Ocean Crest Creative

Tag: Blog

  • 7 Ways A Blog Helps Your Business Succeed

    7 Ways A Blog Helps Your Business SucceedIn today’s business environment, a “Web Log,” more commonly known as a “Blog,” is an integral part of connecting you to those you serve or hope to serve. Here are 7 ways a blog helps your business succeed.

    1) Tell your story in real time

    Websites, brochures, and traditional media are great tools for giving your clients and prospects a snapshot of who you are. But it it’s impossible to update their content continuously, and so they are essentially a static form of communication. On the other hand, blogs, when properly maintained, are living, breathing entities. They continuously tell your story in real time.

    2) Your least expensive marketing method

    For the minimal cost of a great copywriter and a blogging tool like WordPress, you can start sharing how your offering solves the challenges of the world.

    3) Keeps you coordinated

    In addition to going viral on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and all of your other social media outlets, the constantly created content from your blogs can be re-purposed for other projects. Your blog themes can, and should, be tied into web page copy, print media, and even internal documents that get your whole team on board with your current message.

    4) Lets you talk with your followers, not just to them

    The comment section after each of your blog posts gives you the opportunity for you to engage respondents directly. These conversations can also draw others in and grant you valuable one-on-one time with new and old friends.

    5) Blogs are Search Engine Optimization rocket fuel

    In the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) world, change is good. Top search sites are always on the hunt for websites that offer fresh and valuable content. As you build a constant stream of new blog copy, search engines will perk up and take notice, and that means more people will discover you.

    6) Makes you an authority

    People utilize the Internet as their main source of realizing solutions to their needs. Your blog posts will establish you as an authority and the go-to source for answers in your field.

    7) Keeps you on your game

    Coming up with the content for regular blog posts forces you to stay on the leading edge practices within your industry. This knowledge will support you in propelling your business forward.

    User warning

    Do not start a blog if you don’t intend to keep it current. There is nothing that will drive people away from your offering faster than an outdated blog page. Fortunately, professional copywriters, like Ocean Crest Creative, are fully capable of taking your raw content and converting it into magnetizing blog posts that will translate into the bountiful benefits that we’ve discussed.

  • Care and Feeding of your Copywriter

    Care and Feeding of your CopywriterIt’s great to have a freelance copywriter as part of your team, but what’s involved in the care and feeding of your copywriter? Clearly, they can’t know your plan, voice, and desires by osmosis. So, it goes without saying that you’ll have to throw them an informational bone once in a while. How to best work with your copywriter is going to depend on a number of factors.

    A copywriter’s specialty

    If you required a heart bypass, would you prefer to trust a General Practitioner or a Heart Surgeon? As I like to say, it is impossible for copywriters to be authorities in every subject. You just won’t find a copywriter who is a former restaurateur/engineer/manufacturer/landscaper/accountant.  But, that doesn’t mean you can’t locate a copywriter with an industry specialty.

    Here at Ocean Crest Creative, the forte is building custom, handcrafted content solutions for those involved in the travel and tourism industry. 32-years of buzz creation and copywriting experience in one particular industry allows us an edge over others who are just visiting the business.

    This goes for any other trade. Try to pair up with a writer who is already familiar with the overall challenges you face every day.

    Be clear about the who and what

    When you issue an assignment to your copywriter, make sure you let them know who the reader will be. The more specific you can be, the better. Also, let them know if the copy they are writing will be featured in, for example:

    Articles
    Blog posts
    Brochures
    Email campaigns
    Internal Communications
    Newsletters
    Press releases
    Sales pages
    Service descriptions
    Website copy

    Try to focus on only one area of use at a time. It allows the text to be more dynamic and will garner better results. Remember, you can always come back to your word artist and have them repurpose text that they have written.

    Be clear about the when

    Since most of the best freelance copywriters only work on a retainer, it allows them to truly get a feel for your desires and how your particular establishment operates. While some companies like to have and do provide a long-term project calendar, others work on a simple monthly assignment basis.

    In the monthly scenario, you may say you need three jobs created and completed with no other specifications other than “by the end of the month.” Alternatively, you may want Assignment #1 ready for review within the first week, and the balance by the end of the month. Whatever your approach, make sure your copywriter understands your requirements as they arise.

    Be open to and expect questions

    There is nothing worse than a copywriter who becomes a black hole to your time. Likewise, when crickets chirping and the monthly bill are the only things you hear out of your person, it may be a signal to look for a new relationship.

    Most copywriters will require at least some clarification on assignments such as details, resources, and what you would like to use as your call-to-action. Remember, it is the goal of every copywriter to lead the reader into some form of action that is beneficial to you and your organization.

    Reality checks

    How am I doing? Does the copy look the way you would like? Are we tracking towards fulfilling your wishes? If you are not getting questions like these from your copywriter on a regular basis, you have a problem. Your simple assignment sign-off is not enough.

    The person who you have hired to pen for you is, in effect, your ghostwriter. That which they write should sound like it came from you, not them. To accomplish this, they will need a reality check on their efforts periodically.

    Get help

    If you have an in-house team or use a public relations company to build your content, don’t be afraid to turbocharge their efforts with a contracted writer. No doubt they may feel a bit competitive and territorial regarding the addition, but remember, this is about your success and not their contentment.

    By adding a freelance copywriter to the pool, you will breathe fresh perspective and ideas into your copy. It will also allow your lead writers to focus on front-burner projects while your contractor picks up the slack.

    They are your happy, Labrador Retriever

    In general, freelance copywriters are an easygoing group, and like Labrador Retrievers, their tail never wags faster and harder than when they know they are making you happy. If you need someone to fetch your word-related balls, give a shout. To us, there is nothing better than delivering what you want again, and again, and again!

  • Writing and Promoting Your Weekly Blog Post

    Writing and Promoting Your Weekly Blog PostOne of the most frequent questions I get asked is, “How often should I create a blog submission and what’s the best way to promote it?” As a business, your goal should be to produce, publish, and promote at least one blog article per week. So, let’s discuss the fundamentals of writing and promoting your weekly blog post.

    Topic

    At first, the idea of writing at least one blog theme per week may seem daunting. However, in reality selecting fifty-two subjects should be pretty simple. Try to focus on challenges that those you serve commonly have. Balance this with a subtle but clear demonstration as to how you can be part of the solution.

    The all-important title and first paragraph

    It is important that your blog post has a title with a bit of “grab.” While your title doesn’t always have to have the hook of a top forty song, it must solidly address the challenge your readers face.

    Secondly, make sure that your title is included in the first paragraph of your piece. Did you notice the last sentence of the first paragraph of this post? Doing this each time is not only an important Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consideration, but it also immediately ties the header to the text.

    The body

    Regardless of your audience, try not to get too formal in your writing style. Why? Because a “web log,” aka “blog,” is your chance to converse with your reader on a one-on-one basis. When humans talk with each other, they rarely carry on in a manner reminiscent of a technical schematic or corporate white paper. There is a time and place for that, but it’s not on your blog.

    Also, keep your word count to a digestible number. 400 – 1,000 words per composition is a good guideline.

    Finally, round out your blog with a simple, straightforward call-to-action. Hopefully, you’ve given your reader some valuable ideas and solutions. Hence, don’t be afraid to let them know that there’s more where that came from.

    Weekly promotion

    Social media is still the go-to location for self-publishers. I start by building three tweets related to that week’s blog post. Each has a unique title, but the same shortened, trackable URL and promotional hash tags. For example, the tweets for this blog will be:

    1) Did you write your weekly #blog post? http://bit.ly/2elgumb #copywriting, #copywriter, #travelmarketing

    2) Writing & promoting your weekly #blog post http://bit.ly/2elgumb #copywriting, #copywriter, #travelmarketing

    3) Produce, publish & promote at least one #blog post per week http://bit.ly/2elgumb #copywriting, #copywriter, #travelmarketing

    Next, I like to utilize a tool called TweetDeck. It lets me post my tweets immediately or schedule them for a later date and time. Monday afternoon, Wednesday afternoon and Friday mid-morning are generally your best bets for releases.

    I also tie all of my Twitter tweets to my Facebook page so as to capture the maximum exposure. Likewise, I will make sure that my most recent post is loaded up to my LinkedIn page, another important social media conduit reaching my professional following.

    It’s important to remember that many social media outlets may fit your business’s information dissemination needs, but what I have cited covers the indispensable channels.

    Blog away!

    I hope that these ideas help you in writing and promoting your weekly blog post. If you find yourself challenged by ideas, time, or talent (here comes the call-to-action), know that I am here for you and, as a professional, freelance copywriter, would be honored to be a part of your success!

  • Ocean Crest Creative Work Samples

    Ocean Crest Creative Work SamplesOcean Crest Creative work samples? Yeah, we got ’em! Actually, with decades of experience under our keel, we could fill an entire website with work samples. However, we’ll spare you the full compendium of work and narrow it down to some samples that span the years and exhibit the breadth of clients we’ve worked for. Enjoy!

    The Ocean Crest Creative Blog (view)

    Regularly updated with ideas to help you succeed. Subscribe to receive updates.

    “Farming The Sea For Tahitian Black Pearls” (view)

    Produced for: Ontario-based travel planner, TahitiByCarl. Date Originally Produced: July 2016

    “Cruise Commissions vs. Travel Insurance Commissions” (view)

    Produced for: TravelSafe Insurance, one of America’s leading travel insurers for more than four decades. Date Originally Produced: March 2014

    “Hertz/Courtesy Rent-A-Car is Welcoming Your Clients to Barbados” (view)

    Produced for: Courtesy Rent-A-Car, the official representative for Hertz on the island nation of Barbados. Date Originally Produced: December 2013

    “Mini-Breaks Become More Popular and VIA Rail Canada Responds” (view)

    Produced for: VIA Rail Canada, Canada’s National Passenger Rail Service. Date Originally Produced: March 2009

    “Who is the European Waterways Client?” (view)

    Produced for: Go Barging, part of the European Waterways Group, a niche operator that has been specializing in barge cruising in Europe for over 40 years. Date Originally Produced: December 2008

    “Without Cares Because it is All-Inclusive” (view)

    Produced for: Sans Souci Resort and Spa, Five Star Resort in Jamaica, West Indies. Date Originally Produced: May 2005

    “Shore Excursions for Cruise Passengers” (view)

    Produced for: Newmans South Pacific Vacations, Australian, New Zealand and South Pacific tour operator that operated between 1879 and 2003. Date Originally Produced: December 2004

    “Air Tahiti Nui – The South Pacific’s Profitable Airline” (view)

    Produced for: Air Tahiti Nui is the airline of the French Polynesian island nation of Tahiti. Date Originally Produced: July 2004

    “Maine’s Unique Cuisine” (view)

    Produced for: The State of Maine Department of Tourism, USA. Date Originally Produced: November 2003