freelance-writing-blog

Let's Clear Up the Confusion - the Difference Between Articles and Sales Copy

Wed, 12 May 2010 12:08:02 +0100

What Is the Difference Between Article Writing and Copywriting?

Articles and sales copy are two important components of Internet marketing. Some people are a bit confused about the difference, so I thought I’d provide this short article to clarify the distinctions between these two essential types of Internet content.

Articles: The Bread and Butter of Internet Content

Simply put, articles are the backbone of Internet marketing. They’re the “meat and potatoes” or “bread and butter" of the online world. Every website that’s intended to generate income, no matter what niche it is serving, needs articles to provide informative content. Articles can also be placed on a variety of article directories to help generate free backlinks to a specific website.

Articles for Internet websites should be thoroughly-researched, well-written and compact, focusing on a single, specific topic. An attention-getting caption (title), engaging, informative discussion, and a conclusion that helps the reader solve a problem are some of the qualities that make for a great article to place on a website or article directory.

Every website requires content. Articles provide it, and new articles should be added to a website on a regular basis to maintain the interest of the website’s visitors and capture the attention of search engines on an ongoing basis.

The typical length of an article written for the Internet is around 500 words. Prices for articles vary widely. Some people who are not native English-speakers may charge a dollar or two for a 500-word article, but these articles typically read as if they’ve been written by an amateur and have been translated from another language (and they probably have been). They certainly don’t provide the type of fluent, cohesive, engaging content a website needs.

Professional, native English-speaking writers, on the other hand, will charge more for the articles they create. Prices for a 500-word article written by one of these writers may begin at about $7.50 and range up to $25 or more. Yes, they’re more expensive than the articles you can get from someone in Southeast Asia. They’re also much more effective.

Sales Copy: Promotional Internet Content that Creates Conversions

Copywriting is one of the elite forms of writing for the Internet. This type of writing uses words to promote a business, a product, a service, an idea or even a person. Good sales copy incorporates marketing principles, but it also involves an understanding of consumer behavior and psychology. Copywriting is intended to fulfill a single, very important purpose: to motivate the readers of the copy to take action. The action might be purchasing a product or service, registering for an account on a website, opting-in to a newsletter or sending an inquiry for additional information.

Sales copy is the hardworking “salesperson” for the product, service or information a website offers. Good copywriting is all about motivation and can be responsible for skyrocketing sales. Conversion rates increase when good sales copy is placed on a website. Providing this degree of motivation means that good copywriters are highly skilled and, understandably, highly paid professionals. In fact, depending on the copywriter and the subject, an effective sales letter can cost $100, $250, $500 or even more.

I hope this short article helps clarify the difference between article writing and copywriting. Please send me a message if you have any questions.

How Successful Freelance Copywriters Set Their Fees

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:45:22 +0100

How Successful Freelance Copywriters Set Their Fees

Setting your fees correctly is one of the hardest things you'll encounter as a freelance writer. The fees you quote to potential clients can either make you or break you as a writer.

Set your fees too high and you may very well lose some projects. Set them too low and you won't make enough money for your time. Worse yet, if your fees are too low, potential clients – especially business professionals - won't take your writing talents very seriously. Your fees indicate your writing's value to potential clients. Setting your fees too high is actually perceived much better by clients than setting them too low. Higher fees tell potential clients that you value your work, and that your work is worth more money than some of the other copywriters they could hire. Consider also that many people want to pay as little as they can for internet content. They want the best, but they just don't realize how much time it takes to produce informative, persuasive, compelling writing. Unless you're just starting out, you probably don't want those peoples' business – let someone else make 50 cents per hour.

A number of factors should enter into any fee estimates that you give.

First, make a note of everything you know about the client, the type and subject of the writing and its intended target market. Include things like what the client wants from the content (it's purpose) and any key words or phrases to be included. Try to find out what the client's budget is, and add it to your notes if you know it. Also write down whether this is a repeat client or someone new. If this is someone you might want to favor with a discount, add that to your notes. If the topic is something you're already familiar with, it may take less time to write about, so add that too. If you're completely unfamiliar with the subject and you'd have to do extensive background research before beginning your writing, that's also a critical piece of information to add to your notes.

Second, think about your level of experience and expertise. Experienced freelance writers are able to command much higher prices than writers who are just starting out.

Take all these factors into account when you're estimating your freelance writing fees. Never be afraid to ask for what you're worth, but keep the going rates for what you're writing in mind. Ask a reasonable price for your talents, but don't price yourself right out of the market.

Remember, there are millions of potential clients throughout the world. Charge what you know what you're worth, but keep in mind that setting your copywriting fees takes some experience. You may make some mistakes early on, but you'll soon get the hang of it. Understand your talent, your market, your competition and your clients.

Blogging About Freelance Content Writing

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:46:01 +0100

Here it is, the first post on this new blog about copywriting and creating captivating internet content on a freelance basis. More informative posts will soon follow!