I have a blog which contains loads of articles about freelance copywriting. But for those of you who are new to the art of copywriting, this blog will focus on giving an introduction to the subject and why it is in such high demand today.

Take a look around you. Every where you look someone is trying to market something to you. Therefore the field of copywriting is large and continues to expand every year.

A way to describe copywriting is putting a creative message in front of a consumer and is based on three fundamental principles:

• When you are writing to a customer, there has to be an involvement between the customer and the seller.
• You must make sure that you explain the rewards as far as when the customer is purchasing a product.
• The final piece is achievement and that is what you as the writer will be focusing on.

Whenever you write copy, you want your readers (the customers) to want a certain product because they will want to gain certain rewards – you know the kind of thing, the product will save them time, money etc. etc. etc.

‘Come on, anyone can write sales stuff…can’t they?’

A lot of people would like to think that true but it’s not. There is a specific niche for copywriters. They are the ones who write messages in such a way that it brings about an interest in a consumer.

There are so many ads out there today so consumers won’t respond unless it is something that specifically interests them. This is why it is more important than ever to have a clear focus when you are writing your copy so that you know which particular niche you’re trying to hit.

There will always be a need for copywriters no matter whether the economy is in a recession or in a boom. Companies must always put out a message to consumers and as long as this demand is needed, copywriters will be in high demand.

Author – Sally Ormond, Briar Copywriting. A professional freelance copywriter with extensive experience B2B and B2C copywriting across all industries.

There have been a number of posts and forum discussion about the value of article writing. Well it’s not a fad – writing articles and marketing with articles is one of the best and fastest ways to market your business.

Don’t believe me? OK then, I’ll prove it. Here are seven ways you can benefit from articles.

1) Articles quickly position you as an expert in your field

Writing articles sets you apart from your competition. You never have to say “Listen to me, I’m an expert!” Your articles do that for you, because articles increase your “expert-ability.”

2) Articles can become an army of 24/7 salespeople

Once you have an article published, especially on the internet, you will achieve a 24 hour, 7 day a week, 365 day a year international sales team working specifically for you and your business.

3) One article can have many uses

In other words, leverage. Just one article can be used as a free report, a newsletter feature, it can become part of an online e-course, part of a book, etc.

4) Articles spread the word about your business and your services

Articles, especially when submitted online have a very long shelf life. They can be picked up by anyone at anytime and anywhere.

5) Marketing articles is simple, easy and inexpensive

It costs you nothing to write an article (apart from your time). It also costs you nothing to have it listed on article directories such as EzineArticles.com. Imagine what it would cost you to pay for that kind of exposure and publicity.

6) Articles can help you build a mailing list

Once you have a few articles out there, prospects will begin to flow in. These will build into a mailing list worth its weight in gold which can be used over and over again.

7) Articles let you stay in touch with clients and sell more products

We know that it can take from 5 to 8 contacts or more for new prospect to be ready to become a client. Articles allow you to stay in touch with prospects and provide them with quality information.

This list of 7 is just the tip of the ice berg. Article writing and article marketing will boost your business. Why not give it a go?

Sally Ormond is a freelance copywriter working with companies across all industries worldwide.

Proofreading is most probably the most boring pastime known to man but it is also the one thing that stands between a letter, email or newsletter of quality and a shoddy piece of marketing that lands itself in the bin.

It is a job that most people avoid like the plague, but proofreading should be seen as (probably) the most vital stage in any marketing push.

When you are writing for a company, excellent proofreading services are vital. And there are three very simple steps you can take to make sure this doesn’t happen to you:

A recent example of this (and in fact the very thing that prompted me to write this) landed on my mat this morning. It was a mail shot from Google offering a free Google Adwords voucher.

As you could imagine my eyes lit up when I saw this – as I began to read their ‘5 reasons to attract more customers with Google Adwords‘ I couldn’t help but stiffle a giggle as I read number 1:

1. You control where you ad is showing – by country, region or town

It may only be a missing ‘r’ but it was amusing to see that even a company as big as Google occasionally make an error.

So what are the three simple steps? Well…

1. Get someone else to proofread for you – The services of a professional proofreader are invaluable. Externally sourcing editing services is money well spent especially when writing direct mail letters or reports that will have a wide readership (please note this Google!).

2. Leave it for a few days – By that I mean that if you have to proofread your own work, put it aside for a day or two and work on something else. That way, when you come to review it you should be able to read it with a fresh pair of eyes.

3. Read backwards – If you read your sentences backwards you will be able to spot mistakes easily as what you are reading will make no sense whatsoever so you will find that you will be looking at each word harder.

Basically if you can make use of external proofreading or editing services, then do so as it will save you pounds in the long run. A new pair of eyes will always be better than the old ones (so to speak). But if you have no choice but to proofread your own work, try one of the techniques above – it might just save your blushes.

Sally Ormond is a freelance copywriter who also offers proofreading and editing to her clients. If you would like more information you can get in touch with her here.

Advertising copywriting is an essential tool that all businesses should be using for their on and off line marketing strategies.

In my ealier post on copywriting services I illustrated this point with the well known example of Kelloggs during the American repression. But it’s not just the fact that you can’t let your advertising and marketing slip when the economic climate becomes gloomy, you also have to ensure that your advertising and marketing copywriting is effective.

Whether you are looking to start a direct mail campaign or concentrate on your online presence, your advertising and marketing copywriting is where you need to start.

When writing you need to follow these 4 simple rules:

1. Shout about the benefits – whether you are writing website copy or direct mail, your copywriting must illustrate the benefits of your product or service to your reader.
2. Unique selling point – there has to be a reason why your reader should choose your product above another one.
3. Speak to them – talk to your reader directly. Use the word ‘you’ freely to build rapport with them.
4. Tell them what they need to do – without a strong call to action your hard work will be wasted.

Your advertising copywriting is the key to your marketing success. Whether it is done in-house or whether you hire the services of a freelance copywriter it is essential that it adheres to the 4 steps outlined above. This list is not exhuastive by any means, but it is a great start to ensure that your marketing is effective.

Sally Ormond of Briar Copywriting is a freelance copywriter who offers a comprehensive range of copywriting services. She has helped companies across all industries by producing compelling, powerful and creative sales copy to increse their sales and market visibility.

So what exactly are copywriting services?

Well, if you are a business that does a lot of marketing – that’s probably just about every business – copywriting services are what can turn your surviving business into a thriving business.

Copywriting is basically another word for sales writing. Therefore you can see how much it would impact on your daily business routine.

There is your website copywriting, newsletters, email content, blogs, articles…and that’s just for starters. So you see, the strength of your sales writing has a direct effect on your sales performance.

Before you start shouting at your screen – yes I know we are in a recession right now, I know money is tight but whatever you do, don’t trim back on your marketing budget. No matter what the economic climate, marketing is essential.

Don’t believe me?

Well here is a very famous case in point. During the depression of 1929-33(ish) Kelloggs in the USA (whose cornflakes were a health food at the time) continued to promote as heavily with adverts, posters etc as they had been doing before that. By the time the depression was over there were no other breakfast cereals that anyone had heard of and Kelloggs achieved almost instant market domination, a position they’ve held ever since.

See, I told you.

So what are the 4 reasons why copywriting services work?

1. They keep your product/service visible in the market place and therefore in the forefront of your customers’ mind.
2. Well written copy will increase your credibility within the market place.
3. Professionally written persuasive copy will help you by increasing your sales through targeted leads and web traffic.
4. By hiring a professional to write for you will free up your time to do what you do best.

Therefore it is a no-brainer. To make your company thrive and stand out in the market place you need to invest in professional copywriting services.

You have a great product and service so shout about it.

This article was written by Sally Ormond of Briar Copywriting.