and if someone can rise to the highest office in the land and still be hated by millions, you can build a business on the same foundations.

By the way, Gordon - no offence!

Live search: a dream or nightmare for copywriters?

2009-10-30T16:45:00.005Z

Google's announcement that Twitter updates are to be included in search results changes the whole landscape of SEO Copywriting. Suddenly everything is blown open, as new opportunities jostle with threats to the entire status quo.

Opportunities: well if you're struggling to make a splash for your chosen keyword, tweet it to the max and the topical slant is going to give you a boost. PLUS Twitter's live insight into current search trends hands you an immediate audience together with pre-defined keywords. It's kind of like the way bloggers can get listed for the day's news, but with rapid impact and more than the news sites to suggest the day's popular content.

Threats: well imagine you've just had your website nicely optimised. You've beaten off the competition and there you'll stay for a while at least...but now the tweeters are coming to get you! And even if specific tweets don't manage to gazump you, the Twitter-savvy competitor will link to optimised pages, boosting their main site with some topical Twitter power.

Now maybe some of this is speculation, and the precise challenges will become apparent as the Twigoogle thing rolls out...but clearly Google has 2 big priorities: social media and instant results.

It means every copywriter - and every business owner - will have to get Twitter-happy and harness a whole raft of applications just to stay ahead of the game.

Mud-slinging: the copywriter’s first sign of desperation

2009-10-19T12:13:00.002+01:00

There’s a long-standing unwritten law in copywriting, that directly dissing the opposition is a definite no-no. Not because we subscribe to high ideals or some lofty code of ethics, but simply because mud-slinging is largely counter-productive.

I first realised this when I read an ad by a local funeral director, who bigged himself up by “exposing” his rivals for not having local roots! For a service that calls for sensitivity, it was tacky to the max. And personally, I’d rather die than use his firm (no pun intended!)

OK, that’s an extreme example, given the business context. But the same principle applies across the board.

Think of it this way: you’re standing at a tradeshow between two rival merchants, both hungry for your business. Instead of showing you how their product is going to solve your problems, they start hurling abuse at each other...drawing on the weaknesses of the alternative instead of their own value.

Would you trade with the one who provides the best insults? Whoever makes the other look worse? Or more likely, would you take your business elsewhere? I’m guessing it’s the latter.

Because no-one wants to get caught in the thick of a bitching cross-fire!

Of course a sales message needs a strong dose of differentiation. But you can set yourself apart through the virtues of your product and the broader failings of your sector...you don’t need to wage a full-on assault that drags your customers into an internal battleground.

Sadly though, this unwritten rule is now being flouted more and more. Maybe it’s a desperate ploy that reflects our desperate times, or maybe it’s the start of a more ‘in your face’ advertising culture. But today, banks, supermarkets and frozen pizzas alike are slinging the mud back and fore.

So the big question: is this what you want? What would you respond to?

Would you rather buy X because it meets your needs, or just because it’s less crap than Y?

What does your customer need to know?

2009-09-01T14:21:00.011+01:00

I'm dedicating this post to an ad I've just found in a Tesco store in Cardiff. A classic bit of "Don't go there" copywriting if ever there was one (and there is).

"4 tickets to Bristol Hippodrome" it reads. Wow! To see what exactly?

Well they're not saying JD, but hey who cares? It's the Bristol Hippodrome! Isn't that enough??

Not really. I can't speak for you, but I'm not one who could cheerfully sit in the BH and be just plain happy to be there, regardless of what's on stage. You might disagree. You might call me Mr Picky and argue that the bijou auditorium and comfy plush upholstery alone warrant the cost of crossing the Severn Bridge.

But personally, I like to discriminate and pre-qualify my theatre jaunts with questions like "what's on?"

So - first glaring ommission: WHAT PLAY IS IT?
BH has a varied programme this autumn, ranging from the Chuckle Brothers to 'Puppetry of the penis', so I dare say they're pulling in quite a broad demographic. (OK, I can imagine both will contain the lines "To me, to you", but their audiences are still far from interchangeable!)

Then - second glaring ommission: WHEN???
What's the date on the tickets? Do I have to call to find out? Or is there a prize if I guess correctly? The date here is not just a vital feature, it's also a deadline so really not the sort of info you want to leave out.

(Of course if you're really crafty you can use the 'Display Until' date as a clue, but this really shouldn't be a Scooby Doo kind of matter).

In copywriting terms, the lesson here is pretty obvious: it helps to think like your customer and ask "what do they need to know?". Granted, our ticket tout friend has a clear call to action (three phone numbers - and they boldly invite you to make an offer!!) but if you don't create the need there's no point closing the deal!

I know, I know, I'm being harsh, this is just an ad in Tesco. But the same principles apply to any type of copywriting: forget what you know, adopt the customer's level of knowledge and feel their motivation.

OK, lesson over. If this ad does float your boat, drop me a line and I'll give you the phone number. Then I hope you'll enjoy the show - whatever it turns out to be...

Writing your own copy? Benefits are specific!

2009-07-31T13:24:00.005+01:00

A lot of people ask me to critique their copy. Strangely, some take offence when I tell them there'll be a cost, as if I should be holding an open surgery in exchange for the right to trade as a copywriter! (I do the same with taxi drivers - before I let them drive me anywhere I ask for a detailed appraisal of my 3-point turns...)

Anyway, that's by the by. Yes, I get a lot of copy passed under my nose - and it looks to me like generic benefit statements are making an ill-deserved comeback.

Generic benefit statements, JD? What's one of them?

I'm glad you asked. Imagine any of these as a headline on a leaflet that lands on your desk or doormat:

"Amazing offer!"
"Fantastic deal"
"Helping your business"
"Bargains galore"
"Save money"
"Save time"
Or worse still..."We're the best in the business"

Every one of these 'headlines' could apply to any type of business - so to the reader, the product or service could be anything at all. And very few readers will carry on reading to see if it's relevant.

Here's the point. We all wear multiple hats in this life. Person (A) could be a doctor with 3 dogs and a passion for stamp collecting. Person (B) could be a retired plumber with a bad back and a secret penchant for Belgian cheeses. Every message we respond to engages with one specific aspect of our lives - so the second you have your prospect's attention, you have to tell them which hat to wear.

Case in point: if you found this post because you Googled "penchant for Belgian cheeses", you're wearing ABSOLUTELY the wrong hat! But hopefully the headline told you that and saved you a bit of time...

Don't say everything at once!

2009-07-04T10:46:00.003+01:00

I've read some dodgy copy in my time, but this one takes the biscuit! Check this out - a statement from the Association of Chief Police Officers, in response to the UK Government's Green Paper on Policing:

“The promise of reform which the Green Paper heralds holds much for the public and Service alike; local policing, customised to local need with authentic answerability, strengthened accountabilities at force level through reforms to police authorities and HMIC, performance management at the service of localities with targets and plans tailored to local needs, the end of centrally-engineered one size fits all initiatives, an intelligent approach to cutting red tape through redesign of processes and cultures, a renewed emphasis on strategic development so as to better equip our service to meet the amorphous challenges of managing cross force harms, risks and opportunities.”

What????

They're trying to say everything at once here, and the sentence runs to 102 words!! As a result, the Plain English Campaign has shortlisted them for their Golden Bull Awards - and fingers crossed they'll sweep the board!

After reading the sentence several times over, I've had a bash at rewriting it. Like this:

The Government’s plans will help the Police as well as the general public. In the future, we’ll be able to:

Serve the needs of local communities
Plan and manage staff locally
Make sure everyone is held to account
Accept that every challenge is different, and scrap ‘one-size-fits-all’ ideas
Change anything that gets in the way of progress – from processes to attitudes
Deal with all types of risks and opportunities

Of course that leaves out some of the methodology that's hinted at in the original - but that can follow later. This is an introductory statement, and each of the bullets can form its own detailed section.

I know that's not rocket science, but clearly it's a point that has to be made!!

What is a rebrand anyway?

2009-05-14T09:03:00.002+01:00

'The Apprentice' continues to amaze and dumfound! This week the muppets and muppetesses were off to Margate, trying to reshape the old cockney jellied eels hotspot as a haven for the pink pound!

The thing is, rebranding isn't so much about changing (and reducing) your market, but more about challenging the market to think again: and Ignite's idea of seeing the place through the eyes of a child wasn't too far off the mark...carefully executed, it's a way of exciting the child market and pulling in grown-ups with a throwback to simpler times.

Even if their creative sucked, they had the bones of an idea...

Anyway, the whole episode's been pulled apart by a group of independent consultants: we call it 'Apprentice Space' and you can hear the podcast here. Agree, disagree, that's up to you...

But Margate will never be Brighton! Just ask Chas n Dave...

Keyword trends are shifting

2009-05-05T11:34:00.005+01:00

The time was that you could choose your keywords and stay with them for the long term - at least with a few minor adjustments, if only for seasonality. As the theory went, if 100 people search for "bargain holiday discount" this month, about the same number of new searchers will look for it next month. And in solid economic times, it's a useful benchmark - but these are not solid times, and the search landscape is changing quickly.

Here's an example: 6 months ago I researched keywords for a Virtual Assistant and found the main keyword scored a few dozen hits in Wordtracker. 3 months later I looked again, and the same keyword had rocketed to well over 100 hits - even though there was no increase in the competition!

The reason? Well, in the recession people are laying off their admin staff and looking to outsource support on a convenient 'as and when' basis. And the same ripples are happening in every type of industy. As the economy crumbles, the domino effect is reflected in keyword trends, so political, social and economic factors have joined seasonality as a major variable force.

So, the lesson is: check your keywords at least once a month and ask a few important questions:

1. Is it still sending you traffic? Or has demand slipped away?

2. Is it converting visitors into buyers? (If it was before and isn't now, how have consumer expectations changed?)

3. Are you still ranking? (If demand for a keyword has surged, your competitors are more likely to go after it themselves - so it's time to ramp up your SEO to pull back your advantage)

4. Can you predict the next search trend? You know when Christmas is coming so you can legislate in advance...so in the same way, consider how each economic shift will influence keywords in your sector.

One final note: if you're reacting to changes in keyword trends, don't get sucked into the "cheap" and "free" stuff! In hard times, more people are searching for freebies and deals that kill your margin, and these searches might be a good way to bring in some extra traffic - but you'll be saddled with customers who are overly price-conscious and when the sun comes out again you'll be stuck with these guys and justifying every price increase!

Discover SEO Copywriting in one (intensive!) day. Join JD in South Wales on Thursday May 21st.
Note: this is not another "Get to the top of Google" affair. This is about ranking AND conversion. Request more info here

Think like a customer - not an Apprentice!

2009-04-05T18:45:00.004+01:00

What were they thinking on The Apprentice last week? "Let's serve Olympic-themed food to people who work in the City of London!" The dungbeatle who thought of that should have been first in line for Sir Alan's finger-poking!

But why, JD? London - the Olympics - it's the perfect theme!
True, except for one thing: no it isn't! If they were selling to tourists, they might just get away with their tenuous Olympic sandwich range (even their most dire offering, The Michael Phelps Peanut Butter Sandwich) because tourists think of London as the next Olympic city. It's on their radar, and it's part of their expectation. For city workers, that just ain't the case!

OK, I don't work in the city, but I'd bet 3 vital organs that the Olympics are not in the mindset of people who trot into London every day. They might have appreciated an Olympic lunch to celebrate the awarding of the games, or again to tie in with other landmarks in the delivery schedule. But I doubt they're counting down the days to 2012 and filling the agonising void with any kind of Olympic-themed snack they can lay their hands on!

Is this anything to do with copywriting?
Well yes, I think it is. Choosing a quirky theme is no substitute for giving the customer what they want - and you can only do that by thinking with the customer's hat on. Whether it's PR, product positioning or written copy, the same principle applies: solve the customer's problem or fulfil their desire:

In this case, 'how to grab a decent lunch in a 30-second lunch break!'

Cardiff Airport: where branding is child's play

2009-03-05T09:16:00.010Z

Over the years I've read more crap about branding than any other area of marketing. Let's start by saying that effective branding can work miracles (you only have to look at Compare The Meerkat- a stroke of pure genius!) But I've seen so many businesses waste thousands and even millions on brand consultation that brings them back to obvious conclusions that a 5 year old could have produced for the price of a box of crayons.

The latest navel-gazer is Cardiff International Airport - or Cardiff Airport as it's now to be known, following a lavish brand consultation that climaxed with the dazzling conclusion "Drop the word International".

Now I don't know what this has cost them - but if it's anything more than £7.50, they've been had! You just have to check out the "rationale" from people involved in the consultation: there's more BS to the square inch here than you'd ever believe!

Here are some of the arguements:

"We wanted to emphasise the Welshness of the airport, and felt that dropping the word 'International' made it more appealing to the domestic market". GUYS, IT'S AN AIRPORT!!! It's meant to fly you to places outside Wales. Plus, the word 'Cardiff' has been there all along, and that kind of helps with the Welsh thing, just a bit, don't you think???

Then there's my personal favourite: "In a sense, the term international made the airport sound more provincial". Well, I'm no stranger to ripping things apart, but I don't know where to start with this one!! HOW??? How can 'international' suggest it's just a shed at the bottom of someone's garden? These people are being paid actual money to spout this whole new brand of bollocks.

Go on, read the whole feature. I promise, you won't believe it! If it weren't for the sanity of Cardiff Uni's Elliott Pill, I'd think I'd woken up in some whole new world where black was white...and we spent our life savings to rebrand it as magnolia!

Death to CMS trauma!

2009-01-30T12:33:00.011Z

I must spend half my life with my head buried in different content management systems! In an ideal world, SEO Copywriting could be managed offline, with instructions for uploading content - but in the real world, every CMS is different, and all too often SEO copy has to be adapted to fit the limitations of the CMS.

Okay JD, so you're having a hard time - what of it?
Well, maybe this is just a rant instead of some handy copywriting advice - but it's also a plea to web developers: please please please make your CMS more SEO-friendly! For example:

1. Give clients the freedom to set their own header tags - don't just link the tag to the page title that lives in the menu. Remember, menus have limited character spaces, so while they might include keywords, they won't include the whole search string - and the header tag is an essential hideout for the entire key phrase.

2. If you make a free field available for header tags, don't insist that the page title goes before the free text. The keyphrase needs to go as far to the left as possible. Search engines are lazy, and this can cost your client precious ranking points.

3. Allow clients to set their own image alt tags. Too many systems out there are still dictating alt tags by linking them to page titles or headlines. This doesn't help web reader tools to give a valid image description to poor-sighted users. And if the headline breaks up the search string to allow for grammar or a benefit statement, the same concession is made in the alt tag - where it usually isn't needed.

Of course that's before I touch on the stubborn edit tools that ignore 90% of instructions in most of the popular systems. Changing a font style or even converting to bold can be like climbing a mountain, even when you paste in unformatted text (or even write in free hand).

Anyway, rant over! Yes, there are lots of developers out there with miracle user-friendly and SEO-friendly systems, but far, far too many who are putting obstacles in the way.

By the way, if you're a developer with a decent system that lets the user decide, please let me know!

P.S. sign up for a Crash Course in SEO Copywriting. Spend 4 hours with JD and years in the Google results...

Be exceptional - but don't tell me!

2009-01-20T09:32:00.004Z

I've seen dozens of websites lately from under-qualified consultants who want to tell the world that they're truly amazing.

Their typical profile reads "I am an exceptional character, pursuing a system of excellence to create astounding results" or other such trumpet-blowing. But frankly, why I'd want to know that kind of cack escapes me!

Of course you should be exceptional - but prove it! Don't just bombard me with ego statements in the hope that I'll concede "OK, you've told me enough now! You must be fantastic!"

The quetsion is, why are you exceptional? And how can you demonstrate that in a way that lets me decide for myself!

Put it this way. Think of the most exceptional business person you know. Can you imagine them strolling up to you, tapping you on the shoulder and telling you that they're an exceptional person? Of course not! Their words and actions speak for themselves. Learn a lesson from these guys!

In any form of writing, there's a mantra you should never ignore:

Show - don't tell!

So the next time you're tempted to tell your market how amazing you are, think how you can prove it and let them draw their own conclusions...

No more reciprocal links!

2008-12-02T17:58:00.012Z

I get emails every day from spammers offering to swap links with me, telling me it will boost my PageRank (even though they're boasting a zero). So - this is a public plea to these and all future spammers:

I don't do reciprocal links, so for the last time leave me alone!

If you haven't heard, reciprocal links are on Google's chopping block. The theory goes that 2 sites linking to each other will cancel each other out - so neither site comes away with brownie points. In fact the 2 sites could be penalised for attempting such a vile practice.

True, we don't know this for sure. Just like Colonel Sanders' secret blend of herbs and spices, Google's algorithm remains a closely guarded secret. But you'd be a bold spammer indeed to bet on reciprocal linking as a sure-fire way of boosting your PageRank next year.

So - why is this practice in the firing line? Partly because it's a small-scale version of the (thoroughbred evil) link farm, where people link to each other through convenience rather than relevance. But even when links offer a relevant user experience, the reciprocal thing smacks of an arrangement - and a link has to happen organically to reach the top of the Google tree.

It makes a lot of sense, even if it makes life harder for website owners. A one-way link is the ultimate seal of approval, which fits with Google's mission of relevance, relevance, relevance. In contrast, recipriocal linking is a tacky and slightly desperate device.

Then of course that's just one aspect. It's quite reasonable for 2 site owners to form a genuine, organic alliance that can and should be represented by a mutual link. You could even argue that the web will be a poorer place without the valuable links that just happen to reciprocate. So maybe clamping down on reciprocal linking per se is a bit simplistic, and the Relevance Police that Google already has out in force could be employed to sort reciprocal wheat from reciprocal chaff.

Or is that just naive?

In the real world, the practical course is to chase the perfect link. Which looks a bit like this:

It's one way...
...from the home page...
...of a site that gets plenty of traffic...
...with a PageRank of 4 or above...
...that serves your market...
...but doesn't compete...
...and doesn't link to anyone else!

Not easy! The best strategy I've come across is writing a glowing testimonial for the owner of your target site. Big them up to the point where they'll insist on publishing your endorsement, and they'll want to link back to your site just to boost their own credibility. Nifty...

Marketing Obama-style

2008-11-06T08:56:00.009Z

I know, it's a bit predictable to jump on the Barackwagon, but with the whole world buzzing about Obama, there's a lesson to be learned for anyone involved in marketing.

Whatever your politics, you'd have to admit his campaign team delivered - and the basic principles of the campaign can be used in any marketing drive:

1. Don't rubbish the opposition
McCain's campaign was built on twisting Obama's words and scaring voters into playing it safe. Obama's campaign was chiefly about what he would do in Washington - in other words, "choose me because of who I am, not because you should beware the alternative".

There were even times when McCain's team got personal about Obama, like this embarassing outcry from Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The point is, voters and consumers alike are interested in themselves - and they don't want to get caught in a bitching crossfire. When you rubbish your opposition, you lower yourself in the eyes of your prospects. It might get you a few nods of approval from a partisan crowd, but the people at large will reject it.

2. No gimmicks - just add value
Ever since the primaries, Obama has refused to play the race card. OK, the media has played it for him, but he never suggested you should vote for him just because he's black. By contrast, the basis of Hilary Clinton's campaign was "vote for me because I'm a woman".

Obama got the edge here because he was all about policy and vision, not the gimmick of redressing a balance. That's why a cross-section of voters accepted him in the end.

In marketing terms, the lesson is focus on the core value of your proposition - not the dressing or novelty features that happen to come with it. If you sell widgets, talk about the problems your widget is going to solve. Don't get hung up on what colour it is, where it was made or the pedigree of other products from the same manufacturer!

3. Use technology to the max
Candidates have been using the internet since the mid 90s, but Obama's team kept pace with the internet's evolution as well as other technological advances. In particular, they made full use of social media, gaining 5 times as many supporters on facebook as McCain. They also used texting to remind voters and deliver polling updates.

You can see the difference when you compare the 2 campaign websites. Obama's site embraces web 2.0 to spread the word en masse, while McCain's site sticks to traditional electoral practices like tele-marketing and the "Get 5 voters" advocacy plan. That's worked for candidates in the past, but today it feels snail-like by comparison.

For marketeers, the lesson is obvious: keep up or fall behind.

4. Step into your competitors' comfort zone
We all know you could put a begonia up for election in Texas and as long it wore a republican badge, it would win the popular vote. And there are other states where the same can be said for the democrats. An election is all about swing-states. But this time round, Obama started to make waves in some of the traditionally republican states.

McCain was left taking nothing for granted, and having to focus his efforts as much on retention as acquisition.

For businesses, the moral is clear: if you put your competitors on the backfoot, they'll tie themselves up protecting what they've got and leave you free to pursue your best prospects.

5. Open up new markets
This election had a record turnout, with people who'd never voted before - even this 106 year old woman who finally thought there was something worth voting for.

It's tempting for any business to fight for the established markets and lose sight of potential customers who are yet to show their interest. But by reaching out to the wider market, your business can make sizeable inroads - it's just about tailoring your proposition to new and old markets alike.

So - these were the tools that got Obama elected, and the tools that can win you more business.

Of course once the deal is done, the next step is "Deliver". And whether you're the President or a humble business, that'll always outweigh anything you can do on the campaign trail...

Is your copy recession-proof?

2008-10-10T13:49:00.004+01:00

Sorry to use the R word when we’re still pretending it’s a credit crunch, but a recession is a recession. We’re in the worst economic downturn of a generation, and calling this a credit crunch is an insult to the people it hurts.

It’s like describing Hitler as a bit of a trouble-maker!

But don’t let me get onto that. This blog is all about copywriting. And as consumers batten down the hatches, you have a whole new set of objections to fight against.

If you ignore the new challenge, it could spell curtains for your business. But face it full-on and you could even use the new climate to your advantage. So take another look at your marketing strategy and examine your copy inch by inch.

Then chew over these ideas and see where you end up:

1. Don’t stop advertising
No, that’s not a desperate plea from a copywriter who needs clients to keep up their advertising spend - it’s just common sense! Even in a recession, people are still buying, even if it’s on a smaller scale. But the first thing your competitors will sacrifice is their marketing budget, so you have the chance to stand alone – and that makes you the big shot!

What’s more, if you’re buying media space, you should be able to strike a fantastic deal. In other words, you can spend less money and increase your visibility all in one. That’s common sense!

2. Find out what’s changed for your customers
Talk to the ones who love you, and especially the ones who desert you. How have their priorities changed since the recession kicked in? What problem do they have today that they didn’t have last year, and how can you position yourself as the ultimate solution?

While you’re doing this, don’t overlook the crucial Google factor! What are people searching for? What new keywords or phrases are they using, and how can you adapt your website to suit the new world?

You can start your keyword research by visiting Wordtracker - a nifty tool for spotting new search trends and niches to improve your search rankings.

3. Emphasise the value of your product or service
The first rule of copywriting is to make an emotional connection with your audience. Before the recession, the emotive angle might have been the need for convenience, or playing on the frustrations of life without your product. In a recession, these things still apply - but watching the pennies also becomes a key emotional trigger.

So if your product has a ‘stitch in time’ benefit that reduces long-term spending, clearly that’s your best chance of making the emotional connection. Just focus on your prospect’s concerns and present a viable alternative.

But even if your product isn’t a money-saver, you can fight resistance by focusing on value – whether it’s a discount, BOGOF or just a fair price, you need to push the value angle all the way through your copy.

That doesn’t mean other factors like quality should go to the wall. It just means you should focus your copy to match your customer’s priorities – which may have changed.

4. Write positively
As you write your copy, use subliminal closing by talking positively about the outcome. Lose weak words like ‘if’, ‘would’ or ‘maybe’, and when you’re talking about solutions, avoid negatives like ‘but’ and ‘however’.

While you’re subtly adding positives to your copy, remember the value aspect. Take every opportunity to sneak in an adjective that underlines the value . It all helps to move the prospect steadily towards a buying decision.

5. Target your existing customer base
These people know you and (hopefully!) trust you – so they’re more likely to buy from you again. It’ll take you less time and money to convince them, so make sure you keep in touch and offer them free info and advice.

Regular e-mail, newsletters and mailshots become an absolute must. Talk to a decent copywriter if you can’t do it yourself!

6. Offer free trials and discounts
In a booming economy freebies are a naughty word, and yes they can devalue your product. But in a recession, the landscape has changed. As long as you’re not begging customers to take stuff off your hands, a freebie is a great way to connect with people who are feeling the pinch.

Try offering free samples of your wares or some juicy extras. Or offer a taster of your service, like a free 60-minute consultation. If your product has a hefty price tag, let customers try it free for a limited period. Or offer other perks like free delivery or paying the VAT.

It’s your market, and your customers will have their own unique sensitivities. Just look at your barriers to entry - and start knocking them over.

7. Reduce the risk
When we're scared of spending money, we're less willing to 'take a chance'. Your product probably does everything it promises, so stand by it and offer a no-quibble refund if it doesn't come up to scratch.

My guarantee is "You will love the copy I write for you – and if you don’t, I’ll write it again and again until you crack a smile!” That way, there’s absolutely no risk. And there has to be a similar guarantee you can give to your customers.

So there we are - braving a recession is about keeping your customers sweet and helping them to be successful so they keep on feeding you business. So give them confidence in your service and keep yourself on their radar!

Even if they’re not spending money with you during the recession, you’ll be the first person they think of as soon as they blow the dust off their wallets!

Is this the worst advert ever??

2008-08-24T11:55:00.005+01:00

Call me a sad old git, but yes, I keep a file of old ads, sales letters and other copywriting samples that might come in handy one day. This week I stumbled across my all-time favourite, and it's high time I shared it with you.

(No lawsuits please - I've removed the offending company's name to save their blushes!)

Just look at that headline: "Have a cracking Christmas with a new hearing aid". OK, this was a Christmas promotion, but everything else about this ad is wrong!

1. There's no generic link between Christmas and hearing aids - so wouldn't they be better off relating to hearing problems with a festive slant?

2. What's the duck doing there? What does a duck have to do with Christmas or hearing difficulties? Not much, unless this is a special duck that can't hear himself singing Christmas carols!

3. How does the headline relate to the duck? Actually, I have a thoery on this: some idiot copywriter wrote "a quacking Christmas" to tie in 'duck' and 'festivities', then some bigger idiot said "lose the quack but keep the duck!" What were they thinking?? Even if they'd run with the quacking theme, it would still have fallen flat, because (a) it's a God-awful pun, and (b) it's got nothing to do with hearing aids! But as it is, it's meaningless!

If this ad was just a little bit better, it would be total crap.

The biggest offence, of course is the headline. They've done nothing to force the connection between Christmas and hearing aids, so it's as empty as saying "Cure your haemorrhoids in time for Lent" or "Easter isn't Easter without a series of botox injections!"

But the visual concept can't escape the post-mortem either. It can't just do its own thing, it has to tie in to your headline - no excuses! Just slapping a santa hat on the duck isn't enough to sell you a hearing aid, even if it does give you a warm and tingly festive glow.

I'll leave the call to action alone as I've left the bottom off the ad. But all things considered, this has to be the worst press ad ever created! If you wrote it, hang your head in shame. If you responded to it, send me your address. I've got a Halloween-based cure for athlete's foot that could be right up your street...

You're the seller - not the buyer!

2008-07-17T11:11:00.004+01:00

We all have our own 'buttons' that clever copywriters can push - and when they do it, we all leap up and down in the air frantically waving our credit cards shouting 'Please take my money NOW!"

But (no revelation here) everyone's buttons are different. Yours could be the need to save money or a chance to rid yourself of some ghastly chores. It could be a desire to live a longer, happier life, or a sudden urge to run wild and free in a fit of reckless abandon.

Frankly, your button (or buttons) could be anything at all. But if you're poised to buy something, you probably won't have the same buttons as the person selling it to you.

So why do people insist on selling their wares by pushing their personal buttons?

Most of the copy we see is written by business owners who sell their product back to themselves instead of understanding where their customers or prospects are coming from. But like it says at the top of the page, you're the seller - not the buyer. So forget what turns you on, and get inside your customer's mind.

That means pushing tangible benefits instead of waffling on about features. It means empathising with problems and presenting a solution. It means using the prospect's current mindset as a weapon against them, flooring them with the sheer force of their own frustrations - or aspirations.

When you sell a product back to yourself, you're satisfying your own interest - and limiting your market to the small bunch of people who think the same as you. The problem is, half those people will be your friends and colleagues. The other half will be your competitors!

And that doesn't get you much business...

Don't YELL at your prospects

2008-06-27T12:13:00.004+01:00

There's a vile form of copywriting, especially on the web, that's focused on one particular audience: people who don't MIND you SHOUTING BENEFITS at them and SCREAMING how they'd be STUPID TO MISS OUT!!!! and overdoing EXCLAMATION MARKS as if that's going to PERSUADE anyone to BUY SOMETHING!!!

Horrible, isn't it?

Even offline, this style is overused - especially by will writers who like to scare you by saying:

FACT! The Chancellor WILL take 100% of YOUR ESTATE and GOBBLE UP YOUR CHILDREN FOR ELEVENSES if you don't MAKE A WILL!!!

What a load of OLD CRAP!

Here's another FACT: people don't like being told they're wrong, misguided or naive. So the best way to get them on side is not (should that be NOT?) to yell "I know something you don't know!"

Remember the old phrase, you catch more flies with honey? Become your prospect's ally, not an irritant or predator. That means understanding what they want, then telling them how you'll deliver it in a way that shows them respect.

So next time someone literally yells in your face and you feel like punching them in theirs, remember that's how most people react when they read THIS STYLE OF COPY!!!

Negatives are not evil...!

2008-06-04T07:39:00.007+01:00

Any direct sales person worth his or her salt will tell you to banish negatives from your sales pitch. Negative words like "But" or "Problem" just put a downer on the whole process (so the theory goes): they let the prospect slip into a negative frame of mind when they should be in positive buying mode.

Sales guys, feel free to shoot me down in flames, but I have to disagree. Negatives are your friend, especially when it comes to the written word.

In your sales copy, of course you need to stay focused on a positive outcome, but often the best way to make an emotional connection is to harness the prospect's own negativity. If they have a problem that you'll be solving with your product or service, then naturally you want to remind them how crap their life is before you swoop in with the mircale solution!

In other words, negatives are hugely effective in the early stages of copy, as you poke around the wound and empathise with the prospect's dilemma. And that's fine - just as long as you never lose sight of the positive.

If you just come across as a figure of doom, clearly no one will buy from you - but trade as a realist with a viable alternative and some well-placed negatives will serve you well...