Tag Archives: copywriting

What is website content writing and how is it different from copywriting?

Leave a reply
What is the difference between website content writing and copywriting?

What is the difference between website content writing and copywriting?

There is always some confusion about what is website content writing and what is copywriting.

This confusion is not there in the non-Internet world.

You know that a person who writes for newspapers and magazines is a journalist or a writer.

A person who writes ad copies is a copywriter.

A person who writes books is a novelist or an author.

The distinctions are clear.

But when it comes to writing for websites, there is a confusion about website content writing and copywriting.

This confusion is normally among the clients who are either unaware of the difference or don’t want to pay for copywriting but want to use the services of a copywriter.

Website content writers and copywriters come with different skills.

As a website content writer, you are mostly writing information.

A website content writer writes blog posts, SEO articles, social media updates and web page content.

A copywriter writes marketing copy or sales copy.

These are different writing styles.

I have different rates for website content writing and copywriting: I charge more for copywriting.

Copywriting, or rather online copywriting, is marketing and sales related, whereas, content writing helps you build your brand.

Can one work without the other?

I can’t deny. People have built entire businesses upon the fundamental base of good content, without resorting to copywriting.

In simple terms, website content writing gives you brand presence and online copywriting does the selling for you.

The job of a website content writer is to bring people to your website. The job of an online copywriter is to make those people buy from you.

Of course, a single writer can achieve both the tasks, just like I do.

When I’m writing for a blog or a press release or a social networking update, I am writing as a content writer.

When I’m writing copy for a landing page or homepage or even one of the main pages of a business website, or an email campaign, I’m writing as a copywriter.

Why I charge more for my copywriting services

I should begin explaining this by saying that I charge less for my content writing services.Charging more for copywriting

The reality of the world is, you don’t mind paying less, but you certainly mind paying more.

It’s easier to be a content writer (compared to being a copywriter).

When someone hires you for your content writing services, he or she does not expect you to increase his or her sales.

At the most, he or she wants you to improve SEO and provide writing that is free of spelling and grammar mistakes.

If the writing is interesting, contains a personality and a stylish, well, it is icing on the cake, but, as long as the writing is good and covers all the topics (the keywords), the icing isn’t as important.

Copywriting comes with the cake, with the icing, and with everything else that must make the cake completely delicious.

No scope for compromise.

The stakes are higher when you are writing copy and the stakes are higher when you are hiring someone as your copywriter.

Your business depends on this type of writing.

If the copy is not effective, if it is not convincing, if it is not informative, if it is not compelling, people are not going to buy from you.

No matter how much traffic you are getting from search engines, if the traffic does not convert, it is of no use.

Hence, copywriting can make or break your business.

Content writing on the other hand, definitely makes your business, but the chance of it breaking your business is less and even if it causes some sort of harm, you can easily and quickly recover.

But writing is writing, you may say.

Yes, I agree.

I maintain a certain level of quality whether I’m writing content or writing copy.

I don’t cut corners just because I expect to be paid more for one type of writing and less for another.

The quality and the style is more or less the same.

I charge for copywriting more because people are ready to pay more for copywriting because it is crucial for the business.

Everybody with an ability to write straight sentences can be a content writer.

But, only a highly skilled and expert writer can be a copywriter.

This is the difference.

Why I don’t take up low paying content writing and copywriting assignments

Leave a reply
Why I don't take up low-paying writing assignments

Why I don’t take up low-paying writing assignments

…even if I’m not currently working on some paid assignments.

Continuing the string of thought from a previous blog post, If you don’t want to pay even a decent amount for writing services, you don’t need a writer, does it make sense when I don’t take up low paying assignments even when currently I’m not working on a project? Am I wasting my time? Isn’t some money better than no money?

This logic was presented to me yesterday by a client. He asked me if I was busy with an assignment. I was not.

“So,” he asked, “why don’t you accept my assignment? At least I will be paying you something.”

There are multiple reasons why I don’t accept low paying assignments. But one of the biggest reasons is, I would rather spend my time promoting my own services rather than writing content for individuals who don’t appreciate the value of a good writer.

Although, when I am sending an estimate to my clients, I mention them how much I’m going to charge per word or per page, in reality, I am charging for my time. Over the years I have come to realize how much I need to make per hour when I’m working, so, I have converted my hourly need into a per word or a per page figure for the benefit of those clients who feel a bit uncomfortable with the concept of paying by the hour.

Low-paying content writing and copywriting assignments doesn’t mean less work

You will be surprised to know that the clients who didn’t want to pay what I asked were more demanding and were more callous about my time compared to those clients who readily paid my rates.

It’s quite logical, actually.

When you don’t want to pay a justifiable amount for a service that is very crucial to the growth of your business, you don’t value the service and to be frank, you don’t even value your own business. You don’t hope to do well.

Since you don’t appreciate the time being put (because you’re not spending much money and hence, you don’t have much stake) you don’t mind wasting time of your writer. You come up with weird suggestions. You want a long copy, and then suddenly you want a short copy. Then you don’t like the tone. You want some sentences changed and then you realize that the previous sentences were better. This goes on and on until the writer is totally frustrated and gives up. Then you don’t pay because you say that the writer didn’t deliver what you had asked for.

It’s a no-win situation for both the parties. The write-up is important for your website (assuming you take your business seriously) but you don’t get it. The writer has put in lots of effort, the effort he or she could have spent working on a rewarding assignment, and now, his or her effort is totally wasted.

Low periods are a good time to promote your business

As an entrepreneur I need to promote myself continuously. Even if there is a lag of 2 weeks, the queries begin to dwindle. I need to publish content on my blog and website regularly otherwise I begin to lose my search engine rankings because content writing is a high-competition field.

By the grace of God or the positive powers of the universe, I’m not having to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Over the years I have been able to create a presence for myself through which, clients want to hire me for high-quality writing. By the time they come to my website, they are already impressed by my search engine rankings and the content they have found at various places, written by me. So, when they come to my website, they are already looking for me.

I’m not saying this comes easily. I have to strive all the time. I don’t mind that.

Consequently, when I take up low-paying assignment, rather than making money, I’m losing it. This is because the time that I spend promoting my business by publishing content on my own website is more valuable than the money that I make from low paying assignments.

If you don’t want to pay even a decent amount for writing services, you don’t need a writer

Leave a reply

Nothing wrong in paying for quality content writing and copywriting

Although for many years I have been turning down low-paying content writing and copywriting assignments, on an average I get 2-3 queries every day from clients who think paying for good writing the amount it deserves, is waste of money, especially when cheap writers are available.

My standard response is, “Good for you! If you want such writers, your business needs those writers, and you should stop looking around.”

I think, in most of the cases, somehow, they get the idea that my writing services are very cheap (I really, really don’t know how I give this impression on my website), even cheaper than what they are paying now, or pretend to be paying now.

Because, otherwise, if they are paying dirt cheap and if such writing is working for them, why are they looking for another content writer unless they want to pay even less?

Fortunately, most of the clients who contact me understand that their business needs quality writing and they are going to have to pay for quality writing.

My content writing and copywriting services are not very expensive, but they are also not cheap.

I don’t undersell myself.

I run a business.

I need to maintain the cash flow.

Over the years, I have gotten an idea of how much my clients are ready to pay for the quality of writing I provide.

I charge slightly less than that.

Why you shouldn’t refrain from spending money on quality content writing?

Your written content is the main point of contact when people come to your website or access your blog or receive your email message.

When people read your content, you are talking to them.

You are trying to sell them.

If your writing is not convincing, you don’t convince your customers and clients.

Every headline counts. Every sentence counts. So does every paragraph and every bullet point.

If your writing is less than professional, your customers and clients think, well, if this person cannot write properly, how can I expect him or her to deliver his or her services professionally?

You may say, “Oh well, I am a mobile app developer, so, it doesn’t matter how the content is written on my website. The client is going to hire me for my programming prowess, not my writing abilities.”

I agree with you. In your case, the client or the customer is not looking for a writer.

Assuming you are a programmer, do you think a coder or a programmer will be exploring your website to hire you?

No, he or she will be a manager, a business owner, a digital marketer, or someone who is responsible for taking serious decisions, decisions that involve spending lots of money.

Even if he or she is a coder, he or she is also responsible for hiring people.

People on such posts are very particular about messaging, presentation and above all, professionalism.

It can easily put them off if the writing on your website is not good.

Only when they are impressed with your writing, they will consider reading about your coding prowess.

This is one thing.

Another thing is, visiting websites and reading content on websites is a highly individual activity.

Your text should be conversational and interesting.

It should be able to hold the attention of the reader.

Your writing should be able to sell your idea strongly.

The passion must drip through your words.

And, if you have such writing on your website, it will constantly generate business for you.

Otherwise… do I need to say more?

Therefore, when you are investing in a good writer, in quality content writing or quality copywriting, you are investing in your business.

Writing is the oxygen your website needs to survive.

If the quality of the oxygen is not good, your website is going to suffocate.

If you think such writing is not worth paying for, for your case, it is really not worth paying for.

After all, it’s you who are responsible for the good health or the bad health of your business.

Finding purpose for writing content instead of talking about features and benefits

Leave a reply
The image shows a cyclist with the big caption talking about the purpose of content writing

What is the purpose of writing content and sharing your thoughts?

Today I stumbled upon an update from Joe Pulizzi on Twitter in which he had shared his recent email newsletter broadcast.

In the first topic he talks about how Apple turned around its business when Steve Jobs decided to focus on marketing the purpose of the company rather than its products and their features.

These days I’m reading a copywriting book titled The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joe Sugarman. In the book he repeatedly insists that effective copywriting is all about catering to the emotions of prospective customers and clients rather than harping about product features and benefits. He gives the example of the Mercedes car. Most of the people buy the car due to the emotional high they get. Buying is always emotional, he says.

When you communicate your purpose of existence instead of promoting your products and services, you make an emotional connection.

I believe, when you are writing content, this is the true meaning of content writing especially when you are writing content for content marketing.

How do you plan to change people’s lives?

If you are marketing a tasks management mobile app, how are you going to make it easier for people to accomplish what they want to achieve?

If I am marketing my content writing services through publishing content all the time, how do I make it worthwhile for my readers to read my blog posts? What do I really convey?

In the daily hubbub of marketing our businesses and constantly trying to get new customers and clients, we get little time to sit quietly and think about our purpose of existence.

Why do I really provide my copywriting and content writing services?

A simple, straightforward answer would be that I’m good at these and hence, I use these skills to make a living.

I think, as a reader, even you would understand my need to offer my services. In this world, every person who earns, puts in an effort to make a living. That’s the purpose for that person. This is my purpose.

But how do I make an emotional connection with you, as my prospective client? What moves you to contact me? What makes you trust my abilities as a content writer and as a copywriter who can help you grow your business?

I say I’m passionate about helping you grow your business. I believe that my writing can improve your conversion rate and help you get more traffic from search engines.

There might be thousands of reasons why your business isn’t growing the way you want it to grow, but I know that content and copy play a very important role.

People read the words on your website and then they decide if they want to do business with you.

The words on your website make them click your contact form or give you a call, and the words can send them away back to the search engine or to another website.

As a writer and as a reader, I know the power of words.

I know words are not casual. Wars have been fought because certain words have been spoken. Words have triggered revolutions.

They say that a person can recover from a bullet wound, but it is very difficult for him or her to recover from a wound caused by someone’s words, such is the power of words.

This is the purpose I want to instill when writing content for my own website, and when writing content and copy for you.

What is the purpose of your business? The true purpose. How do you want to change people’s lives for better?

Why it’s important to have your content written before web design

Leave a reply
The image highlights content writing and blurs web design

Content writing first web design later

These days I get many content writing assignments where the client insists on getting the content written according to the layout.

They have purchased a theme, or web designer has created a design and layout according to the contemporary design ethos, and then, they want to fill the boxed spaces with text.

If the layout or the wireframe has been created to accommodate as much content as will be needed, there is no problem.

But if the layout has been created simply to please the aesthetic sense of the designers and business owner, paying scant regard to content writing, this is not a good approach. It shows that you put the design of your website before the interests of your business.

I’m not discounting the importance of your design and layout. In fact, if you provide web design services or graphic design services, then it is imperative that you have a very attractively designed website so that your prospective clients can have a sense of what sort of design services you may provide to them.

Why content writing should be priority, not web design

Design is cool. It is visual. It elicits a “wow!” immediately.

But does this “wow!” get you business? Do you want to entertain people, or do you want them to do business with you?

Visitors turn into paying customers and clients when they read your content.

Your search engine rankings improve because of your content.

When was it the last time you saw someone sharing a link because of the design of the website? Never.

People share links when they appreciate the value of your content.

Your content is your sales pitch. It is the conversation that you have with your visitors. You make an emotional connection via your words. You educate and inform your prospective customers and clients with your text.

Whether you go for content writing first or the layout of your website also tells a lot about the attitude you have towards your business.

If you go for the design first, I know you are not going to like this, it may even offend you, you go for superficiality. More than your business, you are worried about how your website looks. This attitude percolates into day-to-day approach and… well.

Benefits of writing content before designing website

You develop a connection with the central philosophy of your business messaging. You message is not lost in the hullabaloo of your design process.

As I’ve mentioned above, your search engine rankings, your conversion rate, your user engagement, everything originates from your content.

Hence, your content should never take a backseat.

When your content is written first, you are not constrained by your layout. You don’t have to fit your text — the most important aspect of your online presence — within the superficiality of your design elements. You don’t have to compromise, and when it comes to writing your message (or getting it written) you can let the imagination sore high.

Another benefit of writing content before designing your website, something that I have personally observed, is that when you see in front of your eyes your message, suddenly the design is not important.

You realize that if your website looks decent, if it presents your content professionally, if it seamlessly adjusts the content and the important elements of your website according to the screen size, you don’t need to bother much.

What’s important is your content, not your design.