Why Reviews Are Vital for Your Business

This blog post is brought to you by this raspberry and lemon tart.

Why? Upon perusing the cake counter at Saino’s recently, a very insistent old lady told me these tarts are to die for.

I didn’t even want one, but I put it in my basket anyway. Well, because:

1. I felt obliged to (in a terribly and awkwardly British way)
2. She really was bigging the tart up.

Moral of the story? When it comes to marketing, recommendations are the most powerful tool out there. They give instant credibility, backing up all the good things you say about yourself in your website’s ‘About Us’ page. After all, we can all happily big ourselves up ‘til the cows come home (in the name of drumming up extra business), but what really gives your praise a bit of oomph is displaying similar messages from other folks.

I’ve done the same here on my website (which shouts about all the projects I’ve worked on as a Yorkshire copywriter) and dotted testimonials on most pages, as well as creating a dedicated reviews page (click the link above to have a peep).

So, if you're a business owner, ask your clients for some nice words about your services. Or, as a customer, share some nice words about someone else’s.

Oh, and go and get a raspberry and lemon tart from Sainsbury’s: it really was worth the praise.

Until next time…

PS: Want to work with me - a Yorkshire copywriter? Say hello.

Should you repurpose your content?

When is it okay to use something more than once before it’s time for a refresh?

• Socks? Depends

• Undergarments? Absolutely not, mate. No, not even if you turn them inside-out

• Tea bag? YOU’RE JOKING, AREN’T YOU?! GET OUT OF HERE…AND DON’T DARKEN MY DOOR UNTIL YOU’VE HAD A STERN CHAT WITH YOURSELF.

Content? Give it a good shake, do the hokey cokey and turn it around…and use it again and again and again. Why? Surely the question is: ‘why ever not?!’

For many - us folks who write for a living included - it takes time to put together a nice piece of content - and guess what? People’s attention spans are shorter than ever. In fact, you may well be nodding off already. No, please. Stay with me.

So, take that article/blog post/web content and repurpose it. Shorten it, lengthen it, tweak it or do whatever the heck you want with it. It’s your content, after all.

When you repurpose your copy, your ‘About Us’ page could become an Instagram caption, a blog post could become a LinkedIn status, and a case study could become a Q&A. Or maybe even the subject matter for a podcast.

In the era of ‘working smarter, not harder’, this is your reminder to rework that content. It saves time, maybe even money (ask your professional copywriter to do it, too - although they probably will anyway) and, hey, you’ll be surprised how many people didn’t read it the first time round. If you’re amongst them - and you didn’t read all of this the first time around - I’ll say it again: it’s never okay to reuse a teabag.

Until next time…

Need a Huddersfield copywriter to work on a project or two? Get in touch!

Do copywriters need to know SEO?

Sometimes, when I’m talking to new - or even regular clients - I find myself unintentionally teaching them how to suck eggs. Of course, some of my clients are well-versed in all things SEO, yet there I am telling them the ins and outs like they know very little.

On other occasions, though, I’m bleating on about SEO like everyone knows what it is. It’s a very fine line - and it’s one I don’t always know how to tread. So, when I remember (my passion for the subject means I get carried away sometimes) I allow my clients to do the talking; I ask them how much they know about ranking well online, and I tell them what I know (if they need, or want, to know it).

So, what is SEO then? Or am I teaching you how to suck eggs too?

SEO - or Search Engine Optimisation, to give it its full title - is the process by which online businesses ensure their website is found by people who are looking for it (or the services and/or products it offers).

Let’s say you own an online bookstore. How on earth do you compete against all the other web-based bookstores out there? Online bookselling is, no doubt, a highly saturated market.

Go on; try it…type in ‘buy books online’, ‘books online’ or ‘book store’ into Google and see what comes up. You’ll likely get the big hitters - people like Amazon, Waterstones, or maybe even a popular independent online bookstore or two.

So, can the much smaller bookseller be spotted online? That’s where SEO - the art of injecting well-chosen key words (let’s call them ‘phrases’ instead - key words is jargon unless you know what on earth I’m going on about) into your content. You see, it isn’t just about putting your website live and hoping for the best. You need to take intentional steps to ensure it is noticed. Those who don’t have an online business might be totally unaware of the work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure a site gets spotted on Google. It’s a lot, but it’s all in a day’s work for an SEO specialist and/or copywriter.

Do copywriters need to know SEO, then?

Well, while it isn’t a necessity - after all, there are SEO experts for that - it’s certainly a bonus if the copywriter in charge of sprucing up your website’s content knows a bit about how to ensure you stand out online.

Do I know about SEO? I wouldn’t claim I know lots and lots, but I know enough. I know how to expertly weave key words into your content in a natural way. I know the kind of key words to include - and I know a fair bit about how Google (and its often-complex inner workings)…er…work.

Want to know more about why copywriters need to know about SEO - and why and how a copywriter like me can help your website get found online? Get in touch with me today and we’ll go from there.

You could also book one of my ‘Copy and Catch Up’ sessions. I won’t call it a copywriting ‘Power Hour’ because, well I hate that term. But, for £120 (an introductory offer for January and February), you can ask me anything at all you like - about your website content, SEO and everything and anything in between (well, as long as it’s about copywriting!) for a whole hour. Say hello via the link above and let’s chat.

Until next time…

Who gives a flip about an Oxford comma?! Hint: I Do

Who remembers Vampire Weekend’s catchy third single, which featured the line: ‘Who gives a f*ck about an Oxford comma?’.

I do. It punctuated (sorry) my post-uni social life. Back in 2008, it had been three years since I’d completed my degree (in English Literature and Media, if you’re asking) and two years since I started my first proper role: as editorial assistant at my local newspaper.

My free time was spent attending gigs on behalf of the paper (and later, for some music magazines, including NME), interviewing bands and reviewing concerts and music festivals. It was pretty much the dream for someone in their early twenties.

Vampire Weekend had just reared their quirky, perfectly coiffed heads and their cheery tunes were doing the rounds in pubs, clubs (and on the Shuffle setting of my MP3 player).

Where am I going with this?!

Well, despite working on a newspaper back in 2008, previously doing well at GCSE, A-level, and English at uni, my grammatical knowledge was, at times, a bit ropey. Did I ever use an Oxford comma? Did I flip. For that, you could say I was an absolute colon.

Why didn’t I bother with the most divisive of punctuation marks? Like many folks, I probably didn’t realise how valuable that little comma is. It also wasn’t the ‘house style’ of the newspaper I worked at.

What is an Oxford comma then? It’s the comma used after the penultimate item in a list containing three or more items. Why should you give a f**k about it? Don’t use one and your message could well be interpreted wrong.

Grammarly offers, let’s face it, an absolutely cracking example (below) of when an Oxford comma makes perfect sense. Still, though, there are some naysayers where the humble punctuation mark is concerned.

Do you give a flip about an Oxford comma? Would you rewrite your sentence entirely, to avoid using what it often considered an ‘old-fashioned’ addition to a sentence? Or are you a traditionalist through and through? Let this friendly Huddersfield copywriter - and other folks - know by commenting on this blog.

Until next time…

Five Ways a Copywriter Can Give Your Business a Boost

I get it; running a company can be tough - and I’m a firm believer that the busier the business, the more the website needs finessing. Yep, really.

Rushed-off-their-feet company owners often contact me and say something along the lines of:

‘I wrote the content on my website myself years ago and it doesn’t at all reflect who we are or what we now do”

The thing is, when you’re so busy working in your business, it can be hard to find time to work on your business.

So, how can a copywriter help? Here are five things we content writers can tick off your to-do list…

Website Content

Website content is the obvious one, isn’t it? Whether you need your full website writing from scratch, or you’d simple like someone to make some tweaks to your existing content, I can help.

I also offer a convenient ‘Content Audit’ service, whereby I take a look at the text on your site and prepare a document with some hints, tips and minor edits.

I use the Comments function in Microsoft Word to leave you some helpful pointers, allowing you to tweak your own content and saving you the money it costs to have a copywriter like me write your website on your behalf. It also gives you an element of control over how your website sounds, which for many businesses is another plus point.

Get in touch if you think this will work for you.

Social Media Copy

Need someone to plan out your social media strategy in full, or post bitesize snippets of content onto your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn feeds? A copywriter can help you do that too.

Taking another task off your plate, social media content outsourcing makes perfect sense for the time-poor business owner.

Printed Literature

No time to create that flyer ahead of a big business event? Or perhaps you’d like some content for a banner ad? Working alongside some trusted graphic designer pals, I can help create printed literature - from flyers and brochures to company merchandise - that works for you.

Email Newsletters

Email marketing may be another task that falls by the wayside when you’re as busy as you are. So, allow a freelance copywriter to relieve you of the burden of creating the content for your weekly email or monthly digital newsletter.

Press Releases

Want to promote your business to the press? I’ve worked in journalism and copywriting, which puts me in a great position to help you get your message across to local and regional news outlets. Chat to me about my press release writing service by clicking the link below.

Need a helping hand with any of the above? Get in touch with me, a Huddersfield copywriter, by saying hello here.

Until next time…