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Web Copywriting 101 – Begin with the End in Mind

Web CopywritingOccasionally a web copywriting “rule” is so deeply ingrained in your subconscious that it becomes second nature, and you forget that not everyone else knows about it. I was reminded of one of these rules the other day when I was having a meeting with a new client.

They had written their own web copy on their first iteration of their website, and were looking for some professional polish to take their marketing efforts to the next level. This client was one of the few that had written pretty strong, benefits-oriented copy all on their own, but they had made one big mistake that was preventing them from getting the response that they wanted.

A Common, Yet Fatal, Mistake

Ironically, the mistake was that they knew exactly what response they wanted, but hadn’t crafted the design or the copy to elicit any response at all. When I asked them what they wanted a client to do after reading their website, they immediately answered “give us a call for more information.”

But there was nowhere on the page that invited to reader to call for more information. In fact, the “Contact Us” page had no phone number listed on it, and the company phone number was actually hiding in very small font in the web footer. No wonder the phone wasn’t ringing off the hook.

Don’t Leave the Reader Hanging

Your web reader is busy and impatient, but also open to suggestion. Every page design needs to work in harmony with the copy on every page to get the reader to do exactly what you want.  And that means that your creative brief needs to spell out exactly what your call to action is so that the designer and the copywriter can work together to make sure you’re getting the response you want.

If you want her to call for more information, you need to make sure that the phone number called out as a separate element on every page and that you invite her to call with a eye-catching call-to-action – preferably both in the body of the copy and above the phone number in your eye-catching call-out box. If you want him to download the latest white paper or sign up for a webinar, you need to do the same.

Need help crafting compelling calls to action for your website?  Give me a call.

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TMI – How Much is Too Much for B2B Marketing Collateral?

Marketing CollateralIt’s a fine line. You want to tell your prospects EVERYTHING as soon as you get their attention. They want only enough info to make a quick decision about taking the next step. So how do you keep from scaring them off and / or boring them to death and actually get them more interested in your product?

I could make a lot of comparisons to dating here, which would be totally relevant. But an even easier exercise is to ask yourself this two part question:

  1. What is the next step you can reasonably expect your prospect to take after reading this piece of collateral?
  2. What information will they need in order to take that next step?

Of course, answering these questions is not an easy matter. While you might like every prospect to call you begging to order your latest product from a single banner ad, that’s not very realistic. Unfortunately, a lot of companies expect a whole lot of bang for their buck. But that “bang” may be the sound of them shooting themselves in the foot.

In general, brochures, emails, product sheets, traditional and social media, and even your top level web pages are an invitation to find out more. While each of these are different length and styles, the main goal is to give the prospect just enough information to pique their interest and then provide them with clear instructions on how to find out more.

Case studies, white papers, technical specs and the like are the main course of decision-making. Your prospects will want to dig into as much info as you are willing to give them – and probably forward it and discuss it around the office – before they pick up the phone to talk to a live sales person.

Once they’ve done their own background research, the next step is to call a sales rep for more answers. So make sure your “deeper” collateral has appropriate calls to action and contact information.

If you try to jump the line on any of these steps you run the risk of looking unprofessional or worse – desperate. That can shut the prospect down and send them looking for a competitor who will give them the information they want – when they want it.

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Web Copy, White Paper, Case Study, Blog…What I’m Working on Right Now

White papers, web copy, case studies, blogWhenever I get a call from a new client, they are very interested in what type of copywriting projects I usually work on. At cocktail parties (OK I don’t really go to cocktail parties, but you know what I mean) I get asked the same question. But like the weather in New England, the answer can depend on the hour.

Over the course of my 15+ years writing mostly B2B marketing communications, I have worked on just about every type of writing project there is. Of course, what I am working on tends to change with the times; 15 years ago I was less likely to be writing blogs and web copy, while today I am less likely to be writing direct mail pieces and physical sales letters, since these have almost completely morphed into email marketing.

To satisfy the curious, I thought I would share a list of the projects I have worked on this month.  While not totally representative, it should give the curious a peek into what types of copywriting and design I do.

This month I:

  • Finished up a 12 page web copywriting project for a Cloud-based search portal company
  • Created the design – in Microsoft Publisher – for a case study I wrote last month for a Cloud services vendor
  • Wrote over 100 “ghost blogs” and keyword optimized press releases for various attorneys and law firms across the US
  • Finished up several pieces of sales collateral (brochures, solution briefs, sales sheets) for the world’s largest IT company
  • Started creating a Power Point Presentation on writing copy for the web, which I will share with the marketing department of a billion-dollar corporation
  • Updated a LinkedIn profile and gave some social media tips to a busy executive
  • Wrote email newsletters for a law firm, a school supply company, and an internet sales distribution consultant
  • Met with a financial services client about creating a website for the firm’s new direction
  • Began updating a series of product manuals for a company that manufactures clean-air monitoring devices for materials processing plants worldwide
  • Went to lunch with one of the greatest professional copywriters of all time, Peter Bowerman, who was kind enough to meet some of his fellow professional copywriters for lunch one day during his vacation
  • Completed a few blog posts for www.savvyb2bmarketing.com, a marcom blog I started with 5 other professional marketers about a year ago.

Some months I do more web copy, other times I am totally immersed in creating a white paper, and still others I crank out sales kits and product sheets. But all in all, it was a pretty busy, fairly typical month for me.

If I can help you with a case study, blog, white paper, some web copy, or anything else, please don’t heistate to contact me!