Ocean Crest Creative

Tag: Copywriter

  • Getting Extra Eyes On Your Content

    Getting extra eEyes on your content. Hire a freelance copywriter to edit your contentAh, if only we were perfect we would never need to edit our work. With the onset of the new year, everyone is focused on the nips and tucks that are needed in their life. One New Years resolution you may want to consider strongly is getting extra eyes on your content.

    You can’t do it yourself

    The word, “editor,” can take on many meanings, but in its most basic form, Merriam-Webster defines the noun as,

    “Editor: someone who edits especially as an occupation.”

    You just cannot edit your own work to the degree that someone else can. Even after twenty-six years as an expert copywriter, errors still slip through the net, and may I say I am most horrified when I find them. As discussed in my other blogs, there are ways to limit these oversights, and I do get some solace knowing that even organizations such as the Associated Press miss glaring errors.

    Nevertheless, when it comes to the text you present to your followers, you must do everything possible to assure that what they read is correct. After all, your reputation is riding on it.

    Say, “Hello Copywriter!”

    While copywriters are best known for creating content, they are also very adept at making sure that what is written by others is properly produced. It makes sense if you think about it. One of the most significant stages of creating incredible copy involves the proofreading and editing steps. As a result, professional copywriters always find themselves elbows deep in massaging grammar.

    Editing hotspots

    I can’t think of any place where writing errors are more prevalent than on websites. The reason for this may be because websites are multifaceted animals by nature. In such, text often gets overlooked amongst all the other proofreading shiny objects. About the time someone gets down to reviewing the big picture, ADHD kicks in, someone yells, “SQUIRREL!” and down the rabbit trails everyone goes. The best advice I can offer is, once your website is done to your satisfaction, hire a freelance copywriter to come in with a fresh perspective to comb every page for you.

    You should also want to grab a second opinion on any of your own writing that you plan to share with others. Let’s take blog writing for example. I recently had one of my clients write-up several potential blog entries on his return flight from Tahiti. He asked me to give them a look over, spruce them up as needed, and then get them back to him for posting. Great idea! Not only did it relieve me from much of the reconnaissance work involved in a standard copywriting assignment, but, as a result, the job cost him less.

    Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish

    The British have a way with coining phrases, and this one fits. Too many people make themselves look unprofessional, unpolished, and even worse, incompetent, by letting the words that represent them meet the world unedited. Do those you associate with, the ones you represent, and yourself a huge favor in 2017 – hire a copywriter to edit your content. You won’t regret the investment!

  • Copywriters Are Your Ghostwriter

    Copywriters Are Your GhostwriterA ghostwriter is a person who is hired to write on behalf of others. In fact, under this arrangement, the proper credit for the writing does not go to the actual writer, but rather those they write for. Regarding your organization, copywriters can be thought of as your ghostwriter.

    Navy SEALs with a pen

    The United States Navy SEALs are known as the best at what they do. However, there is one other commonality to their endeavors. It is that, despite the fact that they are always being deployed on missions, little, if any, news about their undertakings ever makes it to public light.

    Likewise, copywriters are the hidden face behind the printed and spoken words of the world. They operate in the shadows, producing some of the most significant outcomes. Think of all that you read…websites, food labels, mail circulars, newsprint, advertisements, and so much more…thank a clandestine copywriter. The majority of what you hear uttered on television was authored by a speech writer – aka copywriter. Even movies often only credit their writers via some small font trailing the end of the film.

    Words make the world turn

    Without words, the silence would be earsplitting.  But can you envision it all without great copywriters? Imagine if everything was written at the level of the common text message? Yikes! We’d all sound like mumbling, jungle primates!

    As for numbers, well they are important too, and they have their place. But when was the last time you tried to describe the loving gaze of a child, or the perfect sunset by way of a mathematical equation? It just can’t be done. Words rule!

    Adopt a copywriter

    Every business uses words to persuade, promote, and raise brand awareness about their offering. Just think of the impact that a freelance, word warrior would have on your efforts?

    At Ocean Crest Creative, we’ve built handcrafted copywriting and content solutions for those involved in the travel and tourism industry since 1991. There are copywriters who specialize in nearly every trade sector. You’ll even find general practitioners ready to help you with your needs. Adopt a professional, freelance copywriter today. Your communicative life will never be the same!

  • Blog Writing Keeps Copywriters Busy

    Blog Writing Keeps Copywriters BusyOn the popular television show, “Mad Men,” you’ll find copywriters vigorously supporting the efforts of the Madison Avenue advertising firms of the 1960’s. While copy creation specialists continue to apply their mastery to “all things words,” it is blog writing that keeps copywriters busy these days.

    The new way to sell

    The path to the consumer has changed. While brands use to focus on a “push” approach to marketing their offering, “creating solutions to challenges” has taken its place. Buyers care more about how well a supplier can meet their needs then responding to that which is thrust in their face.

    As a result of 24-hour television, email, text, and social media noise people face every day, they are going directly to the Internet to search for and feel out answers to their quests for consumer satisfaction. This means that purveyors of goods and services must stay very aggressive in their online presence.

    Why is there so much demand for blog writing?

    One of the easiest and most productive ways to stay proactive on the web is by way of the company blog. The goal should be to introduce at least one blog post each week. It should be made up of content that is both beneficial and applicable to the needs of your clients and prospects. On top of this, your flow of information must be consistent.

    Unfortunately, many businesses lack the time, talent, or human resources to produce high-quality blog posts and keep up with the required timetable. As a result, the blog sites of many organizations feature dated or erratic posts that, at best, reflect poorly on their offering, ability and customer service.

    It is for this reason so many of today’s professional copywriters find themselves up to their ears in writing blog posts for their clients. What’s best is that much of the blog copy they create can easily be used in other projects. It is the pinnacle of a coordinated marketing approach when well-viewed, online content is used within press releases, brochures, email campaigns, website copy, and the like.

    We’ve got your back!

    If you can’t keep up on what is most important in your writing world, give us a shout. We are here for you!

  • Copywriting Versus Content Marketing

    Copywriting Versus Content MarketingThese days, there is much discussion about Copywriting versus Content Marketing. There is also a lot of confusion between the two. While copywriting is certainly a component of content marketing, the two terms are not interchangeable.

    Terminology confusion

    While in London recently, attending the World Travel Market, I had the privilege of meeting with a number of the industry’s leading professionals. Most understood that what I do is apply my travel and tourism experience to the art of crafting words. However, I did find some were looking less for a writer and more for somebody to market their content. This compelled me to try to unpack the fundamentals of both areas of expertise.

    What is Copywriting?

    Reaching out to those at the event in London, I asked:

    1) Do you utilize “words” to persuade, promote, or raise brand awareness about your offering?

    2) Are projects such as blogs, websites, brochures, and similar activities lagging because you do not have the in-house workforce to complete them?

    3) Do you already have a public relations or marketing team in place, but want to turbocharge their efforts?

    I followed with the thought that if the answer was yes to any of these questions, there is a good chance that contracting a seasoned, travel industry wordsmith would be beneficial.

    A copywriter is the antithesis of an accountant. While they are able to make numbers bend to your benefit, a copywriter does the same with words. Be it blogs, websites, brochures, or anything else that involves language arts, you will see copywriters in on the action. Hense, the common Internet definition of copywriting is “the art and science of strategically delivering words (whether written or spoken) that get people to take some form of action.”

    How Content Marketing differs

    If you sat through Marketing 101 in college, you would recall that the definition of Marketing is, “The management process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer. It includes the coordination of four elements called the 4 P’s of marketing:

    (1) Identification, selection, and development of a product,

    (2) Determination of its price,

    (3) Selection of a distribution channel to reach the customer’s place, and

    (4) Development and implementation of a promotional strategy.

    Content marketing follows this marketing model. While the creation of copy is one of the major pillars, its cornerstone may be found in the distribution of valuable, relevant and consistent content.

    What has changed in recent years is the main channel to buyers. The Internet has built new avenues that allow businesses to talk directly with their customers while also lowering the cost threshold to do so. However, this new ability has upped the importance of hiring a great copywriter. Your words matter now more than ever.

    Live content as opposed to dead content

    Many people can write, but most individuals are not copywriters. What’s that mean? Well, the majority of business leaders have honed their writing skills during their days of higher education, and they certainly are very familiar with their offering.

    However, those professionals who exclusively generate compelling copy for a living are naturally more skilled in this art form. The kind of copywriter you want to work with, not only stays up on all of the grammatical nuances inherent to the vocation, but they are also naturally inquisitive, imaginative, and possess a robust capacity in the areas of sales, marketing, and buzz creation. As a result, unlike the occasional writer, copy pros are able to convert your goals into a written call-to-action.

    Telling Stories in a new way

    Organizations have been telling their story since the dawn of time. The game changer is the Internet, and that is what gave birth to what is now known as Content Marketing. Copywriters create the content, and content marketers proactively disseminate it.

    Everyone has a story. How may we help you tell yours?

  • 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!