Why You Need to Learn How to Copy Write if You’re Online Doing Business
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As a business owner and internet marketer, you need a way to market to your prospect. There are many ways to market, and almost all internet marketing methods have one thing in common. They all rely on writing, specifically writing copy.
The art of writing copy is called copywriting. Copywriting is how you communicate with your prospect and learning how to copy write is one of the most important skills you can learn if you’re doing business on the Internet.
Basically, copywriting is using words to influence someone to take some sort of action. According to Wikipedia, “copywriting is the use of words to promote a person, business, opinion or idea.” The actual writing, the copy, is “promotional text,” which is written content that is used in both offline and online media.
The purpose of copy “is to persuade the reader, listener or viewer to act — for example, to buy a product or subscribe to a certain viewpoint.” A great quote Wikipedia uses is by Robert Nightingale, copywriting is "getting across the perfect message, with the perfect words."
Copywriting is used in all businesses (offline and online) for their marketing materials. For an online business, copy is used in marketing venues such as website and landing pages, sales letters, and ads. For example, when you write a tweet to promote your product on Twitter, you’re writing copy.
The book, The Copywriter’s Handbook, by Robert Bly, is a good resource for learning about copywriting. The introduction starts off with a quote by Judith Charles, the president of her own retail advertising agency, which gets to the heart of what a copy writer does.
“A copywriter is a salesperson behind a typewriter.” (or PC; the original book was published in 1985)
You may be uncomfortable with the word “sell,” but persuading someone to do something is a form of selling.
The quote highlights that the goal of writing copy is to persuade the reader to take action. So for an online business, the goal is to get your prospect to take action, such as entering a name and email or clicking on a link to go to a landing page.
Don’t confuse the design of your copy with the intent of your copy. If your copy is funny, entertaining, or pretty, great. But funny, entertaining, and pretty don’t sell. The primary focus is telling someone how your product or service is going to benefit them. Luther Brock defines selling as “placing 100% emphasis on how the reader will come out ahead by doing business with you.” So it’s imperative that you understand why someone is looking for a business (or product or service) and translate what you have to offer into benefits that answer their why.
A major question many marketers have is does the Internet change the rules when it comes to copywriting. Generally speaking, the principles and techniques of copywriting still apply because, according to Robert Bly, human nature hasn’t changed. Robert Bly does see 4 ways the Internet has changed things, which do affect how you approach copywriting.
1) Reduction in human attention span. Your copy has to be minimal, concise, and to the point.
2) Information overload. Your copy has to be relevant. People don’t want to waste time.
3) Smarter consumers. Your copy has to respect them. No one likes to have their intelligence insulted.
4) Busier lives. Your copy has to deliver quickly and be easy and convenient.
If you’re writing web copy and want to get high ranking in search engines, there is a niche of copywriting called search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting. This type of copywriting is based on the keywords related to your web site. This type of copywriting does take skill in that you have to incorporate the keywords into the copy in way that doesn’t come across as spam. Whether you are focusing on general copywriting or SEO copywriting, however, the key is to understand the problem or question that drove someone to search for an answer. As in all marketing, the best way to find out is through good keyword research.
Learning how to copywriting is a skill you have to master if you plan to do any sort of business online. The sooner you learn this key skill, the better. Don’t be intimidated even if you think you can’t write. You may actually be a better candidate for learning how to copy write because you won’t have a lot of unlearning to do.
Happy Business Building,
Yoli
Yolanda Allen is a retired Air Force officer and online business owner. Read more from Yolanda at her blog, http://www.OnlineBusinessPlankOwner. You can learn more about Yolanda’s online business from her business partner, Michael, a top producer, at http://www.HearFromMichael.com . Enter your name and email address to get a complimentary business overview. Find out if this is the business that can help you earn the income you need to design the lifestyle you want..com
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Comments: 31 WARNING: This is only for people VERY SERIOUS about becoming killer copywriters.
About the Author: Yolanda Allen
Member Since: 07/24/2008
I'm a Distributor For:: CarbonCopyPRO
Other Company: YBA Marketing, LLC
Industry: Marketing and Advertising
Primary Web Site: http://www.InternetBizKnowHow.com
Hi Yolanda, and thanks for
Hi Yolanda, and thanks for this post. The 4 ways Mr. Bly says the Internet has changed things seem like improvements to me. These factors raise the bar, and eliminate a lot of the chaff quickly. Great copywriting is on the list of skills I'm trying to hone, because I agree entirely that we have to be able to master this to succeed on the Internet.
~Judy
Judy, thanks for the post
Judy, thanks for the post and the content. I've been reading and blogging about what I'm learning from Mr Bly's book and there's a lot more to copywriting than I realized. I agree with you on that the Internet has made things better. Take Care.
Great Info
I usually struggle when I try to write new articles. I want to make sure they are SEO friendly, that I’m using the right keywords with the right content and really give me a hard time. This information has been great as you point out the basics to get someone started.
Thanks for the info
Yolanda, It is important to be a great writer. Words are very powerful when use properly and to your advantage. Thank you again.
about the Bible
I just want to say that the Holy Bible has been used so many times by so many religions but God did not copyright it. Yes people who quote from the Bible in the Christian world usually refer to the Bible with the verses they quote but not all religions do that.
If God don't copyright His Bible then I don't have to copyright what I write. I mean it might become my loss in the long run but if people want to steal my writing it will come back to them as a bad omen not to me. Same with the people who steal from God's Bible. So everyone should always stay conscious to quote other people's work if they find it great. The people who copyright their writings are interested in financial matters of course. Then there are the songs certain artists sing. They are copyrighted because of all the money they make from these songs. Still, I feel that people make all this money and they don't look to God how He does things. I look to God and God does it this way as a reminder: God does not copyright but He expects people to know not to steal and if they do then God will know it and on judgment Day He will put it in front of them when He asks them why they did that.
Why You Need to Learn How to Copy Write if You’re Online Doing B
What a useful information. I am using it now to make a differnce in my business.
Great stuff..
Yolanda,
thanks for this. Time comes in Online business that you have to do this to gain competitive advantage. All till goes down to this fact, "What you don't have you can't give". Most of us started from the level of Long write ups, found guilty of information overload which in most cases disrespect our prospect and end up chasing the prospect away rather bringing them close.
The summary is
1) Make it short, concise, and to the point.
2) Make sure it' relevant and don’t waste prospects time.
3) Respect them, do't insult their intelligence.
4) Deliver quickly with ease and convenient.
Thumb up Yolanda
Copywriting is the Million $ Skill
Hi Yolanda,
Great stuff. Robert Bly is one of the all-time great copywriters and his stuff pre-dates the internet as we know it.
What I have found that really helps with copywriting is try to put yourself in the readers position and try to figure out what the conversation is that is going on inside their head. And then you put yourself into that conversation to connect to the reader. And write like you would write to a friend and not to an "audience".
Thanks for your article.
Cheers! Calvin
The key phrase for me
"the key is to understand the problem or question that drove someone to search for an answer." This was the key phrase in your article, imho. Too many times we forget that we have great products that really help solve peoples problems and just try to get them to our site.
I better start learning
Writing doesn't come easy for me at all. For me writing is like putting someone onstage at a comedy club that isn't funny and has no jokes to tell.
The key to key phrases is to
The key to key phrases is to make sure they avoid looking like key phrases. So use long tailed key phrases then use the free Google Adwords tool put in the key phrase and it will give you one's it sees as the same.
This has two advantages it stops your articles looking like marketing plugs, they should come across as genuine value added information and Google in it's weird way ranks you higher especially when linked back to your Blog. Because it sees your site as an authority site.
Finally remember your key phrase can appear split up for example the key phrase, best home business, could appear."when you want the best business that you can do from home" will probably get picked up as the same by Google.
The Art of CopyWriting
I enjoyed the article very much,if you are going to succeed in internet marketing you must master the art of copywriting. good job Henry Cooper Sr.
Great post! One guy I follow is Mark Joyner of Simpleology.com
I joined Mark Joyner's site for free about three years ago and have bought material from him off and on since then. I was astonished to see how many of his Cashmaps I now own. His copywriting, upsell techniques and online expertise are extraordinary and an education in themselves, even if you never buy a thing.
Skills That Should Be Mandatory
You're so right, Yolanda. Copywriting is a skill every online marketer needs to have.
That's why I didn't hesitate when the opportunity came to learn from copywriting guru, David Garfinkel.
His insights and practical tactics have made a big difference in my marketing approach.
If there should ever be a mandatory course ever given to qualify a marketer as a marketer, it should be copywriting.
HOW ARE YOU DOING
HELLO YOLANDA I, AM IRENA-US CHINEDU IN COME EASTERN NIGERIA RIGHT NOW IN GHANA PLEASE I WAN,T IF WE CA N TRANSACT ONE BUSINESS TO ANOTHER , PLEASE THIS IS PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS IFOREAL@HOTMAIL.COM CONTACT NUMBER +233201219100 I HOPE TO HEARS FROM YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR FURTHER INTRODUCTIONS NICE DAY,
IRENAUS
SORRY IS EN,T LIKE THEIRS SOME ERROR ON THE PHONE NUMBERS +233201912100 THANKS
Top Quality Info
Some of the best info on copywriting. Writing good copy is necessary in this industry.
Nice!
This is great information. I find the most difficult part of writing copy has to do with influence. You want to influence the person to buy, but you also want to make sure it will be right for them. I am so honest that it is difficult for me to push the boundries into persuasion. I want them to really want it too. I need to grow past that. Thank you for the information.
That's Cool!
Great post! Certain people has innate abilities to write good copy material, some don't. Those that do, just start writing from the very start .. those that don't, have to learn it from others. SEO Copywriting, that's powerful!
learn all i can
i would like to learn all i need more learning and skill so i may enable my self and biz to grow in the fashion needed mentioned was copy wright learning i need greatly to excel would love the help
looking to hear from you thank you for your time
thank you
looking forward learning how to copy wright
THANK YOU FOR UNKNOTED MY BLIND FOLD
HI YOLANDA, thank you for opening my eyes in copywriting subject I am new and in learnig stage I will go for it,lot of people are coming in net work marketing but they do not know where to start, so you are leader, what I think this is great charity because you are spreading the word to others,I tell you the truth I am not good at all in writing,thank you so much.
Thank you for the insight!
To be honest I almost thought copywriting was something completely different! I am glad i read the article though because it made much sense. It was long enough to give a full description but you also quickly hit some key points. I think of myself as a good writer and would like to make this better within my marketing ventures. Thank you for the motivation!
Copy writing is very important for online marketing
Dear Yolanda Allen,
Nice article! Copy writing is really important for online marketing. As we all know that Google and other popular search engines gives high importance to relevant and fresh contents. Your article is impressive. Layout of the article is nicely done. Keep up the good work.
Learning to copywrite for online marketing
Yolanda,
Great useful content! This skill is definitely important in order to experience success in online marketing. I'm new to this business so thank you for your work. Easy to follow and to the point.
So right!
Yoland Your article on copwriting is so spot on.Without this marketers have NO lists or any t poromote to
Dave
copywriting
Thank you for the valuable info! I'll be sure to look for and learn more about copywriting.
Copywriting
Thanks for this great information. Your presentation was enjoyable.
Copywriting!
Yolanda,
This article is very good, its informative and so true .Its the one skill that we all use EVERY day ,yet so many networkers, hardly bother at all, when if they applied more effort to this area, along with Building their relationships, would find that earning money & giving value, would become SO much EASIER.Keep up your good work.
Good Article
I tend to over think my writing so it comes out long winded. Thanks for reminding me know that short and sweet is truly better.