Biography
Jacob
Mortensen owns doitRYTproductions, a video production company that uses the
latest trends to capture attention on social media and the web. Mortensen also
specializes in website management and social media strategy for companies. He
has strong story telling skills that incorporate brand voice to increase user
engagement. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America. He
earned a bachelor's degree in Digital Media and is pursuing a master's degree
in Professional Communication. Mortensen has represented clients such as Weber
State University, political candidates and Only in Ogden.
10 Tips and Tricks for Modern-day Writing
I recently
heard one of my cohorts say, "Reading is dead." To a certain extent,
this is true. Today's format uses scan-able chunks of writing accompanied with
pictures. As of 2016, YouTube is now one of the most used search engines.
YouTube searches surpassed standard Google searches in this year. Every 60
seconds over 500 hours of video are uploaded on YouTube. Smartinsights.com
For personal
use many prefer not to make phone calls. Rather, they maintain critical
communication via their thumbs. It's not surprising that we don't spend time reading
long text. We are fueled by social media, quick videos and unlimited content at
every click. Consumers are viewing the majority of this content on their cell
phones, which also limits the amount of time spent reading. So how do we say everything that needs to be
said? In a world of split-second decisions to view your content, what is the
best way to gain your viewer's attention and maintain it? And how do we write
for social media and web audiences?
Studies at WSU
and my experience creating website copy for myself and various businesses
taught me sound advice in how to accomplish these tasks. doitRYTproductions
(DIRP) has been in business since 2013. During this time I discovered the
strong need for business owners to create impactful copy writing for their
websites. After a few websites for DIRP with mediocre results and experience
managing a few company’s successful sites the difference was in the writing.
That isn't to be said that the design principles aren't important, more
importantly the words divulge the information your audience seeks. Creating
strong copy increases conversion metrics and boosts your Google presence.
Whether an actual website, blog or form of social media, the difference is in
the writing.
In my effort
to create a highly successful website with great copy writing, I have prepared
this list as a manual. To be used as a resource for those pursuing web-based
copy writing careers. I present the 10 tips and tricks to produce web and
social media writing:
· Know
your brand and audience
· Don't
recreate the wheel
· Establish
your writing goals
· Editing
· Create relevant content
· Tell
a Story
· User
Experience
· Keep
things short
· Design
for mobile
· Call
to action
If this list intrigues you, read on!
Know Your Brand and Audience
If you've been
working with online writing and marketing long, you likely already have a
strong brand presence established. The presence you want is one that speaks to
your audience and meets their needs. Whether you are revamping or just starting
out, don't neglect the research phase to accomplish your writing goals. One of
the first steps is identifying your audience. Establish whose needs and wants
you are going to fulfill. Every consumer reaches your page for a specific
reason. You know what your brand does. Don't tell your audience about your
brand in your writing. If a consumer lands on your web page, they are there for
a specific reason. By researching, you will know why a viewer will visit your
page. Accordingly, define who you are
not writing for and stay away. Once you know your brand and audience, write
with purpose to increase your conversion rate. Conversion rate optimization
(CRO) should always be the in forefront of your mind while writing for the web.
Conversion rate is the percentage of users who take a
desired action. The archetypical example of conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors
who buy something on the site. The chart below depicts other potential
conversion metrics you may want to measure.
Potential conversion topics
·
Make a purchase
·
Follow blog
·
Click to full website
·
Subscribe to newsletter
·
Fill out contact form
Utah web marketing professional
Sam Anderson said, "Know your brand's purpose and write to it." Accomplishing your online goals requires
setting specific conversion metrics. When you post a link on social media, for
example, don't land on your home page. Write specific content the reaches the
established goal (grow conversion metrics) with a link that directs the viewer
to a specific page allowing for the conversion opportunity. If you want them to
read your blog, take them there. Write based on your research and knowledge of
your audience and use links that relate specifically to the target conversion
metric desired. This is an example of
purpose driven writing. Your viewer clicked on a related link to learn more to
satisfy their purpose based on your writing. You want the viewer to use all the
content you provided, but if you don't write with the purpose of conversion,
it's almost impossible.
In the book "Engage,"
by Brian Solis, he points out that people are not on social media to be
marketed to by brands. Rather, they are seeking answers and direction, not
sales pitches (Solis, 2011) . Solis says that
everything we write now contributes to the brand we represent. Creating a brand
can be challenging, but even more challenging is reforming an established
brand's image.
Wipe away the urge to write to
tell what want to say and write to inform and represent your brand.
Don't Recreate the Wheel
Learning from
what others have done and are doing follows the research phase. Base your
writing model off of successful websites and competitors, adding your unique
value proposition where suited. Subscribe to competitor blogs, and stay
up-to-date with their trends. Don't attempt to copy their dialogue or tone
unless it meets your brand's image. Use your brand's voice to create unique,
improved upon writing that is one step better than your competitions. Pestle Analysis reported, "Understanding
your competitors allows you to see their opportunities and weaknesses. More
importantly you have the opportunity to write towards opportunities competitors
may not be achieving."
Establishing writing goals is an often overlooked set when
preparing copy for the web. The first versions of my websites weren't as
successful as they could have been because of this. Now that you've done your
research, identified your audience and built a solid framework for your
writing, set goals for your writing. Blitz Media Design reported,
" A website is not like the movie Field
of Dreams notion of build it
and they will come. It requires an effective, sustained marketing strategy
beyond presenting a collection of products, services, images, videos or other
files. The website design and copy should be focused on specific goals, along
with measurable objectives to attain them.”
Whether you're writing technical data, selling T-shirts or
sharing food recipes, each topic's consumer has specific objectives. Consider
these topics with your writing goals:
· Tone
· Response rate
· Purpose of the copy
· Ideal visitor
· Desired conversion
Editing
A stage DIRP's first
website copy suffered from was editing. It's very easy to become attached to
your work and overlook compositional flaws. I've often found myself struggling
to delete text from my writing. You invest in it; it's part of you. A best
practice is to have a peer review your work prior to publishing. Human
interpretation greatly aids in reviewing for structural errors. NYbookeditors.com reported, "Remember that no automatic
editing tool can ever take the place of a human." However, running your work through a form of
editing software can aid in reducing potential errors. Before you send your
work to a peer or run it through software, practice the 3 step model suggested
by Tim Heare, senior strategic editor at MarketStar:
· Edit 1 Search for grammatical errors
· Edit 2 Search for punctuation errors
· Edit 3 Review composition and structure
The difference of
providing error free copy in web writing drastically improves conversion rate.
You've worked hard to get to this point, don't stop at the finish line by not
editing. Also consult style books suited for your writing. AP Style is common
practice in web writing. Consult this style guide frequently. Write concisely
with ease of reading in mind. Consumers don't wish to read research reports;
they want their needs met.
NYboodeditors.com
recommends these editing tools.
Relevant Content
Don't allow your viewers
to bounce away by writing content that is not relevant to your site's goals.
Remember, consumers click with a specific objective in mind based on your
writing. Ensure honest copy that directly relates to your subject matter and
conversion goals. Write to build solutions with your words, not answer
questions. Writing relevant content boosts SEO rankings as viewers are more
likely to stay on your page if your text accurately bates them. Utah marketer,
Ron Hendricks reported, " Be the authority on what you write about. Make your work comprehensive, unique and
valuable."
By offering relevant
content clarity is demonstrated in your writing. Consumers seek simple. Avoid
jargon exercising precision with your messages intent.
Tell a Story
Moving away from the structural components of web writing,
next consider the story that must be told and take into consideration previous
points made. Use your words to paint your brand's image. Connect with consumers
on an emotional level. Be personable. Writing the story aids in establishing
brand character and promotes conversion. Understanding your audience guides the
direction of the story that needs to be told. If you give back to the
community, write about it. More importantly, write about why. Writing in stories allows viewers to
understand your brand's promise. When consumers understand your brand's promise
they are more likely to stand with your efforts.
An old saying states people don't remember what was said.
Rather, they remember how it made them feel. With your online writing,
especially on social media posts, consider the emotions your audience may
experience while reading or using your services. In the Utah, market video
production services are widely available. However, there is a price gap
affecting small-to-mid size businesses. Freelance videographers often work for
low rates, and our market has several high priced production companies. I want
to reach the consumers who still want to use a trained team while operating
within their budget. When I write for DIRP, I want my viewers to experience
relief and excitement that they now have this option. Writing my content to
fulfill this emotion sustains memory and allows for future conversion
opportunities. Your writing should create a memorable moment with your
audience.
Keep Things
Short
While this may seem like a no-brainer, writing short can be
difficult Keeping things short does not mean you remove any critical
information. It's about removing all of
the needless information. Ask yourself: Does this need to be included? If you
can't answer, eliminate it. Utah web designer Ryan Lloyd says these things are
a must in web writing:
· Icons to mark locations
· Bulleted lists
· Charts
· Links, to your other sites and that which meet your
conversion goals
· Photos and videos
· Headlines and subheadings
When you think about
keeping things short think in terms of relevant and honest content. Before you
post something, put yourself in the readers shoes. Consider why you wouldn't
read an article. Check Google rankings constantly to see how long someone stays
on your page. If they are leaving quickly, evaluate how you can entice them to
stay. Make sure they are not being scared away with too many words. People want
pictures. Entice a viewer with a video that makes them want to read the
article. Writing for the web includes more than letters on the page.
Design for Mobile
Fifty Three percent of
international users use mobile and that number rises to 75 percent for users in
the United States. This means viewers will check out your site on mobile, so
short writing and visuals are required. Don't give them a miniaturized webpage
that they have to magnify and move around to locate the correct area. Lloyd
offers this advice; "Design your print formats for web first, then expand
for a desktop version. You may have to write shorter copy or change formats to
accomplish a mobile first approach." Most blogs and web hosts will automatically do
this for you, but read the fine print before creating a new page. WordPress is
a great example. It offers three settings that automatically recognize whether
the user is on mobile, pad or a desktop and will format accordingly.
A best practice is to remember
your personal viewing habits with your mobile device. Don't force long format
into small devices. Create smaller versions with savable links to your long form.
Mobile users are more likely to click on a chart, photo, bullet list or chart
than they are to scroll through long text. Use them to increase conversion.
Hosting Facts offers a list
to live by. See how mobile statistics shaped up for the year:
A
call-to-action or CTA is required in all forms of your writing. Possible ways
to incorporate conversion into your writing would involve selling the value of
what you are writing about while providing the social proof of that value.
Don't leave any question to what your audience should do next. Guide them down
the path of conversion you seek. This isn't to mislead them, the tips above
still apply. If you want your blog followed, tell them. Always ask for the next
step. If you've successfully made it through the tips your call to action will
naturally guide your viewers.
Success in Social Media: An Interview with Matt Gerrish
Speaking with
Gerrish leaves you feeling inspired. Gerrish achieved his master's of
Professional Communication from Weber State University. He is the social media
editor at WSU and previously worked for the Standard Examiner newspaper in
Ogden, Utah. His breadth of knowledge in creating successful copy for the web
is astounding. I've been fortunate to have worked on a semi-lateral social
media role with Gerrish, at WSU.
During these
interactions Gerrish promoted speaking in brand voice and maintaining tone. His
audience demographics vary based on social media. As such, the tone used must
address each audience. Understanding this difference and writing to it creates
those conversion opportunities you seek.
Gerrish also
promoted the importance of frequency of posts. If you don't have organic content to share, find relevant
content previously published and incorporate it into your writing. Once you
have your audiences' attention you must maintain it and give them a pattern to
rely on.
In addition he
also promoted brevity. Consumers seek quick, easy solutions. Using clear,
concise messages aids in the success of the WSU social media channels. Gerrish
suggested consistent monitoring of conversion metrics and post reach.
Evaluating what is working and why allows for future success.
Conclusion
Writing
effective copy takes time and practice. As you can see writing for the web and
your social channels may require more time than an individual business owner
may have. If you find yourself in this position, recognize the value of
hiring a professional to assist.
Remember, your online writing is a piece of your brand's over marketing agenda
and all of your writing should reflect the overarching goals.
If you find
yourself in need of copy writing services for the web, or would like to provide
feedback, email Jacob Mortensen, doitRYTproductions@gmail.com
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