I stumbled on Sara Lancaster’s blog recently and, true to the theme of today’s post, I fell in love.

She gives solid advice for freelance writers in a deceptively simple style. After reading a few posts, I asked her to contribute a post to Pro Copy Tips.

So, say welcome to Sara.

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If you’re a Web site copywriter, you typically have two people to make happy: the Web site owner (“the client”) and the designer of the Web site.

Because referral and repeat business is the name of the freelance copywriter’s game, winning the heart of the Web designer is an imperative.

Starbucks cards and links to hysterical YouTube videos will help with this mission, but you’ll also have to pull out all of these Web site copywriting stops.

Copy should come first, but it doesn’t always work that way
Web copy should determine Web site design, but, unfortunately, some Web designers prefer not to work that way. And many Web site owners can’t afford a truly original site design.

Because many Web sites are based on templates, copy usually comes second (read more about this concept in a previous post, Copywriter thumbnails and how to draw them).

Before you start writing Web copy, find out how far along the designer is in the design process. If she hasn’t yet started, then now is the time to share ideas. If she has begun the design or chosen the template, ask to see a wireframe or view the development site. This way you can write the copy to fit within the parameters of the site.

Create headlines that evoke an image
Let’s all agree that the World Wide Web has enough images of anonymous call center employees and satisfied looking professionals in power suits. Help your Web designer by giving him creative headlines that bring a picture to mind.

Give a little search engine love
Few busy Web designers would disregard your suggestions on how to incorporate search engine optimization tactics into the Web copy. Speak with the client and/or Web site designer to see what, if any, keyword research has been completed.

If none (and there is no room in the client’s budget for keyword research), spend 10 minutes plugging your ideas into the Google AdWords Keyword Tool. Based on what comes up, make a list of 10-20 keyword phrases that could be useful.

Once you have a list of keywords on hand, assign two to three keyword phrases to each Web page and incorporate them into the text where appropriate. In addition to body copy, write the page titles and Meta descriptions using those keywords, too.

A word on keywords, page titles, and Meta descriptions …

Some Web designers appreciate your work in this area and others may feel like you have encroached on their turf. Tread lightly.

Oh, and one last thing. If they want your help in this area, ask what file type they prefer the data be saved in. Excel may be the easiest.

Graphical text adds to design
Bold and italicize important text to make the page easier to scan, add sub-headers where relevant, and indicate where a graphical text box or pull out quote could be useful. The Web designer won’t be as immersed in the copy as you are, so give ‘em a break and provide instruction on what you think could work graphically.

Don’t speak ill of the client
If at any time you and the Web designer need to communicate about the project, don’t criticize the client or vent excessively about the project. You may think you are harmlessly putting down the ideas of the “clueless” client, but you just might be talking about the ideas of the Web designer.

Hand it over in text (with HTML if you’re hoping for a holiday card)
Imagine a world where the Web designer simply copies your text (containing HTML code for paragraphs, headers, subheaders, lists, and links) from a Notepad document and pastes it into WordPress or Joomla or whatever Web development tool he chooses to use.

This means he’ll have to do very little formatting and next to no linking. This last step alone will make him love you (or at least put you on his holiday card mailing list).

Sara Lancaster is a Denver-based Web site content writer who helps small businesses with their Web marketing. She’s on Twitter as @SaraLancaster where she works day-in and day-out to win the hearts of Web designers everywhere.

Related posts:

1. Do you design your copy before you write it?
2. Tons of productivity tips for professional writers
3. An open letter to direct mail designers

When I first published this in Direct Marketing Magazine many years ago, it ignited a firestorm of hate mail from designers and agency creatives all over the country. It must have struck a nerve. That’s what happens when you tell the truth.

Dear Designer,

When clients go to the trouble and expense of doing a direct mailing, they expect results.

Response will be calculated. Orders will be tracked. Dollars will be counted. Profits will be measured a dozen ways. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of dollars are riding on my shoulders and yours.

So I’d like to make a few suggestions:

Read the copy before you start designing. Pour yourself a cup of coffee. Sit back. Read every word. Twice. Make sure you understand what’s being said and why it’s being said.

Be clear on the benefits, the offer, and — most importantly — the action we want the reader to take. Every element of your design should help lead the reader toward that action.

You and I are partners in generating response. I’m the voice and you’re the body language. If we’re not in sync, we’ll blow it for the client.

Use my sketches as a design guide. I’ll rely on you to lift my words from the page and bring them to life. But there are certain design elements that must be in place for a direct mail package to work.

I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job. I’m trying to assure that the message comes across loud and clear through your design. Of course, if you have better ideas, let’s talk about them.

Make everything reader friendly. Sales messages are transmitted through language, not images. The goal of design, therefore, is to encourage and support readership. This applies to most advertising, but it is especially important for direct mail.

If people don’t read it, they won’t respond. And if they don’t respond, the client won’t make money. And if the client doesn’t make money, I won’t get hired again. And if I don’t get hired again, you won’t get hired again.

Design envelopes to get opened. Sometimes an envelope needs to explode with color and excitement. Sometimes it needs to look like a plain, white envelope. Sometimes it needs to be big. Sometimes it needs to be small. Sometimes it needs teaser copy. Sometimes it doesn’t.

There are countless ways to design an envelope, but the ultimate goal is always the same — to get the reader to open it. More often than not, this means a design you will think is ugly. But it’s mail, not art.

Make letters look like letters. They should never look overly designed. They should always look as personal and real as possible.

This means you should single space the whole letter with a double space between each paragraph. Indent the first line of every paragraph three to five spaces. Keep the paragraphs short, no more than seven lines. Set the margins for at least one inch all around. Break page one and all right-hand pages in the middle of a sentence.

Use blue for the signature whenever possible, but black is okay if we have to economize on colors. And please, please, please use a 10 to 12-point typewriter typeface for most consumer mail. Yes, I know nobody actually writes with a typewriter anymore, but it generally makes the letter look and feel personal. For business-to-business, though, a Times or similar typeface may work fine.

Make order forms easy to use. If there are fill-in lines, make sure there’s plenty of room to write — not everyone can write as neatly or as small as you. Do a mock-up to assure the order form fits into the reply envelope without folding.

If fax return is an option (yes, some heathens still use faxes), make sure the paper is thick enough and big enough to run through a fax without tearing or twisting. Be sure the whole design faxes clearly. Don’t guess. Fax it yourself to be sure.

Design brochures to be read, not framed. I know that letters, envelopes, and order forms are not great artistic challenges. So you may be tempted to let loose on the brochure and strut your stuff. Don’t.

The brochure should illustrate features, list benefits, provide proofs, make comparisons, and list technical details to lend credibility to what the letter claims. Use photos, illustrations, diagrams, charts, tables, and other visual aids. Make it exciting, but readable. Usually, a simple, fact-filled layout is better than splashy graphics.

I’m not trying to win awards. I don’t care whether people are impressed. My only concern is helping the client increase profits. I sincerely hope that is your concern as well.

Because no matter how good my copy is, in the end, it all comes down to you, the designer. The success or failure of our project is literally in your hands.

Regards,
Dean Rieck

Related posts:

1. How to write a complete direct mail package
2. 4 winning secrets of superstar direct mail copywriters
3. 10 secrets for writing “open me” envelope teaser copy

Copywriter thumbnails? Draw them?

You’re thinking I’ve lost my mind, right? You’re scratching your head and saying, “Why would a copywriter have to draw a thumbnail?”

(Do people really scratch their head when they’re confused … or is that just something people do in old black and white movies?)

Okay, I’ll admit that I may be misleading you a little with the photo of the big thumb.

But if you’ve been in the copywriting business for a while, you know what I’m talking about. Other than using an opposable thumb to help hold a pencil, your thumbs have nothing to do with thumbnail sketches.

So what is a copywriter thumbnail? Very simply, it’s a sketch drawn by a copywriter to show how his or her copy should be designed.

Click the picture to see my full-size sketch.

It looks something like this. (Actually, it looks exactly like this. I don’t why people say that.)

This is an actual thumbnail I drew for a recent direct mail project. The agency that hired me wanted me to take the lead on the message strategy for a pharmacy gift card mailing. This included providing them with both the copy and how I visualized the copy in a layout.

As you can see, it’s not a work of art. It doesn’t have to be.

A thumbnail has two big benefits. First, it helps the designer “see” the copy and have a good starting point for the design. Second, it helps you, the copywriter, visualize what you’re writing. After all, you can’t just write whatever you want at any length or in any order.

A thumbnail shows you want bits of copy you need, how long they are, and where they go.

“But I thought the designer determined the design and did all the drawing. Don’t writers and designers work as a team?”

That’s true, sometimes. But not always. Often, you as the copywriter will be asked to take the lead on what to say and how it should be presented visually. And when that happens, you should know how to do a simple thumbnail.

It’s actually pretty simple:

1. Get a plain sheet of white paper and a pencil. You need a pencil because you’ll probably need to erase here and there.

2. Sketch each item you’re writing. I’ve shown you a sketch for a small direct mail package, but you may be writing a brochure, an online sales page, a print ad, or who knows what. Show the overall shape, folds, panels, everything. If you don’t know what something should look like, dive into your swipe file (all those samples you should be collecting) and find something with a design close to what you’re looking for.

3. Show the location and arrangement of major elements. This includes headlines, copy blocks, bullet lists, photos, illustrations, testimonials, guarantee, and any other element you include. If your little thumbnail is too small, sketch a larger version to fill in the details.

4. Label each component and copy element clearly. Make sure to use the same terminology that you use in your copy document. For example, my direct mail thumbnails show a 4-panel brochure. I refer to the inside as a “4-panel spread” and label each panel 1 through 4 in both the sketch and the copy document. It doesn’t matter what you call things. It’s just important that you are consistent. This saves a lot of confusion.

That’s it. When you submit your copy, submit the thumbnail along with it. Not only do designers like this, your boss or client will like this too. Some people have a hard time visualizing the final product when all they can see is words.

Now I know what you’re thinking. (I have a good supply of Gilligan’s mind-reading seeds.) You’re thinking, “Are you kidding? Seriously. I can’t draw.”

Relax. You don’t have to. Not really. Look at my sample thumbnail again. It’s a bunch of lines and squiggles. You can scratch some lines and squiggles on a piece of paper, right?

And don’t worry about a designer making fun of you. They don’t expect you to render a Mona Lisa and would be shocked if you did. Do the best you can and that will be good enough.

Talk your designer through your idea, but be open to suggestions. Unless you have significant design experience, the final layout won’t match your sketch exactly. I do have significant design experience, and the designers I work with almost always deliver something better than my original idea. That’s their job.

I’m curious. Do you do thumbnails? How often?

Related posts:

1. 6 wonderful ways to win the heart of a web designer
2. 13 basic design concepts every copywriter should know
3. Do you design your copy before you write it?

How much do you know about design? Do you understand basic design concepts?

“Hang on,” you might be saying. “I’m a copywriter. What do I have to know about design?”

More than you think, actually.

A lot of copywriters think that “copy is king.” And that’s true. Sort of. It’s true if you mean that the message is what matters. And it’s true that, as a copywriter, you are the one primarily responsible for writing the words that deliver that message.

But you’re wrong if you think words are ALL that matter, as if design is little more than window dressing.

Let me ask you this: When you buy a ticket for a movie, do you expect to sit down in the theater and read the script? I don’t think so. I saw Avatar in 3D recently and I guarantee you that if all I got was the script and a pair of 3D glasses, I would have been very disappointed. That’s not a movie.

A movie is a script that has been brought to life visually. And advertising or marketing materials are copy that has been brought to life visually. That’s not a perfect analogy, but you get the idea.

You don’t see businesses photocopying your copy deck and handing it out to consumers, do you? That wouldn’t work. What works is copy and design coming together to deliver a selling message. And just as the designer needs to understand the copy, you need to understand the design.

So here are a few of the most basic design concepts you should understand.

• Attract attention. One of the most basic chores of design is to get someone’s attention. And certain graphic elements help make this happen, such as a face making direct eye contact with the reader, bold colors, money or coupons, a busy layout, large photos or illustrations, odd sizes and shapes, large headlines, and the word “FREE” set in large type just to name a few.

• Be ugly if you have to. You may judge advertising professionally. But real people judge it personally. Their primary concern is how relevant it is to their lives. Designs that look real (not like slick ads) look more relevant. When you need to be pretty, be pretty. But when you need to be ugly, be ugly. It won’t win awards, but it works.

• Make the design active. Neat, tidy, linear layouts make advertising feel settled, peaceful, and still. This is not what you want. You want a design that feels active and, therefore, spurs action. Use bursts, callouts, tilted pictures, arrows, or whatever you need to create this feeling. Again, not necessarily pretty, but effective.

• Make sure the designer reads the copy. No one can lay out copy intelligently without knowing what it says. The designer must understand the message and the action you want the prospective customer to take. Every element of the design should help lead the reader toward that action. Copy is not a design element. Design is the physical expression or body language of the message in the copy. The creative process doesn’t start with “How will this look?” It starts with “How will this communicate the message?”

• Design for actual reading conditions. How something looks displayed on the studio wall is not how it will look to the reader. Mock up a design and stick it in a mailbox, insert it into a magazine, or view it on a website. Look at it the same way your prospect will look at it. Art doesn’t sell. So don’t look at your lay out like that.

• Put headlines above body copy. Generally, headlines anywhere else will interfere with the natural reading pattern. And keep headlines close to the body copy so the reader can move from one to the other easily. When you’re reading something, don’t you expect all the words to be in the right order? Sure. And that’s how it should work in marketing as well. Again, copy is not a design element.

• Lead the reader’s eye into the copy. People in photos should be facing toward the copy, not away from it. Angles of illustrations should be headed toward the copy. This is a pet peeve of mine, but it makes more difference than you may think.

• Make coupons easy to cut or tear out. Stick to the standard square, dashed-line border. A dashed line says, “This is valuable. This is how to respond.” Odd shaped borders say nothing and make clipping or tearing confusing and difficult. This is another example of where a mockup helps you stay in touch with how real people will interact with your message.

• Show products being used. This is usually better than static illustrations or tabletop photos, except when showing specific features. People like to look at other people. And it makes understanding and visualizing the product far easier.

• Make phone numbers big and bold. This will almost always increase response. Why? Because a big number gets noticed. Because a big number says, “This business wants me to call.” Never be subtle with a phone number. Your designer may not like this because those big numbers look clunky. Fine. They look clunky. So what? They get seen and that’s what counts.

• Make phone information complete. Give every numeral that must be dialed: 1-800-123-4567. Don’t put the (800) in parenthesis because it makes the number look more like a regular long distance call. If the business takes calls 24 hours a day, say so. If they’re open Saturday and Sunday, emphasize it. If you include a coupon, put the number both inside and outside the coupon so both parts are complete even when separated. And if you use a vanity number, give both the numerals and the letters. Have you ever tried to dial letters? It’s a pain.

• Make a letter look like a letter. For most consumer letters, use a Times, Courier, or typewriter face that’s 10 to 12 points. Use a one-inch or greater margin. Keep paragraphs short. Indent each paragraph. Single space between lines. Double space between paragraphs. Break odd-numbered pages in the middle of a sentence, especially page one. And use blue or black for the signature. Make a letter look like someone actually wrote it, not like a designer designed it.

• Call attention to key words. Use underlines, highlighting, boldface, italics, and other techniques, but don’t overdo it. Less is more. Your designer will probably hate this too. But it’s just part of clear communication.

Yes, of course, copy is king. But copy speaks through design. Good design can’t save bad copy. But bad design can kill good copy.

If for no other reason, you should learn a little about design so you can work more intelligently with designers. If you’re lucky, you’ll work with a smart designer. If you’re not so lucky, you’ll be able to keep design on-track with your message.

You may not think you need to know any of this. But learn it anyway. You’ll thank me later.

Related posts:

1. Copywriter thumbnails and how to draw them
2. Do you design your copy before you write it?
3. An open letter to direct mail designers

Lorem Ipsum is a famous copywriter noted for his indecipherable but hypnotic advertising copy. He is best know for this unique bit of writing:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Now that’s what I call powerful copy.

Okay, I’m joking. That’s not really ad copy. And Lorem Ipsum isn’t a person. It’s just the first two words in a block of “dummy copy” used by designers to show where the text goes in a layout.

The Web site Lorem Ipsum explains:

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

This is one of those little design secrets that every copywriter should know so you don’t embarrass yourself by actually asking, “Who is Lorem Ipsum?”

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