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How to Write an Effective Newsletter?

bikram — Sat, 28 May 2011 03:10:17 +0000

An effective newsletter is not just flawless English, error free grammar and mechanical style. It’s a lot more. A newsletter has to be interesting, relevant, and informative. Here are some useful tips for your help.

Content has to be powerful

Newsletter is totally dependent on its content and its relevance. Know what you wish to say, followed by the art of saying it. Know what you wish to convey in a specific month of the year. Suppose you are a restaurant owner and you wish to promote your mocktails during summer, then convey the same in that month’s newsletter. Pick up a topic each month and relate it to your product or service.

Know your audience

Define you target audience before starting with your newsletter. Know demography, psychographic construct of you audience. Knowing more about them will help you to develop content of the newsletter while keeping tone, manner, and mood of the newsletter apt. Suppose you are selling an anti-ageing crème to the middle aged women, you should know how to approach them, what should be your style of communication and the like. You can’t afford to lose their interest because of inappropriate style.

Claims come with research

Don’t make big claims without supporting source of facts. Do ample research before making statements. This way you will not land up into problems too. Include facts, statistics, graphs, expert opinions, quotes supporting your research. Such data always build credibility. But don’t forget to mention the source.

Interesting heading

It’s good headlines which instantly draw attention towards the newsletter. Make sure the headline is extremely hard hitting and catchy, evoking curiosity. To make newsletter easy to read break the content into few paragraphs with sub headings.

Audience friendly lingo

Make sure your newsletter has audience friendly, easily comprehensive language, which people can relate to. Avoid technical jargons, too long sentences.

Proofread is important

A newsletter filled with grammatical errors, spelling mistakes is highly avoided. Apart from the writer, ask someone else to do the job. Mistakes show writer’s lack of concern, interest, and unprofessionalism. If a brand is laughed at, it is hardly taken seriously. So avoid this.

Now get started with it.

Creating Website Content That Drivers Visitors Mad

bikram — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:47:00 +0000

Yes, this is not a myth, nor is it a magic. Many webmasters know the secret, and after reading this you too will be in possession of this knowledge.

There is only one thing that significantly affects the conversion rate of visitors into customers. No, it is not the layout or a design or cool graphics or awe-inspiring animation. It is the website copy that makes the conversion rate surge up or dive down. High-converting website copy follows a set of principles which I am going to share here.

Secret of high-converting website copy

Magic Headline

Some headlines work better than others. Most of the people err here. When it comes to writing headline for a post, all they do is write whatever first comes to their mind and use it as title. What possibly could be worse than this — not writing the copy at all?

Do not commit this mistake. Think hard before writing a headline. I will suggest you to write 10-15 versions of a headline before choosing any one.

USP

USP stands for Unique selling proposition. In the beginning, you would like to know what is that one thing that you would want to talk on a webpage. Do not build too many selling propositions in a web page. This will confuse your audience. Yes, even two is too many in this context.

Focus

Your copy should not waver. It should be laser focused on the promise it is attempting to deliver on. Do not let is waver even for one word. Keep your audience and its needs in mind when writing copy. Use your audience’s language to communicate.

Descriptive copy

Copy that builds on the promise made by the headline converts better. Do not just write anything on your web page — you can do that but you should not — as it will dilute the effect of the proposition made in the headline.

Tell story

People do not care about data and stats as much as they care about story. Tell them anecdotal tales and they will believe you. Give them data and they will yawn.

These are some of the principles of copy writing, which you should include in your writing to make your web page convert like crazy.

Get Maximum Value out of your Marketing Writing

bikram — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:21:22 +0000

The marketing writing is different from any other form of writing in the sense that the former kind of writing requires people to take some kind of action, while general writing just aim at informing and persuading people. Thus, you need to make your writing clear, concise, and emphatic. You need to entice your customers into reading your stuff to the end, and to achieve this goal, you need to follow the following guidelines.

Use emphatic headlines

The goal of a headline is not to sell the product, but to push the audience to read further by generating interest in them. When writing a marketing copy or copy for print ads then write headline in such a way that audience get curious after reading this and decide to read further.

Use descriptive sub-heading

The purpose of the subheading is to explain the promise made by the headline and push the reader to read the body copy.

Write focused body copy

This is where you need to sell your stuff. Your body copy should fulfill the promises made by the headline and the sub-heading. Use a conversational tone, do not preach your target audience. They hate it like anything. Each word of the body copy should lead you to the next word, and the next word to the next word, and so on. You can achieve this only by using measured words.

Tips for writing body copy

Use short sentences.
Write the body copy using active voice.
Keep the writing jargon-free. No one likes to read technical details.
Express the benefits not the features.
One size doesn’t fit all, therefore, right body copy with the target audience in mind. The copy you will write for a doctor who is 26 years of age and an artist of the same age will be different. Keep this subtle difference in mind.
Talk, do not preach.
Tell the reader, how you can help him solve his problem.
Use direct sentences.

Add Call to action

The marketing copy will fetch no result, if there is no call to action included at critical juncture in the marketing copy. A call to action tells the user what is expected of him. What action you want from him. This is very, very important.

Conclusion

Marketing copy writing is as much a science as it is an art. You cannot achieve anything meaningful by just making the writing flowery. Always remember, you are not writing a birthday card, its marketing stuff that you are writing.

5 More Ways to Improve Your Writing Part-XII

bikram — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:55:59 +0000

We have come a long way, and now the writing tips journey is approaching the finish line. This is the second last article of the 5 Ways to Improve Your Writing series, and in this part we will talk about how to write to improve your writing.

Work on Headlines

A headline of any write-up is as important as the write-up itself. Always remember, 70-80 percent of your readers will go away without even reading a single line, if your headline is not attractive. This is even more important for the copy or content that you write for web. I will suggest you to keep a notebook of headlines. Maintain a repertoire of effective headlines.

Comment on your favorite blog

Commenting on your favorite blog will keep you in touch with the blogger whom you like, and it will also make you write on new topics. Make a habit of commenting on 2-3 blogs daily.

Write even when you do not feel like

At times, writing seems like a drag, you just cannot squeeze a word our two out of your damn head. You just want to go away. Do not do that, rather keep on writing. The best way to keep such feelings in check is to write only. Keep squeezing words even when you do not feel like writing.

Make a note to revisit later

A brilliant idea just flashed in your mind but you cannot use it now in your writing, what should you do? Well, do not move on without writing it down. Make a note of the idea before you move on.

Write for publications

Writing for publications is different than writing for web, but I suggest you to try your luck in publication. Pick a magazine and send your writing idea along with a sample of your style of writing to the editor, and see if the editor approves it. Repeat this process until you get an assignment. At this point, do not concern yourself too much about the size of the publication, and circulation of the magazine.

Write A More Appealing Headline

SamElli — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:01:31 +0000

If you write anything on the internet, for which you hope to garner attention, you absolutely need a good headline. Studies have shown that 8-10 web surfers will notice your page based upon the headline of an article alone. But that number drops to 2-10 after that headline is read, which means you need to always make sure that your headline is as interesting, as well as informative, as possible. In order to beat that popular curve, and drive more traffic to your site, you need a headline that is going to pull in the readers.

That means using the right keywords. If we’re talking about the videogame world, for example, you want to throw out the name of the platform you’re talking about immediately. That means emphasizing “Xbox 360” or “Wii” as that’s where most of your searches are going to come from. But after that, it’s how you use the keyword to your advantage.

You want a good short headline, that’s going to catch someone’s attention, while informing them of why they want to read your article. For example, sticking to the videogame world, something like “How To Beat Your Friends On Xbox 360” isn’t really going to pull anybody in. Sounds too generic, uninformed, and also doesn’t excite the audience for what your writing can do for them, not to mention it’s much too long. “Dominate The Xbox 360” is a much more concise crowd grabber, more general, so as to lure in a broader interest. Plus the shorter headline just makes you feel more pumped to read the article, and get what you can from the information.

Go for big keywords, short headlines, and use gripping vocabulary. Words that really jump out and grab people, so that they have no choice but to read what you’ve written. Remember, your headline is your first introduction to your piece, so try and make sure it’s something that people will want to read.

Do you also Need Tips on Writing for Web?

bikram — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:23:14 +0000

How many times have you heard that writing for web is different from writing for print? I am sure, initially, you did not believe it. After all, writing is writing; how does it matter if it’s for print or for the Internet? Well, as a writer, I happen to agree with you, but as a reader, I strongly disagree with you. “Man, I do not have that much of time when I am on the Internet, so better give me something that I can read fast. I want an article that I can read while my Facebook page loads itself. I have to check my mail as well. Boss said the work he delegated in the morning should be finished in an hour. So, please give something that I can scan quickly,” shouts the busy professional inside me, despite my continual effort to shut the F#@@$#r.

Below, I am giving a handful of writing tips that will help people like me read more on the Internet, by the way, most of the people on the Internet are like me only.

Use Headlines, headings and subheading that make sense. Keep clever lines safe for print.
Use simple words. No one like using a dictionary when scanning through the Internet.
Use short sentences to convey the idea.
Use short paragraphs. Paragraphs that run into 10s of sentences are strict no-no for the web.
Write a proper paragraph; one idea per paragraph.
Break the articles into small chunks by using headings and subheads.
Make your text more scannable by making important keywords bold, italic or by underlining it.
Use lists like this one, wherever it is possible. It is easy to go through a list than a 10-sentence paragraph.
Use objective language. Do not make your article sound like a promotion material.
Link old articles or blog-posts on your domain to retain visitors for long.

Writing Copy? Begin with a Headline

bikram — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:32:18 +0000

This appears ridiculous, isn’t it? Yes, it does, but to the untrained eyes. For the seasoned professional this is yet another way to ideate for a blog-post or an article. A headline not only gives a reader an idea about what to expect from the article or post, but it can also be used to seed the idea for a blog-post or an article in the mind of the writer.

On numerous occasions, we have inklings about the thing we want to write about, but we cannot convert it into a good article because we do not know from where to start and what to write first to convert the idea into an article. In the situation like this, a pre-written powerful headline comes to our rescue. It works as a guiding post for us, which shows us the end of the article. The pre-written headline will tell what you should write to fulfill the promise it made to the readers of your blog or website.

Let’s say, you have to write on a topic related to health and you have some idea about what all should be covered, but you are not sure from where to begin writing. Should you start saying why health is wealth; or should you start by saying the things to do to have a healthy life; or is talking about the detrimental effect of stress on our life what you want to write about?

In the above example, you can see that each topic is different and will require different treatment. Is this why you are confused? Now, look back at the above written topic again, but from a different point of view. From the point of view of a headline. Let’s write the headline first, and see how we fare.

“10 Stress-relieving Tips for a Healthy Life”

“How to lead Stress-free, and Happy Life”

“Health, Wealth and Stress”

You may have noticed, although, each of them deals with the same subject, each of the three headlines needs different treatment. Each of the headlines suggested above tells us what we have to write about. They help us organize our thought in a particular way. A headline set course for us, and it also tells the reader what kind of article is coming. It is a promise made by you and fulfilled by the article.

A headline sets a goal for us that we must reach by shaping words and sculpting sentences to give it a form of an article.

How to Make Your Copy Sell

bikram — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:51:54 +0000

Writing a copy or a sales letter is one thing, and writing a copy or sales letter that boosts product sale is another thing. Sometimes a good copy (for simplicity sake, I will be using the word copy for any kind of writings that aims to sale a product) is the only difference between a successful and an unsuccessful product. In this article, we will talk about how to write a copy that pushes the consumer to buy.

Copy writing is like cooking. If you do it with love using proper ingredients in the right proportion then the guests will be delighted, but when the copy is cooked without much consideration to the proportion of each ingredient, the guests will excuse themselves and leave the party. A good copy consists of the proper use of six key ingredients, which we will discuss below.

Visitor value

No one is interested in knowing how cool the technology was that you used to make the product you are offering, nor do they want to know how ground-breaking the innovation is on which you have based your product. No one gets sold on empty words. People need empathizing words, words that understand their needs, and tell them how good their lives will be after using the product in question. They want to know, why they should invest time, energy and obviously money in the product you are selling.

Appeal to emotion

Do not get sold to the idea that we are made of nuts and bolts, reasons and logic, and comparison and decision. No, we are not. We are, if you prefer it that way, emotional fools. We are governed by the synaptic firings and misfiring, and yes we are made up of veins and bones. We only act when we feel something is important or worth it, and we see any worth or importance in any word or goods only when we understand the value of it, and we understand the value only if the product or the word connects. Touch me where no one has touch before, and I am all yours!

Headlines are important

How many times do you want me to reiterate the importance of headlines in making the visitors act? Instead of wasting my words on how important a good headline is, and how you should create one, I will suggest you to read How to Write Crowd-Pulling Headlines Part –I and three other articles following this. Please do not mind my words. I was trying to be funny. I know I have failed.

Make it lively

Well, the last two sentences of the previous paragraph was written deliberately to make you react, and that is what I call making the post lively. Do not preach gospel. You do not need to adopt a serious tone and make a long face to say something serious. People are not that dumb! You can use sarcasm, controversy (yes, I mean it), humor, drama, or anything that you think will make your writing lively. An image can also do the magic.

Third-party endorsement

My employer says I am a good writer. He thinks I am one of the best writers he has ever employed. Do you believe it, or will you believe it more when I say, I am the best writer around, and you cannot find a writer better than me in the budget you have? Which one sounds more credible? Indeed, the first one, and that is because someone else is saying I am good. You should do the same for the products you are writing about. We call it using testimonials. Testimonials vouch that there are people who liked this product. Use credible and authentic testimonials.

Call to action

Hey man, you wrote a great article, but what am I supposed to do? I liked what the product you wrote about, but from here where should I go? What should I do? These are some questions that are in desperate need for an answer, and the answer is call to action. Add call to action words like, “Hurry, the Offer is Limited!,” “Call Now to Avail Special Discount,” “Click here to Know More.” in the copy you write and the click through rate and also the conversion rate will increase significantly.

I hope I have done justice to this topic. What do you think? Have I missed something that had to be covered? Your suggestions, feedback and complains are welcome. Use the comment box below.

Some More Crowd-Pulling Headlines

bikram — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:44:33 +0000

Taking our discussion on headlines that builds interest for the article following the headline, I am going to share some more crowd-pulling headlines in this article. (Read How to Write Crowd-Pulling Headlines, Part – I & II).

Be descriptive, be personal

A descriptive headline builds interest in the article by giving some idea about what to expect. And making it personal helps visitors relate with the headline and the article following it.

Example:

Unemployed Mark Found Financial Security.
Coward John Defeated Bully Mark.

Learn to…

Learn to… headlines work the same way as do How to… headlines (read How to… headline guide). This type of headline suggests that the article following it will teach the visitors about the topic in question. You can either use a list-like structure for the article or blog post following learn to… headline or split the article or blog post in subsections by introducing appropriate headings.

Example:

Learn to Play Guitar.
Learn Driving Free.

Step-by-Step Guide to…

Like learn to… you can also use step-by-step guide to… headline to tell the visitors that the article following such headlines will teach certain skills one step at a time. The article following this type of headline should be written in the list format.

Example:

Step-by-Step Guide to SEO.
Step-by-Step Guide to Protecting Your PC from Virus.

…in Easy Steps

This is another way to write headlines. Unlike the headline writing strategies dealt above, where the signifiers were added at the beginning of the headline, you will need to add “in Easy Steps” at the end of the headline. This strategy is equally effective in pulling visitors to your website. Use list like structure for the article following this type of headlines.

Example:

Networking in Easy Steps
Learn to Play Piano in Easy Steps

How to Write Crowd-Pulling Headlines Part -I

bikram — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:32:01 +0000

Headlines are the most important part of a blog post or an article. It works as an interest generator. If a good headline persuades the visitor to read the complete article, a bad one pushes the reader off. There are certain principles you need to follow if you want to increase the reading rate of your articles.

KISSS it!

Keep it short, simple and sweet. You do not need to be cryptic to sound profound or useful. Simplicity is brilliance. Remove ambiguous words from the headline, and try to limit the length of the headline to 5-6 words.

Which of the following headline makes the article look more useful?

X has slashed its shirt’s price by 30 percent.
30 percent off on X shirt!

What in it for me?

This is the question every user asks when confronted with anything that asks for his or her attention. Your headline should provide a definite answer to this question. Talk about the big benefits you have to offer.

Example:

Learn to Enhance your Pictures in 3 Steps.
Get the Subscription FREE

Announcements

Announcements seed curiosity in the reader. Instead of some incremental advancement, people like to see some groundbreaking innovation, and announcements give them the feeling that something new has come along, which is radically different from what they already have. Announcements satiate the readers’ psychological need for newness.

Example:

Introducing All-New iPhone at Never-Before Price.
Finally, Life Has Been Found on Mars!

Ask Questions

Ask relevant questions, questions breed involvement. A question offers an entrée into the mind of the reader as it forces the reader to think, and the more your readers will think, the more involved they will become with the article.

Example:

Is Your Home Safe?
Are You Getting What You Deserve?

Share Secrets

The word “Secret” suggests the reader that some insider information is being shared, so they pay more attention to the article following the headline starting with “Secret”. Everyone wants to be in the inner circle and no one likes to be an outsider. Tap on it!

Example:

Secret of Monetizing Twitter
Insider’s Secret of Money Making