How to Find and Hire a Great Freelance Writer / Copywriter

Seek and Ye Shall Find?

Sometimes finding a good writer can be harder than finding a soul mate because writing and copywriting are subjective arts and if you are not a writer, you can not see the difference between a good writer and an excellent writer. If you are looking for a writer on the Web by searching on terms such as writer and copywriter, there are few things you should look for once you find a writer’s website:

Excited, Delighted or Uninvited?

Excellent writing entertains and excites, quickly and concisely. When you read the writer’s website you should be drawn in. Does she ask the reader questions? Does he understand what you want? Does she seem friendly? Does he have relevant experience? Does she list what kinds of services she offers?

Location, Location, Location

Often businesses hiring a writer want to look for someone nearby so they search, writer, Los Angeles if they live in Los Angeles, if the writers don’t show an address or location where they work, you’ll never find then. You’ll be able to get a general idea of where the writer is by either the contact page or by references to work completed.

A Bad Writer Ain’t Hard to Find

If you notice grammar and spelling mistakes you are probably on the wrong page. Also if the style and design of a writer’s website looks bad, even if their writing looks good, you should be wary. Good writing is neat and pleasant looking.

Ample Parking and Samples

Excellent writing on the Web, gives the reader plenty of potential to stop, park, click and look for a while. If the writer doesn’t link to more writing and industry resources, she/he is less professional than the ones who do know that linking is best form of networking around. You ought to find several kinds of writing samples. If you don’t find the kind of samples you like, e-mail or call the writer and ask for exactly what you want.

RSVP

Response is also important to you and the writer. Although a few second e-mail response-time is possible, a day or overnight return time is reasonable. If you want a faster response, be sure to tell the writer that you are in hurry and on a deadline. When writers don’t respond in a timely manner, they miss out on your work.

Check References

Once you locate the name of the writer, do not hesitate searching for other references of the writer on the Web. Type the name in a search engine with an appropriate word such as writer. For example, when I searched my name Lynn Walford with the word writer, along with my website http://www.freelancewriternow.com, a photo of me standing next my former editor Michael Goldstein at a Justice Magazine party appeared. I never saw the photo until I searched for my own name! Of course, writers and authors' names should also appear in magazine articles and bylines in other media.

Titular Savvy or Tense---What’s in a Name?

Look at the title of the writer’s website. Is it catchy? Memorable? Does it Make Sense? Of course when someone is born Anna Matto Poeeah, (pronounced just like onomatopoeia, the poetic word for when something also sounds like its name, such as whispering or clang) you can’t hold it against her. However, when writers don’t take the time to name their websites appropriately they can’t write a title for you.

The Price is Write

Some writers charge by the hour, by the piece or by the word. Whomever you choose, she/he should be able to give an estimate on how much your project will cost. Vagueness usually means no experience.

Rewrite Right?

Most excellent writers and copywriters will give a free rewrite if you don’t like what they do. Always ask if they will rewrite it for you if you don’t like it.

Test, Quiz

If you are planning a major project such as a white paper, which can be expensive, look for a writer in advance and ask him/her to write a small project for you first, then you can see if you can work with him/her and also test knowledge.

Well, Well, Well.

Writing well is a precise art with a sense of urgency and a taste of the divine. You should be able to tell good writing when you find it. It comes to life, sings and shines. When you read something like ” Avoid cliches like the plague,” found on 26 Golden Rules for Writing Well you are definitely in the wrong place.

Essential steps to make your copywriting effective

Regardless of what service you provide or what type of products you produce, in today highly competitive and rapidly changing world one should always have appealing, attracting and interesting content on the web site. Web copywriting process is destined to help you to create well-written content copy. Copywriters will be able to design and compose the copy that gain attention of major search engines and increase the traffic on your web site; yet it not enough. One should never forget how the text on your web site should look like.

Many copywriters, who write for online and offline companies, commit mistakes by writing and composing the copy that addresses all clients at the same time. However, one should realize that the content that communicates with each client individually rather than with the group of people is the most efficient one. The phrase” Our clients will find our services affordable” sounds weaker than the phrase:” You will find our services affordable” In this case you focus on the uniqueness of your client; you communicate with him and address him directly. Certainly, your business might provide services to several thousands of clients yet even in this case you should preserve individual, direct contact with the person. This is one of the most effective strategies in the web copywriting process.

Whatever you write-be it a sales letter or just advertisement, SEO copywriting copy or leaflet, this simple principle of direct, individual communication should be preserved. Otherwise, your copywriting content might loose some versatility. When you write online copywriting, try to maintain easy-to-read and simple style yet at the same time retain individual approach. Apart from this, your content must be designed to target particular groups of people; that is why it is extremely important to combine copywriting process with marketing research which allows you to indicate your potential customers and thus design and compose the content that matches their wishes and expectations. Do not waste your energy, skills and time on poor written content. Remember that some minor detail may ruin the efficiency of your content; do not let it happen.

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Earn Huge Money Through Copywriting - How To Become A Great Copywriter

There is generally a better way to make a copywriting material, but a lot of people are turning their backs on it due to reasons I beg not to discuss. Potentially powerful copywriting materials are those, which are able to convey the message to your prospective clients. There are good writers in terms of putting their ideas into the copywriting material but are unable to convey and relay the real message to the targeted clients. The purpose of writing an article is to primarily educate the people who read your material. If as a writer you are not able to do that, then you are not complete as a skilled and effective writer. I have given below some few tips on you can make a greatly impacting copywriting material.

When one talks about marketing strategies, copywriting for the web is one of the most commendable tools from the marketers’ point of view. This is because, copywriting as a marketing tool is an effective way to communicate with your targeted clients whatever activities or any updates that a company is engaging into – in a wider geographic range. With the present demand for huge number of copywriters the earning to become a copywriter is just so enticing. Below are some of the tips on how you can earn more money with copywriting:

- When a business owner asks you to do copywriting for them, the aim of that is to advertise and promote their products. In which case, when you do copywriting jobs, you have to make sure that you sell and sell. On your copywriting material, you have to make sure that you get to move your targeted clients to an action either to visit the site or make a purchase. These actions would mean money and more money for the business.

- You have to develop a copywriting material that is full of interest and should promote enthusiasm and immediacy. This will give your prospective clients the drive to do an action about what you are trying to promote and advertise. Overall, a copywriting material that tries to build excitement is more like to sell.

- With copywriting, businesses are not only expecting to generate sales but traffic and list, too. This means that the copywriting material should be able to capture also potential clients thru the e-mail address that you may solicit from them when they get to open and read your copywriting material. Make sure that you give these people enough reasons for them to leave their personal information, say, give away gifts or some freebies like e-book or discounts.

-Choose the topic that you have better knowledge about. Choosing a topic for your targeted clients should be anchored on two things: what interests you and what interests your targeted readers. As a copywriter, you must be able to make these two elements meet at a certain point. Otherwise, if one of these turns out to be not considered during the creation of the copywriting material, a potentially problematic copywriting material is in the making.

- Upon weighing altogether the topic that will best benefit your targeted readers and your own interest, it is now time to come up with the outline of your copywriting material. This is an important aspect of your entire copywriting material because it shall allow for a better and well-crafted copywriting material.

-Always check your copywriting material for any possible grammatical flaws. Maintain a copywriting material that is free from any flaw as this manifests carelessness and distrust from the perspective of the readers. To avoid this, you will need to be proactively checking your works at the end of the completion.


If you want to hire an expert content marketer to boost your business exposure click here now

How To Get More People To Notice Your Advertising

HEADLINES are one of your biggest weapons for getting MORE PEOPLE TO NOTICE YOUR ADVERTISING, for whatever medium you choose to use.  Now you are using headlines, aren't you?  And NOT your logo - that's not a headline.  Only one person cares about your logo, AND THAT'S YOU.

Whereas a headline is something every single one of your prospects will be glued to like a kid on a cartoon.  Whatever you're writing, you've GOTTA HAVE A HEADLINE.  But here's the deal, there a are good headlines and bad headlines, so I'm going to give you an absolute killer template headline that you should use THIS WEEK in your business.

Remember, a headline's goal is to do one thing only - STOP YOUR PROSPECT IN THEIR TRACKS AND LOCK THEM ONTO YOUR AD, and some people say you only have 1.5 seconds to catch their attention, so you need to make it good!

Master copywriter David Ogilvy has said... "On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.  When you have written your headline, you have spent 80 cents out of your dollar."  So if you're using your own logo at the top of your ad, you could improve your response IMMEDIATELY, just by sticking ANY kind of headline up instead!

So would you like to know one of the great secrets for writing headlines that literally slap your prospect in the face and demand they open their wallet?Good, well here it is for you... MODEL HEADLINES THAT ALREADY WORK!!
Don't try and reinvent the wheel, the best way to come up with fantastic headlines is to take what already works, and adapt it to your own business.Isn't that simple?

Here's an absolute knock-'em-dead blockbuster template for a headline:

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR HOMEOWNERS:
Don't pay another phone bill until you read this...

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR WOMEN:
Don't buy any makeup products until you read this...

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How to choose a professional copywriter

You already know that professional copywriting is worth its weight in gold. You know that a good copywriter can help both to drive traffic to your website, and to keep it there once it arrives.

What you don't know is how to find that copywriter.

Don't worry, you're not alone. The problem with copywriting is that, unlike, say, soda or bathroom cleaner, it's not something you buy every week, or even every month. And unlike the products and services you're familiar with, it can be difficult to know what to look for – or to spot a good thing once you've found it.

Luckily, as with most things in life, finding a copywriter is easy once you know how. And this article is here to show you how.

What to look for in a copywriting service

If you're like most people, the first place you'll turn to in your search for a professional copywriter is a search engine like Google. Wise move. Your copywriter's website is probably the biggest clue of all as to just what kind of service you can expect. Here's what to look for:

1. Client testimonials
 Any good copywriter will know that testimonials are one of the most powerful sales tools you can use to create copy that converts site visitors into buyers. (If they don't know this, then they're not a good copywriter. Hit that "back" button fast…). You'd expect your copywriter to use testimonials on their own site too, then, wouldn't you? Look for a link that states "testimonials" or "customer comments" or similar. If it's not there, ask yourself why…

2. A portfolio
No decent copywriter will expect you to commission them for a project without seeing some examples of their work. A copywriter's portfolio is his or her calling card: without it, they're going nowhere. Spend some time looking at the portfolio on your copywriter's website. How does the copy read? It should be crisp, clear, and easy to understand. It should also prompt you to take some kind of action once you've read it, whether that action be making a purchase, joining a mailing list, or simply reading on. If the copywriter's portfolio doesn't persuade you they're worth using, nothing will.

3. Client list / resume
There are no particular qualifications a copywriter needs to begin practicing. Some copywriters have English or journalism degrees, others are completely self-taught, having learnt their craft from the ground up. Instead of asking your copywriter about their qualifications, then, ask about their experience. Who have they worked for in the past? What have they done for those other clients? The answers to these questions should tell you all you need to know about how well-equipped the copywriter is to work on your project.

4. Fees
Some copywriters state their fees up front, others prefer to give quotes only on enquiry. No matter how your copywriter prefers to reveal their rates, though, make sure you have something to compare them to. Shop around. You wouldn't buy the first house or car you laid eyes on, and neither should you settle for the first copywriter you find either. Once you have some quotes to look at, however, don't make the mistake of assuming that the lowest quote must be the best value. Make sure you're comparing like with like. Beware of "article mills": companies who sell articles for just a few dollars per time. These companies tend to employ amateur writers, many of whom don't even have a good grasp of English. Remember, you get what you pay for, and if a quote sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The going rate for website copywriting is around £30 GBP / $60 per hour. If you're being quotes significantly less than this, ask yourself – or your copywriter – why.


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Discover the Advantages to Hiring a Freelance Web Site Copywriter for Your Web Business

Ok…so you already have a crack staff of writers on-hand to handle your company website's writing assignments. So why should you consider hiring a freelance copywriter?

Well, as you know, today’s corporate belt-tightening often means too much work for too few people. This is especially true in the communications area, where cutbacks have strained the resources of our workforce across the board.  The result? Stress, overwork, and low morale.

And of course, this strain is more intense when those unusual or special projects come up. The disruption in the day-to-day activities of your staff can have two results. Either this project gets low priority or the day-to-day work suffers.

What’s the alternatives?  Well, you can solicit the services of an established Ad agency or PR firm. And in some instances this can be the wise choice, especially when you need the kind of flashy productions intended to impress and entertain the client…the kind designed to win glitzy awards.

The problem? These fancy productions often come with a significant price tag. Face it, these firms have a lot of employees to feed and the cost of this high overhead is passed on to you. And that often means a budget under stress.

In addition, these firms tend to be busy with the best writers often assigned to the large, high profile clients. You may get a team of junior writers, but you’ll still pay the high cost.

The solution? Studies indicate that hiring a freelance writer can actually average 5% (or more) less expensive than work done internally.  While at first glance the higher freelance per hour rate appears more cost, when you add the true cost of internal labor, not only salary, but benefit and overhead costs. And because you use him only when needed, there is no ‘downtime’ cost.

And with low overhead, the costs for freelancers are generally significantly lower than the established ad agency and PR firms.

What are some other advantages, besides cost, to having a freelance writer in the bullpen?

·        Control…Office politics, personal sensitivities, and organizational bureaucracies often effect control of project deadlines and content.  The freelance writer is your strategic sourcing partner for any project, working with you.

·        Objectivity…Essential to creating powerful persuasive copy. Freelancers can give an impartial view and new perspective to your project.

·        Writing experience…Intimate knowledge of a product or service is not necessary to write about it. Good copywriters are experienced researchers and adept at asking the right questions to get up to speed quickly. What is more important is the fresh perspective that comes from their diverse experience in meeting a variety of communication challenges.

·        Better results… Many writers can write well…but few can produce the powerful and persuasive copy that optimizes lead generation or sales. The best copywriters are masters at pulling in qualified customers dramatically increasing profits.

·        Fees…Copy fees are almost always a very small portion of the total project cost, but its effect on money generating results can be enormous.

Don’t wait until crunch time to start seeking relief. Have a freelancer in your bullpen to come to your aid…when you need him.

Hire your crack content marketer now at www.skhbusinessconsulting.com 

Copywriting Makeover: Subtle Changes Make A Noticeable Difference

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Changing a few words in your copy can lead to double-digit increases in conversions.  If that sounds like a bunch of hype from an online infomercial, stick around and I'll show you how it's done.

That's really all that happened with Kneelsit.com, an Australian ergonomic computer chair manufacturer.  They had what would be considered a successful site with a continual stream of orders.  All the basic information was already included on the home page, but the owner felt as though something was not quite "there" yet.  He wanted a fresh approach to the site's copy, so that's what he received.  And the results were simply amazing.

The Problems

While Kneelsit had great rankings for their key terms (normally #1 to #4 in popular search engines) keeping those rankings high required some attention to the SEO piece of the puzzle. Conversions, however, were not at their maximum.  The business was not suffering, but it did have room for improvement.  So, after receiving a sample chair to use during the process, I set (or should I say "sat") out to work.

Once I assembled the chair and rolled it up to my desk, I kept a notepad nearby so I could jot down benefits as I noticed them.  In just a few days’ time, I had a long list of features and benefits to refer to.

As I read over the original home page copy (which can be seen here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/kneelsit-home-original.html), I noticed something else.  Many of the benefits I had on my paper were referenced (at least briefly) in the original copy.  Some were phrased differently than I would later phrase them, but most were there.

However, in this highly competitive industry, I wanted to be sure to keep the uniqueness of the chair on the forefront.  Visitors needed to quickly see that the Kneelsit was superior to other computer chairs available. The changing of some verbiage and providing more details in some areas would help keep visitors reading and help them easily distinguish this chair from others on their comparison list.

Once my list of benefits was completed, I began relating these options to other kneeling chairs and to users of ergonomic computer chairs.  I wanted to see which benefits on my list were unique in the marketplace.  I also wanted to know about the users of these chairs.  After all, the buyer is the center of the process and should also be the focus of the copy.

My research revealed some of the reasons users would need an ergonomic chair and also the biggest complaints about some of the current ergonomic designs.  In addition, I discovered which benefits were common to other ergonomic chairs and which were distinctive.

The Solutions

Armed with the research results, I started crafting the copy to speak to that one person who was forced to sit at a computer all day, in pain, and who desperately needed help.  This person had tried several other computer chairs before with little to no results and was getting skeptical about finding a solution.

I looked back over my list of benefits in search of the ones that would not be found in the competition's copy.  I focused on one exclusive, patented feature (the axle design) and the fact that the chair was customizable for every body type.

I laid out a plan for the new copy including keyword selection, keyword placement, benefits and key points to be mentioned.

Similar in many ways to the original copy, the new version had some subtle, but powerful, changes. The goal of the new copy was to show the true distinction of these chairs by highlighting the most impressive benefits.

I would also focus on incorporating keyphrases in headlines and sub-heads (where it made sense to do so) and throughout the copy.  I had to pay careful attention to making the copy sound natural, as I never want the SEO factors to overshadow the message of the page.