Estimated reading time: 9.5 minutes

The perfect landing page is a powerful tool. When created thoughtfully, it propels your business, generates quality leads and engages and converts an active audience. Your WordPress landing pages are the anchors in paid and organic marketing that can amplify your overall return on investment. 

How well you design your landing page is crucial for the success of your Perth business. 

If you want your content to rock and your sales to soar, your landing page must be engaging and persuasive with high-converting elements. There’s no point in wasting time and resources on a lazy page that looks good but doesn’t perform. That’s why working with an SEO content writer and WordPress web designer is fundamental in taking your site to the next level. 

Here are some tips for structuring your landing page for products and local services.

What is a WordPress Landing Page?

Landing pages are single-page websites built for a specific purpose.

Similar to your homepage, landing pages are often the first experience visitors have with your site. Users typically find a landing page by clicking on an ad, email campaign or social media post.

These webpages are a focused marketing tool to capture leads and entice prospects to become customers or clients. You can achieve this by exchanging something of value with users, such as an eBook or webinar signup, in return for their basic contact information. By offering something relating to your industry and rewarding users with interesting content, they’re more likely to trust your brand and be pulled further into the customer funnel.

WordPress landing pages must be highly targeted and well-crafted to gain a visitor’s data, with conversion optimisation to kick your marketing campaigns into gear. 

Let’s dive deeper.

1. Set Your Focus CTA

Unlike a homepage with multiple calls to actions (CTAs), a landing page has a single, focused CTA that encourages visitors to take a specific action. When clicked, this CTA button takes them to the next (and often final) step, converting them to a lead or customer.

Set your focus CTA by first defining your goal.

Are you looking to generate leads, promote a new product or register users for an event? Your CTA should give visitors a reason to click. For instance, subscribe to your newsletter, buy your product or service, sign up for your event or install your app.

The strongest CTAs are a strategic combination of creative copy and design. Think:

• Goal-focused
• Specific and concise 
• Benefits-focused 
• Optimised for performance
• Well-placed in a prominent spot with contrasting colours to maximise visibility

Example #1

Take a look at this example from Mondaydotcom:

The ad popped up in my social media feed. Immediately their CTA grabs you.

Who doesn’t want to work smarter? Especially when 180k+ others already are! So I clicked on ‘Sign Up’ to see what it was all about.

It took me to their landing page where their primary CTA caught my eye.

There’s nothing more frustrating than signing up for a free trial and being forced to add your credit card details. You might not be ready to buy or use long-term yet, let alone hand over this information – and these guys understand.

Using the words ‘free forever‘ and ‘no credit card‘ makes it easy to click ‘get started‘.

2. Target Specific Demographics

WordPress landing pages can be tailored to target specific demographic groups in Perth. This creates a laser-focused approach for personalising user experience and boosting conversions while helping you craft content most relevant to your audience. 

For instance, if you’re targeting tourists visiting Western Australia, include information about local hotspots or activities. If you’re targeting the Perth business community, include information about networking events or business resources your audience will find practical. You could create specialised deals on local attractions for tourists, or offer discounts on networking events and brand development courses for Perth businesses. 

This type of targeted information is gold for motivating users to act. 

Make sure you use appropriate colours, images and language that resonates with your audience. Without creating an instant connection, it’s impossible to offer relevant deals or promotions that capture their attention and provide enough value for them to hand over their contact details.

3. Optimise for Local SEO

A WordPress landing page will throw cash down the drain if you don’t optimise it for SEO. 

Search Engine Optimisation keeps your content in focus by providing a vital blueprint that helps your audience find the information they’re looking for. SEO gives your page staying power and increases its online visibility, the same way it would for your homepage or a blog article.

Optimise your landing page by:

• Performing keyword and competitor research to determine what search terms your audience is likely using
• Including the location name with keywords ie: my local branded keyword is ‘The Little Typewriter Perth’ and for services, I use search terms such as ‘Perth Copywriter’ and ‘SEO Content Writer Perth’
• Adding local references in the meta title and description
• Optimising the URL, images, headline, copy and title tags
• Using the right SEO plugin for WordPress – tip: I use and recommend Yoast SEO.

4. Add Non-Negotiable Conversion Elements

Every high-converting landing page needs non-negotiables including:

• A user-friendly form for capturing essential information 
• Interactive elements to encourage the user to ask questions, subscribe or purchase 
• The most important content in the hero section ie: keep your headline, USP and CTA above the fold
• Visual elements to attract attention, but keep it simple
• Social proof and testimonials for authenticity 
• Mobile-friendly design

5. Simplify Your WordPress Design and Copy

The most effective landing pages are straightforward and distraction-free, quickly and clearly pointing users to your CTA. And it’ll work best if it stands alone.

Remove unnecessary content, links, site navigation and confusing page elements that complicate the user’s experience. Kill your darlings, as writers Stephen King and Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch say.

Example #2

This one also showed up via a social media ad.

Click on the link to view the full landing page.

It’s simple, distraction-free and pulls in their target audience perfectly with the right content and design elements.

Podcasters are content creators. They want to engage an audience – preferably a worldwide one. With this landing page, podcasters can trust they’ll get the efficient and unparalleled tools to personalise their presence on Spotify, allowing them to grow their show, measure interactions and show off their pages.

Everything creators need in an interactive and effortless fashion.

Example #3

Another good example of a landing page is Moz.

It has valuable content and leverages trust factors by showing testimonials and awards.

Their CTA is also well-written, what business owner doesn’t want to outrank their competitors, see measurable results and gain more customers? And we all love the word free.

6. Write Location-Specific Content about Your Perth Business

Publish strategic and conversion-driven content distinct to your local area. For your WordPress landing page to really hit the sweet spot, location-specific content must connect with your audience and meet what’s significant to them. 

What information are they looking for? And what copy corresponds with their search intent? Your landing page copy should provide the solution. 

Make your copy:

• Easily skimmable with large chunks of text broken up
• Keyword-focused and intent-specific
• Part of your local SEO strategy 
• Persuasive and engaging

7. Leverage Local Trust Factors

Claim ownership of your Google My Business profile and use it to add reviews to your landing page. Local ratings play a pivotal role in the success of your site. By sharing reviews and testimonials, and embedding a Google map with your location or the areas you service, you can increase conversion and someone’s trust in your business. 

Especially if they’re not familiar with your brand, leveraging these trust factors helps them choose to engage with you. 

8. Drive Action Now, Not Later

Create a sense of urgency to convert users before you lose them. You can do this through a smart CTA, benefit-driven headlines and location-specific content that guides your audience seamlessly through the buyer’s journey. 

When you’re ready to launch your Perth website, test variants for page copy, headlines and CTAs before determining what works best.

4 Details Not to Forget

1. Ensure quick load times to reduce high bounce rates – check your speed
2. Add a thank you page that appears once the user submits a form or takes the desired action
3. Request indexing to encourage search engines to crawl your WordPress landing page faster
4. Track and analyse landing page data via Google Analytics

Need help personalising your landing page?

The post How to Design WordPress Landing Pages to get the most from Your Website appeared first on the little typewriter.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

We live in a world where a good online presence is essential for businesses, regardless of their size. If your website copy doesn’t speak to your audience, or your site isn’t user-friendly and hard to find, the impact on your business is harmful.

This is where a creative copywriter who’s qualified in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes in. 

More than ever, businesses are now turning to digital experts to improve and maintain their online presence. When you hire a creative copywriter, you’re in a stronger position to satisfy your audience and be found online. For business owners, it’s a cost-effective way to increase brand visibility through consistent, valuable content that converts. 

Here are the fundamentals to consider before you hire an SEO copywriter.

1. Choose Professional over Personal

We all have that one friend who’s the jack of all trades. They’re a photographer, graphic designer and marketer, and can whip up a website in a week that looks decent. But that doesn’t mean they’re right for your project. 

I’ve seen many business owners turn to friends for help in an effort to save money. I get it, sole traders and small businesses have tight budgets. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out and ends up costing more time and money in the long run.  

Unless your friend has specific expertise as a creative SEO copywriter, use a professional. 

Why?

Because there’s a fine art to writing for people and search engines that cannot be achieved by anyone – including web developers, designers, SEO experts and other business owners. 

Web developers specialise in programming websites, SEO companies specialise in generating traffic and creative copywriters are experts in crafting content. The same way a writer differs from a marketing professional is why you wouldn’t get just any copywriter (or friend, SEO agency or web developer) to write your web content. 

2. Map Out Your Requirements 

The best way to hire the right person for the job is to map your requirements. 

Ask yourself these questions first:

• What do you need the copywriter to produce? Ie: blog articles or web copy pages such as home, about and services 
• What are your content goals?
• What does your target audience look like and want?
• What are the key messages about your brand?
• What style and tone should the copywriter adopt?
• Will there be dependencies on others like web designers?
• When do you need the project by?
• What’s your budget?

Copywriters will give you a creative brief to nut out these project questions. By having these guidelines in place early, your copywriter will understand what you want to achieve and how and why you want to say it. As the relationship develops, we will get to know your organisation as if it were our own. 

Be realistic about your requirements, timeframe and budget. Professional copywriting is affordable, but quality doesn’t come cheap and some of the best copywriters are often booked out months in advance. 

What does an SEO copywriter cost? Learn more about how much you should pay. 

3. Understand the Process

You don’t have to know everything about how SEO copywriters work to benefit from our services, but it pays to have a good idea. 

SEO copywriting services combine professionally written content with search engine optimisation. By creating quality content that provides readers with value, along with current white hat SEO strategies, websites have a higher chance of ranking higher in the search results. 

The 4-part process consists of:

1. Keyword and Competitor Research: What use is a website if it can’t be found? Finding relevant keywords and phrases (search terms), and incorporating them naturally into your content and key places onsite help your content produce results. Keywords are also useful for finding new topics to write about, learning what your audience wants and amplifying content to meet content gaps
2. Content Research: Crafting the magic with the reader, brand and search intent in mind
3. Writing: Optimising and structuring the content with header tags, call to action and target keywords. For search engines to see content as relevant, it needs to be at least 500 words 
4. Meta, Editing and Review: Adding an enticing meta description with your main keyword, optimising the URL and editing (at least twice), reviewing and publishing the content piece

Explore a day in the life of a Perth copywriter.

4. Hire an SEO Copywriter who Doesn’t Sacrifice Quality

SEO is essential – but you should always write for your readers first, and Google second. 

Writing for search engines and people has similar goals. A good SEO copywriter will understand how to optimise content naturally to help it perform well while writing content that solves the user’s problem. It’s not just about ranking well, but providing value to your readers without the fluff or over-optimising. 

5. Agency or Direct?

Agency copywriters very rarely work directly with their clients. The project brief is given to an in-house writer or outsourced to a lower-quality writer. While agencies can get the job done quicker, with better availability and multiple copywriters or freelancers to outsource to, they often charge higher rates and you don’t always get to choose (or know) who writes your copy. 

Agencies aren’t just about copywriting, either. They work on a variety of digital tasks and pay their copywriters full time, even when they’re not working on your project. 

When you work directly with a copywriter, you can build a stronger relationship that supports sustainable results. Costs are more affordable, with inherent flexibility on scope and budget. Over time we begin to breathe your brand. 

Disclaimer: I work closely with my clients and don’t outsource any writing. This ensures a level of quality and expertise for the businesses I work with. While I am biased and believe working directly with an SEO copywriter gives the best value, I have also worked for an SEO agency as a Senior Copywriter and understand the pros and cons of both. 

Why Hire a Creative Copywriter Qualified in SEO?

Businesses can become more competitive by understanding how to hire a website copywriter. When qualified in creative storytelling and SEO they bring insight, experience and an expert understanding of the power of great copy. 

An SEO copywriter will know how to unlock your brand’s voice, select the best keywords and tackle extensive competitor research, creative writing and editing specifically for your industry.

The post How to Hire a Creative SEO Copywriter – 5 Fundamentals appeared first on the little typewriter.

Estimated reading time: 6.5 minutes

Did you know, blog writing is part of the success of your competitors and the creatives you admire?

It’s not uncommon to get blog envy from it either. After all, how do business owners find the commitment to consistent blog posts when they’re busy with clients and building their brand? Many choose to outsource to a creative blog writing service. 

Blogging takes effort and creative energy. 

When you run a small business, balancing your website’s content with other commitments can be a challenge. 

If you want to provide real value, there’s behind-the-scenes planning critical to understanding your audience and the type of content they need. Creating these content strategies relies on time and in-depth research. Without it, you’re writing blind and missing the full benefits of a blog – for business and your site users.  

So what do you do?

Using a blog writing service keeps you more engaged in your field, while a professional handles the copy that engages your audience. When you outsource your blog content to a copywriter, we do the hard work for you and create stronger connections with your target market. 

Here’s why small businesses should invest in blog support.

1. You Gain Trackable, Sustainable Results

Effective blog content gets results. By uncovering what makes your audience tick and writing content for them, you gain organic and qualified traffic which leads to more enquiries, leads and sustainable results.

When you craft content for your audience and use the right search terms, regular blogging:

• Increases your search visibility
• Helps you stay relevant in the search results
• Leads to higher organic rankings
• Gives you targeted, trackable traffic

2. You’ll Put More Time Back into Your Business and Personal Life

Time is precious, especially in a world that’s so fast-paced. Blogs that are professionally written help you take back your time and focus more on what you do best. You save money, time and energy – all valuable resources for personal life and other areas in your business. 

It’s my job, as a qualified SEO copywriter, to weave your brand into blog articles that connect and promote your business in an influential way. Outsourcing your blog gives you this high-quality content in less time.

3. You can Convert Visitors 

Effective content that adds value can convert your site visitors into loyal customers. 

There are a few ways you can use your blog to do this:

• Nurture and convert your readers with informative articles
• Inspire them to take action with well-constructed CTAs in each blog post
• Create more consistent content, which turns your business into a trusted source 

Not all blog readers will convert, and that’s okay. The most important step is to create a plan and start blogging. Include CTAs throughout, set benchmarks, strive to improve them monthly and watch the results build over time.

4. You get a Professional Copywriter Who Knows How to Write for Google 

Most creatives can write a blog. But getting it done professionally, by someone who knows how to write for your audience and Google, has benefits. 

You’ll get:

• Quality, educational content (with high-volume search terms so the right people see it)
• More meaningful connections with your audience (with intent-focused content)
• The SEO expertise needed to write for humans and Google (with an SEO copywriter vs a copywriter)
• Content fine-tuned for your audience and search engine optimisation (with helpful copy and calls to action)
• Results long after the initial post (as blogs continue to attract new leads well into the future)

5. You’ll Unlock Engaging, Audience-Specific Content

The best business blogs feed readers with information they’re already looking for. An effective blog allows people to research a solution and contact you when they’re ready to buy or use your services. 

Articles should answer common questions they have and speak to their pain points, needs and wants. That means valuable and engaging content that doesn’t just promote your services or products.

Creative SEO copywriters place a greater emphasis on storytelling, an essential ingredient to effective content. By working together they can craft content accessible to your audience, with the research and search terms to give your content its best shot in Google’s algorithms. 

How to Find the Right Blog Content Writing Services in Australia

Start with someone who’s aligned with your brand’s values and has the skill, experience and ardour to create content that sparks connections. 

A professional blog writing service in Australia will:

• Have expert knowledge of your industry
• Research, write, edit and amplify your blog content
• Understand the importance of SEO
• Find content gaps and cover them
• Be up-to-date with major search engine’s best practices
• Put your audience at the centre of every story
• Be cost-effective and charge based on a project or hourly rate, with transparent fees, frameworks and processes – remember, cheaper isn’t always better

I’m a creative copywriter who offers blog writing services in Perth, helping brands Australia-wide. My journalistic, writing and SEO experience gives me the skills needed to craft insightful copy for businesses like yours. 

Ready to see my blog writing services?

The post 5 Benefits of Using a Blog Writing Service appeared first on the little typewriter.

There’s a fine art to writing web copy. 

A website’s content is key to increasing your organic traffic and converting the average reader into a great client. Yet if it’s dull, confusing and doesn’t solve your audience’s problem, what’s the point?

The same way your brain switches off listening to a monotone voice, your audience needs to be kept engaged when they read. Otherwise, their brains won’t process or remember anything. 

Avoid losing them to mundane copy by adding layers to your text to create interest and stimulate the somatosensory cortex – the part of your brain responsible for processing information and sensing visual and auditory stimuli. 

Textures in art spark visual curiosity. Likewise, adding layers of texture when writing web copy energises the human brain.

If you want to tackle the pages of your website, hire a copywriter or use these expert tips to write creative copy that engages and informs readers. 

This article covers 10 ways to add texture to your content:

1.Vary Sentence Lengths

Embrace short sentences. 

By varying sentence lengths, you add diversity to the content’s structure which charges the reader’s attention span and makes your copy more interesting to read. 

Shorter sentences are powerful suckers. Ernest Hemingway was a master of minimalism when it came to writing. So is Judy Blume. In fact, Blume broke the rules to write children’s books with realistic dialogue and relatable stories.

When writing web copy, make sure you:

• Break up long sentences, particularly complex ones
• Pay attention to sentence structure when you write and edit
• Follow complex, compound sentences with simple sentences

2. Reorder Paragraphs for a Smoother Flow

Logical paragraph flow is essential for reader engagement.

If you’re not careful, paragraphs will end up as cluttered content. Rearrange by connecting ideas and varying first words. Keep a list of these words you frequently write to catch them in edits and alter as you need. Have a second set of eyes read over web content to gauge its flow before you publish too. 

Need a professional edit? Read about my copy editing services. 

3. Use Active Voice

Where possible, write with an active voice.  This creates a clear and direct line of communication with your audience. 

Active sentences use the SVO sentence structure: Subject, Verb, Object. For example:

• Passive sentences bore people 
• The copywriter writes the client’s web copy

If you write them in the passive voice, they’d follow the OVS sentence structure: Object, Verb, Subject. 

• People are bored by passive sentences
• The client’s web copy was written by the copywriter 

Remember these rules:

1. Always put the subject first
2. Avoid the passive verb to be (words like am, is, are, was, were, be, been)
3. Minimise adverbs 

Yoast and Hemingway app help cut out passive voice and improve readability. 

4. Include Transition Words

Transition words show your reader the connection between ideas, phrases and sentences. For instance, because, and, but, another, also, likewise, despite, instead, yet, still, otherwise. 

These words help thread your writing together and better engage audiences. Add them to link paragraphs or end paragraphs with an emotional punch. 

5. Use Visuals to Add Authenticity to Your Copy

Brains process images much faster than text. 

In fact, human attention spans are shorter than a goldfish. Research shows technology changes our brains to deteriorating memories and shorter attention spans. Your content needs to reach a digitalised, fast-paced lifestyle. It must cut through the noise.

Information overload has turned copywriters into the speed daters of storytelling. 

Pictures, photography and infographics break up text for readability and draw visual interest. Images will:

• Add authenticity to your copy
• Improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) with alt tags and description text 
• Encourage social shares and engagement 
• Achieve an emotional connection with readers
• Explain your main point (for example; screenshots or graphs)

6. Apply the F-Pattern

Readers often read left to right, skimming the first few lines of text before jumping down the page to the next subheading. This style of reading is referred to as the F-pattern. 

To write this way:

• Use simple and concise subheadings
• Add bulleted lists
• Make the first two words of paragraphs count

7. Structure Copy to Keep Scanners in Mind

People rarely read every word on a web page. They scan and pick out words and sentences. 

For readable copy, format content to help readers digest the important information first. Use blocks and micro-content. Incorporate whitespace to give readers room to breathe. 

8 Write Comforting Words

Avoid boring or confusing readers with difficult language and jargon. Redundant adverbs, complex nouns and excessive words switch off brains. 

Instead, use comforting words to create connections. Keep your copy clear and concise. 

For example:

1. ‘help’ over ‘facilitate’ 
2. ‘show’ over ‘demonstrate 
3. ‘change’ over ‘amendment’ 

9. Appeal to all Sensors

Effective writing balances simplicity with description.

Sensory writing, in moderation, sparks the reader’s five senses. Good description draws them in and transports them to another time, context and place. But if you overdo it, it’ll clutter and kill your message or story. 

Stephen King has a great tip for finding a balance. Show, don’t tell. 

“Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.”

Stephen King: On Writing

King recommends:

• Using a few well-chosen details, not bombarding them with too much background information
• Describing things in a way that causes your reader to prickle with recognition 
• Writing in simple English – the key to a good description is clarity 

10. Build Consistent Sections

Create patterns in your content to make reading easy. 

Consistent structures encourage flow and cover three main points. 

1. Problem
2. Solution
3. Tips

Again, it’s about balance. You want to create consistency, without losing the content’s natural rhythm. Neil Patel warns if all sentences and paragraphs read the same, it’ll lack rhythm; the punctuation and stress patterns of words in a sentence.

Writing good web copy is more than strategically placed words on a page. It’s about delivering knowledge, telling stories, and conveying information. 

It’s communication. 

How well are you communicating to your audience? 

The post 10 Expert Tips for Writing Creative Web Copy appeared first on the little typewriter.

A good copywriter’s job is to create connections through the careful disposition of words. It’s a skill that requires good writing, storytelling and understanding of human behaviour. 

Many business and website owners don’t know they need these traits of a copywriter. But the production of great content needs good writing – and good writing isn’t easy or a quick fix solution.  

To help get your brand’s message across, there’s value in finding the right copywriter to be part of your creative team. 

Unsure if you need a copywriter for a one-off or long-term project? Here are 8 reasons why you might need a professional copywriter’s expertise. 

1. You’re Short on Time

One of the main reasons business owners hire a copywriter is a time shortage. 

There’s a lot involved in writing content that engages the masses. Research. Creative juices. Brainpower. Optimising for your audience and Google. Editing. When you engage with a copywriter, you’ll have more time to focus on running a business.

2. You Have a Website or Need Blog Management 

A website without scroll-worthy content is like designing a house without a blueprint. 

In today’s fast-paced, digitally focused world, successful businesses need a website with killer content to get noticed. People don’t visit a site for design. Aesthetics matter. But audiences are hungry for web copy that solves their problems.

Writing good content is one thing. Finding the time to consistently publish web copy is another. Fortunately, blog management is a long-term resource to keep your audience coming back and hook new readers in. 

Websites benefit from regular content (1-2 articles per month) and a plan in place. A content strategy outlining keyword phrases (so your content is found), search intent (to check you know how and what your audience are searching for) and article topics (with headings run through CoSchedule for maximum impact). 

3. You’re Hiring 

Nothing is worse for your brand’s first online impression than an incomprehensible job post. 

Effective writing enhances your business’s image. It shouts quality because anything less is a waste of time. A professional copywriter will have work completed promptly and make sure the copy is free from common mistakes missed by the untrained eye. 

4. Being a Good Writer isn’t the Same as Being a Good Copywriter  

We can all write, right?

Many people consider themselves as articulate, coherent communicators who have built a business through skill, knowledge and the ability to string a sentence or two together.  

You’re a business owner highly experienced in what you do. 

But if you’re not a professional copywriter, then it’s time to find the right freelance copywriter in Perth for your content needs. 

Contact me to see if we’re a good fit. 

5. To Deliver on a Claim

Copywriters write everything from web copy and articles to ad copy, social media posts and e-newsletters. 

If you promise your customers exclusive tips and updates via your e-news – you must deliver. A copywriter can help you produce on such claims, so your readers have access to relevant and educational copy-bites. 

6. There’s a Logo, but no Conversation

A brand is more than a well-designed logo. It’s a conversation, a story with real-life characters and personality. To thrive, it needs authentic words drenched in your brand’s style and character. 

Brand language is most powerful when there’s consistency. This is what develops trust, loyalty and a sense of familiarity with your customers. By working with a professional copywriter, you keep the voice of your business integrated, tenacious and fresh. Read Neil Patel’s tips on how to use SEO to build your brand.

7. You Only Promote Your Business Rather Than Your Solutions

People who search on the net are seeking information. 

Your content must speak to the reader’s needs and answer their questions. To reach them, promote what problems your business solves before how good your business is.

Value, solutions and benefits sell. 

It’s a balance beam of storytelling and linguistics, and copywriters are the Olympic pros when it comes to the perfect landing page. 

8. You Have Competitors 

A little competition is healthy and every business has competitors in their field. A good copywriter won’t make them disappear. What we will do is, make your business more appealing with web copy that highlights your distinctive qualities.  

Need a copywriter? Professional copywriters will ask a lot of (and somewhat annoying) questions, but they’ll listen to your business vision, goals and unique angles to capture the essence of your story. These words are researched and crafted for web copy, blog management and outreach articles to access a wider audience, build your website’s organic traffic and position your business as a thought-leader in the industry. 

View my portfolio or learn more about Jayde Walker – the Perth-based Copywriter behind the little typewriter.

The post How to Tell if You Need a Copywriter – 8 Signs appeared first on the little typewriter.

Brand stories are one of the best ways to forge a connection with your audience, capture their attention and cement information into memories.

Since launching my business, I’ve been asked about the creative inspiration and story behind the little typewriter’s logo.

My brand story comes from the Japanese word Kintsugi, where they mend broken objects by aggrandising the damaged cracks with gold. They believe that when something has suffered damage and has a history, it becomes more beautiful. A story behind its scars.

As a word lover with an obsession with typewriters and quill pens, I wanted to combine my admiration for language and writing tools with the meaning behind Kintsugi. I’ve always loved the concept of creating something beautiful from something broken. They went hand-in-hand.

Why Kintsugi?

There are two reasons why this word, the art of precious scars, has always stood out to me.

1. Everything and everyone has flaws

If you apply this concept to humans, we’re not perfect creatures. But when you learn to love and embrace the damaged parts of yourself and each other, you become stronger, resilient and admire the little things in life more. The spaces in between. With the medical difficulties I’ve had and the challenges I’ve watched people I love endure, it’s a philosophy that’s close to my heart – and one that most people resonate with.

2. The importance of repurposing

Repurposing old, broken and damaged items, without disregarding how they got to be what they are now, is much better than buying or adding more materialistic things to the world. They hold a lot more substance too. History, even in its damaged form, is still beautiful.

Repurposing allows you to save money, energy and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. It’s also a fun way to get those creative juices flowing.

Thanks to my talented husband, Rob, my vision to incorporate these values into my business and brand became a reality.

How? The story behind the little typewriter

First, we sourced an unusable typewriter. We planted a chilli plant inside it to give it purpose again. 12 months later and it’s still in the garden. Rob, with his creative skills, set up a photo shoot to capture the above image (and many other cool shots). This black and white photo was crowned winner to become the illustration for the logo.

The colour green symbolises new beginnings, growth and tranquillity. Green affects the human mind by relaxing you mentally and physically, reducing anxiety and offering a sense of self-discipline and balance. Values aligned with my business and brand I was creating. But it happened organically.

The typewriter was a similar colour, which initiated the idea. After playing around with different shades to find the right one, the pastel-style green unique to the little typewriter was born.

The Story Behind the little typewriter’s Scars

As a storyteller with scars myself, the combination of the word Kintsugi and the values behind its meaning, the art of repurposing and my brand colour ties it all together. Who I am, the ethics of the little typewriter and what I do.

Brand stories help create a connection with your audience. If you’re looking for the right words to connect with yours, start a conversation with me today.

Love the art of Kintsugi? Check out these beautiful pieces of handmade furniture by Unique Living Designs, a local Perth crafter.

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When people ask what I do, I almost see their thought bubble; Google Docs on-screen and frantically punching the keyboard, lurking in shadows of computers and books. Well, there’s an element of truth there. 

Then they’ll ask “what does a copywriter do?”

The short answer?

That person who writes everything:

• SEO copywriting
• Web copy
• Regular blog content
• Enticing headlines
• Product/service descriptions 
• Ad copy
• Case studies
• Client and customer stories 
• Newsletters
• White papers
• Brochures
• Award submissions 
• Press releases 
• Bios 
• Social media posts

But the job of a creative content writer in Perth is much more than crafting clever sentences for digital or print mediums. 

Skip ahead to the contents below or keep reading for some background on why I’m qualified to answer your question.

As I write this, I’m in my tenth year as a professional copywriter in Perth. Add 17 years of music journalism to the mix, putting pen to paper has been engraved in my soul for a long time. View my portfolio. 

After I resigned from my office job as the Senior Content Writer for a digital marketing agency, that dreaded 4:00 am alarm no longer exists. Creativity, for me, strikes later. I’m mostly a night owl. And one of the best parts about starting the little typewriter is dictating flexible hours to suit what works.

Although many will disagree (productivity tends to be a ‘morning thing’), I prefer to start my day later as this is where I achieve more for my clients. 9-5, or my old 5:00 am – 2:30 pm, isn’t a schedule that’s sustainable long-term for many creative minds. 

Now, my day starts with a bearable wake-up alarm, a smoothie or caffeine fix and whatever is on the menu for breakfast before I drop my husband to work.  

What Does a Copywriter in Perth Do?

Contrary to what people often assume copywriters don’t write physical content all day.  

In short, skilled copywriters are creatives who motivate readers to take action by writing copy and content for audience (customer) engagement. The Internet is heavily content-based. Copywriters are the superheroes who keep the net’s engine running.  

While content writing days are always varied, here’s a snapshot of the tasks I perform on a regular basis as a creative copywriter in Perth. 

1. To-Do Lists

Most copywriters start the day with general admin tasks. Content plans, proposals, calculating quotes, scheduling social media posts, recording expenses etc. 

If I haven’t done so the night before, I write my to-do lists I’ll check content schedules for upcoming deadlines to ensure client projects are on track. Mentally, I’m preparing for my day.

Copywriting involves juggling many tasks, managing time efficiently and meeting deadlines. Without to-do lists and content schedules, it’s impossible to prioritise and stay afloat.

I like to start the day with quick, easier tasks and work my way up to more pressing jobs. The writing part of the job may not start until after 12:00 pm and when I’m in the flow, emails or messages are on hold until the next “break”. 

2. Client Communication 

Responding to emails can take up a huge chunk of the day. Email etiquette and timely responses are important, so I dedicate time to this first. 

I keep my clients up-to-date with their content projects as good communication is key to all relationships. For any regular blogs I’m managing, I’ll use this time to check Google Analytics for top-performing content and the backend of the CMS (Content Management Systems) and notify you of any immediate changes that need attention.

Part of this step includes responding to messages or job opportunities on professional platforms such as LinkedIn and drawing up proposals.

3. Edit and Finish Content Jobs 

Where possible, I prefer to leave copy editing until the next day. Although I’ll always edit after I finish the piece, final edits and completing jobs are best left for after time to disconnect. I check grammatical errors, writing flow and tone of voice to ensure it’s on-brand.

Web copy must be written for humans and optimised for Google. I’ll tick off all the essentials before a second editor reads them over ready to send to the client. 

4. Plan and Strategise

Before I start the next content project, I plan, strategise and outline. The client creative brief is essential here. It helps me unearth hidden gems in your brand and digs deeper into your project and content goals, target audience and the nitty-gritty of who you are and what you do.

You should never write a piece of content without keyword research and a strategy in place.

A big part of being an SEO copywriter involves understanding how people search online, what keyword phrases they’re using and whether certain topics are trending up or down. There are multiple tools to find data needed to create the right blog articles for your audience, but it requires the expertise of an SEO copywriter or specialist to find and map the right ones for you.

• Keyword Planner (free)
• Keywords Everywhere (free plugin)
• Moz Keyword Explorer (registration needed)
• SEMRush Keyword Magic Tool (registration needed)
• Ubersuggest by Neil Patel (free)
• Google Trends (free)
• Google Analytics (free)

Brainstorming new blog topics for either a client’s website or my own is one of my favourite tasks because of the creativity involved. But copywriters are full-brained individuals – we also use the analytical side of our brains to execute content deliverables. 

5. Research, Research, Research 

This brings us to research. A lot of research. 

Strategic, data-driven research is the blueprint for successful content. I allocate an hour or two for research. Technical topics may need more.

No matter the type of content, research is priority. Some clients will provide a lot of information as a starting point but independent research is still essential to understand subject material, client and their industry, products/services. 

Part of the research stages includes headlines. Writing multiple iterations of the same headline is important for creative processes and to grab the reader’s attention. I then run it through CoSchedule to review its emotional impact, power and overall score. 

6. Content Creation 

The part where I crack my knuckles, fuel up and dive into what I do best – writing. 

The average blog post takes 3 hours and 57 minutes to write, up a whopping 65% since 2014. For an onsite article I’ll allow 5 hours; 1 hour of research, 3 – 3.5 hours of writing and 30 minutes to an hour of editing. An offsite (outreach) article needs more. See point 7.

Quality content, onsite and offsite, are crucial parts of a good SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) strategy. The process involves more than writing an article or web page. Metadata needs to be written (the snippet of text that appears in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), images optimised with alt tags and content plans developed. 

Content plans are locked in on a 3, 6 or 12-month basis. All content is optimised for readers first, Google second and is either placed onsite or outreached to an external online publication.  

7. Outreach and Link Building

Web copywriting is only part of the content marketing puzzle. Placing content and building relationships with relevant local publishers is key to building a healthy backlink profile. 

Content outreach is time-consuming but necessary. It’s about building real relationships with real people. Copywriters use a pyramid of skills to gain exposure for each piece of content. Think of it as online Public Relations. 

7 hours are reserved to write and place outreach (offsite) articles. However, there are no guarantees for how long the process can take or when your article goes live. It can be a round-the-clock job and there’s a specific art to reaching out to the right platforms. 

8. Onsite Optimisation 

Once an article or web page is live the work doesn’t stop there. 

Onsite optimisation is a constant work in progress to tweak, test and implement. It’s a job that evolves as your website grows. Small changes can create a big impact on rankings. It may be something as simple as updating metadata, URL and images, or optimising and updating existing copy to make it more relevant for your audience. 

I don’t provide technical SEO as an individual service. But because content and SEO go hand-in-hand, all web copy needs to be crawled, indexed and understood by Google for it to perform. I make sure to tick those boxes and readers can use and find the content they’re looking for. View my copywriting services.

9. Tracking and Reporting 

There’s a minefield of data to interpret to understand how a website and its content are performing. I use a mix of free and paid tools to track traffic and conversion rates. 

To make the right content decisions for my client’s website, this data needs to be read and analysed. For some clients, they’ll track the content I write for them themselves. However, regular blog management is tracked and reported month-by-month. 

10. Google and Copywriting Updates

To stay up-to-date with copywriting and Google’s SEO best practices, you can’t afford to miss a beat. The search algorithms are constantly changing and I keep my finger on the pulse with all of them to serve up content that satisfies and solves your audience’s needs.

Ready to Hire a Copywriter in Perth?

Web copy is the bones of a good website. But it’s a different ball game writing for web. Great writers aren’t necessarily great SEO copywriters. Thankfully I’ve written for both digital and print mediums over the years. 

My core industry is digital (despite starting off in music journalism), although I’ll always have a soft spot for print media. Read my article on why print still matters and how business owners can benefit from both platforms. 

Web copywriting helps you to target your customers and solve their specific problems with well-crafted content. Need a creative content writer in Perth to scribe the right message for your brand? Let’s talk.

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