| |
| |
|
Copywriting Information |
|
|
|
Freelance Copywriters on the Internet: How to Tell the Difference Between Heaven-sent and Hack
If you're hunting for a good freelance copywriter and have never done it before, or if you have but find yourself needing another for the first time in a while, I don't envy you. This "brave new" e-world has turned your once straightforward search of a neatly stacked file of brochures and introductory letters into a bothersome wade through a mucky world of half-baked online listings and search results which only seem to list those freelance copywriters who are experts in SEO, or at least know what the heck it means (search engine optimization). You: "I just need a good freelance copywriter to write this product launch brochure who's not going leave me hanging or make me ask for another round of financing." Google: "Results 1-10 of 44,700 for brochure copywriter (0.17 seconds)." And that's not even a very popular search term. Yet, with 44,700 doors (or thousands more depending on your search) to choose from, what are the chances you'll click the one that leads to: ? A freelance copywriter who plays nice with designers and doesn't charge a first-born child ? A freelance copywriter who knows when and where to offer their expertise on how to communicate a message ? Creative, cliché-free, differentiating, success-enabling copy that is turned in clean and on deadline It's probably better than a 1-in-44,700 chance, but you're still more likely to fall short than be wildly ecstatic about your freelance copywriter decision unless you add a few points of structure to guide you through the online chaos: 1. Look at freelance copywriters further down the list. Unless you're specifically looking for an SEO copywriter, how high a freelance copywriter or a link to a freelance copywriter ranks in search results is not indicative of how good that copywriter may be. Search engines rank web sites according to formulas of keyword saturation in site copy, meta tags, links and other places. Not how well a freelance copywriter's work achieved his client's objectives. Spend some time at this. There is more to the marketing, branding and advertising worlds than the Internet, and there are many worthy and successful freelance copywriters who work in the offline world, but have only a token presence on the Net. Go ahead and look at the top-ranked freelance copywriters, but investigate the others as well. Look at who their clients are, the work they do, the brands they've worked on, what their site is like and testimonials from past and current clients. That should give you a good gauge. Or if you like the advertising a specific company do a search for "CompanyX AND copywriter." 2. If you want quality, steer clear of "bidding" sites. There's too many of them already, and more seem to be popping up all the time. The online auction is a great concept for your old fishing equipment or clunker on cinder blocks, but not for a good freelance copywriter, designer, photographer or any other "creative service" professional. Sites like Elance.com, Guru.com and their many cousins allow service providers to whore themselves out for projects in a reverse auction where the lowest bid wins. Unfortunately, there really is no winner. The freelance copywriter (or whoever) gets a fraction of the fair market value for their work and the client, unless they're extremely lucky, will be stuck with a student, green amateur or someone who might not even speak English well-to say nothing about the copy they'll write. 3. Seek out freelance copywriters with online portfolios. Find freelance copywriters who have some kind of online portfolio. Go through it in detail. Try to get an idea of the communications problem the freelance copywriter had to solve and get a grasp on the talent and thinking that went into creating the finished copy. Then ask yourself, "If I was in the market for something like this, would this make me more interested in learning about this product or want to buy it?" The work of a good copywriter will be obvious. 4. Judge by the work, not the product. You may have a great new product that everyone's going to want, or an old product that everyone already has, but with a new feature or something. Now, your first instinct in finding someone who's going to write copy to sell this product is to find someone who, if you're selling underwater titanium door hinges, has written copy for underwater steel or plastic door hinges. Yes, too many marketers think if a freelance copywriter has only written for X and not Y, that they can't write for Y. This kind of thinking is misguided. Again, go back to No. 3 and look at the portfolio. Gauge the talent. If they did a great job communicating something about X, you can bet they'll be able to do the same for Y. A freelance copywriter isn't defined by the product. He is defined by how he writes about that product. These guidelines, along with a little "buyer beware" mentality, will help you wield the Internet as the powerful information tool it's purported to be. You will find a good freelance copywriter. Adam Barone is a freelance copywriter from the Boston area, who writes results - generating copy for such clients as The Timberland Company, Bank One, TJ Maxx, and other clients and ad agencies. Visit him at http://www.adambarone.com. Subscribe his e-newsletter, CopyTHINK at adambarone.com/mailinglist/?p=subscribe . ©Adam Barone 2005. All rights reserved. Reprint rights granted as long as the article is published in its entirety, including links.
MORE RESOURCES:
Copywriting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Copywriting for the Web: Do You Have What It Takes? In the world of web copywriters, many will try, but few will succeed. What category will you be classified as? Hopeless failure, or smashing success?Well, that's a foolish question, right? You want to be successful, of course! You know that you can razzle-dazzle 'em with your knock-'em-out, drag-'em-down copywriting skills. The Write Way To Grow Your Business Hone your writing skills to project a more professional business image.The sales letter you can't put down?the advertising copy that makes you want the product?the resume that prompts you to call the job candidate this second?All these are examples of exceptional business writing. Web Writing - Dont Lose Your Visitors Attention! Did you know that your writing can have a huge impact on how successful your site will be? If you're trying to sell a product or a service, what you say and how you say it is extremely important because you don't want to lose your visitor's interest before they get to your order form.Here are some tips to help you improve your writing skills in order to keep your visitor's attention. Does Your Copy Look Fake To the Search Engines? From the early days of search engine optimization, keywords and content have always been vital to achieving your goals. Starting back in the days when we used to shove every slightly relevant keyword into our Meta tags, it has been obvious that search engines love text. Creative Copywriting? There is a difference between creative writing and copywriting. It took me a while to come to terms with this but it's true, there is a difference. How You Can Find Freelance Copy Editing Jobs Even for those with the skills needed, finding copy editing jobs can seem next to impossible. The simple fact of the matter is, though, that through quality and building relationships, these jobs can be found and employment can lead to a career in the field. Copywriting Goldmine: One of 20 Insider Secrets to Great Copywriting Each weekday during my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp, attendees (or recruits) get a daily drill designed to reinforce the training I give on weekly phone calls. The drills are illuminating and fun. How To Personalize Your Headlines For Increased Profits! Personalizing your headlines to your target audience can significantly improve your sales response. You can do this by mentioning a person by name, their city, their career field, their job title, or group right in the headline. Is Freelance Hiring Right For You? Assume you were faced with the task of hiring a new group of talented individuals to handle a huge account you just landed. Are you up for the task? Or perhaps you have a small job that needs completing but no one on staff can handle the project. Freelancers Can Jump-Start Your Publicity Initiative If you find that your progress is blocked by a lack of time or experience, consider hiring a freelancer to jumpstart your project.Writer's block got you down? Don't let it. Copywriting for Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, and the Mystic Audience These days, you don't have to traverse the dark forest on the eve of the Full Moon to find a gypsy, psychic or "intuitive" as many now call themselves. Chances are, the local astrologist or tarot reader is making more than a comfortable living for herself in a corporate complex near you. How Your $2-an-Article Ghostwriter is Like a Cheap Pair of Pants Web marketers: have you figured out that article marketing is the secret to your success on the web?And did you realize that the more web articles you put into circulation, the more of a web celebrity you'll become, and the more money will come pouring in?So what did you do after you figured this out? Let me guess: You went on Elance.com searching from someone to write your web articles cheap. Sticky Homepage Copy in 30 Seconds Yes indeed, that's all you've got, 30 seconds to make your website visitors decide to stick around.. Its Time To Start That Swipe File Just as great fiction is an art, so is great copywriting. Beneath the art, however, there's a foundation of basic knowledge and skills. Segmenting Your Target Audience Through Your Copywriting Ask any copywriter what the first commandment of copywriting is and they'll quickly tell you "Know Thy Target Audience." In order to write effectively you have to know this one group of people and know them well. Are You Asking the Right Questions in Your Copy? It's a common approach to writing copy. You begin by asking questions. 10 Things You Should Expect From Your Website Copywriter As websites and electronic commerce are becoming more and more common, business owners and marketing managers are realising that quality web copy is every bit as important as impressive design. And with the ever increasing importance of search engine presence, the role of web copy has never been more critical. Headline Writing Can Lead To Fortunes: Here Are The Basics Of Writing Headlines Headlines attract attention. Headlines generate interest. Advice From Successful Freelancers: Starting & Maintaining A Freelancer Career For the e-book, Advice from Successful Freelancers: How They Built Their Careers & How You Can Too!, I asked ten questions of freelancers who were living their dream life. Following are some of their answers. Can Anyone Succeed as a Freelance Copywriter? This is a question that can be answered in a lot of different ways.But let's start with a perfectly simple and honest answer.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
