Getting Results - Why You Hire A Pro

With over a decade of sales and marketing experience, it seems I was always the "go to" guy when someone needed to craft a message that would stir readers to action. Now, it's all I do.

My promise: I'll discover and communicate your Dramatic Difference - why clients buy from you. To accomplish this on your website I provide site layout planning for logical flow, search engine optimization to improve your ranking, and of course phrasing that speaks powerfully to your target audience.

Search Engine Optimization
Good website content gets results - it encourages visitors to take action, but also has keywords embedded - the very cornerstone of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Increasing search engine ranking can deliver targeted traffic to your website. But it requires a skilled balancing act, in essence writing for two audiences:

• Your customers who want to read about benefits; • Search engines checking your site for keywords

I focus on optimal keyword phrase placement, while still engaging the target audience with clear, succinct copy.

I begin with keyword research to determine which words and phrases related to your business are being used frequently to find what you offer.

But selecting keywords with heavy traffic is not enough - especially if all of your competitors are also competing for a top ranking. I work to locate phrases with good traffic that your competitors may be overlooking. Then we optimize your content to improve your ranking for those terms.

I show you specific actions that can be taken to improve your ranking, and I use those methods when creating your content. It's all about making your site more appealing to the search engines than the top ranking sites.

Finally, I provide the web designer with a table showing everything they need for the HTML on each web page:

• Page Title • Keywords • Meta Tag Description • Alt-text for image files

Writing vs. Editing
Given the option, some clients select my full-service copywriting, while others opt for my editing service. Why choose editing?

Simply because you’re the person most familiar with your business, and that makes you best qualified to draft your own materials. But how do you know if you’re making your point as clearly as possible? Are you saying too much, or not enough? Will it engage the reader?

My approach ensures that you still convey your own thoughts, but I cut through to the core message so your readers take action.

Don’t settle for dry, corporate-sounding jargon that doesn’t engage the reader and won't strengthen your relationship with them.

People buy from people they like
If your copy is stiff, too formal, and concerned only with convincing people of the facts, you’re missing an opportunity to form a bond with your customer. Help your reader understand your company’s story and connect with you or your products, and you will develop a relationship that facts and figures alone can never establish.

Of course you need evidence to support your claims; but facts don’t make people like your product or trust your company. Instead, you need to tell your story, presenting a message to help the reader understand and trust you. And trust is built when you write simply.

Write Fast, Edit Last!
Much of the material written for business is overly complex because we worry about the structure while we're writing it, slowing ourselves down.

The result can be bloated copy that conveys too much information, strays from the main message, and is repetitious. That’s because half-way through, the writer begins to focus on editing and adjusting the text – which may not be their strength – instead of communicating in a simple fashion the ideas they know so well.

Don’t fall into the trap of editing as you write! The solution is simple – write fast and edit last! Put editing completely out of your mind until you have your basic ideas down.

The beauty of writing fast is that it gives you more energy and focus. Your ideas flow easily – just like having a conversation.

This is the key to effective writing for your business. Write like you speak! It will draw your readers close to you, establish a relationship, and make them feel as if they know you.

You can do that when you stop being concerned with structure, and just write! You free up your mind to write creatively when you know all the bugs will be worked out later. In short, when you commit to edit last, it actually frees you up to write fast.

The only question then is, “after the message is sketched out, who will do the editing?”

The fact is you can always do it yourself.

As long as the only hat you wear when you’re writing is your writer’s hat. But if you find that the “editor within” is looking over your shoulder, luring you to the backspace key as you write, and casting doubt onto your keyboard, your writing is in jeopardy! It’s very difficult to separate these two competing roles if you constantly switch back and forth.

What Will Sharp Editing Do for Me?
If you choose to draft your own copy and let me edit for you, I will give you the peace of mind to write fast, making your writing more enjoyable for you and more relatable to your reader.

I promise you, when you stop worrying about editing as you write, your message will improve dramatically. Not only will you enjoy it more, you’re more likely to “find your voice” and produce a higher quality product even before it’s edited!

And guess what? Instead of laboring over the editing process, you can free yourself up to do more of what you do best.

The truth is, writing and editing are two different skills. If you’re struggling with getting your piece finished, try this – focus on the message. Say what’s on your mind and let me handle the editing for you. Let me free you up to do what you do best, and your business will flourish!

Are you ready to reap the rewards that Sharp Editing will bring to your business? Contact me today and learn how I can help with your current writing needs. Or read about my available services and find out how you can benefit from Sharp Editing now!