Tag Archives: copywriting

A good list of killer headline creating formulas

You have won half the battle if you’ve created a good headline for your website or blog post. It’s all the more important in the times of social media and social bookmarking where your well-prepared headlines can attract lots of attention. Having said that, do pay close attention to the following when you are creating your next killer headline:

Don’t create a headline just to create attention

This proves counter-productive and incites lots of WTFs if your headline doesn’t match your content. Make sure your headline truly represent the message of your blog post or web page.

Use your main keywords in the headline

It not only helps your search engine rankings but also helps you better represent your message. Take for example the headline of this blog post — it clearly tells you that the post intends to tell you some good ways of creating highly effective headlines.

Enough of my ruminations, head to this excellent post on Copyblogger titled 10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work.

Make an offer your customer or client cannot refuse

Sometimes you don’t get paid for your online copywriting job, big deal!

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Once in a while clients don’t pay the remaining amount once I’ve delivered all the content. While trying to find the folder of a repeat client on my PC I came across a few folders belonging to clients who simply vanished after getting their online copywriting job done. The only saving grace is that I rarely start work without taking an advance. As mentioned on this advance for copywriting work link, I charge 100% if the total estimate is less than or equal to $100, 50% if it is between $100 and $200, and 40% if it is more than $200.

So does it make me bitter when clients vanish without paying the remaining 50% or 60%? Of course I feel bad, but no, I don’t become bitter and consider other clients suspiciously. First of all, it rarely happens. Ever since 2004 (when I stopped designing and developing websites and started writing content for websites) I have served more than 300 clients (according to the number of folders I have on my laptop currently) and among these it must be just 15-20 clients who didn’t pay the money they owed. So it is hardly a worrying trend. I wasn’t worried even when I think my 3rd client used the content and never paid the remaining amount.

Second, it gives me a psychological level playing field. Some clients are suspicious: what if I take the advance and never deliver? Most of the clients are overseas and it will be very difficult to chase me (legally or physically) in case they pay the advance and then I vanish or stop responding. Very valid fear and I try to assuage it by encouraging them to go through my website, my various blogs, my social networking profiles and search for my name on Google. I couldn’t have survived by taking advances and not delivering content. About the level playing field thing – if they are still doubtful, I tell them that I too have the same fear. What if I deliver the content and they don’t pay? Just like them, even I cannot chase them, and like me, they don’t even have an extensive profile on the Internet. So I’m at a greater risk.

Why did I start writing this post? It’s because of the writers I work with. Almost all of them are so cautious about getting paid that it begins to sound cheap after a while. They don’t ask what sort of work I’m going to give them and what must be their level of writing skill. They ask, “When are you going to pay, how you are going to pay, are you actually going to pay?” Imagine if I start asking such questions from my clients. Will I get work from them? Fat chance.

The reason they give is that they have had a “bad” experience. Well, when you work on your own you do have bad experiences but it doesn’t mean you carry your frustration out on the person who is trying to give you work. I don’t work with such writers unless they are exceptionally good.

Online Copywriting: difference between features and benefits

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Online copywriting-difference between features and benefits.

Don’t sell features.

Sell benefits.

What does that mean?

Product features are the factual attributes of a product.

I won’t say that product features are not important. To some people they matter.

Features also automatically communicate benefits on many occasions, especially people who are aware of technicalities.

For example, if my cloud storage service gives me 2 TB space, I know that I’m going to be able to store plenty of stuff there.

If I know that my tablet comes with an easy-to-use interface, I know that even beginners can use it.

Nonetheless, to appeal to a broader audience, it is better to talk about the benefits while mentioning features.

Don’t chuck the features. But associate them with the benefits they deliver.

People don’t buy a product. They buy its utility. They buy emotions and experiences.

You don’t buy a 50-inch TV because it is a 50-inch TV.

You want to watch your favorite programs on a bigger screen with greater clarity, more pixel depth, and a better immersive experience. You want to play high-resolution games.

Or you want to flaunt a big TV in the sitting room.

Here are a few examples:

Feature: The phone comes with 16 GB RAM.

Benefit: Run multiple apps without lagging. Even multiple heavier and graphic-intensive apps can be run simultaneously.

Feature: 1 TB cloud storage

Benefit: Store thousands of videos and images in your cloud storage account. It will last you years before you need to upgrade.

Feature: 16 MB front camera

Benefit: Take high-definition selfies that will leave everyone breathless. Your face will be crystal clear even in darkness. Look stunning in your video calls.

Feature: Water and dust proof

Benefit: Make videos in the rain or in the swimming pool. The phone keeps working even under extremely dusty environments.

Feature: Long lasting battery

Benefit: No need to charge for three days. 20 hours of non-stop music play, 10 hours of non-stop video, and 40 hours of non-stop phone calling.

More examples of product features and product benefits in copywriting

Examples of features and benefits in online copywriting

Features	Benefits
The laptop has a 15-inch screen and a 10-hour battery life.	Keep multiple windows open to work better. Watch movies and TV series. No need to charge for long durations.
The shampoo is made of natural ingredients. No sulphates and parabens.	Gentle and safe ingredients for your scalp. Won’t damage or dry your skin. Won’t cause dandruff. Will not make your hair brittle.
The jacket is made of waterproof and breathable fabric.	Wear the jacket in winter, in rainy season, and even during summer. Keeps you warm in cold. No sweating during summer.
The blender has a powerful motor and a pulse function.	Make smoothies, soups and sauces even from hardest materials and vegetables. No need to chop small pieces. Smoothness and consistency in smoothies and soups.
The course teaches you how to write effective sales copy.	Boost your conversions. Generate more sales. Attract and convert your ideal customers with persuasive and engaging copy.
This app tracks your steps, calories, heart rate, and sleep.	Improve your sleep quality. Keep daily track of how much you work. Become more active when awake. Improve health and fitness. Monitor your heart rate for vital signs of heart disease.
100 recipes in this book.	Endless cooking fun with household ingredients and stuff you can easily get from the market. Give healthy meals to your family. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner times.
The mattress comes with memory foam layer and a cooling gel layer.	Sleep soundly. Wake up without body aches. The mattress adopts to your body shape and body temperature.

More good examples of products, their features, and benefits

Product	Feature	Benefit
Headphones	Bluetooth connectivity	No tangled cables. Easier to carry. Fewer chances of getting damaged.
Air fryer	Cooks by hot air	Healthy cooking. Minimum oil required. Can replace microwave and oven.
Retail store	Open 24 hours	Buy groceries whenever you need to. No need to rush. Do shopping on your own schedule. Suits people with multiple shift jobs.
Grocery store	Free home delivery	No need to travel. You can spend your time doing something else while your grocery gets delivered. Don’t get stuck in traffic. Order when convenient.
Meal kit	Heat and eat	No need to cook. Saves time. No grocery shopping. Fewer utensils to wash.

What is the difference between a feature and a benefit?

Difference between features and benefits in online copywriting.

Umbrella feature: Made of waterproof cloth that is very difficult to tear.

Umbrella benefit: Protects you from rain and sun. Doesn’t break easily in strong wind.

Feature may be the size of the product or what it is made of or what technology it uses.

Benefit is, what problems the product solves. What needs it satisfies. What emotional satisfaction it delivers.

You purchase a mobile phone with a high-end camera because you want to take high-resolution photographs or you want to look good during business-related videoconferences.

Features

Let’s suppose you are selling a desktop blog editing software. It’s features would be:

Ability to add multiple blog accounts.
Inbuilt word processor, thesaurus and spell-check.
FTP functionality to upload images.
Support for offline and online editing.
Support for CSS formatting.

These are the features, things that the software lets you do. But how do you benefit from these features?

Benefits

Post blog posts extremely fast and conveniently.
Work in a familiar, world-processor like environment.
Reduce spelling and grammatical errors.
Upload images easily.
Format your blog posts to your heart’s content.

All in all, become a better, prolific blogger.

Not all features are equally beneficial to all, but we use products and services for their benefits and not for their features. This is why it is very important to highlight the benefits when you are preparing the copy to sell a product or a service.

Should you always prefer benefits over features?

Should you always prefer benefits over features in online copywriting?

No. Your customers need important information during their buyer’s journey and sometimes, a few technical details can pack lots of information.

Take for example organic food. This is a feature. In fact, it represents multiple features such as they don’t use pesticides and artificial fertilisers. Certification is difficult to get so if a supplier claims that they give you organic food, they must have gone through rigorous inspections.

What are the benefits of organic foods? You don’t consume toxins. Your food is devoid of chemicals and other harmful ingredients. There is less strain on your gut. There are no pesticides to damage your lever and kidneys.

But if you simply say that your food is healthier and does not use artificial fertilisers and harmful pesticides, your target consumers may not get the message. Hence, you must tell them that it’s organic food because they are familiar with the term.

Similarly, if a mobile phone comes with 32 GB of RAM it is quite reassuring to know the number because most other devices come with 8 GB or 16 GB. Of course, you must also explain what these 32 GB of RAM achieve for the consumer such as the ability to run resource heavy applications and the ability to manage multiple apps without crashing the phone.

So, don’t chuck the features, but whenever you’re mentioning features, explain the associated benefits in a compelling language.

Want to be a better copywriter? Know your customers/readers

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Effective copywriting and content writing is always preceded by a thorough understanding of your target market – your customers, your readers. Want to be a better copywriter? Think from the perspective of your customers. And in order to be a better online copywriter you also need to understand how the search engines interpret what you have written.

Of course we all have different definitions of being better. By being a better copywriter I mean you can improve your conversion rate and by being a better online copywriter along with improving the conversion rate you also improve your search engine rankings. In the end what matters is what the results are and how consistently your copy can perform.

When you understand the needs and desires of your target readers you can provide them exactly what they are looking for. An average surfer on the Internet is looking for solutions. Even when people are looking for brands they are actually looking for solutions. For instance if I am looking for an iPhone, although I am looking for a particular brand I am actually looking for two things: my desire to own a trendy gadget and the things that I can do with all the functions the phone carries. You have to cater to both the aspects if you want people to buy iPhones from your online store.

So when you are working on a copy understand what your customer is looking for and highlight that thing. If you are promoting yourself as an online copywriter, along with highlighting the sort of service you are providing, also highlight the greatest benefit your clients are looking for in case they want to hire you.

Do they want a more professional voice on their website or blog?
Are they looking for a particular style of writing?
Are they looking for a particular expertise (technical writer, medical writer, film critic, instructional writer, blogger, SEO writer, etc.)?
Do they want to improve their conversion rate?

These kinds of things immediately convey to your prospective customer or client you have what they are looking for. If you simply go on and on about what a great writer you are and how many clients you have worked for it is not going to make much impact.

This goes for any kind of product or service. Whenever you are starting to write think about what your customer or client would like to read. If it helps make a list of all the things your customer can gain if he or she purchases your product. Feel enthusiastic about all the benefits your product can offer. Why must your customer feel excited about your product or service? This should be the starting point.