15 Punchy Copywriting Tips

March 19, 2009 | 8 Comments

punchy copy

“They were easier to read than ignore” – Victor Schwab

It’s often said that copywriting can’t be too long, just too boring.

And sales writing is often only tolerated at the best of times. So if your copy is to weave its magic it needs to be light, easy to read and captivating.

Here are 15 tips for making your sales writing more punchy and compelling for readers:

1. Aim for an average sentence length of around 16 words.

2. Vary between short and long sentences to give your writing rhythm.

3. Split long sentences into two if they’ll survive on their own. Use connecting words such as ‘so’, ‘and’ or ‘because’.

4. Wield an axe to flabby language and unnecessary words. As Anton Chekhov put it, ‘Brevity is the sister of talent.’

5. Sales writing isn’t blessed with a reader’s patience. So ensure every word and sentence means something to the reader and adds to your argument. Don’t waffle or descend into a longwinded diatribe that’s of little interest to anybody but you.

6. Leave long paragraphs to novelists, and limit yours to a single thought. Two or three sentences is adequate.

7. Showy writing isn’t sales writing. Don’t use words just because they sound impressive. And leave jargon and corporate claptrap for the brochure (if you must use them at all).

8. Use positive inspiring language on what the reader ‘can’ achieve and ‘will’ be able to do. Avoid negative terms that might dampen their spirits.

9. Break up up your page with subheads and bullets to aid skim reading.

10. Use power words to charge up your writing’s impact, such as ‘revealed’, ‘proven’, ‘scientific’ and ‘breakthrough’.

11. Write in your reader’s language and the style they’re comfortable with. Read your target market’s magazines and newspapers to gauge the pitch.

12. People are hardwired to respond to stories. Use storytelling on how your product has solved someone’s problem to trigger the reader’s imagination and emotions.

13. Use facts or personal history to build rapport, empathy and to show the reader that you feel their pain.

14. Ask the reader a simple question early on they’ll say ‘yes’ to. This will precondition them to be more likely to agree with you and say ‘yes’ to your offer later on.

15. Sales writing is often compared to a conversation with a pal in a bar. So it should be conversational and sound similar to how you’d speak. Read it aloud to hear whether it flows smoothly.

Another tip I’d add is to keep a swipe file of the best sales writing you find. Study it, highlight key phrases and copy it out by hand to gain an understanding of how to write punchy copywriting that generates sales.

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Blog, Copywriting, Email marketing, Online-PR, RSS, Search Engine Optimisation 

Top Ten Tips for Marketing Your Website

January 30, 2008 | 10 Comments

town_cryer

If you’ve started the New Year with a shiny new website, and invested in some copywriting for the landing page, you might be thinking that you can just sit back and wait for the sales to come flooding in.

Well, it’s not that easy I’m afraid. It takes a lot of effort to successfully market and manage an effective website.

You’ve got to find a way to signpost it so your customers can find you and then you’ve got to work out how you’re going to sell to them when they arrive. There are barriers to building trust online; people want to see more than some JPEGS and PayPal buttons before they’re ready to buy.

But fear not because (inspired by a similarly themed post from Junta42) I’ve scribbled down my top ten internet marketing tips for getting your website noticed and building credibility with customers (I’ll give you a hint: it all revolves around becoming a publisher and being generous with your content):

1. Regularly post useful articles that contain your keywords

Preferably articles should be posted onto a blog of some description so you can interact with customers and perpetuate the love affair between blogs and search engine optimisation. The key is to be offering insight and advice which will not only attract the search spiders, but will also help promote your expertise and answer the questions that might be blocking a sale.

2. Let everyone know the traditional way

Tell all your contacts about the new site. An emailed message is too easy to dismiss. So dust off your telephone and call them up to announce your new venture, or send them a concisely worded and designed postcard. Both methods are relatively inexpensive and will make more impact than email bombing as many people as you can.

3. Network online

Find out who the thought leaders are in your industry and then comment insightfully on their blogs to introduce yourself. Many industry news websites have now integrated comment sections, so you should be able to find somewhere to print your name. This will help attract attention to your own site, create valuable backlinks to boost your Google rank and build authority in your online marketplace.

4. Drive traffic with social bookmarking

It might still be regarded as a niche way of searching the web, but social bookmarking can send you a lot of traffic. If you can get enough people to vote for your articles, you can literally attract thousands of new visitors via sites like Stumble Upon, Digg or Del.icio.us, and a host of other services to choose from.

The trick is to integrate yourself into the social bookmarking community by tracking who votes for you and then returning the favour. Over time you can build a network of social bookmarking pals and assist each other in driving traffic.

5. Print your web address everywhere

Get your website address added to every email signature, letterhead and piece of marketing material you send out. Even if you manage to get a leaflet into someone’s pocket at a networking event, if they’re interested the first thing they’ll want to do is check out your website. So make sure they know the address.

Marketing should be an integrated approach with your offline activities linked into your website. You can only fit so many words onto a tri-fold brochure. But there’s no shortage of space to develop your offer online.

6. Promote with online press releases

You no longer need contacts in the traditional media to get exposure for your business. And you don’t need a new product launch to justify a press release. You can use online PR distribution services to publish useful articles offering insight to your target customers. This could be advice to schools on setting up a cycling policy to promote your bike sheds, or the healthiest way to cook chicken to promote your grease free grill.

Press releases push out links back to your website and cement your credibility if you’re providing useful information.

7. Publish on other people’s sites

If you’ve already been networking with bloggers in your field then why not approach them to write a guest post. This will help you attract more attention by showcasing your expertise as well as generating a backlink from a relevant website. If there aren’t enough bloggers around, try approaching your industry’s news sites to see if they’ll accept submissions. Everybody needs fresh content to keep eyeballs occupied.

Just make sure you’re providing useful articles, and not a blatant sales pitch, if you don’t want your submission dumped in the recycle bin.

8. Give away a free eBook

What questions do your customers have before they make a purchase or how can your product make their lives easier? Both can be answered in a free downloadable eBook that demonstrates your credibility, expertise and builds a closer affinity with your customers.

If you’re being useful by giving away free information then you’ll be rewarded with the customer’s increased trust and confidence.

9. Start a monthly newsletter

In this age where everybody expects to get content for free, it might be getting harder to charge customers for words but it has never been easier to publish. So why not take advantage and produce a newsletter to maintain contact with your latest news, articles and product guides long after prospects have left the site.

10. Stick to the plan and don’t expect instant results

Even if you follow steps 1-9 it can still take a number of months to build your Google ranking, attract a steady flow of traffic and build your customer base. However, if you don’t invest in building your web presence then your shiny new website will simply remain hidden away and ignored. So put a strategy in place for regularly generating and promoting your content, be persistent and if you build it they will come.

In this age of niche products reaching global marketplaces, sending a town crier around your local shopping district didn’t make my list. It won’t hurt if you want to attract local business, but it wont be enough to find you customers further a field.

Investing in good quality copywriting for all your pages (including the ‘About Us’ page), and not just the landing page, is the first step. The next stage is to become a publisher and be generous with your content.

Becoming a publisher will boost your Google rank, attract traffic and develop credibility with your customers, who will have more trust in you because you’ve invested time in making their buying decisions easier.

Enjoy this post? Vote for it at Digg. Thanks!

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Blog, Copywriting, Marketing, Online-PR, blogging 

Why Copywriters are now Builders, not just Decorators

May 11, 2007 | 1 Comment

As internet marketing evolves so do the responsibilities of the copywriter. There was a time when the copywriter was just brought in to splash punchy prose over the website’s pages, before packing up and moving on to the next project. It was the web developers who stayed behind to keep an eye on the site, to make sure it was well sign posted and a pleasant place to visit.

However, research on people’s shopping habits suggests that copywriters are now a vital part of a site’s maintenance team.

Not only are they needed for the initial decorations, but also for regular refurbishments and constant building work to make the website is as big, bold and prominent as possible.

I was directed to the basis of this week’s topic by Mark White at Better Business Blogging. In a recent post he linked to a report on how UK shoppers respond to search results.

The report, commissioned by Tamar search conversion agency, provided some interesting insights into the UK’s attitude to search:

  • Over half will switch to a competitor if they see negative comments about a company in the search results.
  • 7 out of 10 will abandon a search altogether if they see negative results.
  • 43% know the difference between natural and paid search.
  • 9 out of 10 prefer natural to paid.
  • Women prefer natural results because they are seen as more relevant.
  • Men are cynical of the keyword manipulation tactics used in paid search, and don’t trust them.

The study reinforces the need for businesses to approach their online marketing as a long-term commitment.

Getting to the top of the natural rankings should be the primary aim, with paid search just a useful tool for getting quick, early customers

Paid search can be very effective if you know your conversion rate, and only need to sell a few high value products to make a profit. Consequently, it suits some businesses better than others.

It is ideal for those whose visitors are more likely to buy on their first visit, and don’t need convincing of your product’s benefits.

The problem with relying solely on paid search is that it’s a bit like attracting shoppers with a megaphone, but not having a sales team to greet them when they arrive.

Few people are ready to buy the first time they visit your site. To persuade them to part with their money you need to build trust. The best way of doing this is through the ongoing provision of content of value, and developing the sales process over time. A natural search campaign can achieve this.

Getting to the top of the natural search results takes a much greater investment of time and energy than paid. With Google’s algorithms enough of a puzzle to support a whole industry, there’s no quick and easy way to get to the top, and stay there.

Natural search optimisation is like building and running a shop. It takes a lot of effort, and requires regular investment long after you’ve first opened your doors. Ongoing renovations are needed to keep it relevant, and to build up the content needed to attract search spiders, garner backlinks and develop trust with visitors.

That’s why copywriters should start thinking of themselves as a website’s resident builder, rather than just the initial decorator. Copywriters are now needed to hang around to keep the website’s content up-to-date, and to pull in the search engines.

Your words are your bricks, and with them you are responsible for constructing a website’s organic material needed to push it to the top of the natural search results.

A natural search campaign is about building concrete foundations. Once your website’s relevance is robust enough to be on page one then you’re there for good, and open to do business with the steady stream of customers flowing through your doors.

People trust you because they know you have spent time laying the groundwork to be there. You are not a fly-by-night organisation who has just bought your way onto their screens.

Paid search is a lot like setting up a market stall at somebody else’s shop door. You’ve paid the market inspector for the pitch, and then you try and waylay as many of the shop’s customers as possible.

Most will pass by because they don’t trust you, but at least one in ten is likely to stop and have a look at your wares.

Paid search might be the quick and easy way of getting noticed. But with 90% preferring natural results you are missing out on a lot of business by not having a natural search campaign.

At present most businesses are still fighting over the best market stall pitches, rather than investing in long-term bricks and mortar.

A recent survey, taken from E-consultancy, highlighted the following:

  • 6 out of 10 UK businesses plan to increase their search marketing budget in the next year.
  • 44% said the rising click costs were affecting the ROI of paid search.
  • The average proportion of a marketing budget allocated to online was 32%.
  • 61% of an online marketing budget was spent on paid search, with only 33% on natural SEO.
  • Most felt SEO had a more positive impact on branding than paid search.
  • The scope of success in driving their search marketing strategy was limited by the lack of internal resources.

Based on this survey, it would appear we still have a long way to go before business mindsets change from focusing on paid to natural SEO.

Once more businesses wise up to the long-term benefits of natural search then they will need copywriters to build and manage their campaigns for them. Not only to provide wheelbarrow loads of news and information, but also to drown out the noise of disgruntled customers.

The Tamar report highlighted the problem of negative comments in blogs and social sites clogging up search results, and scaring off visitors. Over half of those surveyed would switch to a competitor if criticism cropped up in a company’s results.

Copywriters are needed to drive down negative search results, by building a website’s positive exposure with happy news stories and cheery case studies.

But I’m going to have to save this discussion for another day, because it’s time for my tea break.

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Copywriting, Online-PR, Search Engine Optimisation 

Learn More About Online PR with a $200 PRWeb Press Release

May 1, 2007 | 2 Comments


Online PR is certainly one of the buzz terms at the moment, and what better way to learn more about it than by using a free $200 press release from top online distributors PRWeb.

Ponn Sabra at EmpowerWomenNow.com is currently running a promotion with PRWeb in which you can use one of their top press release distribution services for free. All you have to do is sign up for Ponn’s newsletter and then attend a PRWeb webinar.

Requirements taken from EmpowerWomenNow.com:

Rules:

1. Subscribe to Ponn’s free Empower Me Now Tips ezine, here.

2. Register for a free account to PRWeb.com here,* and register for a “Free Webinar” once you are in your account. [On the left-hand side of “My Account” you’ll see Mario Bonilla, Platform Trainer, smiling at ya!]

* If you already have an account, hit “SIGN UP NOW”, and click on the upper-left-hand-tab <Home> to ‘login’ your ‘username’.

3. Once you receive your confirmation Webinar email, forward a copy to prweb<at>empowerwomennow<dot>com

4. Attend the Webinar and afterwards send an email to Mario at the address he supplies. He will email you back a coupon code for redeeming your press release distribution service worth $200.

For anybody unfamiliar with Webinars, please note that you need to call a teleconference number. I used Skype and it only cost me £0.96 for the full hour; I’d recommend that anybody else calling from outside the US tries this instead of using a landline.

The Webinar was very informative and certainly gave me some new ideas as well as an insight into some of the extra services that PRWeb provide over free services.

Now I’ve just got to think up a story worthy enough for my $200 release!

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Online-PR 

Why Businesses Aren’t Blogging

April 12, 2007 | 2 Comments

I am a business blogging evangelist. There I’ve said it. I think businesses should be selling their services through education and building trust with information of value. What better way of achieving this than with a relevant and regularly updated blog?

Sometimes I wonder whether I do get carried along with the whole web 2.0 crowd and should stop to see why business blogging hasn’t yet taken off on a larger scale. After all, not everybody thinks there is going to be an imminent revolution in how businesses communicate.

This week I’m going to step down from my pulpit of normal sermons, on the need for businesses to engage with their marketplace, to see what the other side thinks.

Last week’s Blogging4Business conference was an opportunity for those in marketing and PR to listen to blogging’s proponents and decide whether to be afraid or rejoice.

The BBC sent a reporter along so, with their government mandate for objective reporting, I was interested to see what impression was being broadcast to the wider world.

The BBC’s reporter attended a session hosted by Microsoft’s Darren Strange, one of their leading bloggers, who gave a typically browbeating speech:

He delivered an impassioned plea for firms to allow staff free reign to write their own blogs.

“I know it sounds scary that you have hundreds of people writing what they like about the firm, and you having no control over it,” Mr Strange said.

“Yes, things will go wrong, people will say things that perhaps they shouldn’t but the benefits outweigh the downsides.”

The room of PR executives meanwhile had been stunned into silence.

It’s a common theme in the blogosphere that the traditional PR and marketing mindsets are struggling to come to terms with the new attitudes to communication. It would appear that this view is also shared with the wider world and still a reason why business blogging isn’t being pushed along the traditional lines.

People often fear what they don’t understand or think they can’t control. Mainstream exposure of blogging is always beneficial for the movement’s growth, even if it’s just to highlight the gaping void between the traditional mindset and new breed of online proponents.

In my search for people prepared to stand up and challenge the beliefs of the business blogging movement I came across a white paper by Lewis PR. The report is well researched and objective, and does give a clear insight into some of the barriers holding the movement back.

Here are some of its key points:

  • In a survey of 300 companies from 10 countries only 5% had a blog. A stark contrast to the popular and oft quoted Jupiter research report that heralded 35% of companies would be blogging by the end of 2006. The fact is that business blogging hasn’t yet taken off and is still mainly the preserve of individual professionals, marketing and new media agencies.

  • There is uncertainty about the benefits and best practices. More mainstream awareness is needed of case studies and businesses who have gained from blogging.

  • There is less enthusiasm to invest in new technology simply because it is the latest fad. Businesses are no longer going to spend money just trying to be cool. People are keeping their fingers in their pockets after getting them burnt in the last misfired internet explosion.

  • Blogging requires a significant investment of time, skill and knowledge. You can outsource the first two, but will still soak up an employee’s time providing the third.

  • It’s difficult to assess the value of blogging in terms of cost-benefit. We are still missing a recognised set of metrics for measuring engagement, although some would argue that a lot of marketing takes place without robust metrics anyway.

  • It’s difficult to pitch blogging to a CEO. Without quantifiable benefits like bringing in sales leads and reputation enhancement, but with the much publicised risks, it’s a difficult sell. Page 10 of the report does, however, provide a good summary of all the possible benefits for HR, marketing, sales etc.

  • Marketers and blogging gurus might read a lot of RSS feeds but that doesn’t mean business people do. Will your blog be able to gain their attention with all the emails, industry magazines and sales calls they receive in a day? (Research was, however, published by Edelman showing that blog readership contains a large proportion of influencers: people responsible for buying decisions who want to be up to date on the latest developments. RSS has also only been integrated into browsers for a few months).

  • Your blog has to be able to provide news and information of value to attract readers. If your business isn’t in a fast paced industry then you might struggle to provide enough for the business crowd.

  • Blogs need to be transparent and fit in with the blogging culture, if this doesn’t fit in with your business’ culture then your blog might struggle. Corporate speak doesn’t work online.

  • Your blog might attract negative comments and feedback if you’re in a controversial industry or attract criticism. Animal testing firms should probably think twice.

Lewis PR’s report highlights many of the issues business blogging is facing: lack of awareness, lack of well known case studies and the fear of jumping in before everybody else.

The business blogging movement still continues to gain pace though, with SEO firms now signing up and many PR agencies making hesitant enquiries.

Last year I went to a small business exhibition in Milton Keynes to distribute leaflets on the benefits of blogging in the hope of riding the web 2.0 wave. I’ve still got a pile sat in my drawer. Lewis Global PR’s report shows that it might still be too early to give them another airing just yet.

Business blogging might not be appropriate for every business. But for those wishing to reach a global audience with a niche product, the time is still ripe to start talking about yourself and engaging with your online marketplace. I still know which side I’m on, even if it is just because it’s more interesting.

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Copywriting, Marketing, Online-PR, RSS, Search Engine Optimisation, blogging 

“Google is not a search engine. It’s a reputation management system”

April 5, 2007 | 6 Comments

The relationship between copywriting and search marketing has never been closer; I now find myself covering the same stories as eminent SEM pros Lee Odden and Andy Beal. All three of us have recently covered issues highlighted in a Wired article about ‘The See-Through CEO’, a story about how being transparent can enhance your image, and how Google is now your mirror.

The article discusses how a CEO openly talked about his business and reached out to his marketplace. By exposing some of the myths and taking out al the ‘sales baloney’, he was able to build relationships with customers like never before. He also appeared to upset the rest of his industry in the process, but I digress.

In our new connected age it is impossible for businesses to rely on smoke and mirrors to disguise their problems. People can now spread their opinions and experiences faster than a Paris Hilton home video. Companies such as Sony, Walmart, Dell and South West Airlines have all felt the wrath of disgruntled customers, haemorrhaging their reputation with relish.

The powers of a company to control their message are dissipating. People can now block out their overt PR and sales spiel. Transparency now appears to be the language to adopt, spoken with the vocabulary of relevance and value.

The key area of my shared interest with Lee and Andy in the article is the impact of comments and opinions on search results. Google loves regularly updated websites with plenty of back-links. It’s these that are highlighted as the most relevant and pushed onto people’s screens.

When the uproar over Dell’s customer service exploded the first two search results were posts attacking Dell’s reputation. The lesson is that if you don’t talk about yourself than somebody else will, and you might not like what they have to say.

With hindsight, Dell should have simply released an apology and a promise to do better. Customers get angry when they think they aren’t being listened to, but can be forgiving if they feel their problems have at least been acknowledged.

Google is no longer just an online directory, but a reflection of your reputation. Its search results show what is being said and what information has the most influence. Internet marketing is no longer just about getting your website to the top, but also about getting to know the search results around you.

Previously brands would hire a PR agency to push positive stories onto the news channels to influence what people were saying. Now people are creating news channels of their own, free to say whatever they like and with an audience that listens intently.

As the Wired article comments:

“Being transparent, opening up, posting interesting material frequently and often is the only way to amass positive links to yourself and thus to directly influence your Googleable reputation. Putting out more evasion or PR puffery won’t work, because people will either ignore it and not link to it – or worse, pick the spin apart and enshrine thosecriticisms high on your Google list of life.”

The same topic was covered by a panel at the Bloggin4Business conference, currently in full swing in London. The panel of experts were discussing the impact of social media on advertising and marketing.

“Marketing needs to completely reinvent itself because the media world has completely changed,” commented Anthony Mayfield from Spannerworks, “Success means earning attention by being useful.”

The notion that online marketing is purely about SEO is dated. It’s now about becoming a relevant and active cornerstone of your marketplace’s community. You need to become an ‘authentic brand ambassador’ and an integrated part of your online ecosystem.

A brand’s internet marketing strategy should be about being as transparent as possible and generous with their news and information. Not burying their heads in the sand and hoping people in the internet bubble will run out of air.

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Copywriting, Marketing, Online-PR, RSS, Search Engine Optimisation, blogging 

E-consultancy Roundtable Online-PR report

April 3, 2007 | 3 Comments

Discussion of Online-PR continues unabatted with the ever reliable e-consultancy releasing their report on the status quo.

A few of the key points:

  • There might be widespread use of Online PR for defensive purposes, such as reputation monitoring, but there is still little proactive use for marketing due to lack of experts and PR agency knowledge in the area.
  • Companies need an integrated offline and online approach with activites supported and reflected in both.
  • Uniting online and offline PR is a recent development -“SEO internally is quite easy but persuading the PR team to take online PR seriously is difficult because they don’t understand the value it can bring to the business.”
  • “Traditional PR is about cuttings and circulation. Online is about influence and conversation. What is putting a lot of traditional PRs off is that it’s seen as being about technology. But it’s about relationships and conversations.”
  • There are SEO agencies offering Online PR services, but these agencies may not have the online copywriting skills needed to carry out important aspects of online PR effectively.
  • Bloggers can be particularly powerful in niche areas.
  • “It’s about remembering why people form communities in the first place. It’s got to be relevant otherwise there is no point in being there.”

So far, my attempts to develop Online-PR in Milton Keynes hasn’t met the groundswell of support I had been hoping for. The perception of blogs as a marketing tool is still taking time.

In my experience, whenever you are trying to push something new people need to hear about it from a number of sources before they start to take it in. Now that e-consultancy are on the case they should be hearing a lot more about Online-PR from a lot more people very soon.

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Marketing, Online-PR, RSS, Search Engine Optimisation, blogging 

How Copywriters can Bring Peace to the SEO vs. PR Debate

March 21, 2007 | 6 Comments

Just when we think we are making progress a new battleground emerges. The buzz around Online PR has built hopes of a bold new world in which websites are evolving portals of news and information, and online brochures are resigned to the bin.

However, the battle-lines are being drawn over who should have dominance over the new discipline. Is it the role of SEO companies to manage their client’s online reputation? Or is it the responsibility of the PR agency? Instead of working towards a common goal both clans seem to be worlds apart. It’s up to the freelance copywriter to bridge the gap and resolve their dispute for them.

With awareness of RSS spreading and businesses waking up to the opportunity of harnessing their news, the time is ripe for Online PR to spread. With a steady stream of press releases and articles, filled with relevant keywords, it has never been easier for niche businesses to reach a global marketplace and seduce prospects with their relevant, insightful information.

An article on E-consultancy Why online PR and SEO go hand in hand outlined why the two went so well together: PR is about building reputation through positive coverage, exactly what effective online link building is all about.

The PR agency can write engaging press releases and thought leadership articles, whilst the SEO team can ensure the key phrases are present and the articles are submitted and linked to the right places.

In his post, Ken McGaffin from Wordtracker.com does however describe a world in which the PR tribe is largely ignorant of SEOs rituals and traditions. Ken gives some examples of how PR campaigns have been stunted by their failure to capitalise on the opportunity to build the message further online.

Some of Kens key reasons why PR needs to understand search strategies were:

  • Website articles can be searched for, found and read months or years after an event. The exposure of magazine articles only lasts until the next issue.
  • Interesting and useful information attracts not only readers, but also back-links to push your website further to the front of the crowd.
  • Online news spreads fast. Online press releases appear on the same day on Google news and can be found by every interested surfer, rather than rely on the whims of an editor to decide if they’re news worthy.
  • It has never been easier for niche businesses to compete online. By providing news and information of value you can position yourself as a news leader and reach the influencers in your marketplace.

Ken’s article portrays a world in which PR and SEO agencies haven’t yet learned to work together, but for them both to evolve they certainly should do.

The positive comments section was a roll call for all those in the UK who got the new Online PR philosophy and to pledge their support.

One comment in particular was by Katy Howell, whose Online PR consultancy I had quoted in my previous post. She was able to provide me with another useful sound-bite:

The PR industry has suffered a great deal of slating over the press release (often justified in the past) but a new waive of ghastly copy is making its way onto the wires and posting sites. So I would like to caution that PR is a job for PR professionals. After all releases will only generate interest from journalists and surfers to, ‘spread like wild fire’, if they are actually good. That is, newsworthy, interesting, well written, informative and above all, relevant!

It would appear that, judging from Katy’s comments, a new generation of PR professional is required. One who understands how to compose a punchy press release combined with the knowledge of how to use it to grab the online audience and pull them back to their client’s website.

From the article’s comments I was also able to latch onto another post on the same theme by SEO consultant Shane Quigley. In PR is Dead, Long Live SEO!, Shane spells out how misunderstanding is creating an impending war between the PR dinosaurs and tech savvy SEO consultants. Will they be able to converge in some way, or will the PR dinosaurs simply swallow up SEO agencies when they feel the time is right?

Internet marketing is evolving at such a pace that SEO experts have had to learn to evolve at almost a daily rate. The PR dinosaurs have been able to lumber along with the same practices for centuries, blissfully unaware of an approaching asteroid that could wipe them out.

Unsurprisingly and quite possibly intentionally – Shane’s article drew a healthy debate between the proponents of the two disciplines. The agreed standpoint was that neither will replace the other. But a new hybrid professional is needed to act as middleman between the two.

Whilst SEO agencies struggle to find web savvy PR professionals and PR agencies keep their heads in the sand, the door of opportunity is open for astute freelance copywriters to walk in and introduce themselves as the answer to all their problems.

If you’re a freelance copywriter then you might want to put together a press release on your new Online PR service and give your local SEO and PR agencies a call.

I think my own website is now going to need a bit of a rewrite.

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Online-PR, Search Engine Optimisation