Guest article provided by: blissfulfreelancer.com
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, and trying to start a business online takes some truly solid veins of steel. There are many different types of copy needed by various industries, and of course, it would be impossible for me to try to cover them all. Specialty copywriters create copy and content for multiple industries, but most online businesses will need to get started.
Staring at a blank screen or page can be intimidating. From doctors to professional writers, a blinking cursor or hovering pen on a blank surface raises feelings of inadequacy and dread. But when the words you need to string together are tied to your future success, it becomes even more of a hassle, so you slog through it, following the research you’ve done, plopping keywords into the middle, and hope for the best. Suppose you’ve got extra money in the budget. In that case, you outsource to a copywriter and editor, and your troubles are over, temporarily until you need to create yet another product or service to put on the market, and the price starts adding up.
Since you are here, you know that you need some basic copywriting skills to get through your launches and interact with your customers. You just don’t know where to start. This chapter will outline the basic types of copy you will need for your online business and how they can help you make your life and business easier and more enjoyable. And while all of these forms of copy might not apply to everyone’s business, quite a few of them are necessary to create flow and ease in an internet business.
Website Copy:
More important than the design of your website are the words you include on it. Whether you are a service or product-based business, the purpose of your website is to get people to your offer and do something with it. Communicating your proposal so that your customers understand and desire while satisfying Google’s algorithms is a skill not easily caught. Professional copywriters dig into the psyches of their prospects and have conversations with them that unearth the desire for their product the customer may not have been aware they had. But this skill takes time, effort, and a lot of practice to hone. So, what’s an entrepreneur to do if she has neither the time to hone the skill or the money to hire the best customer whisperer? Copy them! Tony Robbins, Success coach and self-development guru hottie, says, “If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do, and you’ll achieve the same results.” It’s a simple concept; successful people either innovate( invent the wheel) or copy ( follow the innovator). I am a firm believer in following the clues that success leaves to understand how others have accomplished what they did. It’s why I included samples in this article to help those who learn the way I do.
A great website, in simple terms, is easy to navigate, has clear instructions, explains what you offer in direct, easy to understand terms, and is easy to find. When creating a website, spend time looking at it from your customer’s perspective; what would you be visiting your site for? How would you like to find it? What would make your experience better and make you want to come back? Check out your competitors’ websites and see what they do well and then, without copying their message, words, or style, follow their best practices.
Blogs and Articles
Blogs and articles are a great way to create your unique personal brand. This means you get to speak your message in your authentic voice, so people know you. There are many ways a blog or article can be written, but only a few right ways to capture what you want to say and who you want your patrons to know you as. In order to do this, you will have to start with the end goal in mind and then work back from there. Ask yourself questions about blogs and articles you save and read through. What did they do to stand out and hold your attention? Think of what value you can give from your knowledge of the industry. Then, with a content strategy in mind, write consistent, relatable information and share it with your audience, and over time, they will come to rely on your wisdom, and you will get better at connecting with them through your content.
Other Writing Needs for Your Website
Sales pages and Landing Pages– a dedicated space for advertising and selling a product or specific offer. There are various platforms on which you can design and host your landing pages, including your email provider.
Ad copy-If you intend to sell products or services, you will need copy for your ad. The science of combining the most compelling words with disruptive images takes a bit of time to master but is well worth the effort. In general terms, you want to build out the 4 P’s of persuasive writing in your ad copy, Promise, picture, proof, push.
Email Sequences– an email sequence is a series of emails sent automatically or manually to your subscribers, users, followers, or prospects. Email ROI is over 3000% for the greats but pays in spades for those who are trying their hands at nurturing, welcoming, or moving prospects in your funnels. Learn about email sequences here with examples of 4 of the more common ones.
Lead Magnets – freebies, opt-ins, whatever you call them, these free digital or physical items are used to entice browsers and visitors to join your mailing list. Check out my free resource: The Ultimate Checklist for Creating Lead Magnets That People Want to Download here for more information on lead magnet creations.
Writing copy is part science, part art, and all practice. The best advice I can give you as a student of the skill is to copy old-style long-form copywriting greats like “They laughed when I sat down at the piano…” and write as you talk, or better yet, the way your prospect does. And whatever else you don’t do, make sure you get very familiar with your prospects and their pain, hopes, desires, and what problems you solve for them in your unique way; only then can you address them as old friends having a drink sharing passions.