The searches have been counted and verified, the results are in. Google Zeitgeist 2008 announced today the top google searches for 2008.

Globally, the top 10 fastest rising search terms were:

1. sarah palin
2. beijing 2008
3. facebook login
4. tuenti
5. heath ledger
6. obama
7. nasza klasa
8. wer kennt wen
9. euro 2008
10. jonas brothers

In the UK, the top risers:

1. iplayer
2. facebook
3. iphone
4. youtube
5. yahoo mail
6. large hadron collider
7. obama
8. friv
9. cam4
10. jogos

The UK’s top google searches were:

1. facebook
2. bbc
3. youtube
4. ebay
5. games
6. news
7. hotmail
8. bebo
9. yahoo
10. jobs (the only search term here showing any indication of this so called recession)

While our diets are not improving with the fastest rising recipe searches being:

1. cupcake
2. meatballs
3. rocky road
4. crumble topping
5. eaton mess
6. pork belly
7. rhubarb fool
8. lemon posset
9. honey comb
10. beer batter

So what do we want from the internet? Spot the age old questions coming top of the ‘Top of mind’ section:

What is…

1. what is love
2. what is life (Life is… not looking at Google)
3. what is java
4. what is sap
5. what is rss
6. what is scientology
7. what is autism
8. what is lupus
9. what is 3g
10. what is art

Who is…

1. who is obama (Where have these people been hiding?!?)
2. who is mccain
3. who is palin
4. who is lil wayne
5. who is miley cyrus
6. who is dolla
7. who is jonas brothers
8. who is chris brown
9. who is biden
10. who is martin luther

…and how to…

1. how to draw
2. how to kiss
3. how to write
4. how to cook
5. how to tie
6. how to hack
7. how to run
8. how to cite
9. how to paint
10. how to spell (The actual 10th entry was ‘How too Spele but google’s logic kicked in once again)

More people wanted to know how to draw than how to kiss? I suppose one is a perfectly safe natural thing… the other one is kissing… think I’ve got it the wrong way round? read about the kiss of deaf from the BBC. (Who said the TV licence wasn’t worth the money?)

So there we have it, the British don’t seem too bothered by the current credit crisis if this is anything to go on, but are certainly keeping up with World news, playing games and networking. Interestingly enough, this is even before checking their emails… Of course the stats are flawed for this kind of statement as it doesn’t count bookmarks or remembered URLs.

Well this is my last blog of 2008, I’m spending the last two weeks on the tropical island of Mauritius. Happy holidays, merry Christmas and thank you to all those readers, contacts, clients, and so on who have helped Zako Media stay afloat for 2008.

Guess what? People don’t like sales letters and mail shots. They see them as an intrusion and believe that their only benefit is that they can be recycled and made into something more useful.

It doesn’t matter how long you spend writing that letter, if it is unsolicited it is unlikely to be read. So what have you got to do to grab your reader’s attention? Well that’s simple, write the best sales letter known to man.

The quality of your letter begins even before you have opened a new blank document. Let me ask you a question; before you write do you sit down and work out a plan? You would be surprised at the number of people who don’t. Think back to your school days, I bet your teacher always told you to plan your essays and when you finally took that advice your grades began to rise. So why not do the same for your sales writing? Let’s face it writing without a plan is rather like wading through treacle.

Remember, whatever you write must evolve around your reader. Think about who they are, what makes them tick, where they shop, what is their lifestyle like in fact create a picture of them in your mind.

Now think about this:

• Who am I writing to? – this is your ideal reader, you know, the image that is now in your head
• What do I want to say? – focus on your reader’s needs not yours
• How much space do I have? – know your word count before you start
• How do I want to come across? – friendly, approachable, authoritative, unbiased…
• What’s my deadline? – always important to know
• What do I want to achieve?

The last one is the holy grail of your letter. Is your letter designed to make your reader change their mind about something? Do you want to motivate them into an action? Do you want them to buy something?

Your plan is taking shape. You know who they are, you know what you want them to do, now you can tell them why your product/service is right for them and what it will do for them (the benefits) and you know how to tell them what to do next (call to action).

There, that wasn’t so hard after all. Planning is important. If you are time-limited it is tempting to skip it and dive in – be warned, you will do so at your peril and your letter will be turned into a paper cup.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

You could be forgiven for thinking you have stumbled into a Yul Brynner fan site or the bizarre world of a The King and I obsessive. But fear not, this is neither.

What I want to talk about is the all important aspect of any sales writing – getting to know your reader. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, The 7 Deadly Sins – a Copywriter’s Best Friend, I am not condoning any method that could be construed as stalking. Rather, what I am talking about is getting inside your reader’s head. Find out what makes them tick; what drives and motivates them. If you can understand the inner foibles of your readers mind, you will find it a lot easier to sell to them.

Attention to detail

If you are sending out newsletters to your customers at least have the good grace to master the intricacies of mail merge and address it to the person to whom it is being sent, not just to ‘Dear Customer’. Rather than getting that warm and fuzzy feeling when you think the sending company cares about you, your readers’ reaction will be ‘oh great, another mail shot’ and it will be confined to the recycling bin.

People are real

So when you are trying to get to know your reader, don’t rely on market reports and data, go out there and actually talk to people. The betting is that no matter what your target audience, you will know some people who are in it. Be it friends, neighbours, people at the gym or at your local corner shop. Talk to them, find out their concerns and you’ll be able to write from their heart.

Multiple readers

You will be writing for multiple readers 99% of the time. This makes your life slightly more difficult but not impossible. Here you need to think about your typical reader – the person who embodies the traits shared by your readership. Ignore this and you’ll end up writing bland and tedious copy as you attempt to write for every personality known to man.

The main thing to remember when involved with sales writing is get to know your audience; you are writing for them. After all they are the ones who will be doing the buying.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

Let me take your business to new heights by making every word count.

You have decided to launch your new marketing campaign. You have identified your target market and decided which product you want to promote. You are sat down in front of your PC with a blank screen in front of you. So where do you start?

Ask yourself what is your reader interested in? Let me give you a clue; THEMSELVES.

You must write about your product from your readers’ point of view. Don’t waste precious space telling them what it is: tell them what it does for them. In other words tell them how your product will make their life easier, more rewarding or complete.

I guess you are wondering where the 7 deadly sins come into all of this. They are the keys to tapping into your prospective customer’s emotional desires.

Pride – You can simply make your reader believe you by flattering them. They are important; they have huge amounts of experience and savvy. Make the suggestion that someone with as much talent for making the right decision as they have really ought to be signing up for/buying your suggestion, and they will.

Envy – Tell them people out there already have it and are benefiting hugely from it. They’ll hate to think they are missing out.

Gluttony – People will always want more of something. Be it for taste, comfort, sensation or solace. If you can convince them they will feel contented when they ‘consume’ it you are onto a winner.

Lust – OK, this could be a bit tricky. Try and convince them that this product will satisfy their craving and they’ll snap your hand off. You will also deserve an Oscar especially if you are selling something like carpet cleaner.

Anger – People get angry all the time. The last time I was it was over my mobile phone’s pathetic battery life (which I may add has not yet been resolved). Give your readers a way out of their present frustrations and they will thank you heartily for it.

Greed – This is a major motivator. People always want more of what they already have so promise more and they’ll be faster out of the trap than a greyhound.

Sloth – Yes, we are all inherently lazy. So if your product can save them time and effort they will gladly open their wallets.

Remember, people will try to rationalise their buying decision so all you have to do is provide sufficient objective reasons why buying your product is a sensible thing to do. But people will always buy on an emotional basis first so make sure your pitch presses one of the deadly sins buttons and you’ll be on to a winner.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

Let me take your business to new heights by making every word count.

When it is an advert! By all means create a press release to signal the launch of a new website, product or service but the key is to make it newsworthy – that way, your release will be accepted, published and widely distributed.

By following these simple steps, your press releases will be powerful, professional and successful:

Check it!

Once you have written your release, proofread it! Take your time. The more you invest in your company’s first impression the stronger it will be. A poorly structured, badly spelt release will not lead to an avalanche of enquiries.

Flex your muscles

Start off with a strong message. Your headline, summary and first paragraph should clarify your news. Use the rest of the release to provide the detail. Include your keywords in the headline, summary and first paragraph. Add your web address too and tell them who you are, it will add to your credibility.

Be professional

A few lines are all it takes to see if something has been written professionally or not. If you write with hype, slang, direct address or excessive exclamation the chances are that it will be viewed as an advertisement rather than a news article.

Am I bothered?

To coin my son’s favourite catchphrase, put yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask exactly that. Remember, this is your business so you are going to get excited about little things – but are your customers? If you are opening a new shop for example, is that newsworthy? What will make it so unique? Avoid clichés and focus on the elements that set you apart from everyone else. Try tying it in with current news issues, social issues etc.

Illustrate

I’m not suggesting that you turn in to Rolf Harris and ask everyone “can you tell what it is yet?” By illustrate I mean use real life studies to show how you help problem solve or how your product helps your customers. Everyone can associate with real life examples – they are a powerful tool so use them.

Blow your own trumpet

Forget the good old British reserve – your company is a success, you have reached a milestone, you have identified and solved a problem, you’ve hired a new MD. Whatever it is, shout about it. Issuing press releases (for online or print) is a superb way of creating expert status for you and your company. How about writing a tip sheet (a bit like this one) in your field of expertise?

Tease don’t tell

Although you want to use the press release as a vehicle for getting your news out there, if you need to, hold back. If you are launching a new service or product or have a new promotion provide your reader with a link that will take them to your website so they can learn more. If you give them all the information they need in the release why will they want to go to your website? By using this method your call to action will pull them away from reading and push them to take action by clicking onto your site.

Words and voice

Keep your press release voice active, use strong verbs and economise – be clear and concise, make every word count. Also keep away from jargon, I know you all love it but your audience doesn’t!

There you go – follow these simple pointers and you will be producing compelling, informative and above all, readable press releases.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

Let me take your business to new heights by making every word count.