6 Reasons Why Case Studies Are A Terrific Market For Freelance Writers
I remember the first time a client offered me a case study writing assignment.
I was petrified.
It was early in my freelance writing career and I didn’t even know what one looked like. I had a lot of questions. “What the heck is a case study?” “How long is it?” “What is the format?” “How much do I charge?”
I didn’t have a clue.
Of course, these days, I know more. A lot more. In fact, I write dozens of case studies for clients each year.
Case studies now rank high on my list of the most fascinating — and lucrative — projects I handle. (I’m sure glad that client offered me the job all those years ago!)
If you’re unfamiliar with case studies, don’t worry. They’re really quite simple. A case study is just a fancy name for a success story – the tale of a happy customer and his or her experience using a product or service.
Lately, I’ve noticed that more and more companies need case studies written, yet have difficulties finding writers who can do the job.
That spells OPPORTUNITY for you and me.
And it gets better. Consider the following:
1. Case studies are not difficult to write.
They are similar in style and format to a newsletter article. So if you can write one of those, you can write a case study.
2. Case studies are relatively short
Usually about 400-800 words in length. Once you’ve gained a little experience, you’ll be able to knock one off in less than a day.
3. The formats are standardized
Unlike ads and direct mail, you won’t get stressed out by having to come up with a dazzling new concept or killer headline. The basic structure of a case study is remarkably simple. All that’s required of you is to get the facts and write a good piece.
4. Case study writers are in demand
More companies are scrambling to get case studies written today than ever before. I can’t give you an exact figure but, in my opinion, the demand for case study writers has increased significantly over the past couple of years.
5. There is little competition
I’m not sure why, but few copywriters go after this market. Some may not know it exists. Others may mistakenly think that case studies are dull or technical. Not true! Case study writing is storytelling. It’s fun.
6. Case studies pay well
Surprisingly well. Now you won’t get the superstar rates paid to big-league direct mail copywriters. But most clients do pay handsomely for case study writing. Earning $100 per hour is not an unreasonable expectation for an experienced writer. I know many who earn a lot more.
Right now the case study market is booming. Why not jump in and get your share of these fascinating and lucrative writing gigs?
Ad Copy Sparklers – 10 Ways to Spark Interest in Your Customers
Add a little sparkle to your ad copy and increase your sales. Get started today with one or more of these tried and true techniques.
1.Hand Written Letter. Write your ad on a piece of paper scan it, optimize it, then publish the ad on your web page. Your sales will always increase when you add a personal touch.
2. Publish Famous or Respected Customers. Listing famous or respected customers who have purchased from you on your ad copy spark interest and trust. Others will think that if these people bought from you then they should also trust your business and purchase your products. Make sure you get permission from your customers before listing them on your website first.
3. Show Before and After Photos. First show the problem picture. Besides this show the picture which show how your product solves the problem.
4. A Review. Including a review about you, your business and or your product will instill respect for you with you customers. Increasing credibility increases sales.
5. Show Value. When offering free bonuses in your ad copy also list the dollar value beside each bonus.
6. Hire an Endorser. Hire a famous person to endorse your product or service. Make sure the person is well known to your target audience. Include their picture along with their statement on your ad copy.
7. Include Your Picture. Showing people that you are not hiding behind your ad copy will increase their trust. Also include your contact information below the picture and a brief statement or quote.
8. Donate Percentage to Charity. Tell your potential customers on your ad copy that you will donate a specific percentage of their purchase to a specific charity. Doing this will show them you care about people. They may just buy your product to donate to that charity.
9. Ask Yes & No Questions. Ask potential customers plenty of yes and no questions in your ad copy. The questions should remind them of their problem, show how your product solves their problem and make them think what will happen if they don’t purchase your product.
10. Offer a Prize. Tell your potential customers they will receive a free prize if they find the five words in your ad copy that are misspelled or spelled backwards. The longer you can keep someone reading your copy the greater chance of them purchasing.
Copywriting
Copywriting is a special technique that allows you to promote the companies, individuals or some special events.
Copywriting is one of the most significant elements of the advertising company. It should be considered the tool that helps your company to promote itself.
Your returning clients already know the quality of the products and service that you provide and reliability of your business.
However, most of people find or “discover” your site by the search terms they put into search engine boxes.
How the copywriting is performed? Whatever company you have and whatever products and services you provide you should stick to several important rules.
Despite the fact that copywriting has changed during the last decade due to the wide use of the internet some fundamental rules still apply.
Copywriting might look simple and it should comprise several indispensable elements.
First, it must have intriguing and appealing headline and induces your visitor to explore your text further.
It must contain subheading where main features of the heading are restated.
The most important part of the copywriting copy is certainly the body that reveals the major points of your text. It should be easy-to-read, logically structured and coherent. Several paragraphs that your copywriting content comprises a number of paragraphs that should restate the major idea of the content.
Ideal copywriting content should emphasize the advantages of the company, its uniqueness and clearly state why visitors should purchase at your company.
One should remember that there are plenty of other companies and web sites, which might sell identical products and services.
In order to be successful you should stand out from the crowd.
This technique might apply in offline and online copywriting alike and if the technique is performed professionally it leads to the increase of the traffic on your web site.
When writing the copy remember that one of the most important elements of the content is persuasion. One should persuade your visitors to take further actions and purchase some products or services at your company rather than other ones.
If the principles of persuasion, action, desire and motivation are applied in your copywriting copy, one can be sure that it will bring the results.
Essential steps to make your copywriting effective
Regardless of what service you provide or what type of products you produce, in today highly competitive and rapidly changing world one should always have appealing, attracting and interesting content on the web site.
Web copywriting process is destined to help you to create well-written content copy. Copywriters will be able to design and compose the copy that gain attention of major search engines and increase the traffic on your web site; yet it not enough.
One should never forget how the text on your web site should look like.
Many copywriters, who write for online and offline companies, commit mistakes by writing and composing the copy that addresses all clients at the same time.
However, one should realize that the content that communicates with each client individually rather than with the group of people is the most efficient one.
The phrase” Our clients will find our services affordable” sounds weaker than the phrase:” You will find our services affordable” In this case you focus on the uniqueness of your client; you communicate with him and address him directly.
Certainly your business might provide services to several thousands of clients yet even in this case you should preserve individual, direct contact with the person. This is one of the most effective strategies in the web copywriting process.
Whatever you write-be it a sales letter or just advertisement, SEO copywriting copy or leaflet, this simple principle of direct, individual communication should be preserved.
Otherwise your copywriting content might lose some versatility. When you write online copywriting, try to maintain easy-to-read and simple style yet at the same time retain individual approach.
Apart from this, your content must be designed to target particular groups of people; that is why it is extremely important to combine copywriting process with marketing research which allows you to indicate your potential customers and thus design and compose the content that matches their wishes and expectations.
Do not waste your energy, skills and time on poor written content. Remember that some minor detail may ruin the efficiency of your content; do not let it happen.
For Newsletter Publishing Success Keep Your Focus on What Matters
The other day, I was having an email conversation with a friend about business goals.
She mentioned that she’d started a book only to realize she didn’t want to write one *right now* after all.
She had mixed feelings about the decision, though. After all, *everyone* says a good consultant *must* write a book. And she was feeling the pressure.
In a reply email, I offered her a piece of advice that, as soon as I’d typed it, I knew was really advice for *me* and not her.
Have you ever had that happen? You’re talking with someone and you hear yourself making a suggestion that you realize (on the spot or later on) is exactly what *you* needed to hear?
This final newsletter ingredient continues to be the hardest for me; I grapple with it in nearly every issue. See, persistence, and staying the course with your newsletter, is all about keeping your focus on the things that matter.
Not letting yourself get distracted by all those *other* great ideas. The sections you *could* add to your newsletter. The design changes you *could* make. The requests and reviews and; that *might* be good to include.
I find myself going around in circles some weeks; not wanting to start the newsletter, and yet being on a deadline and *needing* to start the newsletter. And, each time I get caught in this circle, the solution is consistently the same. Yet, it often takes me several hours to *realize* that I know how to resolve my procrastination.
For me, what works most often is to STOP what I’m doing (surfing the Internet for ideas, reading someone else’s book or newsletter, asking someone else what they think I should write about, reviewing back issues) and to simply SIT for a few minutes.
I know that’s the solution. And I know it works 9 times out of 10. And yet, I still find myself unwilling to apply it at the first sign of distress.
Then again, I’m the same way about taking medicine . I have to get really, really, really sick before I even think of taking something.
So often, we think of persistence as working harder, as pushing through it, as forcing ourselves to buckle down and “get it done; And there’s value to that.
But, in this case, I’m speaking of persistence as more of a willingness to repeat those actions you already *know* work for you. So, if you know that a plain text newsletter format works best for you, don’t let yourself wonder if you should publish in HTML every few months. If you know your readers respond best when you talk about your dog, don’t listen to that consultant who tells you to be more buttoned up.
By persistence, I’m asking you to commit to blazing your own trail; doing things your own way. Persist in that. And don’t worry about what everyone says, or what works for everyone else.
How to choose a professional copywriter
You already know that professional copywriting is worth its weight in gold. You know that a good copywriter can help both to drive traffic to your website, and to keep it there once it arrives.
What you don’t know is how to find that copywriter.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The problem with copywriting is that, unlike, say, soda or bathroom cleaner, it’s not something you buy every week, or even every month. And unlike the products and services you’re familiar with, it can be difficult to know what to look for – or to spot a good thing once you’ve found it.
Luckily, as with most things in life, finding a copywriter is easy once you know how. And this article is here to show you how.
What to look for in a copywriting service
If you’re like most people, the first place you’ll turn to in your search for a professional copywriter is a search engine like Google. Wise move. Your copywriter’s website is probably the biggest clue of all as to just what kind of service you can expect. Here’s what to look for:
1. Client testimonials
Any good copywriter will know that testimonials are one of the most powerful sales tools you can use to create copy that converts site visitors into buyers. (If they don’t know this, then they’re not a good copywriter.
Hit that “back” button fast…). You’d expect your copywriter to use testimonials on their own site too, then, wouldn’t you? Look for a link that states “testimonials” or “customer comments” or similar. If it’s not there, ask yourself why…
2. A portfolio
No decent copywriter will expect you to commission them for a project without seeing some examples of their work. A copywriter’s portfolio is his or her calling card: without it, they’re going nowhere.
Spend some time looking at the portfolio on your copywriter’s website. How does the copy read? It should be crisp, clear, and easy to understand. It should also prompt you to take some kind of action once you’ve read it, whether that action be making a purchase, joining a mailing list, or simply reading on.
If the copywriter’s portfolio doesn’t persuade you they’re worth using, nothing will.
3. Client list / resume
There are no particular qualifications a copywriter needs to begin practicing. Some copywriters have English or journalism degrees, others are completely self-taught, having learnt their craft from the ground up.
Instead of asking your copywriter about their qualifications, then, ask about their experience. Who have they worked for in the past? What have they done for those other clients? The answers to these questions should tell you all you need to know about how well-equipped the copywriter is to work on your project.
4. Fees
Some copywriters state their fees up front, others prefer to give quotes only on inquiry. No matter how your copywriter prefers to reveal their rates, though, make sure you have something to compare them to.
Shop around. You wouldn’t buy the first house or car you laid eyes on, and neither should you settle for the first copywriter you find either. Once you have some quotes to look at, however, don’t make the mistake of assuming that the lowest quote must be the best value.
Make sure you’re comparing like with like. Beware of “article mills”: companies who sell articles for just a few dollars per time. These companies tend to employ amateur writers, many of whom don’t even have a good grasp of English.
Remember, you get what you pay for, and if a quote sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The going rate for website copywriting is around £30 GBP / $60 per hour. If you’re being quotes significantly less than this, ask yourself – or your copywriter – why.
Internet Copywriting – Make Your Offer Irresistible!
Want to increase your online sales? Make sure your offer is one they can’t pass up!
Any offer you make through your Internet copywriting needs to be worth the readers’ time. Time is valuable and there is no bigger waste of time – for you as the creator or for your reader – than a worthless offer.
A number of years ago, a newspaper advertising sales rep went to her boss, disgusted that her client would not buy the ad schedule she pitched. It turned out that the last time the client ran an ad – five years before – “I didn’t get a single result from my coupon” that he ran way back then.
The coupon was for a free coffee refill… something that was already common practice at the restaurant. Honestly, who would bother?
“Go back and tell that man we’ll run his ad for free if he will live up to the offer we create,” was the ad manager’s response. From there, he proceeded to tell the young sales rep to tell the client that the coupon would read “Bring this in for $1.00 in cash.” So, she did.
The client naturally refused because he knew he would have too many takers. What he finally admitted to himself is that his advertising did not work because his offer was lousy. Keep this business owner’s woes in mind as you plan to create your own irresistible offers with your Internet copywriting.
Make your offer one that is worth the time it takes to respond. A “Free 60 day trial” is a pretty good offer for an online program. What kind of offers can your business make?
The key to getting readers to respond to your offers is to make them irresistible. Can you afford to knock several dollars off the fee for your product or service? Or maybe you can make a strong guarantee, making your product or service almost risk free.
Transferring the risk from the customer to you will help remove resistance to your offer.
Whatever it is you decide to offer, honor the offer at all costs. Keep your word and potential customers will quickly fall into place as current customers spread the word.
If you have never done any Internet copywriting before, don’t worry about it. No one knows your product or service as well as you do. Because of your passion for the product or service you are selling, you know it better than even a professional copywriter.
Let that passion lead your Internet copywriting as you work to create the perfect offer that your potential customers just cannot refuse!
If you need some help creating an irresistible offer for your Internet copywriting, ask yourself, “What would make me buy?” Think about your answer. Is it do-able? If so, let that be your irresistible offer.
You can always make it available for a limited time (another good way to get people to act quickly) in case you decide the offer is too good to be very profitable.
Add a sense of urgency to your offer to get people to act immediately. If they put it off, they are likely to forget about it and you end up losing the sale. Adding a sense of urgency can be done by limiting the quantity or time of the offer or both.
For example, the special offer is good only for the next 100 people who order, or the offer expires in 48 hours. You can even use both to heighten the sense of urgency.
In summary, make your offer irresistible. Make it worth the effort to the customer to place the order. Transfer the risk from the customer to you and add a sense of urgency.
Then be sure to live up to what you have written in you copy. If you do these thing, you’ll see your sales skyrocket!
