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Writing for Digital - Sarah Manners - Quirk Knowledge Week
The document discusses digital copywriting and provides tips for writing effective digital content. It notes that digital copywriting is different than traditional print copywriting and involves tailoring content for different online contexts. It emphasizes researching the target audience through creating detailed personas and writing with an audience of one in mind. The document also discusses using storytelling techniques and establishing a clear tone of voice aligned with the brand. It highlights the importance of digital content being results-driven by focusing on business goals and key performance indicators.
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Writing for Digital - Sarah Manners - Quirk Knowledge Week
- 1. Writing for DigitalWorkshop
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- 3. About me • BSocSci (Maties) • IMC (AAA) • Digital copy (7.5yrs) • Fur mom of 5! • Passionate about upcycling, pink and
- 4. About you? • Digital marketing experience? • Writing and your role? • Do you have your own blog or website? • What do you want to get out
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- 9. Is any texton screen: laptop, desktop, mobile phone, tablet
- 10. Digital copy needsto: • Provide information to visitors • Engage with visitors • Convince visitors to take action • Convey brand ethos • Provide context to search engines • … and much more! Oh, and it has to achieve all of this without looking like it’s trying too hard – easy right?
- 11. It’s not aseasy as it looks While is is often overlooked, digital copy is everywhere and it’s vital to help marketers achieve goals
- 12. Digital copywriting isnot simply a pared down version of traditional copywriting. It does not involve a simple process of transferring print media onto the web
- 15. • It communicatesthe message you’re trying to deliver • The copy that you use on your website, email campaigns, social media platforms etc. is a critical factor in converting users and achieving your business goals • Fancy flash elements and impressive design will be pointless if your copy fails to deliver
- 16. •Digital copy alsoplays a central role in the overall online communications strategy of an organisation • A digital communications strategy should cover, amongst other things, your website, your visibility on search engines and social media
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- 19. Characteristics of greatonline writing Short + Emotive + Useful + Entertaining + Informative + Attention grabbing
- 21. Conceptual vs. executional Thereis also a common misconception that digital copywriters are not conceptual
- 25. ‘THERE IS NOSUCH THING AS TOO LONG. ONLY TOO BORING .’ dan kennedy
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- 27. The T representsthe depth of related skills and expertise in a single field, whereas the horizontal bar is the ability to collaborate across disciplines with experts in other areas and to apply knowledge in areas of expertise other than one's own http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-shaped_skills
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- 29. • Online copyneeds to focus on your users, it should address their needs and solve their problems • So, the first step to online copywriting is to research your audience
- 30. According to Priceand Price, audiences were traditionally thought of as vast and vaguely defined crowds (2002)
- 31. The more youknow about the reader, the more you can tailor the content to their needs
- 32. This means thatdigital copywriters should aim to write for one ‘target user’ or for an audience of one – a persona
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- 34. • A personais a profile that you can create to embody the characteristics of the target audience for whom you are writing • Personas are based on the profile of readers of your copy • Creating a profile is all about considering the characteristics of your readers and their needs and desires
- 35. • Quantitative data– i.e. visitor demographics • Qualitative information – i.e. reader comments or answers from surveys and focus groups
- 36. • The keyis to gather as much information as possible to create a well-rounded view of your target audience • This will help you craft a detailed persona
- 37. Yahoo! Style Guide:suggestions questions • How old are your readers? • Where are they from? Are they local? National? International? • Are they employed? Part or full-time? What do they do and is it related to the content you produce? • If they’re unemployed are they students, retirees, business owners? • Are they male or female? http://styleguide.yahoo.com/writing/identify-your-audience/reasearch-your-audience
- 38. Yahoo! Style Guide:suggestions questions • What is their income bracket? And what do they buy with their disposable income? • Do they spend money online? If so, how much? • What languages do they speak? • What is their level of education? • What race and ethnicity group do they fall into? • Are there any user’s who have difficulty accessing your site due to disability?
- 39. Also ask qualitativequestions:
- 40. Also ask qualitativequestions: How well does the site answer your audience’s content needs? What do your visitors find most/least valuable? What would people add to make the experience better? Why did people choose this site? How does it benefit them? Would visitors recommend this site to a friend? Why or why not?
- 41. How many? • You’renot limited to creating content for only one persona • Digital copy can be structured in such a way that it caters for several personas • However, you need to spend time understanding their needs before you are able to write copy that addresses these needs • But don’t create too many personas either. You risk losing focus and your audience’s attention
- 42. Once you’ve identifiedyour target audience and created your personas, you can begin tailoring your content to their needs Consider where your target audience is online: •Do they use social media? If so, what platforms – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn? •What topics do they discuss? •How can you tailor your content to suit their needs and offer relevance?
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- 45. • Storytelling isa powerful marketing tool • We grow up hearing, reading and writing stories • We are more likely to remember stories over cold hard facts since we connect with them on an emotional level
- 46. • If youthink creatively enough, every brand, product or service has a story • But how well structured, captivating and relevant is it?
- 47. Godin on agreat story • Captures the attention of a large or important audience • Is true – or at least authentic and consistent • Makes a promise – a bold one that is exceptional and worth listening to • Is trusted • Is subtle – stories work best when people are left to draw their own conclusions http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/04/ode_how_to_tell.html
- 48. Godin on agreat story • Happens fast – the power of first impressions • Doesn’t contradict itself – consumers see through deceit • Won’t appeal to everyone – they identify with the world view of a small audience, who spreads the story on • Doesn’t appeal to logic – but they do appeal to the senses • Agrees with what people already believe
- 49. But how doyou do it?
- 50. Always remember thebasics of a good story: • Determine what facts you want to include • Use a great headline • Open strong and grab your readers attention • Create a good structure with plot and place • Have clear characters/heroes • Establish a clear tone and perspective
- 51. Always remember thebasics of a good story: • Build tension through conflict • Resolve the conflict • Have a happy ending – although you don’t need to give them all the details. Let your readers use their imaginations but provide them with a sense of direction • Provide a Call to Action
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- 54. ‘NIKE DIDN'T DISCOVERTHE POWER OF ADVERTISING, NIKE DISCOVERED THE POWER OF THEIR OWN VOICE.’ dan wieden
- 55. Tone of voice “Itisn’t what we say but how we say it. It’s the language we use, the way we construct sentences, the sound of our words and the personality we communicate. It is to writing what logo, color and typeface are to branding.” – Robert Mills http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2012/08/21/finding-tone-voice/
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- 58. What’s my toneagain? Look at the brand: •Typefaces •Colors •Language •Imagery It will help you determine the most appropriate and authentic tone
- 59. Talk to thestakeholders • What is our personality? • How do we sound to others? • How do we want to sound? • Are we authentic? • Who are we targeting? • How can we keep our voice but change the tone? • What words do we like? • What words do we despise?
- 60. Talk to thestakeholders • Should we use jargon? • Can we use humor? • How informal can we be? • What punctuation should we use? • What do our competitors sound like?
- 61. And document itall in a “style guide”
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- 66. What else shouldI put in the style guide? • Brand history • USP • Goals • Our audience (and what we want them to think, feel and do when they read our copy) • Conventions
- 67. What else shouldI put in the style guide? The way we use capitalisation: •WE ARE QUIRK •We Are Quirk •We are Quirk •we are quirk Is there a list of particular words / services we treat with different capitalisation? •QuirkStar •QuirkStation
- 68. What else shouldI put in the style guide? The way we write numbers: •4 / four •4 million / four million / 4 000 000 / 4,000,000 The way we treat currency •R1 / R 1 / R1.00 The way we treat time •4pm / 16h00 •1.5hrs / 1.5 hours / 1.5 hrs
- 69. What else shouldI put in the style guide? The way we treat dates: •1 Jan 2013 / 1 January 2013 / 1st of January 2013 / 01.01.2013 The way we treat periods in titles: •Mr / Mr. Do we like contractions: •We are / we’re
- 70. What else shouldI put in the style guide? The way we use punctuation: •In lists, tables, headlines etc. The way we treat acronyms: •National Credit Act (NCA) first then NCA / list of acronyms that never need to be written out in full Full list of words we like to use and a list of ones we don’t
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- 72. We are marketing Notjust writing for fun: •Be aware of business objectives •The KPIs of any work you’re doing •The goals •How the goals will be measured
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- 75. An audience ofone Removing instances of “our clients” and replacing them with “you” leads to an immediate sense of one- to-one communication
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- 80. Call to action(CTA)
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- 87. How we readonline
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- 89. Online, we oftenonly have a limited space to attract attention and entice action. And we have to use it well: •Your readers will be time starved •They will not read each painstakingly crafted word •They are overwhelmed •They scan •Some require more than others…
- 90. • Bolding • Lists • Headings • Paragraphs • CTAs • Contextual interlinking • Size (does matter) • Bullets
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- 93. • The use of contractions • Don’t state the obvious • Limit use of specialist language • Consider using icons / infographic elements to replace text
- 94. •Bad: In myopinion, this is without a doubt, definitely the worst time to purchase avocados. •Better: This is definitely the worst time to purchase avocados. •Even better: It’s the worst time to purchase avocados. •Best: Don’t buy avos now.
- 95. ‘COPY IS LIKEA SKIRT, IT SHOULD BE SHORT ENOUGH TO KEEP IT INTERESTING BUT LONG ENOUGH TO COVER THE SUBJECT .’ Unknown
- 96. 1st vs 3rdPerson
- 97. Tense… it’s nojoke
- 98. Isn’t it allEnglish after all?
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- 100. Send us anemail and we’ll issue you with an order number. Or When your email has been received, we’ll issue you with an order number.
- 101. Features Benefits Has five different settings Lets you choose the settings you prefer Sends regular updates to Gives you peace of mind your phone Includes a built-in Save time and ensure you calendar, memo and always have the right info address book at hand
- 102. ‘SELL A GOODNIGHT’S SLEEP – NOT THE MATTRESS .’ Instructor at Academy of Art University, Advertising program
- 104. Seach and onlinecopy
- 105. Online copy isread by:
- 106. And it hasto be relevant to both
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- 111. If you’re noton the first page…
- 112. Search engines lookfor: • Relevance • Importance • Popularity And we give it to them, • Trust by optimising • Authority
- 113. Building search friendlysites We need to do everything in our power to help the spiders crawl and index our site – this is done by removing various technical barriers
- 114. Copy must… • Provideinformation to readers • Engage readers • Convince them to do what you want SEO copy must do all of that AND send signals of relevance to the search engines with content
- 115. Targeted content thatis… • To target, we need to find out where to aim – enter keyword / key phrase research • Keywords can be considered as “areas in which you wish to compete” • You’ll be competing for position on the SERPs
- 116. What to consider? • Search volume • Competition • Propensity to convert • Value per lead
- 117. 3 phases Brainstorm: Thinklike a user Research: Who’s searching for what Refine: Search volume and competition
- 118. Now we needto send those signals • URLs • Page title • Meta data • Headers <h> • Body copy • Links • Anchor text • Alt tags • Link text
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- 127. All of thisis sending signals of relevance to search engines
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- 130. Platforms • Websites • Mobisites • Social media • Paid media • PR and blogging • Email • Display
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- 133. What’s the point? •Providing information about who you are • Offering an explanation of what users can expect to find on your website • Making a statement • Building trust and credibility
- 134. Writing for websites • Writing text that can be easily scanned • Using meaningful headings and sub-headings • Having a well-organised site • The inverted pyramid • Using paragraphs effectively • Keeping copy concise
- 137. Parts of awebsite • A good home page • An about page • A contact page • A products or services page • Common page elements (CPEs) • Main navigation links • A search box • Forms
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- 147. Site content: process Receive •Creative brief – this is put together by the client service team in association with the client • Functional specification document and wireframes - put together by the UX team Review • Team reviews the documentation, has a project kick-off and feedback session
- 148. Site content: process Update •Documents are updated and re-circulated before the work kicks off SEO input • The SEO team delivers the SEO strategy and key phrases to the team (while they do have their own processes in determining these, it is important to understand this process and to have a general understanding of how it works)
- 149. Site content: process Writing •The copywriter takes the SEO phrases and begins writing • Work on copy for two+ pages together with a designer to present to the client • The client then feeds back on tone, creative direction etc. before and entire deck is created • The copywriter then creates an entire deck which goes through internal and external rounds of feedback
- 150. Site content: process Designreview • The copywriter reviews the flat art design with their copy included in it to see if everything is correct and to determine what needs to be amended to complement the design
- 151. Site content: process Finalisation •Oncethe copy and design are signed off it goes to HTML and Engineering •Once completed, copywriter reviews the functioning site to ensure that all copy has been correctly implemented •Entire team reviews the site before completion •Site goes live •The copywriter drinks bottle of champers and does a happy dance
- 152. Some things toconsider How does it look and read? Professional and slick? Are there clear CTAs to direct readers? Are prominent phone numbers and addresses above the fold of certain web pages? Have you used testimonials on each page? Is your content content fresh and updated? Is your site free of errors?
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- 154. Mobile reading “Out ofSouth Africa’s 6.8 million Internet users, 2.48 million South Africans use only their cellphones to access the internet, and there are just 820,000 ADSL lines in use.” Internet World Stats, Dec 2011
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- 156. Who are wewriting for? • People who are bored and browsing while waiting (in a queue perhaps) • Those who are task driven and urgently looking for information, like someone trying to get their flight details or the number for a taxi • Those who are performing a repeated action, like checking the weather
- 157. Writing for mobile • Mobile websites • Mobile advertising • SMS/MMS/USSD • Apps
- 158. Limitations • A small screen size, often with tiny text. • Scrolling – no mouse • Navigation is limited • Downloads are often slow • Data can be expensive for mobile phone users
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- 161. Mobile advertising 25 characters for the title 70 characters for the advert text 35 characters for a display URL
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- 165. SMS tips • Knowwho you are writing to: Define your audience (it’ll help you to determine when to send the message as well) • Don’t use SMS speak: Txt spk isn’t gr8 2 use txt speak cos it isn’t professional. Remember that the messages you write are representative of your organisation and should adhere to brand tone guidelines • Start off with a bang and focus on the benefits: capture your reader’s attention immediately
- 166. SMS tips • Keepthe message simple:You only have 160 characters per SMS so use them wisely and eliminate all the unnecessary text. But ensure our message still makes sense • Encourage conversation: Great opportunity for engagement, so capitalise on this. Encourage feedback and questions and always respond as quickly as possible. And use them to direct traffic to your mobisite
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- 171. Twitter tips • Always consider your goal • Be informative • Stick to one or two points in your message • Use the active voice • Be wary of acronyms and abbreviations • Reply to your followers • Use keywords #tags • Use a URL shortener
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- 175. Social copy tips •Researchis vital: You need to understand what type of content community members want. You need to know who you are targeting and then what information they will find meaningful •Remember it’s a conversation: Your content must be personable and appealing. Social media is no place for stuffy corporate speak •Shareable content is credible content
- 176. Social copy tips •Rememberthat your content should offer value and be insightful. Ultimately you should aim to create an overall perception that your brand is the thought leader in its industry •Avoid overly promotional content •Community members are likely to see right through a sales pitch
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- 180. Tips for paidadvert copy • Heading – 25 characters • Line 1 – 35 characters • Line 2 – 35 characters • Display URL - 35 • Use vanity URLs • You can put a CTA in the advert copy • No repeated exclamation marks
- 181. Tips for paidadvert copy • No word may be written in capitals only • No claims of “best”, “number one” or superlatives may be used unless they can be verified by a reliable third-party source • Product numbers may be used • Test, test, test
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- 184. Blogging tips • Industryrelevant • Meaningful and • Appeal to your target attention-grabbing market headlines • Transparent and • Use links honest • Optimise • Personal and • Write for easy entertaining scanning • Regularly updated • If you want readers to engage – provoke it
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- 188. • Transaction emails •Promotional emails • Newsletters
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- 191. Parts of anemail
- 194. Subject lines: considerthe following: Use questions - Looking for a tool to drive conversions? Use numbers - 5 killer tips on creating a powerful impression Create a sense of urgency or time factor - Only available until midnight!
- 198. Email tips Pay attentionto subject lines Clear CTAs Get to the point Pay attention to the data Add value Build relationships
- 199. Email tips • Solvea problem: The key to a successful newsletter is providing solutions and relevant information to your readers • Share industry secrets: For example, consultants could share their advice on best practices and tips for growing a business • Share your knowledge: What benefits could you provide to your consumers? Highlight these in your newsletter. For example, a health spa could offer home relaxation tips or advice
- 200. Email tips • Aska question: Consider what answers your consumers are looking for, and ask an appropriate question in the subject line • Offer the reader a teaser: Try using a cleverly worded subject line to entice your reader in. For instance, ‘Four reasons your staff are costing you money’ • Tell the reader what’s in it for them: Consumers want to know how things will benefit them. Make this clear in the subject line
- 201. Email tips • Turnyour readers’ questions into content: If you have regular questions or concerns from readers, use these to create content • Show your softer side: Highlight charitable events, wellness endeavours and community focused initiatives through your newsletters • Be creative: Think laterally and craft newsletters in new and creative ways • Take a poll: It can be useful to take a poll and gauge what content your users would like
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- 204. Display tips •Simplicity iskey •Use strong headlines or questions • Focus on one clear benefit • Find a need and then offer a solution • Use Calls to Action effectively
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- 209. • HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, and it is the foundation of online documents. • HTML tags tell web browsers how to present content. HTML tags are in the brackets that look like arrows: < >
- 210. The basics Bold: <strong>phrase you wish to bold</strong> Italics: <em>phrase you wish to italicise</em> Underline: <u>phrase you wish to underline</u> List: <li>lines you wish to list</li> Praragraph break: <p>paragraph text</p> Line break: <br/> Hyperlink: <a href=“pageurl”>phrase you wish to link</a> Main headong: <h1>heading</h1> Second level heading: <h2>heading</h2> Third level heading: <h3>heading</h3>
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- 215. Online HTML editors • http://www.onlinehtmleditor.net/ • http://htmledit.squarefree.com/ • http://www.quackit.com/html/online-html-editor • http://www.free-online-html-editor.com HTML Tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/html
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- 242. Self evaluation: credibility checks Purpose • Is the purpose clearly defined and carried through all elements of the content? • Is the copy easy to understand? Authority • Have you told the reader who you are? • Have you indicated why you are well positioned to communicate your message across?
- 243. Self evaluation: credibility checks Currency • Is your content fresh and new? • Have you indicated that you are aware of industry developments and are aware of what is going on in the world? Accuracy • Have you verified facts and statistics? • Have you referenced sources and provide links to external proof?
- 244. Self evaluation: credibility checks Objectivity • Does content convey a balanced perspective? • Have you avoided showing your agenda overtly? •If there is bias in your copy, have you stated this up-front? • Have you mentioned any affiliations up-front? Uniqueness • Is your content different to that of competitors? • Does it approach the topic in a creative way?
- 245. Self evaluation: credibility checks Empathy • Does your copy reflect an understanding of the consumer? • Have you shown that you understand their needs? • Have you admitted a shortfall or possible negative element for the sake of transparency?
- 246. Self evaluation: digital copy checks Is the content written for easy scanning? • Clear and concise headings • Bulleted and numbered lists • Bold and italics • Descriptive links Have you used short paragraphs effectively and written in the inverted pyramid style?
- 247. Self evaluation: digital copy checks Have you optimised the copy for SEO effectively? • Optimised heading • Key phrases in the body copy • Other elements that might apply such as page title, meta description etc.
- 248. Self evaluation: digital copy checks • Have you written concisely so that the information is easy to digest, particularly for time-starved readers? If not, can you shorten phrases and sentences? • Can you shorten and tighten the copy? • Have you included links to other relevant content?
- 249. Tone, conventions and techniques checks • Does your copy convey brand personality through the words chosen and general tone? • Have you used the active voice to speak directly to your readers? • Have you used a persuasive technique? • Have you employed a convention such as storytelling? (if appropriate)
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- 256. CHOOSE THE BEST OPTION EVERY TIME CONVERSION CONVERSION RATE: 1.29% RATE: 1.29% CONVERSION CONVERSION RATE: 3.69% RATE: 3.69%
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- 259. What to test? • Headline: Test different wording, as well as different text sizes • CTA text: Test different Calls to Action to see which is more effective • CTA position: Test a few different positions • Body copy length: Test different copy lengths • Body copy format: Test out different formats, changing lists subheadings, paragraphs, bolding, italics etc.
- 260. What to test? • Copy tone and style: Consider changing the tone and style • Navigation and other linked text: Test variations in the wording you use • Corresponding images: While not strictly copy, the images you opt to use with your text can have a huge impact on conversions, especially when selling a physical product. Test out which images work best, how many images are optimal and how large those images should be
- 261. What to test? • Different offers: You may want to test different offers to see which one works best. Try to set up your offers so that they have similar values (to prevent skewed results). For example, you might offer one group of visitors free shipping, and the other group 10% off • If your page is long and requires scrolling, consider having your Call to Action button repeated several times on the page
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- 267. • Write in plain English • Edit like a mo fo • Get to the point • Talk like a human • Get feedback • Test and iterate • Practise • Read more (good stuff)
- 268. • Write headlines with impact • Optimise headlines • Keep active • Read your copy OUT LOUD • Write for easy scanning • Use simple, clear, precise language • Use bulleted lists • Short, concise sentences and paragraphs • Use bolding or italicising for important text
- 269. • Limit the flowery fluffy adverbs • Write the most important info above the fold • Write using the inverted pyramid • Focus on the benefits • Use persuasive writing • Optimise your copy for SEO
- 271. Quirk Education courses • Writing for Digital: Foundations and Application • Digital PR: Foundations and Best Practice • Email Marketing: Foundations and Best Practice • SEO 1: Foundations and Application • Web Analytics: Foundations and Application • Digital Marketing http://www.quirk.biz/courses/home http://www.quirk.biz/emarketingtextbook/
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Editor's Notes
- #108 .