Copywriting guide, Content Marketing Basics

The Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing Copywriting

FAQ Chapters

Copywriting Basics

Copywriting For Your Business

Doing Copywriting Right

Working With A Copywriter

Copywriting Tips and Tricks

At Melotti Media, we live and breathe copywriting.

Our purpose is also to spread valuable knowledge.

This is why we have created this Copywriting FAQ page, full of everything you need to know about copywriting, content marketing and strategy to help your business succeed.

Want to know more about copywriting and content?

Here's where you can find all of the answers

Welcome to the Content Marketing Copywriting FAQs page!

Today, content marketing copywriting is the key to effective Marketing practise, and the cornerstone to business success.

Why? Because it's what your audience wants from your brand, and they are the people you need to please if you want to expand and evolve your enterprise.

Copywriting is an important part of every business' marketing because effective communication is how we teach, entertain, engage and inspire our audiences to take action.

Copywriting is a marketing practise that helps communicate valuable messages to an intended audience - which is why it's so important for every business.

In this copywriting guide,

Why is quality content necessary?

Today's digital world has your audience looking for personalised human interactions and empowering information- not a direct sales pitch. This is the role content marketing copywriting fulfils: trustworthy and credible content connects you with your customers and provides them with real value that is relevant to them.

Investing in creating excellent content is well worth the effort and spend, because it helps you cut through the noise to reach your audience in an effective way. To thrive within your industry, you need to have well written content at every point of content, including your website, social media, print and digital.

This content must convey a message which strongly resonates with your consumers to catch their attention and see value in your product offering.

Therefore, it's important to know all about content marketing copywriting if you want to achieve your goals.

Well, lucky you! Because this is what this page is all about!

Content marketing copywriting is the lifeblood of your business today, so it's essential to educate yourself all about it so that you can use it effectively to reach your audience and your goals.

Scroll down to learn more. But most of all, enjoy!

How can content marketing help a business?

Want to find something useful?

Chapter 1

COPYWRITING BASICS

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting is using the written word to convey a message to reach a specific audience, engage their interest, earn their trust and inspire them to take positive action.

It's closely related to marketing, publicity and advertising due to the nature of the goal businesses set out to achieve using copywriting and content creation.

At Melotti Media, we describe it as the ART and SCIENCE of delivering words to an intended audience for a strategic purpose.

ART= because everyone writes in a different way, with a different style and form.

SCIENCE = because it's done for a strategic purpose and measured against a set goal.

This is what sets it apart from creative writing; copywriting is the art of creating content for the fulfillment of an objective, such as increasing brand awareness, educating the public, entertaining an audience, converting a lead into a customer, or all of the above!

But, just because it has the word 'writing' in it, doesn't mean that it's only ink on paper! It comes in many forms, such as:

verbal
written
audible
visual

Copywriting falls under the Marketing umbrella and is considered a version of communication and content creation.

To learn more, read my blog: What Is Copywriting?

Podcast episode: What is copywriting?

We're all heard of copywriting, but what actually is it? In this episode, we delve into the fundamentals of the practise of copywriting in business communication and how it gets results.

What are copywriting principles?

Copywriting principles are the building blocks of writing great copy and are just as important for beginners as they are for experienced, professional copywriters.

Here are the 5 basic copywriting principles:

Make the headline powerful.

Because this is the first ‘checkpoint’ your audience stumbles across and you need them to want to be compelled to see more. No one reads past a boring title because it’s not appealing! Therefore, a strong headline which captures attention and inspires action is absolutely essential if you want people to watch, listen or read your content.
You must connect with your reader over topics they care about.

Gone are the days where brands and business called the shots. Customers (both B2B and B2C) only care about what they are interested in. So, find an angle and become a relevant part of their world through your copy if you want to have any hope of grabbing their attention and persuading them. Give them relevant benefits which make their life better.
Add some refreshing pizzazz to your copy.

Don’t be boring! Don’t waffle and don’t make them cringe! Match your audience’s tone and make it entertaining and enjoyable wherever you can. They all see enough dull copy every single day – don’t be one of those pieces they ignore!
Provide your readers with methods of responding to your message.

Your Call To Action (CTA) is where you tell them what to do next. Come up with multiple ways of how your audience can respond to your offer which suits them - phone, email, social media, messaging, AI bots, forms, and so on.
Proofread, Proofread, Proofread.

Read, re-read, spell check and get someone else to check it again. Nothing is more distracting than unpolished content! Practise makes perfect and so does proofreading! So, ensure that you read your writing to ensure that it flows nice and succinctly.

What are copywriting fundamentals?

Copywriting fundamentals are the 7 essential parts of what a copywriting service must provide and needs to fulfil.

In other words, copywriting fundamentals are a checklist of what a copywriter is expected to utilise and deliver when creating copy or content that is high-quality and successful in achieving results.

When writing content, a copywriter should be offering you the following copywriting fundamentals with every part of your content marketing project:

Knowing your customers’ needs
Understanding the solution your business provides
Suggesting the right media form to use
Composing the right flow
Developing a compelling call to action
Spelling and grammar
Achieving a Return On Investment

To read more about these, visit my blog article: What are copywriting fundamentals?

What does copywriting involve?

Copywriting is so much more than writing words on a page.

Normal writing is about putting words together in a sentence structure to convey meaning. However, copywriting is marketing writing. It’s about offering value and a compelling offer which takes your audience on a journey that is relevant to their needs and inspires them to act because of the benefits you’ve presented clearly to them.

Copywriting involves attractive content writing to grab the attention of the audience immediately. The ultimate objective is to sell an idea by helping the audience understand your brand and generate interest, which in turn, increases sales.

Copywriting is not poetic, English literature. It’s part of a business’ strategy to connect with customers in a genuine way to encourage the desired action.

Copywriting involves 10 crucial elements:

Plan your end goal for your copy
Establish your brand guidelines for consistency
Identify the main pain points of your customers
Make your product or service a direct solution to these pain points
Explore different media types to reach the right people
Keep things interesting to hook your audience
Utilise a high attention to detail to optimise conversions
Consider A/B testing to find out what works best for you and your audience can make your copy effective as possible
Measure results and adapt accordingly
Refresh your content often

How does copywriting work?

Copywriting works by creating a comprehensive message which identifies challenges in a customer’s life and introduces a solution based on a product or service to persuade them to learn more and ultimately make a purchase.

Content that is created through copywriting is used to establish relatability with people to educate and entertain them, which connects them with relevant products and services.

When it comes to marketing and promoting your business, copywriting is a very important skill, whether you are doing it yourself or outsourcing it to a professional copywriter.

To learn more, read my article: how does copywriting work?

Why does effective copywriting start with your audience?

“Good copywriting is written solely with the intended audience in mind.” - Christopher Melotti

Nothing can be more true.

The trick to effective copywriting really comes down to defining your audience, understanding their pain points and offering them a relevant solution. That’s what gets them to take action and convert.

It’s as simple and as complicated as this.

You can be the best copywriter in the world and still fail miserably if you misjudge your audience or focus too much on pushing the product or service you’re selling, and too little on engaging your audience. You must connect with your audience in a way that broadcasts empathy and interest in their lives or their businesses.

A large part of making your copy more straightforward is keeping it conversational, or casual even. You are inviting people to keep reading, to stay interested, or click the next page. By keeping your copy friendly, you will evoke a more positive response from your readers.

To learn more, read the article: what’s the trick to effective copywriting? 

Do you need a copywriter?

Are you unsure if you need a copywriter to help you?

This guide asks you 4 questions to help determine your content needs.

Simply click on the below link and it will download.

Who Needs A Copywriter? The 4-point checklist

Inside, you will find a quick summary of the fantastic benefits that quality copywriting can offer you, so you can achieve the results you business deserves.

What is the Difference Between Copywriting & Content Marketing?

What is content marketing?

Content Marketing is the overall Marketing approach that a business undertakes to create, publish, promote and share pieces of content, such as videos, podcasts, blogs, pamphlets and emails, to attract, interest and convert prospects into customers, and customers into loyal advocates.

It is one piece of your overall Marketing Strategy, and usually makes up a significant portion of your branding.

The goal of content marketing is to attract customers through credible and entertaining material, which encourages them to pay attention and follow a favourable call to action (such as making a purchase, signing up, booking a ticket, and so on).

As part of Content Marketing, a business should have a Content Strategy which outlines and defines how the business will execute its content marketing, as well as the objectives and how results will be measured.

What is copy writing?

Copywriting is the professional method behind executing a Content Marketing Strategy, via the written content themselves.

Organisations will hire a copywriter to write scripts, briefs, blogs and articles, whitepapers and eBooks which are then taken by the Marketing team and distribute to achieve the goals mentioned above.

So, while they are not the same, they are closely related.

This is why finding a quality Copywriter is so important!

Quality content is unsurpassed for building rapport, delivering a message without feeling like a sales pitch, and getting potential customers to remain engaged for longer.

What is the connection between Copywriting and Content Marketing?

While copywriting and content marketing are different, they are closely related.

Content marketing is the strategic conception, use, execution and measurement of pieces of content, such as blogs, websites, podcasts and videos, designed to attract an audience and connect their attention with a brand.

Copywriting is the practise of writing words in a logical and convincing way to provide value, create engagement and communicate a specific message. Copy is written mainly to educate, inform and inspire an audience to take some type of action.

Businesses utilise copywriting (or a copywriter) to produce the essential pieces of content mapped out as part of their content marketing plan.

Remember that Copywriting without a well-planned approach to content marketing is usually a waste of resources, because it’s unfocused and not guided by a strategy with a goal in mind. Equally, content marketing without professional copywriting produces average material. To deliver effective messages and earn the attention of both current and potential customers, we must combine both effective copywriting with a great content marketing plan to get the best outcome.

Today content marketing and copywriting should be done together. Combining powerful copywriting with strong content marketing gets cut-through.

The result? A loyal, large audience.

Podcast Episode: How are Copywriting and Marketing related

Quality copywriting serves as the foundation for marketing and content creation today, which is why it’s so interrelated in execution and strategy. In this episode, Christopher Melotti discusses this relationship and how copywriting contributes to the end-goal of marketing: to offer value and drive profitable customer action.

How does Copywriting benefit Content Marketing?

Copywriting gives flavour, edge and strength to content marketing.

Content marketing without professional copywriting means that you’re trying to reach your audience using weak pieces of media that they’ll just ignore. Sure, writing seems easy but communicating effectively isn’t. That’s the difference between writing and copywriting.

Some things just naturally go together, and content marketing with copywriting is definitely no exception.

Even if marketing content doesn’t directly sell a product with force, your content marketing campaign will benefit from the smart use of tried and true copywriting techniques. This is because your content won’t just be educational and valuable for your readers – it will also offer them value and make them want to take action.

If your content isn’t performing, you could be losing sales without even realising it. So, it’s time to hire a freelance copywriter to help give your content marketing some strength.

What are the Different Types Of Marketing Content?

1. Content which interests: interest inducing content is aimed at a potential audience who currently have minimal interaction with your business.

2. Content which teaches: also aimed at potential customers, this type of content reaches people on a rational level, educating them on your business offerings.

3. Content which influences: now that your audience knows who you are, this content will give emotional security and a push towards taking actionable steps.

4. Content which converts: this content acts as the final piece of convincing information to 'seal the deal' and make the sale.

To learn more, read my blog: The 4 Different Types Of Marketing Content

What's the difference between copywriting and copyright?

These two terms get mixed up all of the time! Copywriting and copyright are not the same.

Copywriting (with the W) is a marketing practise, whereas copyright (with the R) is a legal practise.

What is copyright?

Copyright is the legal protection of intellectual property.

It is a legal right, that is found in most countries around the world, which grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights their creation, and protects against its unauthorised use by others for a limited time and under certain conditions.

It's usually denoted by the (c) symbol and indicates that it's an original work by an author. For example, everything on this website is copyright protected and owned by Christopher Melotti, as I wrote everything on here.

However, copywriting is the marketing practise of using the written word to communicate a particular message to gain a favourable response from an audience.

Why learn copywriting?

Copywriting is an essential skill that is required by all businesses and organisations today.

B2B and B2C customers are highly educated, bombarded and selective about where they spend their precious attention, time and money. This means that if you want to communicate with them and have them actually listen, then it all starts with quality copywriting.

Therefore, it’s an excellent skill to have and you can start by taking copywriting classes and marketing courses to build your fundamental knowledge. However, it takes years of practise to really do copywriting right and nail the skill.

Professional copywriters dedicate a lot of time, experience and expertise to analysing problems, identifying audience needs and crafting a message that brings a customer and a brand together for a mutual benefit. It seems simple on the surface, but copywriting requires a vast amount of creativity, courage (to try new things), and logic.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give up.

Having a good understanding of copywriting is just as important as having a good understanding of marketing and sales. Whether you’re in the field or one that’s related, general knowledge is good, especially if you need to outsource your copywriting to a freelance copywriter to help you.

Learning copywriting means that you’ll better understand the communication creation journey and so, even if you aren’t doing the writing yourself, you have a solid grasp of what’s involved and how to improve your content. Copywriting is an essential skill that is required by all businesses and organisations today.

B2B and B2C customers are highly educated, bombarded and selective about where they spend their precious attention, time and money. This means that if you want to communicate with them and have them actual listen, then it all starts with quality copywriting.

Therefore, it’s an excellent skill to have and you can start by taking copywriting classes and marketing courses to build your fundamental knowledge.

However, it takes years of practise to really do copywriting right and nail the skill.

Professional copywriters dedicate a lot of time, experience and expertise to analysing problems, identifying audience needs and crafting a message that brings a customer and a brand together for a mutual benefit. It seems simple on the surface, but copywriting requires a vast amount of creativity, courage (to try new things), and logic.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give up.

Having a good understanding of copywriting is just as important as having a good understanding of marketing and sales. Whether you’re in the field or one that’s related, general knowledge is good, especially if you need to outsource your copywriting to a freelance copywriter to help you.

Learning copywriting means that you’ll better understand the communication creation journey and so, even if you aren’t doing the writing yourself, you have a solid grasp of what’s involved and how to improve your content.

How to start Copywriting if you have no experience?

Is it possible to become a copywriter with no experience?

Yes and no! Sorry, I know that’s a strange answer, but allow me to explain.

Yes, you can title yourself as a copywriter the moment you write copy. However, no, you can’t be a great copywriter if you don’t have years of dedication and practise that allows you to sharpen your skills.

Then, why do people hire copywriters if everyone can write? Because normal writing and copy writing are two different things. Normal writing is all-encompassing and general in nature, whereas copywriting is about identifying pain points and offering valuable solutions to inspire action by a specific audience.

This takes a lot of experience to master.

So, yes – while everyone can call themselves a copywriter, far fewer actually are because they lack the experience needed to be successful at it, and help businesses and clients get the results they deserve.

How do gain copywriting experience? Practise. Practise. Practise. Take a course. Practise.

What are the necessary skills in Copywriting?

There are technically no formal qualifications needed for being a copywriter, although I highly recommend a Marketing background or qualification as it teaches a copywriter to focus on customers, flow, strategy and calls to action.

However, having some of the below copywriting skills will make it much easier for you to produce effective copy:

Refine writing skills
Consider what you know about writing, and redefine it. Writing to communicate is too general. Copywriting is about clean, precise word choice, flow and structure that grabs attention, makes people think twice and drives them to an action they can’t resist.

It’s about using words to tell a compelling story and take people on a journey that they actually care about. It’s a lot harder than it sounds, and your analytics will show this.
A sense of adventure and curiosity
You’ve got to be a strategic thinker and problem solver, because there’s no right or wrong answer. This means you have to be willing to use instinct combined with your experience and all current data to produce content that works.
Be bold
It takes a lot of courage and strength to try new things, especially if your client isn’t willing to. Sometimes, differentiated content will be just what a brand needs, but you have to be willing to stand up for what you believe is right.
Adaptability
As a copywriter must move in and out of projects with different products, industries and audiences, you need to be able to explore and be ready to absorb everything there is to know, so you can work from this.
Research skills
Research is the bedrock of copywriting, because you can’t write in a void without background facts, industry knowledge and resources to back up your information. This means you need to be able to get out there and learn so you can translate that into great content.
Ability to create something new
Even if a topic has been written and regurgitated thousands of times online, as a copywriter, you need to find a way to create new, fun and engaging copy with a unique angle. This will give people a reason to engage with it.
Empathy
You must be able to touch your readers on an emotional level. By using empathy, you take the time to understand their needs and get in tune with your audience.

Chapter 2

COPYWRITING FOR YOUR BUSINESS

What are the business benefits of hiring a copywriter?

Why hire a copywriter?

This free eBook gives you the 8 reasons why and the advantages that a copywriter offers you.

Simply click on the below link and it will download.

Why hire a copywriter? The 8 benefits for your business.

Inside, you will find a quick summary of the 8 advantages that quality copywriting can offer you, so you can achieve the results you business deserves.

What is Copywriting's role In business success?

Today, your customer is time poor with a selective attention span. This is why a Content Marketing Copywriting is so important. The key to success is effective, quality copywriting.

Why is Copywriting Important?

Copywriting is important to businesses today, as it's the way to reach, engage and connect with an audience to ensure your brand is relevant to them. If you can communicate the right message, then your business will experience growth and success.

Copywriting, or more precisely, well-written copy, is essential to drive profitability, earn a Return On Investment (ROI) and achieve your business' goals by convincing your target customer that your product offering will solve their need and offer them value.

If you harness strong copywriting, these positive results will lead to commercial success.

To learn more, read my blog: Why is Copywriting Important?

Why is Content Marketing Crucial?

Everyone, everywhere today wants information right now.

They also demand it to be highly personalised.

This means that businesses need to provide content that offers customers value on their terms, when and where they want it, how they want it. Gone are the days where expensive Marketing Campaigns full of direct selling messages were enough- audiences now what to make their own decisions, and to allow for that, you must provide content that is insightful about your brand, your organisation and your product.

This is known as Content Marketing.

Copywriting delivers these powerful content marketing messages in a million different ways to customers which draws their attention and fulfils their needs.

To learn more, read my blog: What is Content Marketing Crucial For Business?

Podcast Episode: Why is copywriting crucial in business

Copywriting plays a vital role in your business. Copywriting manipulates the relationship between your business and your audience through content. And for small and medium businesses, copywriting is crucial in determining the future of the business.

The Essential Truths Of Content Marketing

1. Content Marketing doesn't replace your sales team: Content marketing isn't standalone , it's most effective in conjunction with networking, prospecting and pursuing sales leads.

2. Content Marketing shouldn't be your only lead generation method: Content marketing is a major piece of the marketing communication puzzle however, when combined with other methodologies optimal results can be achieved.

3. Sales and customer service teams MUST be involved: Having both these departments on the same path creates exceptional results. Two minds are better than one!

4. There is a lot of noise even in this space: The world of content marketing is heavily saturated which means your content needs to be fresh, unique and interesting to be noticed.

5. It takes time: Unlike paid advertising, which is a lead generator, content is a relationship builder providing value and building goodwill between your business and potential customers.

6. Be realistic about ROI: Content marketing is more affordable than above-the-line marketing, thus, the results are not directly comparable. It's key to adjust your expectations of content marketing with this in mind.

7. Customers are in control: Thanks to the internet customers are empowered with access to knowledge on anything via a quick search. Thus, you need to focus on producing content that serves them and captures interest.

8. It improves customer perception of your business: Content marketing helps build your business a great reputation as being knowledgeable, trust worthy and relevant.

To learn more, read my blog: The 8 Truths of Content Marketing (You Need To Know)

Why hire a copywriter?

Why do Businesses Need A Copywriter?

In today's competitive market where people are highly educated and empowered, average copywriting and content just doesn't cut it.

Don't risk your business' reputation. Your customer's attention is too precious to give them average content that they will ignore or be disinterested in.

Can you spot the error in this packaging?

You can find the answer is this blog: Example: Why Businesses Need A Copywriter

Errors like this can create a really poor and long-lasting impression on your audience. It's just not worth the risk.

A professional copywriter will ensure that these kinds of mistakes in grammar and spelling don't occur. However, a copywriter offers so much more. They can ensure that:

Your Content Marketing Strategy has the right executions
Your audience is well defined
The tone aligns with your brand positioning
The Call To Action is effective in driving results

Why is Copywriting Important in an Advertisement?

Because advertising is designed to present a powerful message that motivates people, and this is done through copy.

Advertisements come in a range of shapes, sizes, types and styles.

They’ve been around since marketing existed, and they continue to be effective to this day. Why? Because great ads are an influential communication medium aimed at rousing people to pay attention, care and take action.

They do this commonly through visuals, audio and written language (or copy).

Copywriting and advertising go hand-in-hand, whether it’s a video script for a TV ad, a phrase on a poster, or an audio prompt for a radio ad. Copywriting is about crafting that ideal message to reach an audience, which makes it an essential component of an advert.

Is Copywriting Salesmanship in Print?

This saying gets thrown around a lot, and to some extent, it’s true. Copywriting can be viewed as selling with words, or a salesperson in text form.

The real strength of copywriting in our digital world today is that it’s available for your customers to see all of the time. For example, people can visit your website, watch your videos or read your blog whenever they chose to; but your sales team can’t hang around their house and wait.

This is why people often say that copywriting is selling in print – because it augments your in-person selling with persuasive information and engaging messages that people can view on their terms.

Content copywriting is all about producing media of all different forms to meet this ongoing need to be present and ensure that people are seeing a compelling message that drives them to take a favourable action.

How does Copywriting build your business?

In a digital world where content is king, engagement is queen and communication is your kingdom, businesses need strong copywriting to grow their operations.

Just as the best speakers value speechwriters and professional athletes have coaches, business owners need copywriters and copy editors right by their side.

A copywriter can help you build your business through quality content to meet the needs of both internal and external audiences.

Copywriters can take care of the never-ending list of content and writing requirements, including magnetic headlines, persuasive landing pages, conversion-driven emails, nurture streams, social media and more.

This thoughtfully written content will convey genuine care and concern for customers and offer them added value which drives brand relevancy. Effective copy speaks directly to the market so that they feel your offer is exactly what they need to solve their problem, so they can evaluate their options and make a decision or purchase.

Great copywriting from an experienced freelance copywriter can set your product and who customer experience apart from your competition - this is how copywriting builds your business. 

What is Content Marketing practice for Business?

Effective content marketing is all about creating, distributing, monitoring and refreshing content to provide added value to your audience.

This requires a vigilant approach if you want your content marketing strategy to succeed.

Here are some tips to improve your content marketing practice for your business:

Deliver value – all of your content, including your blog and web copy, provide the best sources of relevant information to people that allows them to get to know your brand. This represents an opportunity to provide value which makes them appreciate what you do.
Personalisation – In a world where everything is mass produced, tailoring your content to specific niches with details that specifically address their needs will capture their attention more and draw them in.
Bond with customers through content - People love when brands interact with them on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Getting a response from your favourite brand is a thrill, and it can build rapport.

Ask questions – This is a great way to engage with your customers or followers and learn more about how you can improve your services, right from the source! It can make such an impact when they feel they’ve been listened to.
Refresh often – Don’t leave old content lying around for years. Take the time to go back and update it with new figures and trends so that it remains relevant and interesting.
Create regular content – Content marketing only has an impact if it’s produced frequently. Don’t leave your customers waiting for too long otherwise you’ll drop off their radar very quickly.
Answer customer questions – Answers that seem obvious to you are not always obvious to your audience. Spend time crafting content around answering their burning questions and you’ll earn their attention and trust (not to mention thanks!).

Content Marketing tools for your Business

Content Marketing requires a lot of time, expertise and work to ensure success.

Luckily, in the digital age, there are a lot of content marketing tools available to help you! Some are free and others require subscription payments, and there are some that are better than others.

When used correctly, these tools can guide your content marketing efforts to ensure your precious time is invested wisely.

Here are a few of the most common content tools to help you.

Buzzsumo – shows popular topics and well-shared subject matter to help us work smarter and ensure we’re producing top content that resonates well with our audience.
Serpstat - is an all-in-one SEO platform that reveals competitors and their tactics, as well as what you can do to beat them at their own game.
Social Animal – this can help you find and analyze top performing content in any platform for any topic or competitor.
MailChimp – a marketing tool that can help you automate your emails and ad campaigns with clients.
GetResponse – another effective email marketing tool.
Mix – in this tool, you can develop your new topics for the future or even learn the structure of a popular post.
Grammarly – it is an online grammar checker that can help you with spelling, word structure and plagiarism detection.
BannerFlow – is a cloud-based tool that can help you with creating banners.
Cyfe - provides a cloud-based service that enables users to monitor and share vital business data from one single location in real-time.
Buffer – is a tool that can help you promote content through various social networks.
UberSuggest – a free SEO and keyword search tool by content legend, Neil Patel.

Content Marketing for B2B Clients

B2B (Business-To-Business) audiences are different from B2C, in the fact that they make purchasing decisions for an entire organisation – not for their own personal use.

This changes their behaviour and the way they view content.

It’s common to think that content marketing is only effective when trying to reach personal customers, but this is not the case. Businesses don’t make purchasing and strategic decisions without extensive research about all of their options – which means that B2B clients are often even greater users of content than B2C.

All that sets B2B content marketing apart from other types of content marketing is that it’s created by a copywriter for businesses. This means you have to adapt your strategy to accommodate their specific requirements.

B2B content marketing is one of the best long-term investments your brand will make. It’s not a quick and easy way to achieve more sales (when compared to advertising), but it will eventually become your biggest and most profitable source of new revenue.

Remember, the goal of B2B content marketing is attracting attention, demonstrating relevance and getting buy-in from the key decision makers in a business or company, such as a Procurement Manager. This will set you on the path of client acquisition by offering them the information and resources they need to fulfil their process and tendering requirements.

A professional copywriter can help you craft effective B2B copywriting.

Content Marketing for B2C Clients

Business to consumers (B2C) content marketing is when you assign a copywriter to create quality content for your consumers directly.

This is a very effective approach which relies on the principle of Inbound Marketing.

B2C customers purchase for their own direct needs. This is different from B2B clients, and you must accommodate for this in your content marketing strategy.

When creating B2C content, it’s all about enticing individuals to personally consider your brand by offering them engaging information that they actually want and care about. If you want to connect with them and get them to pay attention, always put them first and speak their language.

A professional copywriter can help you craft effective B2C copywriting.

Chapter 3

DOING COPYWRITING RIGHT

How Does Copywriting Work?

If you understand what copywriting is and the role it plays in Marketing your business and brand, it's now time to know the mechanics of it all: how copywriting works!

Right now, content is the most significant part of a Marketing strategy, because the customer has changed from a consumer, to an empowered decision maker.

As a result, businesses need quality copywriters to write and produce content in order to better communicate with their audience, producing results that are beneficial to everyone involved.

So, it’s time to answer it once and for all! Here is all that you need to know about copywriting.

To learn more, read my blog: How Does Copywriting Work?

How Long Does Copywriting Take?

Every project is different, however it is often underestimated as it is a very specialised type of writing.

Things to consider:

It's more than just writing: It's about effectively communicating your business' offering to potential customers.

Copywriting is different: It's specialised text written to convey a message and inspire action to buy a concept, idea or product.

People are time poor: Customers are highly empowered, cautious and protective of their time. High-quality content is thus critical to reach customers and offer them value - this naturally takes time.

Good copywriting is a craft: It's not as simple as just writing - there are many factors to consider in a copywriting project, such as identifying the target audience, researching the market, learning trends, understanding your business and the solutions you provide, as well as how to convert general interest into a sale.

A customer's time and attention is valuable: A business depends on converting customers into sales based on the messages your business places in front of them. Do you want to rely on mediocre content? Or leave it in the hands of a professional who does copywriting for a living?

To read the full blog click here: How Long Does Copywriting Take?

What's the Trick to Effective Copywriting?

High quality copywriting is not easy

It's all about speaking directly to your audience, and addressing their pain points with your product as the solution. If you get this right, you will see the results.

Content marketing copywriting takes a lot of practise and experience to tailor the right message, in the right way, to reach the right audience. This can take a lot of time and resources that businesses just don't have.

In this case, it's a great idea to appoint a specialist content marketing copywriter who can undertake the work for you. This will allow you to rest assured that the material your brand is producing is effective at reaching your audience, to improve your Return On Investment (ROI).

The trick to getting your copywriting right

In my blog, What's The Trick To Effective Copywriting?, I discuss the essential elements that separate average copywriting from quality copywriting.

How to actually do Content Marketing

A lot of people today are quite well aware of the 'what' and 'why' behind Content Marketing, but aren't too sure about the 'how' to reach their audience effectively using it.

That's because most articles and seminars discuss the theory behind using Content as a strategic tool, but fail to explain the practical side of implementation. There are so many options, strategies, approaches, platforms and media, that it's often hard to know how to get started.

Here are the 5 steps to content marketing

Content Strategy
The Content Plan
The Creation Process
Tracking Your Progress
Repeat The Cycle

To learn more, read my blog: The 5 Ways HOW To Do Content Marketing, which will explain each step in more detail.

How to create captivating content for your precious audience

Your message is one thing. But how you say it can be something else altogether, and it’s that gap that can make all of the difference in how effectively you engage your audience.

We spend a lot of time and energy creating content for our customers, to reach and connect with them, to earn their precious attention, so we need to make sure that when that time comes, we are offering them plenty of value to spark their curiosity and intrigue.

So, how do you do it right?

Read my article 5 Ways To Create Captivating Content For Your Precious Audience.

What are the different types of copywriting?

Copywriting comes in many forms and exists whenever there is an audience to reach. It all depends on the purpose of the copy and the message you wish to convey.

The different types of copywriting include:

Sales and direct advertising
Marketing collateral
Content creation copywriting
SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation.
Web content
Technical or niche
Creative
Public Relations, or PR
Editing
Long-form copy
Conceptual copy
Script writing (for video and Podcasts)

To find out more, you can view the entire menu of Copywriting Services available here.

How Important is Research in Copywriting?

Research is a very important step in the copywriting process.

It aims to answer questions like:

Who is my audience?
What are their challenges?
And how can I tell them about the solution I have to offer?

The best copywriting comes from when you begin by focusing on your audience.

This involves researching all about them to identify their needs and behaviours so you can tailor your message directly. The more you know about your ideal clients, the better.

Research is the best foundation for coming up with effective ideas and the right positioning for your copy. The more thorough your research, the more rounded and effective your writing will be.

Researching about your audience and their needs ensures your content writer understands what they are looking for and why so that your copy offers more relevant value. When you can tailor your content to your audience, it is more likely to attract their attention and gain a larger readership.

A well-researched article or piece of web content also ensures that your piece contains the latest accurate information too.

How does Content Marketing increase Brand Presence?

Building brand awareness and relevancy through content marketing is effective and not as difficult as you might think - but it does require strategic planning.

When considering your branded content marketing strategy, it’s very important to remember that you are a small fish in a gigantic pond. There are companies, businesses and people everywhere, which means you can’t just spam average content and hope it works.

When you create high-quality articles that are closely related to your business, brand or product, you start to rank better in search results since you’re providing valuable information to searchers.

Along with a better SEO ranking, you then should get more clicks as people come across your brand name more often. Consumers recognise that your business is related to the product or need they want, and are therefore more likely to click through to find out what you offer and how you can help them.

To find out more, read our blog: Is Brand Relevancy The New Brand Awareness?

How does Copywriting and Content Marketing Drive Revenue?

Copywriting and content marketing go hand-in-hand with each other.

It’s all about devising a content marketing strategy and then creating a diverse and highly targeted mix of quality content that you distribute to your customers to be there when the “moment of inspiration” strikes for them.

The end-goal of copywriting and content marketing is to drive pofitable customer action through earned attention and results when they’re looking for relevant information or solutions.

Like any other product or service, quality matters when it comes to content and copywriting.
When you create content and optimise it both for your audience and for the search engines using keywords, you improve your chances of appearing when they need you most.

With the help of regular content flow by providing materials that are valuable to your audience, customers will become more loyal to your brand, tell others and buy more, driving revenue.

What is the difference between your target audience and website traffic?

Website traffic is all of the visitors to your website, whereas your target audience consists of the segment that you actually are targeting your brand and products to.

While they often overlap, they don’t always. Ideally, you want to increase the percentage of target audience members make up your total website traffic as this will improve lead generation and conversion rates.

Website traffic could literally be anyone from anywhere who have found you. They may stumble across your website by coincidence, find you via a particular source or for some other reason. Not all of them will take action, submit an enquiry or make a purchase because they’re not all interested in what you’re offering.

Your target audience is your current and potential customers who you are positioning your brand and product towards because they’re likely to take action. The goal is to attract higher numbers of them to your website.

Chapter four

WORKING WITH A COPYWRITER

Is a Copywriter who you need?

Yes!

Content Marketing is a powerful medium in which to reach people today.

Why?

Because people don't want to be sold to anymore. They don't want to be pressured, convinced or deceived. Instead, they want to be valued, empowered and educated.

They demand choice and information to make their own decisions, rather than being pressured into a purchase. This means they actively seek accurate and engaging content from your brand, on their terms - whenever and where ever they're searching for it.

If you're not there, then your business is off their radar.

Worse, if you are producing sub-par content, you're business is avoided or scorned.

This is where a quality Copywriter with a Marketing background can really help your business grow and succeed by connecting you with your customer on a deeper level.

In my blog, Is a Copywriter Who You Need?, you can read more about what a professional Copywriter offers your business and how they can get you the results you deserve.

How Do You Select The Right Copywriter

When you are looking for someone who can engage your audience through copywriting, it is important that they can craft high-quality content that will capture your audience’s attention and get the results your business deserves.

Here are some of the qualities you should look for in a potential copywriter to help select the right one:

Strong adaptation – a good copywriter can alter their style and ‘voice’ to match your industry, branding guidelines and audience. Check by viewing some samples of the writer’s work and see if you can see that they can adapt to each specific project.
Is their own copy excellent? Check their own website and content to see what the quality is like. If they can’t write their own copy well, then they can’t write yours either.
They start with focusing on who your audience is - great copy isn’t about flashy words, unbelievable offers and hype. It’s about finding the right message for the right audience that resonates with them because they find it relevant. A copywriter who recognises this going to be an asset.
They concentrate on writing about the benefits and the emotional experience of the audience - A great copywriter focuses on the emotional benefits and the experience that your brand offers them, because this creates a strong and compelling connection. A poor copywriter simply focuses on what the product is made of or irrelevant factors that your customer doesn’t care much about.
The first line makes you want to read the next one – A great copywriter writes compelling sentences throughout the whole piece of content so that people continue to read to the end.
Marketing background – copywriting is a type of Marketing which means that it makes such a difference when your copywriter gets the core understanding of the principles of marketing, such as a call to action, customer segmentation and so on.
Happy clients – if they have excellent reviews from pleased clients, then there’s a good chance you’ll join their ranks and be happy with the result too.
A lot of experience – because writing good copy takes years of practise.
Professional approach – a copywriter should be a business professional in the way they present and conduct themselves. This means everything from their website to their events and in-person meetings should all be exceptional.
They get you results! Naturally! When you use them and you discover that they are producing great content which works, then you’ve got the right copywriter for you.

How do you work with a copywriter?

If you hire a copywriter, ensure you:

Have a solid strategy and a brief from the start
Ask for their credentials and past work
Discuss costs, fees, time frame and deliverables (you get what you pay for!)
Let them be creative (that’s why you’re hiring them!)
Give them feedback
Be reasonable (as it can be subjective!)

What are the Key Benefits of Working with a Freelance Copywriter?

Hiring a professional copywriter isn’t just about flexibility and convenience. It’s often the best way to get the quality result that you’re looking for.

The key benefits of outsourcing your copywriting to a freelance copywriter (should) include:

Save time - When you outsource a copywriting project, you not only pass the burden to them, you can set a timeframe that works with your schedule which they have to meet.
Save money – freelance copywriters are project based. As a client, you only pay for the work they do for you. Whereas an employee has to be paid full time with benefits, whether you need them or not.
Get results – copywriters need a great reputation to continue to work, which means that they want to work hard to achieve your goals as much as you do!
A fresh perspective – Consulting an external copywriter can push the boundaries and introduce a new perspective that can be refreshing and revealing.
Lots of practise – copywriting is a skill, and if you hire a freelance copywriter, you can take advantage of their years of experience and expertise.
Tech-savvy – A freelance copywriter understands the best practise for marketing, technique and SEO copywriting, setting you up for better results.

It’s worth speaking to a professional freelance copywriter like Christopher Melotti from Melotti Media to help you achieve the success you deserve through powerful words.

Why should you build a relationship with your copywriter?

When working with a freelance copywriter, it’s ideal to build a long-term professional relationship with them, as it will help you create the best content together that will achieve your goals.

You can become an effective content creating team!

When you get to know each other, the partnership grows. You will become a priority for them which means your work gets completed quicker, and they get to know your scenario and brands better too, allowing them to be better equipped to help you.

Have a question, need a quote or have a brief?

chris@melottimedia.com.au

Chapter 5

COPYWRITING TIPS AND TRICKS

4 Tips To Cut Through Content Clutter

How do you write a blog?

How to Inject Personality in your Content

Content that has personality always makes an impression and leaves a lasting impact.

Everyone knows that boring content is doomed content – no one will like, share or connect with our material if it isn’t interesting. So it’s important, as copywriters, to inject exciting brand personality into it.

But remember: it’s not just any personality – it has to be consistent with the brand’s positioning.

Map out who your brand is if it was a person. How do they speak to customers? How do they communicate their benefits? How do they talk to loyal advocates versus new clients?

Once you have a clear picture of your brand’s personality, use it across all of your copywriting and content, and it will resonate with your audience as if they were friends.

How to make copy visually appealing

With the abundance of content online today, your audience has a shrinking attention span as they start to skim for relevant information.

You can’t fight this – you must adapt to it instead.

If your content doesn’t appeal to the eye of your audience or is intimidating, it won’t get read. It’s as simple as this.

So, how do you make your copywriting visually appealing?

Select a font style that’s easy on the eyes and big enough to read
Write in short paragraphs

Break up the text with photos or a video
Vary the text in useful ways (but don’t overdo it), like using bold text for headings.
Use bulleted or numbered lists to break up the content
Indent paragraphs or quotes to highlight key points
Include subheadings for skim readers

visual cues like arrows pointing at the form button

How to know your audience and tailor your copy to them

The best way to improve your copywriting is to start with your audience and work outwards from there.

What are their core pain points, and how does your message solve this for them?

If you communicate this with your audience effectively, then you will earn their attention and gain their loyalty.

Just remember when writing content: your customer’s time and attention is valuable to both them and you.

Read that sentence again.

Writing for your audience really is the key to your success - but how do you get a sense of your readers? Through research, time, and effort. At first glance, you may think you know your audience, but if you dig a little deeper you will learn more about them.

This better understanding will help you write better copy that’s catered specifically for them.

Know your audience.

Once you've identified your audience and thought about the best way to appeal to them with your copy, make a list of:

what your audience already knows
what they need to know
why they need to know it, and
how you can help them.

Keep this close by so you can easily refer to it as you write. This will keep your copywriting on track.

How to create a content strategy calendar

A content calendar helps you create far better-quality content as it allows you to prepare and follow a strategy in advance, rather than create ad hoc material which confuses your audience with a lack of direction.

What is a content calendar?

A content calendar is a tool to help you plan and schedule all your content in advance. A content calendar should account for all types of content, which include social media posts, newsletters, EDMs, emails, blogs, videos, podcast and so on.

How to start a content calendar

An easy way to get started is to make a simple spreadsheet with a row for each content type, which has due dates, publish dates, topic, purpose, messaging and so on.

Next:

Brainstorm content that fits your brand persona, story and niche
Schedule content as far in advance as possible
Assess if your content is interesting and engaging
Don’t rely on your calendar completely: be sure to check up on current trends to take advantage of news stories and adapt accordingly

How to keep your audience's attention with your copywriting

You spend all this time copywriting to craft the perfect content that they should love, only for them to leave quickly and increase your bounce rate at the same time.

It’s frustrating, isn’t it? In fact, growing and nurturing an audience can feel like a bit of a shouting contest.

When it comes to engaging an audience, knowing how to structure your content is where earning their attention and inspiring them to act truly begins.

The best content is user-friendly!

Here are 14 tips on how to keep your audience’s attention with your copywriting:

Use bold headings and sub-headings
Include photos and videos
Be concise
Use infographics
Use lists
Have a clear Call to Action
Edit and polish your work
Write specifically for your audience
Tell a really good story
Be clear
Use great sources
Incorporate internal links
Be consistent
Let your passion shine through

Why should you write copy that is well-structured?

The right copy structure is important because it helps our audience navigate our content and understand our message with a logical flow that is easy for them to follow. If it jumps around or doesn’t convey a consistent idea, then people will be confused and fall out of your message – which means that you’ve lost them.

Your customer’s attention is too precious to lose due to poor flow or improper content structure.

This is why it’s important to write copy that is well-structured.

Provide an introduction which eases them in, and then use the body of your content to cover the why, what and how of your message, which is then all wrapped up with a conclusion.

What is the power of storytelling through your content?

Telling stories through your marketing content is a way to set up a narrative between your brand and your customer which allows for a deeper connection between you both.

We are all social humans who have used stories for thousands of years to capture the hearts and minds of people in our community.

Why should marketing and business be any different? It isn’t!

Stories allow people to feel a connection through relatability and it’s this which helps our brands transcend from something customers simply buy, to something people find relevant in their lives and useful in achieving their goals.

Stories are all around us. They are what move us, make us feel alive and inspire us. Our need for these stories reflects the basic human need to understand life.

Effective Marketing strategy should be aimed at crafting copy which provides this deep journey and shares the experience with people.

The end goal is then to engage your targeted audiences and generate valuable lead information that will eventually turn your readers into happy customers.

How Can Melotti Media Copywriting Help you?

To engage your customer and achieve ongoing business success today, you need quality copywriting and consistent content. However, we understand that this is easier said than done.

You’re time poor and spread thin, and writing isn’t your expertise. So, focus on what really matters, while we take care of all of your copywriting and content marketing needs!

For more information or to speak to a quality copywriter to get the results your business deserves, contact me now at chris@melottimedia.com.au.

I can sharpen your words to achieve your goals, today!

Christopher Melotti

Melotti Media Copywriting and Marketing Solutions
www.melottimedia.com.au

Have more questions?

What Is Copywriting?

Is a Copywriter who you need?

How do you create captivating content for your audience?

What's The Trick To Effective Copywriting?

Why choose Melotti Media to write your content?

What is the difference between Marketing and Advertising?

How do you ensure my Content Is Engaging, Relevant and Fresh?

How Do you Deal With Subjective Opinions and Feedback regarding my Work?

What are the Ethics involved with Commercial Copywriting?

Why Do Businesses Need A Copywriter?

SEO or Your Reader: Which Comes First?

How Do you Keep My Comments Professional While Editing?

Content Marketing Copywriting FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS