Personalised copywriting training courses – Cheshire, Manchester, Lancashire, Liverpool

Buzzwords is now offering one-to-one copywriting training at its Cheshire (south Manchester) base.  (More details are on Buzzwords’ website at:  buzzwords.ltd.uk/copywriting_training_courses.htm – add the  ’www’ prefix)

Half-day modules focus on specific aspects of copywriting (such as website copywriting, SEO copywriting or copywriting for PR) and use a personalised coaching model.  The training is particularly useful for:

• Ambitious would-be copywriters who want to start a new copywriting career (as well as those with some copywriting experience – in a marketing department, for instance – who want to improve their skills and move on to more challenging copywriting roles)
• Those who run small or medium-size businesses (SMEs) who want to save money by taking the copywriting function in-house
• Individuals in larger organisations looking to boost their effectiveness at work by increasing their knowledge and confidence in dealing with external suppliers of copywriting services

An initial two-hour Assessment is provided at Buzzwords’ Knutsford premises to find out exactly what is expected of the training.  This is a departure from the standard training approach where one-day courses deliver a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution – which, in many cases, is no solution at all!

Mike Beeson will take into account an individual’s aims, timescales and natural aptitude before setting out recommendations in a written Report.  This approach will ensure that those who move on to the actual training modules have exactly the training they need, thus saving precious time and money.

An initial Assessment costs £POA + VAT. 

Half-day training modules cost £POA + VAT.

 

To find out more, call Mike Beeson on 01565 654023

- or visit Buzzwords’ main website:

buzzwords.ltd.uk/copywriting_training_courses.htm (adding the ‘www’ prefix)

 

Website Design page added to Buzzwords’ website

Buzzwords now offers bespoke website design services for clients looking for more than the website copywriting and SEO copywriting services currently on offer. Many clients – especially SMEs – prefer to deal with one supplier rather than having to source and co-ordinate an army of website professionals. Buzzwords has worked with website designers and programmers for many years so it makes sense to roll it all up into an optional turnkey service. 

(Buzzwords’ website copywriting and SEO copywriting services continue to enjoy great popularity and are still provided as standalone services.)

Web development packages introduced by Buzzwords

Manchester-based copywriting agency, Buzzwords Limited, has introduced three web development packages to complement its website copywriting and SEO copywriting services:

• Bespoke website design – Everything from a five-page ‘brochure’ website to an an all-dancing e-commerce catalogue.
• Content Management Systems - Buzzwords will manage and write the copy and content for your website.  Design and hosting are all part of the CMS package.
• WordPress blog development - Add a blog to your existing website.  Or create a standalone blog ‘website’.

“A choice of one-stop solutions is what more and more clients want when it comes to their online marketing, especially the smaller company which often doesn’t have the time or the know-how to shop around and co-ordinate all the website services ” says Buzzwords’  Director, Mike Beeson.  “With this new service from Buzzwords, clients get expert website copywriting and SEO plus whatever type of website or blog suits their needs or their budget.”

SEO Copywriting – 10 Steps to SEO Heaven!

New SEO copywriting content has been added to Buzzwords’ copywriting website (buzzwords.ltd.uk/seo_copywriting.htm).   ‘SEO Copywriting – 10 steps to SEO success!’ is all about the various steps that Buzzwords goes through when conducting an SEO copywriting makeover for a client. These include:

• STEP ONE – Analysing the website structure and sitemap
• STEP TWO – Keyword appraisal
• STEP THREE – Optimising every page with the appropriate keywords
• STEP FOUR – Including keywords in URLs
• STEP FIVE – Optimising for business leads from the immediate locality
• STEP SIX – Writing for people, not robots!
• STEP SEVEN – The time lag between SEO copywriting changes and visible search engine results
• STEP EIGHT – Results and the limitations of on-page SEO copywriting
• STEP NINE – The need for strategic off-page SEO copywriting
• STEP TEN – Persistence pays off with free online advertising!

 

Construction industry copywriter – a new page on Buzzwords’ website

Flying in the face of the recession, a new page has been added to Buzzwords’ website today: Construction Industry Copywriter. This complements the other building industry page on the Buzzwords’ site: Property Copywriter. Building is still continuing in the UK, even if at a much reduced level. Crucially, from a copywriting point of view, there are still thousands of people out there who are employed in what could be described as ‘construction industry support services’ – surveying, civil engineering, consultants and so on. Many major planning projects are either mid-stream or being discussed for launch in the medium-term once the major impact of this recession has passed. And there are of course parts of the economy, such as supermarkets, which are doing very nicely and which need buildings into which they can expand their business. And as with all businesses right now, everyone is fighting for market share. Fortunately for copywriting, this creates demand for website copywriting, SEO copywriting and e-mail/e-zine marketing – to name just a few disciplines.

SEO copywriting and the problems with ’search’

I’ve just posted an article on Buzzwords’ main website (see: buzzwords.ltd.uk/news_links.htm) which highlights the shaky ground on which the conventional wisdom of online ’search’ rests and how it relates to SEO and SEO copywriting.

Many people assume that the web pages which come top in a Google search are ’simply the best’, when in fact they are probably only the ‘best-optimised’. Of course, the search engines are working tirelessly to find an algorithm that delivers the ultimate search experience, while SEO types (including SEO copywriters) are working equally hard to manipulate their clients’ websites into pole position.

Whether the ultimate dream of matching round pegs with round holes will ever happen is doubtful.   Until then, clients looking for marketing success should embrace SEO and SEO copywriting with every dollar at their disposal!

SEO Copywriting – relevant results or quality content?

Buzzwords recently switched to a content managed website (CMS) to speed up the addition of new content.  To make sure new pages were indexed as soon as possible, the decision was taken to upload ’skeleton’ pages to start with and then add quality content later.  The initial pages comprised a relevant, robot-friendly URL, appropriate meta tags and some examples of previous work.  

Although some of these new pages were for low-competition, long-tail keywords, I’ve been amazed to see them feature on Page One of both Google and Yahoo.  This begs the question about the extent to which ranking is based on quality content, and how much depends on relevance.  (The other criterion of  ‘inbound links’ doesn’t apply to these all-new pages and can therefore be discounted from the equation.)

For those who search for a long-tail keyword (or something less than generic), there would seem to be little guarantee of quality content.  All they can hope for is that ‘relevance’ will ultimately deliver the quality content and information they need.  In the meantime, could this be seen as a flaw in the system of ’search’ that only I have noticed?  That’s highly unlikely, but it does suggest that care should be taken when interpreting the worth of top ranking search results pages (SERPS).

Buzzwords launches online copywriting packages

With the emphasis very much on SEO copywriting, Buzzwords has launched a range of online copywriting packages.  These should be of particular interest to SMEs and the budget-focused departments of larger companies.

The synergies which come from combining SEO copywriting with website copywriting and the link building activities which encompass online PR and article marketing make complete commercial sense. 

To approach all of these in a piecemeal way misses the point.  It may save money in the short term but, by ignoring the benefits of cross-referencing all these powerful skillsets, money is undoubtedly being left on the table.

Buzzwords’ online copywriting packages can be tailored to every client’s needs, with budgets being dictated by activity levels.  With online marketing becoming a mainstream activity, to ignore the benefits of SEO copywriting implicit in online copywriting packages is to leave a gaping hole in any company’s marketing strategy.

A Merry Copywriting Xmas!

It’s been a pretty momentous year, what with the world economy and all that!  On the copywriting front, I have to say that things are holding up pretty well.  With Buzzwords’ new Content Managed website and growing demand for SEO copywriting services, 2009 looks promising. 

I guess it’s about being flexible and cost-effective.  Providing clients with the right type of copywriting and PR services means making sure that clients can see a good return on their investment.  There are, of course, no guarantees when it comes to customer response rates – especially in a recession.  Safe to say, however: some things work better than others. 

I’ve already mentioned SEO copywriting.  To that could be added sales letter writing, creating effective website landing pages for those clients who want to do Pay-Per-Click advertising and generally making sure that all aspects of a website are working well from both a usability and SEO point of view. 

Online PR and article marketing could be worth considering – and there’s always the added bonus of generating quality inbound links (an important factor for improving search engine ranking).  The creative use of newsletters and case studies could also pay off.  It depends largely on your target audience.  Horses for courses and all that! 

Anyway, it’s Xmas Eve – so I’m outta here!  Have a good Christmas, and a prosperous New Year!

An SEO copywriter’s dream – Buzzwords’ new CMS website…

As an SEO copywriter, I’m having a morning of barely contained orgasms as I look at my new content managed (CMS) website!!! (see: buzzwords.ltd.uk)

 I was always sceptical about CMS from a search engine optimization (SEO copywriting) point of view until I noticed that a fellow copywriter was ranking very well with the search engines thank you very much. 

What I like about the new CMS site is being able to add new content as and when I want to.  No longer do I have to go to my website coding man and wait an age for him to upload my new content – and then send me a bill!

Now, I’m free to add new pages, photos and files of almost any description as and when I choose.  It’s an SEO copywriter’s dream!

Buzzwords Copywriting Manchester on Facebook

Buzzwords Limited is now on Facebook.

 

Is outsourcing your copywriting to India a good idea?

Western businesses tempted by the low rates charged by Indian companies for copywriting services – SEO copywriting, web content writing and so on – would do well to consider the styles of English which Indians use. 

For many, English is not their first language.  Hindi is the majority language among many others.  The likelihood is that outsourced copywriting may come back as something which is not what would be regarded as ’standard English’.  Even worse, it may read like ‘Hinglish’, a hybrid argot which has acquired a certain cachet among India’s middle classes! 

That’s not to say that Indian companies dealing with SEO and website design don’t produce good work.  They do.  Copywriting, however, is different in that English has many hues.  In the same way that Chaucer’s English is divided from modern English by a big chasm of time, so present-day Indian English (or even American English) is separated by geography.  To paraphrase the saying: the UK and US are divided by a common language.

Indian copywriting tends to reflect the more formal English syntax used 50 years ago – or more.  Before any work becomes usable, a time-consuming editing process is usually necessary.  Suddenly, this can make the low fees much more expensive.  As any copywriter will tell you, there’s often as much work involved in a ‘re-write’ as there is in producing original copy. 

Where more colloquial English is needed – as in ads, sales letters and (to a certain extent) with websites – it’s essential for the copywriter to be on the same cultural wavelength as his audience.  Without cultural empathy, the sales process is severely compromised.

 

SEO copywriting beats the economic slowdown!

Search engine success starts with SEO copywriting.  It’s the most cost-effective marketing tool around.  You’ll see a clear and rapid return on your investment in the shape of higher search engine rankings and more website traffic.

For REAL immediacy, of course, there’s Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising.  Whether this counts as SEO copywriting is a moot point, although PPC does rely heavily for its success on good keyword selection that relates to tightly configured AdGroups, well-optimised landing pages and keyword-focused small ads.

It hardly matters, but PPC is firmly rooted in the search engine marketing (SEM) stable.  For purists who see SEO copywriting solely as a way to achieve higher website rankings, we have to be talking about optimised website copy, complete with appropriate keywords, meta tags and smooth, semantic syntax!

Other link-building tools which also draw on SEO copywriting skills include online PR and article marketing although, in this context, their SEO uses are focused on improving a website’s search engine rankings.

For businesses looking to generate sales and qualified leads in the most straightforward and cost-effective way, SEO copywriting and the improvements it can make in organic search engine ranking make it an essential secret weapon in any marketer’s armoury.

Buzzwords’ Copywriting Rates – It’s top of the blogs!

‘Copywriting Rates’  (Dec 8, 2007) is easily the most popular post on this blog!  It underlines the commercial significance of business copywriting and the hard-headed approach people take to what is an important, and often crucial, decision.

I should say, however, that quality should score over price every time.  There are plenty of so-called copywriters out there – especially on the Internet – who are charging five dollars an hour.  To me, that’s commercial suicide – unless you’re living in a third-world country of course.

As you would expect, Buzzwords charges much more than that (call me on 01565 654 023 to find out!).  That’s mainly because I have 20 years’ experience and know-how under my belt.  But also because I’m good at what I do! 

Different types of projects are charged out in different ways.  Standard copywriting for things like advertising and brochures are charged at a fully negotiable day-rate, pre-agreed as a fixed rice for each particular job.  Copywriting for websites is negotiable on a ‘per project’ basis, whilst anything that’s ongoing – such as PR, article marketing, link building and SEO – works best on a monthly retainer fee. 

Nothing is set in stone, however, and copywriting rates are always negotiable, especially for volume work or ongoing consultancy-type projects.  The best thing to do is give me a call the next time you feel a project coming on.  The copywriting rates may not surprise you, but the quality and commitment surely will!

‘Website copywriters’ – Buzzwords is #1 on Google!!!

For the past couple of weeks, Buzzwords has been Number One on Google for the keyword ‘website copywriters’ (and number 3 or 4  for ‘website copywriting’).  I WAS ASKED RECENTLY HOW I ACHIEVED THIS.  The most accurate response would have to be: attention to detail.

SEO (search engine optimization) copywriting is all about details.  There’s a lot of debate about meta tags and links as well as the ‘usability’ of the page from a searcher’s point of view.  As far as copywriting goes, there would appear to be a new-found premium attached to well-written content.  Whether this is to do with Google’s army of ’human’ readers or the new technology being used by the company’s robots to spot writing that’s ‘relevant’ to specific search terms – without being stuffed unnaturally with keywords - is anyone’s guess.  

The concept of inbound links is one I can fully appreciate.  A site that attracts lots of linking from other sites that are both sector-relevant AND authoritative is obviously deserving of recognition in the search engine rankings.  However, the fact that Buzzwords’ site has fewer that one thousand inbound links (and that a recent DMOZ listing of Buzzwords wouldn’t yet appear to be recognised by Google) makes me think that good on-page SEO counts for a lot, especially for the more niche and ‘long-tail’ keywords.   

 
 

Buzzwords’ website copywriting page is #2 on Google!

Ah, the mysteries of search engine optimization (SEO)!  I thought I knew a bit about it, but the recent rankings of the website copywriting page of my main website (www.buzzwords.ltd.uk/website_copywriting.htm) have puzzled and pleased me in equal measure.

After languishing in the bottom half of the first page on Google since the page was re-written last year – a ranking many people would die for, but not really good enough to attract the premium enquiries in what is, let’s face it, a pretty niche neck of the woods! – the website copywriting page of Buzzwords’ website now ranks at #2 for the keywords ‘website copywriter/copywriters’ and #5 for ‘website copywriting’.

Nothing’s been added or taken away (as they say).  So what’s happened to make this important change?  The page had been optimized in the usual way for meta tags and so on, and the copy had the ‘right’ keyword density.

There are only two factors I can think of which may have made the difference.  First, the content has ‘matured’.  To explain: if older links are looked upon more favourably by search engines, will body copy be seen in the same way?  Second, Google’s latest algorithms may very likely include a weighting based on Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI).

In other words, linguistic analysis gives a site brownie points for using clear,  approachable syntax.  If that’s what’s happening with my website – or if anyone out there can give me some other good reasons for the sudden improvement in the ranking for the mainstream keywords I’ve mentioned - please let me know.

Case Study Copywriting – Credibility on a plate!

It always amazes me that more companies don’t use case studies as part of their marketing mix. Business, by definition, is based on customer transactions and a lot of those must have interesting angles which could be turned into a case study.

So why aren’t case studies more widely used as the cost-effective marketing tool they surely are? 

In some cases, there are obviously problems with confidentiality.  Others don’t want to alert their competitors to the fact that they’ve found a pot of gold and they fully intend to hang onto it!

Some may be ‘too busy’ (ho-ho-ho!); yet others may feel that this is a commitment too far that won’t deliver on the cost-effectiveness front. 

Like all PR tools, the main purpose of case studies isn’t to generate a ‘direct response’.  What they will do is build an awareness, a heightened market presence, for your company over a period of time.

This can be further enhanced by the sheer versatility of case studies.  A case study copywriter can take the raw material of a case study and modify it for use in a press release, sales letter and many other forms of marketing collateral – not forgetting the online applications such as websites, online PR and articles.

A case study is an extended testimonial.  It proves your company has delivered.  Third party endorsement says you can – and you did!  So why do so many companies let these opportunities go begging and leave the way open for their competitors?

Maybe if they spoke to an experienced case study copywriter, they’d open up a new and profitable revenue stream. 

SEO Copywriting – So many ways to skin a cat!

Most people’s idea of SEO copywriting would probably be writing a website with major keywords included at a suitable density.  Throw in some expertise in the on-page SEO department and the job’s as good as done.  Or is it?

If you personally commission SEO copywriting, either for your own company or on behalf of a client, you should know that SEO copywriting skills can use those same keywords to great effect in other ways.  We’re back to link-building again - using keywords in areas like Online PR and Article Marketing (aka Article PR) to link back to a landing page on your website (whose URL should also include the magic keyword[s]!).

Any SEO copywriter worth his salt will be able to create links with online article directories, PR newswires or distribution sites.  With skillful keyword research and some savvy online marketing, extending the reach of your keywords (and, by extension, the number of links pointing to your website) is only an SEO copywriter away!

SEO copywriting – Are meta tags dead?

Listen to some SEO commentators and you’d be forgiven for assuming that meta tags are no longer a factor in the way search engines rank websites.  Following a recent Google declaration, greater  emphasis is now placed on the number of quality, inbound links which point to a site.

It’s obvious that this will be a good indicator of the ‘importance’ of a site but, it should be said, meta tags will always remain as the signposts which indicate relevance of content.  That in turn must surely mean that  meta tags will always be an important part of on-page SEO.

Fortunately, the search engine robots can now identify ‘natural’ language patterns in online copy.  The death of ‘keyword stuffing’ is not only good news for the readers of websites who now no longer have to endure unreadable and repetitive text.  It also frees up copywriters to write in the way they prefer – in real sentences that concentrate on the flow of ideas and information, rather than including as many keywords as possible.  

Keywords are still important, of course.  The difference now is that they should be used carefully – in <h1> tags certainly, and also in introductory sentences. They also have a place in <title> tags – the nearer the beginning of the line the better.  (And if you can also include main keywords in a page URL, this too will help with ranking.)

The conclusion to all this is that mega tags are alive and well but – in an increasingly c0mpetitive web environment – the search engines have been forced to look at inbound links to sort the wheat from the chaff. 

And yet, this is far from being a perfect science – even with all the powerful semantic analysis tools at the search engines’ disposal.  Generating links from online articles and PR, for example, is a process that is still open to abuse by automated submission software but, here again, search engines are ‘on the case’ with their increased awareness (and intolerance) of duplicate content.

It’s important for online copywriters (and those who brief them) to remember that search engines exist solely to provide the most relevant search results for their punters.  Quality content will bring its own rewards in increased uptake among the online community.  Meta tags, similarly, will always be needed to invite the search engines to ‘come see about me’.

SEO copywriting – and the small matter of link building

If you want a higher ranking website, make sure you work on those inbound links!  SEO copywriting is a great tool for doing this and I’ll be looking at the various ways to approach this massive subject over the next few weeks.

Suffice it to say: Google now sees the number and quality of links pointing to a website as probably the most important factor in deciding that site’s fortunes.  The part that SEO copywriting can play in this is enormous – on-page SEO, article marketing (aka ‘article PR’), online PR and systematic directory-led link building… all of which is based on solid keyword research.  It’s enough to make your eyes water!

What’s a copywriting blog for?

I had a comment a couple of weeks ago that some of my early posts (this blog is only two months old!) were nothing but self-promotion.  This was never my aim.  The intention was to give a new blog some kind of perspective.  This is because  I feel that no-one ever reads the supplementary pages of a blog – life’s too short! I’d be interested to hear what other people’s views  are on that.

Copywriting is king… inbound links are courtiers

On the web, inbound links affect a website’s position in the search engine rankings.  Generating quality links that win search engine brownie points is best achieved through article PR and online PR. 

A huge amount of copywriting work is involved, especially when it comes to writing worthwhile, informative articles  – suitably optimised with appropriate keywords of course.  Online news releases are more straightforward to write, and bring better returns on time invested – providing you have something to say on a regular basis.  Again, SEO and keywords play a part, but frequency of output is vital to achieving meaningful success.

If you can post articles and releases on your website a couple of weeks before launching them into the outside world this allows time for the content to be indexed by search engines and helps in the linking process (although it may be wise to write an edited version of your content to be doubly sure of avoiding ‘duplicate content’ penalties.) 

Apart from anything else, continually adding to your website is viewed favourably by the likes of Google – hence the power of blogs to surge through the search rankings, and stay there, providing content is updated on a regular basis (daily is the ultimate, but weekly keeps the pot simmering). 

The links associated with blogs are of course generated through tags.  Social media links to Technorati, StumbleUpon, Squidoo and so on also help.  Main websites which incorporate a blog therefore have a head start over their ‘unblogged’ counterparts.

Creating links is hard work – hard copywriting work that is also very time consuming.  The dividends are impressive, however,  especially if search engine rankings equate to new business enquiries for your company.

Finding the time to do all this – the writing, distributing to online directories and media etc – is usually a problem for most companies.  Employing a specialist freelance copywriter to handle it all makes lots of sense. 

Not only do you get quality writing and the regularity of output that comes with commercial commitment.  You’re also buying-in specialist knowledge of the market and, crucially, how the market works.

Forget about copywriting – it’s Christmas!

Christmas is in the air, I’m frantically trying to finish online copywriting projects before the 20th and mindful of January deadlines for website copywriting and direct marketing work.  Fact is, the demand for copywriting never ends – but we all need a break and Christmas is a great time for switching off and completely re-charging the creative batteries.  For some, it’s also a good time to plan for the New Year – that’s certainly what’s happening with so many of my clients who are already chokka right up to Easter!  I may just post the odd blog or two over Christmas, just to keep my hand in.  On the other hand… 

Online Copywriting, Website Copywriting, SEO Copywriting – They’re All Part of Today’s Copywriting Landscape

It doesn’t matter what you call it, online copywriting is an essential skill for today’s copywriters.  For online content, visibility starts with ‘keywords’.  From here, search engine optimization (SEO) takes over to make sure that the keywords feature in the content.  Attention to detail and intensity of focus will ensure that SEO copywriting is successful.   That, plus a certain strategic vision which marries marketing objectives with the long-term targeting and link-building activities of using online PR and article PR.  Online copywriters must be aware of the SEO context of what they’re writing about.  This adds yet another consideration to what is often a blinding array of criteria to fit into a copywriter’s briefs! 

Buzzwords Freelance Copywriting Manchester – Serving the New ‘Integrated Marketing’ Mindset

Having started Buzzwords in Manchester a million years ago, it’s reassuring that many of the copywriting skills in demand then are equally in favour today. 

Companies who pile all their eggs into the online basket are probably missing a trick.  Integrated marketing never went away, and it could be argued that because fewer companies are now involved in traditional offline marketing activities, the field is wide open to steal a march on the competition! 

From the enquiries for copywriting services I’ve received recently, website copywriting is top of the tree.  A close second, somewhat surprisingly, are company and product brochures.  Everyone I speak to about the continued popularity of printed matter reckons it’s all to do with people wanting something they can hold!

It may also be something to do with the fact that we’ve over-estimated the extent to which ‘online’ will wipe everything else off the map – pretty much like the much-vaunted ‘paperless office’ of the 1980s which never transpired.  What is happening is a fusion of both offline and online marketing methods in a marketing flurry which places the primary emphasis on cost-effectiveness – or ’ROI’ to use the current jargon.   

To find out more, call Mike Beeson on 01565 654023.

Versatile Freelance Copywriting

To achieve freelance copywriting success calls for a certain amount of versatility.  Tied in with this: a certain mount of experience never went amiss either,  especially offline copywriting experience.

To give you an example:  website copywriting is all about engaging the reader with the equivalent of ’sound bites’.  It’s also about creating benefit-led headlines where you cannot spot the join between artifice and emotion.  When you’ve spent as much time as I have agonising over a single headline – that also generated or incorporated a creative concept – it’s relatively straightforward to create a headline for a website page that will also make a reader sit up and take notice…  and then carry on reading!

Buzzwords has assimilated the necessary skills to ease the transition to the ‘online’ environment.  A similar mindset is always at play, however, and it’s one that will never desert.  Copywriting versatility is a deceptive skill borne of marketing awareness; of consumer psychology if you will; and a willingness to embrace change.

Buzzwords Copywriting Rates

A difficult area of freelance copywriting is agreeing rates.  Copywriters vary in so many ways; copywriting projects differ hugely in their complexity and value; and clients’ expectations have been confused in recent years since the Internet has thrown up a new breed of so-called copywriter who either charges the earth based on very little commercial experience, or who charges next to nothing because they are based in low-cost overseas’ economies or are simply unaware that copywriting does have real value.

With 20 years’ experience,  I have seen some dramatic changes in both the way copywriting is perceived and the attitudes clients adopt towards paying for it.  Until ten years or so ago, most copywriters emerged from ad agencies or newspaper backgrounds and usually had to jump through various academic and training-ground hoops.   Nowadays, anyone can – and many do – call themselves ‘copywriters’ with no grounding whatsoever in the industry.  This leads to difficulties when clients realise that they’re paying someone who falls well short of the professional rates being demanded.  It leads to difficulties for the reputation of copywriting as a whole.  And it muddies the waters when it comes to agreeing a fair rate for the job. 

Fortunately, I have enormous experience in the copywriting field and I can tell you how long a job will take and how much it will cost  after a quick look at the brief and assessing how much information is available.   All work is charged out by the job – although some clients understandably want a ball-park hourly or day-rate to make inter-copywriter comparisons.   

Buzzwords can also provide copywriting ‘packages’ at an inclusive monthly rate.  This can work out to be very cost-effective where a company plans to be active on several marketing fronts simultaneously.  This could include writing or re-writing a website.  It may include writing landing pages for a pay-per-click advertising campaign or writing a mini-website for a new product launch or spinning off a specialist company within a group.  It could also include marketing collateral such as direct mail or advertising.  Or it might include the various aspects of PR.  The list is endless – but Buzzwords will be happy to oblige where clients are looking for, say, an integrated Online Copywriting campaign or an ongoing PR campaign. 

In all cases, Buzzwords can provide the support services of designers, printers, computer programmers, SEO experts and others.  For more information, call Mike Beeson on 01565 654023 or visit Buzzwords’ website (URL  on ‘About Buzzwords’ page).

Website Copywriting & Impossible Choices

Commissioning website copywriting services must be difficult.  As a website copywriter, I can only imagine the hoops that would-be clients have to jump through before deciding to use my services!

The Internet is full of website copywriters offering a massive diversity of experience, talent and cost.  Given that search engine optimization (SEO) is an important part of website copywriting, it’s probably safe to assume that copywriters featuring highly in the search engines are likely to know what they’re doing. 

This may not always be the case, however.  The copywriter could simply have access to good SEO advice – or the high search engine ranking may have more to do with having lots of inbound links than the quality of the website writing. 

Another important aspect of this is that a website copywriter may be brilliant at coaxing a result out of the search engines – but their copy is nothing less than alienating from a ‘usability’ point of view. In other words, the web copy may have high online visibility but no potential to convert visitors to customers.

So where do you go from there?  The ideal choice would probably be someone who’s written a ‘good’ website in your particular sector.  You shouldn’t overlook other writers, however, who’ve written great sites in other sectors.  Evidence of website copywriting experience will typically be available on a writer’s website.  If not, you need to be careful. 

In situations where a bad choice of copywriter has been made – and there could be many reasons for this – the good news is that website copywriting can always be edited, or even changed completely. 

To avoid finding yourself in a position where poor website copywriting could damage both your business AND your bank balance – watch this space! 

Website Copywriting a Buzzwords’ Speciality!

Over the past year or two, website copywriting has become a speciality service provided by Buzzwords.  Obviously, the Internet is now a major part of the marketing landscape and websites are the focus of many companies’ marketing planning.  Demand for websites that not only look the business but also DO the business through effective copywriting – and even more effective search engine optimization (SEO) – led to the development of finely-tuned website copywriting skills and an appreciation of how SEO works.  SEO copywriting is now an integral part of the Buzzwords’ skill-set which benefits clients enormously.