<![CDATA[Brown Owl Marketing

<![CDATA[Brown Owl Marketing - Blog]]>Thu, 22 Sep 2016 15:02:18 +0800Weebly<![CDATA[How full briefs can save you money ]]>Thu, 16 Jun 2016 13:16:28 GMThttp://www.brownowlmarketing.com.au/blog/how-a-full-brief-can-save-you-time-and-money

Your website designer/developer will take a creative brief when you meet to get a sense of what your website will look and feel like.

As copywriters, we take one too, to ensure that what we create is relevant and specific to your business’ values and overall aims.

So, what is a copywriting brief?
A brief is a series of questions that need to be discussed between you and your copywriter. It provides them with information they need to not only write to your target audience about your business and/or your products and services, but also why your business should be chosen over your competition.

But, can't I just tell the copywriter what I'd like them to write about?
No. Website writing is a very subjective business which creates room for error. A brief is the key document that both the writer and the client use as their touchstone. Having a full brief in place will minimise misunderstandings and miscommunication.

What information should be in a brief?
The brief should cover:

The type of task. A five-page website, 10-page website, a website audit, etc.
What the website is about. What is being promoted, what pages do you need and what will each page say.
Target audience. Who is most likely to buy from you.
Features and benefits of your products and services.
What aspects of the products and services are you going to promote . What are the most important things you need to say about our product or service.
Objectives. What you do people to do once they’ve landed on your website?
Competitors. Who else is doing what you’re doing and what will make the reader choose you over them?
Key selling benefits. What will the reader get out of doing business with you? Why should they buy our product or service?
Tone of voice. Professional, youthful, friendly, authoritative etc.
Budget.
Deadline.
…and much, much more.

A good copywriter is a good investigator
In addition, a good copywriter will want to find out as much about your business as possible so they can write about it with authority.

They will question, coax, probe and generally quiz you on your views about your business, so be prepared to be asked lots of questions!

Great copywriting work results from the copywriter being able to challenge you and your thinking so that nothing is taken for granted. Some of the best copywriting work results when a copywriter simply asks the client ‘Why is that the case?’ or ‘What makes you think that?’ or ‘Where is the evidence for that?’.

How long will the briefing take?
A copywriter briefing should be thorough and could take at least 60-90 minutes, so it’s worthwhile scheduling in that time when you decide to go ahead.

It may seem like a lot of time to invest but considering your website will be seen day after day, month after month, year after year, it pays to get it right up front. That way, you’ll only have to update and tweak it. This is much more cost-effective than writing and rewriting on a regular basis.

So, how will a full brief save me money?
A full brief means:

Your copywriter is more likely to get it right the first time, meaning less rounds of edits before the copy is finalised. Most copywriters allow only two rounds of edits, and will charge extra after that.
Less research required by the copywriter once they start the job. So if they charge by the hour, research costs could blow your budget.
The copywriter will have less questions to ask you throughout the writing process, which saves your valuable time and money.

So take the time to prepare a full brief before you start your next copywriting project. It will save you time, money and will result in a far more effective piece of writing.

]]><![CDATA[Five reasons to hire a professional web copywriter]]>Tue, 05 Apr 2016 09:00:01 GMThttp://www.brownowlmarketing.com.au/blog/five-reasons-why-you-should-hire-a-professional-web-copywriter

A stunning custom website design and stylish graphics are great, but without the right words on your website, your investment in its design will be a waste.

Words are what sell. They go hand-in-hand with quality design to create your most persuasive marketing tool. They take the reader on a ‘journey’ as to why they should buy your product or service. They also determine how well you rank on Google and other search engines. So it’s important you use the right words that sell you in the right way.

You can write your website copy yourself, and if you’re a great writer already, that’s a cost-effective way to go. But if you’re not a great writer, there are a few drawbacks to doing it yourself:

1. Have you the time to write the words yourself?
It takes time to write good copy and if you don’t have the time to do it, your website will be delayed. For every day your website is not up, you’re losing business.

2. Have you the skill to write persuasive copy?
Copywriting is both an art and a science and takes years to learn. The words you use will directly influence people’s decision to buy from you.

Sure, there’s a cost to hiring a professional copywriter but (depending on the value of your service) just one or two new customers could pay for the entire copywriting job.

Surely it’s worth investing a few dollars to show off your business in the best possible light? After all, you’ve gone to a lot of effort to create a site so it’ll be a shame to lose them just because the words you used weren’t compelling.

3. Can you write in the style to reach your target audience?
While good spelling and grammar are important, of course, what’s most important in composing web copy is the writing style.

Despite what you learned in high school English, your copywriting shouldn’t read like an essay or a business report. Website copy should sound casual, almost like you are chatting with a friend. Sentences should be short and paragraphs limited to one key thought each for easy comprehension.

Should you use active or passive voice? Should you write as though you’re talking to one person or the masses? If you don’t get it right, your copy will sound awkward.

4. Do you understand what’s needed to get on page one of Google?
It’s a harsh reality but if your business is not on page one, it’s not in business. Did you know that people don’t even look past the fifth search result on page one* - so not only do you have to be on page one but you have to be listed in the top five results or you’re just not being seen. * Source: Jacob Nielsen, www.useit.com

The words you use on your site (both on the page and behind the scenes i.e. in the metatags) directly influence where Google ranks you. If you think you can write those words yourself, go for it. If not, you need to hire a professional copywriter who’s expert at search engine optimisation (SEO) copywriting.

5. Are you the best person to promote your business?
This may seem like an obvious answer – you’re probably thinking ‘Yes! I know my business better than anyone!’ but that knowledge can also be a negative.

Do you know the business so well that you can’t see what the customer sees anymore? Maybe you’ve become jaded and can’t see why people would choose you or alternatively, maybe you think you’re better than you are and no-one has the guts to challenge you on whether that’s true.

A professional copywriter is an expert at looking at your business with ‘fresh eyes’ and helping you find the gold nuggets that make your business stand head and shoulders above the rest. Most importantly, a copywriter will provide an objective, honest and unbiased viewpoint that so many business owners can’t find elsewhere.

You’ve invested a lot of money in website design, right? So don’t blow it by not investing in professional copywriting!

Contact me to chat about your website copywriting.

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