Writing Web Copy – Velocity Media

22 January 2021

The gift of a crappy first draft

The deadline is looming. The ticking clock is getting louder by the minute as you sit there watching the cursor flash like an indicator on the blank page. You need to write, but the words just aren’t coming. You concentrate harder as if to will the words out of you. But nothing. The cursor goes on flashing.

Sound familiar? That my friend is an unfortunate case of blank page paralysis. It’s when the stress and pressure of needing to write blocks your creativity and flow and leaves you with, well…nothing.

We’ve all been there, and as a perfectionist who has made a living from writing, I know I’ll be back to revisit this dreaded place sometime soon. The good news is, though, that there is a way to navigate yourself out of it and the map you need comes in the form of a crappy first draft.

Are you feeling a little sceptical? That’s alright. Let’s delve into this further to look at why a crappy first draft can help you get the words flowing out of your head and onto the page. But first, let’s look at what a crappy first draft is.

What is a crappy first draft?

A crappy first draft is where you get all of your thoughts down on paper without judgement, order or structure. It’s your writing brainstorm. Spelling, grammar and punctuation don’t matter (it’s meant to be crappy after all) and no editing is allowed until the draft is complete as this can inhibit your creative flow.

So, now that we’re all on the same page let’s look at why the crappy first draft is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself as a writer.

It takes the pressure off

While some levels of stress can make your creativity soar, a lot of stress can make it plummet. Knowing that you aren’t doing the final version but rather a crappy first draft that only you will read, can take the pressure off. Once this pressure reduces, you are in a better position to start.

It gets you started

Like many things in life starting is the hardest part. When the pressure is on, we can make the task so much bigger in our minds. A crappy first draft gives you permission to suck and start without judgement or correction. Once you start, it easier to keep going.

It helps you find your flow

When you’re focused on perfection, you’ll more than likely try to write from start to finish. But the start may not be the best place for you to start. Stay with me here. When I write, whether it be a blog post, speech, email or web page, I’ll often start in the middle then go back and write the start, end and headline.

Start where the inspiration strikes. Don’t try and persist through the areas that haven’t come to you yet, start where you need to then you’ll get into the flow.

It allows you to order your thoughts

Often when we go start to finish, we become stuck on a specific structure to our writing. The crappy first draft allows you to step back after you’ve written it and work out the right order to your writing. It gives you the space to evaluate the most important messages (and ditch the not so important messages) to create a better, more persuasive piece.

So, the next time you are staring at that flashing cursor on the screen, and the pressure is on, permit yourself to do a crappy first draft. You’ll find, as I have, that it’s a great way to ease the pressure and let the creativity flow.

11 February 2014

Five questions to help you tell the story

Stories are powerful. We not only remember them long than we remember facts, they engage us, appeal to our imagination and when done right, cause us to become emotionally invested.

Imagine if you could cause this same reaction in your target market after they read your website or promotional material? How many more enquiries would you get? How many more sales would you convert? To help you, here are five questions that once answered will help you tell the story of your products and services and emotionally engage your target market.

1. What is your target market’s biggest need, frustration or problem?

People always move faster away from pain then they do towards pleasure, so pain is a good place to start your story. What problems do your target market experience without your product? What limitations do similar products or services have (without naming and shaming) that could be causing your target market frustration?

What is keeping them up at night? What is costing them money, time or limiting their growth that can be related to not having or using your product or service?

2. Why haven’t they been able to solve it?

Once you’ve established their pain, look at why they haven’t been able to solve it until now. Was it due to a lack of time, money or knowledge? Have options or availability been limited until you or your new product or service has come along?

3. What would their life be like if their problem was solved?

Paint the pleasure. Describe the life of your target market once their problems have been solved, their ideal “imagine if…” scenario. How much more effective, efficient or profitable will their business be? How much easier and happier will their life be?

4. How does your product or service solve their need?

Once you’ve taken them to a place of pleasure and hope, show them how you or your products or your services make it possible. How are your products or services different? How have they helped others achieve the same ideal scenario?

5. What do they need to do now?

Now it’s time for your call to action. What steps do they have to take now to start making their ideal scenario a reality? Is it to call, email or buy now? Do they need to go to another web page, book a consultation, request a quote or download something?

Work out exactly what action you want them to take then call them to do it while offering them an incentive or emotional pull.

By taking your target market through this process, you allow them to have an emotional experience with your product or service before they even try it, a very powerful marketing technique that will result in more enquiries and conversions.

Amanda

20 January 2014

Questions to ask when writing or reviewing your website copy

The words on your website can be the difference between a website browser and a new customer. With more and more potential customers heading online to find and buy products, your website copy has never been more important.

To make your words count, here are seven questions to ask when you are writing or reviewing your website copy.

1. Does your copy appeal to your target audiences?

Are you writing for your target market or about you? Good copy is all about your target market, it addresses their frustrations, solves their problems, gives them the benefits and answers their question “what is in it for me”?

Once you have written your copy, read through it and count how many “you’s” you have versus how many “we’s”. You should be talking about your customer at least twice as many times as you are talking about your business.

2. Is there a benefit driven or emotionally appealing headline on each page?

Don’t underestimate the power of headlines. With 5-10 seconds to capture the attention of your target market, your headline will help you make an impact and connect with your reader, and if done correctly, encourage them to keep reading.

3. Are sub-headlines easily identifiable and do they guide readers through the page?

Most of your website readers aren’t readers at all, they are scanners. This means they will be scanning through parts of your copy to find what is relevant or of interest to them. Sub-headlines are great for drawing attention to certain parts of your copy and make it easier for scanners to find what they are looking for.

4. Is the critical content above the fold?

In sales copy your most hard-hitting, benefit-driven information needs to be first, with as much appearing above the fold (where your reader doesn’t have to scroll down) as possible. When your reader lands on your website they want to know “what’s in it for me?”, good copy will always give them the answer straight up.

5. Are testimonials or case studies used to prove the value?

To back up claims you make in your copy, include testimonials that demonstrate benefits and results you have generated for past and present customers. Remember, no-one sells your business better than a happy customer.

If you claim your products or services can boost sales or minimise expenses by a certain percentage within a particular timeframe, provide a testimonial or case study that proves your claim. You will add credibility and build trust with your readers if you do.

6. Is there a call to action on every page?

Are you creating a sense of urgency by giving a compelling reason to act now on every page? Your website should be an extension of your sales team and be converting readers into leads and buyers. To do this, each page needs to have a strong call to action.

When establishing your call to action, ask yourself “what do I want my reader to do once they have finished reading this page?”

7. Is there a way to capture your readers contact information?

Have you provided an irresistible offer that compels your reader to give up their contact information? In addition to wanting your reader to respond to your call to action, you also want to get their contact details. This way, you are in control of how regularly they hear about your business.

To do this, you need to offer them something of value. It could be a checklist, an e-book, a cheat sheet or a template of some sort. Whatever you choose, make sure it is easy to sign up for, if there is too much effort involved you may limit your sign-ups.