Getting people to trust you has always been a cornerstone of effective copywriting. It’s a simple principle: if people believe what you say, they’re more likely to buy.

A key factor in building trust, that’s often ignored, is the channel you use. An advertorial, for example, in a well respected broadsheet is likely to have a higher response rate than if you were to email the same advert.

A YouGov survey (reported upon in Marketing Week) to assess levels of trust in different types of media (in response to the phone hacking scandal) found the following:

• radio  - 52% think it’s very or fairly trustworthy
• TV – 47%
• newspapers – 28%
• magazines from brands – 25%
• online magazines and mag apps – 23%
• paid-for printed magazines – 22%
• websites – 21%
• email – 11%
• direct marketing – 8%
• celebrity tweets – 1%
• YouTube and website videos – less than 1%

(Breakdown courtesy of Help in the City blog)

Combining channels can increase trust levels (and sales)

Another interesting stat is that the same percentage (31%) trust ‘comments/reviews written by other users and customers’ as editorial written by professional journalists. This highlights the power of ‘word of mouth’ in the social media age, and that people are actively looking for feedback from other customers before committing to a purchase.

With this in mind, it’s worth considering how you can incorporate customer feedback alongside your own content for maximum trust building impact. Perhaps by extending your promotions into Facebook and Twitter, therein lies the answer?

Another takeaway is the fact that people now trust free branded magazines (e.g. those of supermarkets) more than paid-for magazines. After endlessly banging my drum about content marketing a few years back, it looks as though people are finally getting used to the idea of brands being producers of quality content, and not merely shallow advertising.

Customers are a cynical bunch

So what else can you apply from these findings to your marketing?

Well firstly, the overall low levels of trust show that you can’t afford to treat your customers like idiots. People are already cynical of marketing. Filling your copywriting with exaggerated claims and hype won’t win you many friends.

Secondly, try to involve customer input, with reviews, case studies and comments, to build the authenticity they’re looking for in this (supposed) era of transparency.

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Copyright © Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible Blog.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Themeforest and Divine Write.

When one door closes, another door opens.

Long time readers will know that I’m not a fan of the $10 (or less) per keyword article copywriting gigs you find on freelance bidding websites, like Elance and Guru. I pity the copywriters that feel forced into these jobs, where they’re paid sweat shop wages to hammer out 10-20 articles a day just so they don’t have to live in a box.

Hopefully, these low paid writing jobs might be on their way out.

Following Google’s recent ‘Panda’ update the rankings of many ‘low quality’ article directories have been slashed. This means the tactic of flooding directories with keyword articles to boost a website’s ranking might no longer be effective, slamming the door on the market for hastily written (or copy and pasted) content.

But before all you article writers out there start to panic, there might be a bright new dawn on the horizon.

Other changes are taking place which suggest there could soon be a growing market for a more profitable and ethical market for copywriters, one in which quality content is rewarded with increased website traffic – and higher wages.

Article directory marketing is dead. Long live Facebook marketing

There are two key reasons why Facebook’s growth is good news for copywriters.

Firstly, there are already hints coming from Google’s labs that social media will have a bigger influence on SEO in the near future. The world’s most popular search engine has already started including links to videos and news stories at the top of its search results. Higher rankings for websites featuring popular articles being shared in social media could soon follow.

Secondly, Facebook has given its ‘Like’ button a revamp. Following the update, whenever you click on ‘Like’ you’ll now share a full story in your Facebook newsfeed, with a headline, blurb and photo. This extra information will make ‘Likes’ a potent tool for spreading content, generating backlinks and boosting website traffic.

The key is now quality, not quantity – which deserves to be paid a higher rate

People aren’t going to ‘Like’ any of your posts unless they find it valuable (whether it’s informative or entertaining) and think it deserves to be shared amongst their friends.

Quality content can’t be churned out on a conveyer belt, where copywriters are rushing to get as many done as they can. Creating quality content takes research, effort and time. And writers should be reimbursed for it accordingly.

Blogs have always been an engine room when it comes to driving traffic to a website. Now their importance is even greater, along with the need to consistently write quality posts people will ‘Like’ and share with their friends.

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Copyright © Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible Blog.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Themeforest and Divine Write.

Being the modest bunch that we are, copywriters often hate asking for referrals. Normally we’re only brave enough to ask for testimonials because we can do it from the safety of a computer screen.

We’d all love to think that when we put our heart and soul into our writing that it will, inevitably, lead to clients telling friends and colleagues about the wonderfully lucid prose now adorning their website.

But sometimes people need a little nudge.

After all, if you’re confident in the quality of your work then, your clients should be happy to tell others about it (and if they don’t, it’s because they don’t want the competition stealing you away).

So how can you ask for referrals without feeling like you’re waving a begging bowl under your clients’ noses? These tips should help:

Just ask – Sounds simple, but asking clients whether they know anyone in need of a copywriter is the obvious way of getting referrals. Consider adding it as a suggestion to the bottom of your invoices or email signatures. If it saves you from the dreaded cold calling, it’s worth a shot.

Coupons – If asking for referrals is proving ineffective, try sweetening the deal by offering a discount or article in exchange for leads. Try attaching coupons, with an introductory offer, along with your final invoice which clients can then send on to anyone they think might be in need of a copywriter. Just remember to put a different tracking code on each coupon so you know where the new business has come from.

Form alliances – If a business asks for help with a brochure, there’s a good chance they’ll need a designer, a printer and maybe even a photographer as well. So having a list of people you can refer businesses to can enable you to build up a network of preferred service providers. That way, you can scratch each other’s backs and generate extra business in the process.

Referrals can be marketing gold because they give you third party endorsement (a.k.a. social proof) and save you the rig moral of persuading prospects you’re not a cowboy and can actually write.

So, integrate referral marketing into your lead generation strategy and take advantage of the best salespeople around – your clients.

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Copyright © Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible Blog.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Themeforest and Divine Write.

You often hear about how we’re imminently entering a new era of transparency and authenticity in marketing. Social networking is giving people the power to sidestep and slice through cynical marketing claims; you can’t just drench people in enough messages and hope something will stick.

Based on these two examples, the new era of transparency might not be too far away and has serious implications for the claims you might be occasionally tempted to drop into your copywriting.

‘iPad sucks’ – 644,00 Google hits

Following the success of the iPhone, it’s no wonder people were expecting something special when they heard rumours about Apple’s latest gift to the world of technology. But when the iPad was unveiled many felt Mr Jobs’ use of the words ‘magical’ and ‘revolutionary’ were ill advised.

Within hours a backlash had ensued. The web’s influential army of tech bloggers were up in arms and launched a barrage of critical posts pointing out what, they saw as, the iPad’s ‘backbreaking failures’.

The ‘iPad sucks’ backlash is a lesson to copywriters everywhere on the dangers of hype backfiring when the reality fails to live up to the expectation.

‘Homeopathic overdose’ – 581,000 undiluted search results

UK pharmaceutical chain Boots recently found itself the target of an anti-homeopathy campaign when hundreds of sceptics ‘overdosed’ on homeopathic remedies outside its doors in protest against a range of products they describe as ‘scientifically absurd’.

Whether you believe in homeopathy or not, it’s interesting to note that (according to The Guardian) one pill maker spends more than 16 times (€108m) on marketing than it does on research (€6.5m). A ratio high enough to make any pharmaceutical company blush.

The homeopathic overdose campaign was grown and coordinated by an online community of sceptic blogs and podcasts. It shows how people now have the tools to rebel against, what they view as, misleading marketing claims.

So if you feel tempted to describe a product as ‘magical’, or use a similarly vacuous term, think carefully. Because your customers can now respond (and fill up Google’s search results) with adjectives of their own.

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Copyright © Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible Blog.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Themeforest and Divine Write.

In the freelance writing world it would appear that we’re still struggling with the same sexist attitudes we snort at when watching Mad Men. This has been the experience of James Chartrand, anyway, who revealed on Copyblogger this week that he’s actually a woman, and felt forced to promote herself as a man to attract clients.

Whilst this is a sad indictment of outdated attitudes in 2009, it reflects how we’re free to promote ourselves however we like online. Her post is particularly timely because marketing under a different persona is something I’m planning on doing myself.

A common dilemma for freelancers is whether to promote yourself as an individual or a brand. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer, but it can be influenced by:

1. What sort of clients you want to attract

2. Your future expansion plans

3. Whether your brand name is SEO friendly

In my case, I want to take my business to the next level and start attracting bigger fish (and higher pay). Whilst I’m perfectly happy writing for the clients I do now, I think it’s time to step up to the next level and start taking on more demanding work writing for higher stakes.

But in order to reel in bigger fish, I’ll need a larger hook.

Unless you’re already an established name in the copywriting world, I think high profile companies are more attracted to branded agencies. So I’ll need to adjust my persona accordingly.

The Copywriter’s Crucible gets a face lift

During the quiet January period I’m planning on updating my website with one of these great WordPress themes (found thanks to a Copywriter Underground Tweet). The aim is to mirror the appeal of an agency by marketing myself as a brand, rather than a plucky freelancer living by his wits and word processor.

However, in this connected digital world we live in, transparency is key for building trust . Any attempt to pull the wool over a client’s eyes, and pretend to be something you’re not, will only backfire in the long run (although not in James’ case, might I add). So my ‘about’ page will detail exactly who’s pulling the levers at The Copywriter’s Crucible.

Will it make any difference? There’s only one way to find out. I’ll run the branded theme for a month or so and let the stats and (hopefully) enquiries decide.

The next stage will be coming up with a logo, which will be another project all in itself.

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Copyright © Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible Blog.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Themeforest and Divine Write.

A USP can be anything that suggests a sense of superiority or added benefit, such as extra speed settings, a wider range of accessories or free upgrades. It’s the copywriter’s job to use the USP to give people a reason why they should buy a particular product.

With this in mind, it seems odd that Kelloggs should announce plans to start laser branding Cornflakes as a way of differentiating them from cheaper imitations.

Now, I’m sure it must be frustrating for Kelloggs to come up with all these cereals and then have them copied and repackaged by supermarkets under their own label. But are Kelloggs’ customers really going to care whether their morning bowl of cereal has logos in it or not?

People make buying decisions based on how a product makes them feel and the benefits it offers. When buying cereals this mental process generally takes place before they’ve opened the packet.

It seems to me unlikely people are going to buy Cornflakes because they’re ‘branded’ when this offers them no real benefit (unless they’re in the habit of fooling the kids with cheap cornflakes served from a Kelloggs box).

One of the most notable facts to come out of this story is that sales of Kelloggs Cornflakes have actually gone up during the recession, as people opt for the reassurance and sense of luxury of having a branded box on their breakfast table.

Perhaps Kelloggs should stop messing around with lasers and promote this in their marketing instead.

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Copyright © Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible Blog.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Themeforest and Divine Write.

With summer behind us it’s time to pack away the sun lounger and get down to business. Everyone is back at work, which means now is a prime time to start trumpeting about your services.

But, as we all know in the writing community, it can be tough to attract clients when the web is saturated with so many writers fighting over the same jobs.

“So how can I stand out from the crowd?” I hear you ask. Well, you can start by considering what additional services you can offer and how you can promote them offline.

After all, businesses are now in need of more content than ever. These days, they need a constant flow of blog posts, emails, newsletters and sales pages to feed their marketing machine.

Clients want internet marketing expertise, as well as words

Instead of offering to write blog posts and press releases consider defining your services as ‘content marketing’ and ‘online PR’ expertise.

When approaching clients, offer to remove the complexity of internet marketing and to show them what they need to be doing to be found on the web.

Rather than restrict your job search to the web, try:

• Promoting yourself with a press release announcing your new copywriting/internet marketing services and article marketing packages
• Send a letter or post card to clients you’d like to work with highlighting the benefits of WordPress and your blogging/content marketing service
• Contact local internet marketing firms to offer SEO copywriting expertise (I’ve head that time spent on site is now part of Google’s algorithm, which means content MUST be useful and well written, rather than just keyword packed)
• If you’re feeling brave, pick up the phone and contact local PR agencies because many are crying out for help with SEO, social media marketing and online PR

These are all skills you can easily teach yourself. And the time you invest in improving your services will make you a more valuable asset to clients, and your income will increase as a result.

Latest posts from bda (another blog I contribute to)

• 8 Vital Website Conversion Tips for Turning Clicks into Sales
• What Someone Should Tell Facebook about using People’s Data
• Why a Lower Adwords Position Can Increase Your Website’s Conversion Rate
• Google Wave – The Ultimate Conversational Marketing Tool?
• Why Does Microsoft Use Word to Render Emails in Outlook?
• 16 Email Marketing Tips

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Copyright © Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible Blog.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Themeforest and Divine Write.

Many expect direct mail to go the same way.

So is learning how to write direct mail, brochures and sales letters a waste of time for aspiring copywriters?

Are people so plugged into the digital world that they won’t turn away long enough to read your printed words?

Print advertising in freefall, whilst internet marketing grows nearly 20%

According to recent Advertising Association figures, last year in the UK press advertising fell 11.8% and TV fell 4.9%. Spending on the internet, however, shot up a recession busting 19.1%.

eMarketer has also poured more fuel onto print’s funeral pyre, with estimates that online spend should grow a further 10% by 2011, as companies chase after eyeballs focused on pixels.

So should your copywriting expertise follow the same trend?

Does print marketing need to be recycled permanently?

60% are more likely to respond to print than email

In the face of such relentless attacks on print, Pitney Bowes has come charging to the rescue whilst sounding its bugle on research of its own.

In a pan-European study it found that 60% of people are more likely to visit a website in response to direct mail, compared to 24% who’d respond to an email or sponsored web link.

This follows on from previous research in which Pitney Bowes found that 73% prefer to receive offers and promotions in the mail, rather than their email inbox.

So, whilst print is indeed expensive and should shuffle its feet in embarrassment at its ROI, Pitney Bowes’ research indicates there’s life left in the old warhorse yet.

In fact, print can be the introduction to digital campaigns, and its ROI can be improved by being more targeted, personalised and relevant.

So copywriters shouldn’t rush to abandon the printed word just yet.

Post from: The Copywriter's Crucible

Copyright © Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible Blog.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Themeforest and Divine Write.

With magazines and TV struggling to cope with haemorrhaging ad revenue (and competition from the internet), it’s easy to get sucked into thinking that persuasive copy isn’t what people want to read.

Today’s consumer is more cynical of sales messages than ever, and can get annoyed when their attention is wasted on content that has nothing of value to offer.

So does the approach of your website’s copywriting need to adjust accordingly?

Should your content focus on hard facts, product info and objectively written cases studies?

Or does persuasive copy, with its slogans and emotion driving power words, still have a role to play?

Facebook and the rejection of advertising

For years Facebook has been struggling to work out how to monetise itself, and to pluck dollars from its millions of members. But how do you extract money from an audience that hates sales messages and thinks the entertainment should be free?

Facebook’s failure to generate revenue from its ads, despite its massive user base, reflects how people ignore, reject and refuse to respond to blatant sales messages online.

People use the web for information, not advertising, and like having control over what they want to consume. So, an effective way of engaging people with your website is to feed this hunger for informative, useful content.

The benefits of informative copywriting

Publishing useful, informative content on your website offers numerous benefits:

• Improves your search engine ranking for your keyword phrases
• Increases traffic
• Keeps visitors engaged with your business for longer
• Assists your prospect’s buying decisions
• Positions yourself as a knowledge leader
• Builds trust and confidence in your expertise

With so many benefits to choose from, informative copywriting can indeed be effective at converting browsers into buyers (even if we don’t have a quantifiable ROI for it yet).

So, does emotion driven persuasive copywriting still have a role to play? Or will the whiff of a sales message have visitors running for the door?

Why people buy

It’s easy to jump on the anti-advertising bandwagon and think that all people really want to know is the nuts and bolts of what something does and why they should buy. But the fact is  people still make buying decisions based on the same impulses they always have: emotions.

Along with useful info, your website needs to satisfy your prospects’ emotional needs, with a persuasive pitch weaved amongst your website’s words.

Now, this doesn’t mean using hype, exaggeration and fakery to seduce prospects into falling in love with your brand – people hate it when they think they’re being sold a lie.

Instead, your copy should present a clear, logical argument which states the reasons why people should buy your product or service backed up with emotionally charged imagery of what their life would be like if they click ‘buy’.

The strategy of combining useful, informative content with a persuasive pitch is already used by legions of eBook and digital product sellers. Whilst I can’t promise that using these tactics will make you an internet millionaire (although plenty would), combining logic and emotion is a potent mix for turning clicks into sales.

So, should your website’s copywriting be informative or persuasive? The answer is both.

Latest from the bda blog

• What Nobody Told Gordon Brown about YouTube and Social Media
• What Advertisers Can Learn from Susan Boyle
• Why Celebrity Endorsements Can Give Your Brand the X Factor

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Copyright © Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible Blog.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Themeforest and Divine Write.

Whilst it might have come true for some people, for the vast majority the internet marketing dream has remained precisely that. And new research shared on Graham Jones’ blog shows how difficult achieving online success can be.

Of the 179,000 applications on Facebook less than 1% have generated more than $1000 in the last two years.  Whilst you could question whether a study of fickle Facebook users is an accurate sample, Graham suggests that the data is a fair reflection of online success on the whole.

Rather than the conversion target of 5%, trumpeted by many internet marketing gurus, perhaps 1% (at best) is a more realistic target for your digital venture.

73% prefer to receive offers in print

So, I think the lesson to be learnt from this is not to base your marketing plan on chasing traffic and generating content on your website alone. Offline promotion still (and probably always will) has a vital role to play.

Many of those who have found success online have done so due to their success off it. And as a Pitney Bowes study suggests, the majority of people still prefer to receive promotional offers in print.

In fact, modern integrated marketing campaigns often comprise of an initial direct mail promo to build interest before directing people to a website or a personalised URL to develop the sales process online.

Don’t just build it and hope they will come

If, like me, you’re a freelancer it’s therefore unwise to base your business plan on building a website and praying enough clients find you. Whilst I’ve written for companies in Hong Kong, Australia and the U.S., the majority of my repeat business still comes from those I’ve met in person.

So if you’re struggling to find success online, print off some business cards, polish your shoes and start contacting target clients in your area, whether it’s cold calling, attending networking events or sending off a post card marketing campaign.

Because, as the research suggests, you could be ignoring the importance of offline marketing at your peril.

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Copyright © Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible Blog.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Themeforest and Divine Write.