Is SEO evil?

I read this post yesterday: Spammers, Evildoers and Opportunists by Derek Powazek with much interest.

Derek discusses SEO, and suggests that anyone offering SEO services is a conman and that SEO practices are damaging the web. While I think the first assertion is false (because many websites need a dose of SEO before they get significant traffic from search engines) I do agree that SEO practices are filling the web with trash.

The way Google works is damaging the web.

I’ve thought this before, and have blogged about the pointlessness of web directories (web directories are a large subsection of the web that seem to exist purely to provide links to other websites, while adding no real value to anyone).

But how do we fix the system so that people aren’t encouraged to ‘game’ the system, and add junk to the web in their quest for more links?

I always encourage clients to look for ways to add value to the web. If you want to be found, try being useful. Rather than adding junk for the sake of links or fresh content, try adding useful information.

WriteClub is go!

The first WriteClub went swimmingly, so there will be more.

15 (or so) copywriters, journalists, proofreaders, authors, travel writers, novelists and bloggers chatted over coffee in Cafe Delice (who very kindly opened 30 minutes early just for us).

Given that the plan for WriteClub was to form an open group for all kinds of writers (and non-writers) to meet and mingle, it’s fair to say that the first meeting was a success.

To help organise the group and to help people find it, there is now:

write-club.net (where members can feature their blog posts)

WriteClub – the Google Group (so members can chat to each other and find out about new meetings)

The next WriteClub

Is an evening meeting: Tuesday 13 October, 20:00. Location: TBA (a pub in central Brighton)

The next morning WriteClub

Is Tuesday 27 October, 08:30. Location: Cafe Delice (upstairs)

The Cost of Copy Compared to the Cost of a Website

A couple of questions that I can’t answer:

How much does the average company spend on the copy for their website?

How does the cost of copy compare to the cost of design and development?

The web business is peculiar. Websites exist to present information, but it seems that in many cases the carrier (the website) is treated as the important thing, not the information.

To what extent is copy important?

Do the majority of web designers and web developers have their priorities all wrong? Should we flip the web development process around and focus more attention on the content?

Should more money be spent on great content, perhaps at the expense of design or features?


Social Media Reality Check

Twitter

I enjoyed this blog post: Calling Bullshit on Social Media, by Scott Berkun. I enjoyed it, not because I agree with him on every point, but because Scott does a great job of removing some of the hot air from ‘social media’.

It seems that in any business it’s easy to get wrapped up in your own enthusiasm (some would call it hype) and it’s easy to find confirmation for your beliefs and to cherry-pick evidence that suits your agenda. And whenever that happens, it’s important for people like Scott to burst the balloon.

Of course, I still feel that there’s loads of potential for organisations to adopt social media and to do something meaningful with it.

Overwhelmed by Blogs? A Strategy for Reading Less and Learning More

Britain Going Blog Crazy - Metro Article

There are a lot of blogs out there – too many to read. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by blogs, with an RSS reader riddled with unread posts, or hundreds of bookmarked sites that you’re never going to revisit.

The Other Problem with Blogs

If you read a handful of blogs about SEO, or copywriting, or fruit farming, you’ll probably end up reading similar opinions in similar blogs by a bunch of people that you don’t know. It’s easy to waste time reading recycled ideas.

Going Local

I have a new strategy for reading blog posts, which brings me nice ideas and doesn’t overwhelm me, and I thought I would share it.

Step 1

I check the Brighton New Media website. (This website collates posts from Brighton’s digital media bloggers – so I can read them all in one place.)

Every day or two I peruse the new posts. I read as many as interest me, and leave comments wherever possible.

Step 2

I’m a regular Twitter user, so I tend to discover good blog posts from my Twitter friends. People share the good stuff, so it’s reasonable to assume that the good stuff will find its way to me, eventually.

So sure, I may be missing all kinds of wonderful stuff, but even if I spent most of my working life reading blogs, I’d still miss something.

For those not in Brighton…

The Brighton New Media (BNM) website is central to my strategy, so what should you do if you like my approach but don’t live in Brighton? I don’t know! Perhaps you could set up a BNM equivalent for your town.

WriteClub: Meet Writers, Drink Coffee [Event]

Working in Brighton, I’ve always enjoyed the variety and number of networking events and casual meet-ups that are available. But wherever I go, I rarely meet other writers.

So, after chatting to Ellen about it, we decided to set something up.

Here’s the event description from Upcoming:

Do you write for a living? If you’re a professional writer, or someone who wants to be a professional writer (like a journalist, copywriter, novelist, poet, travel writer, proofreader or anything else) or just someone who would like to meet writers, come along!

WriteClub is a very relaxed, informal association that consists of drinking coffee and chatting. You can come along to get ideas or support, to find inspiration or tips or to just get away from the laptop and meet other writers working in your area.

What do you need? Nothing. Just yourself and some change for a coffee.

__

So Ellen and I will be in Cafe Delice, 24 North Road, on Tuesday 29 September at 8:30 (am). The meeting will last as long as it lasts, but feel free to drop in and leave whenever it’s convenient.

We hope to see you there!

[Update – WriteClub – the networking meet-ups for writers and non-writers alike, now has a website]

Public Speaking: Thoughts from dConstruct

dConstruct 2009

I went to dConstruct last Friday and wanted to quickly capture some of my thoughts, before they fade. I discovered all kinds of interesting factoids, but many of my thoughts were related to the act and skill of public speaking.

What did I learn?

  • I like energetic speakers. It’s nice to be enthused and inspired.
  • It helps if a few jokes pepper a presentation.
  • I like real-world examples to counter the confusion of theoretical chatter.

And the not-so-good stuff:

  • Big words should stay at home. Speakers can lose an audience in a maze of esoteric language. What’s the point of speaking if nobody knows what you mean?
  • A presentation benefits from a point. A big, juicy point that is clear and understandable. Just chatting about something you know is fine for you but less wonderful for the 600+ people listening.

Brighton’s Best Business Cards?

I’ve always felt that business cards are important, but it can be tricky to design something that’s as useful as it is memorable.

Jack Hooker, a local graphic designer, recently put Moo.com to good use and designed some rather lovely business cards:

jackhookercards

Are these Brighton’s best business cards?

Can Jack ever compete with this man?

New Project – ADC Brighton

A quick post to announce a recent copywriting project.

Alistair Dodd Consulting (ADC) is a firm of architectural designers. Distinct from architects, ADC provide a range of services to property developers, architects, construction companies and home owners, including:

Blogging to Nobody?

Nobody on board

Oh, dear reader, I was so naive! When I began blogging, all those year ago, I thought that the aim of my endeavours was to develop a large readership. To gradually, through perseverance and good writing, increase the number of people who read my blog.

The Dream of a Big Blog

And although I’m naturally a humble kind of guy, I dared to dream that I would eventually have a loyal following, a steadily increasing band of followers. Careful readers who enjoyed my words, employed my advice and conversed in comments.

The Reality of a Small Blog

So far, that has not happened. I don’t cause controversy, or get many comments. Sometimes I wonder if anyone’s reading at all. But that doesn’t get me down.

Why a Small Blog is Still a Good Blog

My blog doesn’t need to be big to be good. Because this blog is good every time it is read by any one person (like you). If one person reads a sentence or two of my blog and thinks something positive, or gets a nice impression of me, then it’s worthwhile.

Blog – the Window into the Website

One of the web’s biggest problem is its facelessness. The web is anonymous, technological, artificial. It can be cold and scary. Blogs give us a chance to be human, and to chat a bit. We can be less formal, less contained and more revealing about our personalities.

My blog lets me drop my guard and write the way I speak. And that lets people get to know me, which seems to help them decide to employ me.

Keep Blogging!

So even if you only have a handful of subscribers and a trickle of daily traffic, keep it up! A neglected blog is never a good advert for anything.

The First Year

Happy Birthday Candles on Angel Foods Cake
Kendall Copywriting is one year old! So much has happened in the past year – sometimes it feels like I’ve squashed three years into the space of one. Perhaps because the last year has been so full and fascinating, I didn’t quite know how to write a blog post about it all. Luckily, I’ve got another idea…

Leif on the Radio

Last week I was invited by Julie Stanford (of the Essential Business Guide and the President of Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce) to talk about my experiences as a freelancer on her Radio Reverb show, Business as Usual. Coinciding with my one year anniversary, it was the perfect opportunity for me to reflect on the past year.

This was my first time being interviewed for the radio, and I was quite nervous to begin with. But Julie was a great interviewer and made the whole experience very pleasant.

What follows is Julie Stanford interviewing me, Leif Kendall, about being a freelancer, a copywriter and a small business owner. It seems like the perfect way to wrap up the past year:

The Things I Forgot

After the interview, I remembered all kinds of things that I should have mentioned. Mainly people. People who have helped, guided and supported me during my first full year in business. I really wish I had mentioned the following people and organisations:

Michael Bailey and Premasagar Rose

I met Michael and Prem at a Vine networking event. It was Michael who gave me the advice I mention about pricing, and together they generously helped me create my first website.

Paul Silver, The Farm

I do mention the Farm, but I don’t mention Paul Silver. Paul runs the Farm (a networking group for Brighton freelancers), and I’m very grateful to him for the priceless  resource that this group provides.

Rosie Sherry, The Werks

The Werks is where I work. It’s a special place full of talented, friendly people. Rosie Sherry first invited me there, and made me feel very welcome.

Lots of Other People

Working in Brighton, I’m lucky to be surrounded by creative people who love nothing more than helping others. It’s a great place to work.

Discovering Travel Writing

Travelling is Tiring

Last week I did my first bit of proper travel writing. I went to Arnhem, Holland to write about the city and Operation Market Garden.

Travel writing is very new to me, so I’ve been busy reading about what makes great travel writing, and learning the practicalities of being a travel writer.

As with all of my learning experiences, I try to share them as I go. The biggest lesson I learnt from this trip was:

Make sure that important places/sites will be open when you visit.

If you’ve guessed that I didn’t check and that this became a significant problem, then you’re right. I didn’t expect two war museums to be closed in June, so I didn’t check. I should have checked!

(the picture is of my son, who fell asleep at the wheel after driving us around Arnhem)

(For)getting a Return on Your Social Media Marketing

Social Media ROI

Do you ever wonder if the time you invest in Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and your blog is worth the effort? It’s a reasonable thing to wonder, but I suspect that for most small businesses it’s better to just relax, enjoy it, and see what emerges.

Everything in life can be monitored, tracked, charted, monetized and commoditized. But that doesn’t mean you should.

If you are asking “is all the time I spend on Twitter really worth it?” – it’s probably not. If you enjoy socialising with your friends and contacts, then continue. If it feels like work and it just soaks up your time without giving anything back, spend less time on it.

Of course, for mega-corporations with marketing departments, there will always be a need to quantify the effectiveness of something like social media. And that’s fine.

What do you think? Is social media a waste of time? Or a useful way to connect with the people around you?

How to Do More on the Web – Part 4

See also: P1 / P2 / P3

Part 4: Helping Searchers Find Your Site with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

People are looking for you. Every day, they go to a search engine (like Google, Yahoo or Ask) and type in the words that reflect their query. The search engine scans the internet, and offers a list of results that match their query.

If your website appears high up the list, the searcher may click on your site. If your site is the 120th result in the search results, you will probably not receive a visit from that searcher.

An overwhelming majority of people never make it to the second page of search results. This means that if you’re not on the first page, less than 20% of people will even see your website, and even fewer will actually click through to your site.

Clearly, it’s crucial to appear as high as possible in the search results whenever people are searching for an organisation like yours.

Getting Started with SEO

A good place to start is keywords. Keywords are the words that people use when searching. Your keywords may be your:

  • Company
  • Industry
  • Products
  • Services
  • Brand names
  • Activities
  • Key people
  • Common questions that people ask

Pretend that you are a potential customer. You are looking for yourself. Now think: what keywords would I use when searching for the things I provide? Make a list of all the words that you would use.

Think laterally, and remember that not everyone uses the same words to describe a thing. Consider every synonym and possible way of approaching a query.

Now, go to the Google Keyword Tool, and type in your list of keywords. Google will provide you with an extended list, including every similar term that it thinks is relevant. Bear in mind that Google is just a computer, so it may produce a few bad results.

Google’s Keyword Tool is useful for two reasons. Firstly, it helps you consider all relevant keywords, and may suggest a few that you hadn’t thought of.

Secondly, it shows the monthly volume of searches for each term. This means you can see exactly how many people are searching for each keyword – which means you can decide which keywords are worth aiming for.

A Note on Selecting Keywords

Because ranking highly in search results requires a concerted effort, you should prioritise the search terms that will bring you people who want to buy something.

So if you’re a hairdresser, there is little value in attracting a million people who are searching for hairdressing advice. Those people are not likely to be buying anything. A more profitable search term is hairdresser Brighton, as this suggests the searcher is looking for someone to cut their hair.

Pursue the keywords that will bring in relevant traffic. If a hairdresser appears #1 in search results for hair loss, there is no real benefit. The hairdresser would get lots of visits, but the visitors would not be looking for hairdressing services – making the visit pointless and without value.

Using Keywords in Your Website

Google ‘reads’ the pages of your website. If you use words like hairdresser, hair, products, beauty, conditioner, shampoo and styling, then Google will know to offer your website when people search for a hairdresser.

There are a few important places that keywords should be used:

  • Meta keyword
  • Meta description
  • Page title
  • Headings
  • Sub-headings
  • Body copy
  • Links

Meta Data

Meta data is information contained within the code of a website. It’s invisible to human visitors, but readable by search engines. Think of meta data as a signal to the search engines.

Every single page on your website should have a page title, meta keywords and a meta description. These are all opportunities to tell search engines what that page is about. Don’t be tempted to stuff keywords into these areas – just be honest and use keywords that relate to the content on that page.

On-Page Keywords

Headings and sub-headings are deemed to be important carriers of information by the search engines.

How does a search engine know what text is a heading? Because web developers put headings inside heading tags. The main heading is encased thusly:

<h1>Main Heading</h1>

The second heading uses <h2> and so on.

It’s important that, wherever possible, your headings include relevant keywords for that page. Using keywords in this way does not have to mean artificially stuffing keywords into every space available. It’s often perfectly logical to include keywords in relevant pages, because they help your human visitors to scan a page quickly, and know that it contains relevant information.

Once you have written headings and sub-headings that contain keywords, ask your web developer to make sure they are contained in heading tags.

Body Copy

The text beneath your headings is known as body copy. It’s important that this copy also contains your keywords. Don’t worry about how often your keywords are used.

Providing that your copy is clearly about the subject you are hoping to appear in search results for, and you use the language that other people use when thinking about that subject, Google will be able to interpret your website correctly.

Links and Anchor Text

It’s important to understand how search engines interpret links in your website’s pages. The important thing about every link on your website is your choice of anchor text.

Anchor text is the text that makes up a link. In this link: Jam Jars, the anchor text is Jam Jars.

When search engines ‘read’ your web pages, they read and follow links. Because my link to the website of Freeman & Harding has the anchor text Jam Jar, search engines assume that Freeman & Harding has some relation to Jam Jars.

This is a crucial point. It is very important that you understand how search engines interpret links. Every link on your website has multiple benefits. Links not only help your visitors to navigate your site, but they help search engines understand where your links are pointing.

If you use anchor text without keywords, you lose an opportunity to guide the search engines’ interpretation of your website.

Link Anchor Text Example

A hairdresser might have a link on their Home page, leading visitors to their Products page.

Good: Now view our professional range of hairdressing products

Bad: Click to view our hairdressing products

The good example contains relevant keywords, and gives search engines some context. The bad example is a wasted opportunity, unless you are hoping to rank highly for something as generic as products (which would be folly).

Links to Your Website (Backlinks)

Search engines use complicated mathematical models to calculate the relevance of websites to a searcher’s query. One piece of the equation is the number of links to your website from other sites.

These links are also known as backlinks. Search engines consider every link to your site to be an indicator of quality, on the assumption that nobody would link to your website if you had nothing good to offer. The more links your site has pointing to it, the better the search engines’ perception of your site.

This is why many website owners will beg, steal and borrow in order to gain good links to their website. Good links are valuable, and can have a significant influence on your site’s performance in search results.

Good Links, Bad Links

Not every link is good. A link to your website from a ‘bad neighbourhood’ – a part of the web populated by spammers – is not worth much, and could even lower your site’s reputation.

Links are good when they are placed in good, reputable websites. Good links are also those that use keyword-rich anchor text.

If somebody wants to link to your website, ask them to use anchor text that reflects the keywords people use when looking for you.

Developing Good Links

It’s not easy to gain links. The best approach is to offer things that other people want. Then people will want to link to your website. Without some kind of useful content, it’s hard to justify links to your site.

Guides, tutorials, resources, interviews, articles and blogs and are all good, honest ways of providing useful material that people will want to link to.

One effective strategy is to write articles for other websites. Many blogs request contributions from outsiders – and these normally offer authors a by-line (a one-line bio that says who you are and what you do) and a link or two to your website.

Writing one-off articles for good, well-established blogs takes time, but you will gain good links from a quality website. The alternative is…

Article Marketing

An article marketing industry exists which purports to help people gain links by offering their articles for free to any website owners who want them. It’s a nice idea, but the reality is that the only site owners who want these generic – often poorly written – articles are spammers or people with low-grade blogs. So you might get a few links, but they will be from such poor sites that they provide absolutely no SEO value. Good links come from good sites with at least some PageRank.

Directory Submission

Many people believe that submitting their site to hundreds or thousands of directories is the easy way to gain links. While you will gain plenty of links, those links will be buried in the depths of dusty directories, far from the eyes of man and a long way from anywhere valuable.

DMOZ is the most important directory, closely followed by Yahoo (which you will have to pay for). Join a few other directories, but don’t invest a huge amount of time in this. Very few people use directories to search for businesses.

Further reading: Bad SEO: Polluting the Web

Advertising

There are many ways to advertise on the web. Advertising can be costly, but it can also be very effective. A well-judged ad in a well-chosen space can drive significant numbers of qualified visitors to your website.

Google Ads

If you decide to run a Google Adwords campaign, one of the most important things to do is to run two different adverts for the same product or service. Monitor which ad is more successful, then replace the less successful ad with something better. Running a split campaign allows you to constantly refine your ads.

Because Google Ads are very small, the copy must be used with care. Every word counts!

Example:

London Cocktail Bar

Covent Garden Cocktail Bar WC2
No Hire Fee for Private Parties
www.theinternational.uk.com

A note of caution

It’s easy to spend lots of money with Google Adwords. They can be very successful, but make sure that the return warrants the investment.

Writing for Your Customers – Your Web Copy

The words on your website’s pages are what do the work of selling, persuading, inspiring or communicating. Graphic design, imagery and clever web technologies like Flash help to create an impression, but it’s the copy that talks to your visitors*.

(* Unless you’re offering complex or novel software or web applications, in which case a professional screencast may be the best way to demonstrate your offering. Not sure what a screencast is? Ask me – I can recommend a professional screencaster.)

At the start of this guide I asked you to think about your customers. When you come to write copy, draw on your findings. Your copy must appeal to your visitors. It should start by telling them quickly and clearly what’s on offer. Then it should explain why that offer should interest them.

Make sure your copy details the features of your products and services. Then, explain how those features provide benefits to the user.

Further reading:
Writing for the Web – A Quick Guide on What to Write and How to Write It
10 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Marketing Copy

How do Your Customers Think About Your Products?

What language do they use? Make sure you use this language in your copy. Your internal corporate language may be jargon-rich, and intimidating or nonsensical to outsiders. Don’t try to sound clever or ‘professional’ by littering your copy with fancy words that only industry-insiders will understand.

Good copy is conversational and uses words that everyone understands.

Bad copy is cold, formal, and distancing.

Good copy brings people into your world.

Bad copy creates a barrier.

Short sentences are good. Contractions (can’t, don’t) are good.

Simple, plain English is good. Clarity is good.

When writing copy, aim to deliver a message. As soon as the message is delivered you can (and should) stop writing.

Ask a friend or colleague to review your copy. The best reviewer is someone who is unfamiliar with your products, services and industry.

Ask them if, after reading your copy, they understand your offer enough to consider buying something from you.

Provide Detailed Information (for Those Who Want It)

While it’s important to deliver information carefully, in a controlled manner, don’t forget that visitors to your site may have many questions. You need to answer their questions.

Ensure that detailed information about your products, services, working methods, company structure, key personnel, qualifications, contact details, clients, experiences, attitudes, world-views and waist measurements is available to those who want it.

Obviously, the key thing is to make this information available, but not unavoidable. Don’t litter the path of the fleet-footed – the nimble visitor who wants a modicum of information before they decide whether or not to contact you.

Calls to Action

Your website exists to achieve something. Whatever that may be, it probably requires your visitors to take some kind of action. Now, if you want somebody to vote, or buy, or register, then you must ask them to do so.

The simple of act of asking a visitor to take a course of action is called a Call to Action. It’s as easy as writing:

  • Order now
  • Subscribe here
  • Register today

This may sound obvious, but it’s often overlooked. The Call to Action is an essential ingredient in successful websites.

Social Proof – Evidence of Previous Interactions

Because the web is fertile ground for spammers, con-artists and thieves, web users are naturally cautious and suspicious. If you want to sell on the web, you’ll need to address this issue. How can you build trust with just your website?

One very simple and honest tactic is to harness the power of social proof. Social proof can be provided in the form of testimonials, client logos, a portfolio of past work – anything that proves that your organisation has done real work with real people.

It’s good to get into the habit of requesting testimonials from clients. If you’re shy, try LinkedIn’s interface for requesting recommendations. This way you don’t have to put anyone on the spot.

If possible, display testimonials with links back to the person or company who provided it. This gives your social proof depth and authenticity.

Giving It All Away

Offering a sample or some kind of free trial is a good way to begin a business relationship with your new customers. Free samples are another way to overcome the problem of trust: by sampling your goods or services for free, people can evaluate your offering without any risk.

Improving Your Search Engine Performance by Providing Useful Content

A popular strategy for getting more visitors is content. If you are an accountant, your website may not be very interesting. You can reasonably expect people to visit your site when they want an accountant. Everybody else is going to ignore you.

Clearly, if you’re an accountant and would like a more lively website, you’re going to have to add something more interesting. If you provide useful or informative information – in the form of guides, articles, calculators, widgets, links, tools or advice – then people will visit your site. People will also link to your website, which will help your search engine performance.

A great example of providing useful content to customers and website visitors is http://www.yorkshireaccountancy.co.uk/

Creating a Journey through Your Website

Every page of your website should have pathways. Always give your visitors places to go. Each page should lead logically to the next. Gradually lead each visitor through your website – enticing them with your product’s benefits, explaining your product’s features, answering all of their questions about the ordering process, reassuring any concerns they might have, and finally asking them to place an order.

Contact Details

Make it easy for people to contact you. Don’t hide email addresses – you may be worried about spam but a good spam filter will prevent 99% of junk getting through. Have a contact form, but also provide an address, a phone number and all relevant email addresses. Websites that only offer a contact form appear to be distancing themselves from their audience, or just plain hiding.

Further reading:

Gaining Trust on the Web

Social Media

‘Social Media’ means blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, forums – any media that involves or allows social interaction. Social media allows a website to exist in other spaces. Social media allows you to appear before new eyes – finding a new audience and expanding your reach.

Social media is difficult for businesses to use well, because these are largely social spaces, not commercial. The people who inhabit social spaces often resent organisations that burst in with a marketing agenda.

If you want to explore social media, and how it might help your organisation, step in cautiously – listen, look, and contribute gently. Represent you first and your company second.

Further reading:

Twitter: Make the Most of Every Tweet (You Receive)

Corporate Twittering: A Marketing Mess in a Social Space?

Why Twitter? – Method in the Mayhem

Twitter – the Simplest Little Big Complicated Website in the World

Straplines

One of the most crucial aspects of a successful website is clarity. From any page, at any point in your website, it should be immediately obvious where you are, and what is being offered.

A strapline, tagline or slogan is the short sentence that accompanies an organisation’s logo at the top of their website.

The strapline is a good opportunity to increase clarity, and explain exactly what you do.

Good straplines are descriptive and short. Bad straplines are witty, clever or vague, such as: Creative solutions for business.

The End

That’s it for now. I’ll compile all of this guide into a PDF for you to download. As I probably said at the start, I wanted to put down a few ideas for selling on the web – a few basics that website owners should know.

Let me know if I’ve missed anything significant!

Hype vs Passion: Perfectly Judged Web Copy

Hype-filled website copy

Copywriters face a common conundrum: how do you inject copy with energy and excitement without it reading like a horrible heap of hype?

I’ve been reading around, trying to work out exactly what makes powerful copy that excites people but doesn’t turn them off with the ripe stench of fraud.

Copy that’s redolent of hype makes readers lose trust – and when trust is lost, so too are sales.

It seems that the factors that influence whether copy reads like hype or not can be easily categorised:

The Good Stuff

You can grab attention and get people thinking about your products by telling them captivating stories, or by painting a picture with words.

Powerful words also help your messages to leap from the page and smack your reader in the face. (Powerful words are difficult to quantify, because it depends very much on their context. And many ‘powerful’ words are overused – which dilutes their power. But any word that carries energy or powerful connotations in the context that you’re using them in can be considered powerful.)

Clichés will never be powerful – so avoid them.

The Bad Stuff

Energy becomes hype when you use exclamation marks too much!!! See?

Copy that has loads of energy but no evidence to reinforce claims made is prime hype material. If you want to shout about something that’s amazing, make sure you back up those claims with evidence (authentic testimonials, client names etc).

Unrealistic claims. Don’t exaggerate. If a product could theoretically make a person a million dollars in a minute, but real people had only managed to earn a hundred dollars in a week, don’t be tempted to trade on the potential power of the product. Keep it real!

Let’s chat about your projectContact us