writing to sell practical writing tips for inbound marketing

©2013 Beth Browning - Discover Your Customers. 1

WRITE TO SELLPractical Writing Tips for SEO & Inbound Marketing

By: Beth Browning

Discover Your Customers

http://discover-your-customers.com/


Creating Content• Gives People a reason to visit your website and/or blog

• Gives Search engines a reason to visit (crawl and index) your website and/or blog

• Gives you something to talk about on social networks

• Helps people understand how you’re different

• Creates relationships that turn readers into customers and promoters


"The internet has revolutionized marketing because of its speed, accessibility, ease and low cost..."

"The more important point is that the Internet has not changed human nature, nor does people's buying psychology change simply because they are reading your message offline instead of online.“

“The Internet has made consumers more savvy, training them to shun promotion, more easily detect hype, become increasingly, and prefer educational-type advertising material: advertising that does not talk down to them, and conveys information they perceive as valuable in solving their problem or making a purchase.”

Robert BlyThe Copywriter’s Handbook


The Functions of the Headline• Get Attention

• Appeal to the reader’s self interest – caring for kids, popularity, lose weight, make more money, etc.

• Select the Audience• Include audience specifics such as, “Small Business Owners Looking For…” or “Ten

Ways to Lower Your Heating Bill,” so the right audience might read the information and unqualified prospected are self screened out.

• Deliver a Complete Message• Example: “Caught Soon Enough, Early Tooth Decay Can Actually be Repaired by

Colgate!” Colgate Toothpaste

• Draw the Reader into Body Copy• Compel the reader to read the article. Pique their interest with humor, ask a

question, or make a promise to deliver valuable information.


Eight Basic Headline Types

1. Direct

2. Indirect

3. News

4. How To

5. Question

6. Command

7. Reason-Why

8. Testimonial


The 4 U’s Formula for Effective Headlines

1. Urgent – gives a reason to act now

2. Unique – Say something in a new or different way

3. Ultra-specific – teasers to draw the reader in (Best Time to ______, 3 Foods That Will_______)

4. Useful – appeal to the reader’s needs


Tips for Writing Clear Copy• Put the reader (customer) first• Break the writing into short sections• Use short sentences • Use simple words• Avoid technical jargon• Be Concise (remove unnecessary words)• Be Specific• Get to the point• Write in a conversational style


Writing to Sell• Know your customers and prospects

• Beliefs• Feelings• Desires

• Write about benefits, not features

• Define Your Unique Selling Position – why should someone by from you and not the competition?


Reasons people might buy a product

• To be liked• To be appreciated• To be right• To feel important• To make money• To save time• To make work easier• To be secure• To be attractive• To be sexy

• To be comfortable• To be distinctive• To be happy• To have fun• To gain knowledge• To be healthy• For convenience• Out of guilt• Out of greed• Out of fear

List from The Copywriter’s Handbook – Robert Bly


What is a Landing Page?• A web page on a website or a standalone web page

• The function of a “landing” page within the website is to provide information about products and services

• The function of an Inbound Marketing landing page is to capture a lead• Click Through Landing Pages• Lead Generation Landing pages

• Ebook or white paper• Consultation• Free trial• Free quote• Contest• Coupon

http://offers.hubspot.com/marketing-ebook/intro-to-building-landing-pages?__hstc=20629287.d792b014ab65e811b5904b720932287e.1373318450371.1373318450371.1373381622363.2&__hssc=20629287.1.1373381622363


Elements of a Winning Landing Page• Headline – the first things visitors see when they “land” on the page

• Copy – a description of the offer in a clear and compelling way

• Keywords – Use keywords in the important page elements

• Social Sharing Buttons/Links – make it easy to share

• Hidden Navigation – minimize distractions

• Lead-Capture/Conversion Form – visitors provide information in exchange for the offer

• Image – a visual representation of what they will receive

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Benefits of Blogging• Improve search engine placement – it’s not unusual for a blog to outrank a

brand for key search phrases

• Attract new customers

• Engage customers and keep them coming back

• Become the authority in your niche

• Reach a wider audience than through traditional newsletters and industry publications

• Build your brand

• Build Trust

• Generating links for SEO and direct traffic

©2013 Beth Browning - Discover Your Customers


Elements of a Good Blog Post• Headline – Catch their attention

• Content – provide valuable information that will help the reader answer a question or solve a problem – make sure it’s relevant to your product or service offering

• Keywords – Use keywords in the important page elements

• Include links to references and valuable relevant resources

• Social Sharing Buttons/Links – make it easy to share

• Call to Action

©2013 Beth Browning - Discover Your Customers.

• Top 10 lists• Interviews• Product reviews• Tutorials• Tips or Strategies• “How to” articles• Articles that offer solutions• Articles that educate• Articles about industry changes• Common misconceptions

(10 sources for Business Blog Content)

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Content Ideas

http://discover-your-customers.com/2012/11/27/10-sources-for-business-blog-content/


The Content Strategy

• Write and publish content at each phase of the marketing funnel

• Create Content that provides the consumer information at each stage of the purchase cycle

• Research• Compare• Purchase• Post Purchase

The MozBlog – October 18th 2012

http://moz.com/blog/the-anatomy-of-tomorrows-inbound-marketing-strategy-today







Copywriting Tips• Write for people first and search engines second

• Think behavior (motivation) not keywords

• Write for power skimmers (keep it simple, use bulleted and numbered lists & short sentences)

• Include pictures

• Spend time crafting your headline

• Include numbers when you can (21 ways, top 10, 18 ways)

• Use compelling words (free, efficient, exclusive, dependable, feature-rich, etc.)

• Incorporate quotes

• Use bold and italic

• Be honest


Keys to Generating Leads with your Content:

• Create and publish content on a regular basis

• Share and distribute content through social networks

• Share valuable information created by others

• Create Free, Downloadable Content

• Engage with your visitors and followers

• Call to Action


Discover Your Customers• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Inbound MarketingTraining and Consulting

• Provides search engine optimization (SEO) training for webmasters, marketing professionals, web developers, web designers, SEO professionals or those looking to start a new career .

• Provides consulting services focused on the SEO and social media components of an Inbound Marketing strategy.

• Key Services:• Website Analysis and Competitive Intelligence • Inbound Marketing• Search Engine Marketing• SEO Copy-writing• SEO Training• Customized On Site Corporate SEO training• Pennsylvania Search Engine Academy - SEO Workshops• On-line SEO Training and Mentoring

Contact Beth at [email protected] for a free website evaluation.

http://seotrainingpennsylvania.com/workshops

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