Having an effective blog or website is much more than having a fancy design and clear navigation. It’s not just about building links and advertising. To really make your efforts online successful, you have to place content as a top priority. Because of content’s paramount importance in the World Wide Web, we thought we at Apollo would review the importance of good copywriting, discussing its elements and purpose. To get straight to the core of effective copywriting and why it matters, we sat down with Apollo’s own copywriter, viral marketer and blogger Stephanie Miller.

Damien: Thanks for taking the time to have this discussion, Stephanie. It’s always a pleasure to sit down with someone who has so much experience writing for the web.

Stephanie: It’s great to be here. It’s always fun to have these conversations.

Damien: How about we start with an overview. For those not familiar with PR or marketing, could you give us your definition of copywriting and why it’s important?

Stephanie: Simply put, copywriting is writing that sells. It’s meant to inspire action, to show and not tell. It’s writing that clearly shows the reader what they are going to get from visiting a blog, or buying a product or using a service. Any good copy will communicate how that product or service, what have you, will work. It’s not just about selling things either, as copywriting principles can be used for personal writing or everyday conversation. In my view, copywriting is about getting your ideas across with the intention to persuade. If you have an opinion, it’s your responsibility to share or sell your beliefs in the most convincing way possible. For those reasons, the principles of copywriting are essential not only for businesses or blogs, but all forms of communication.

Damien: Well the importance of copywriting is certainly gaining recognition, which leads to my next question. As you know, many businesses are outsourcing to development companies like Apollo to create content for their blogs and social media networks. Do you see any potential shortcomings to this growing trend? If so, how do you as a writer, overcome any possible disconnect between clients and their potential customers?

Stephanie: That’s an excellent question. Firstly, businesses are concerned with the bottom line and are constantly looking to save money. That means that copywriters working on blogs might not get the time needed to fully develop and syndicate their efforts to the full potential. The major disconnect I see in this relationship is that most companies hiring media companies like us don’t have the writing experience that we do, so they might not understand certain needs or conditions that copywriting requires. Bloggers writing for these companies don’t always have access to necessary ntel that clients have. Without full access to resources, things will fall short, especially for blog readers wanting to have a stronger, more personal connection with the company. Bloggers need the time, money and resources to cover for the company’s absence.

In regards to overcoming any disconnect, copywriters, I feel, can get what they need and pull the job off if they ask the right questions. They need to know the target market thoroughly so that they can anticipate their needs, questions, concerns, etc. Copywriters need to take the time to gather the proper research materials and contacts, in order to come to the client with the right questions. At that point, the process can be healthy and worthwhile. Copywriters need to communicate their needs at all times, because their job is so important and often misunderstood. There needs to be openness between the parties involved, which means that copywriters will have access to the right resources in order to build a meaningful and honest connection with that client’s online customers.

Damien: When you finally get to copywriting itself, what practices or strategies do you use to consistently come up with post ideas?

Stephanie: Well, I like this question because it gets to how I’m feeling right now: relaxed! When I’m in a state of relaxation, I can clear my mind and get inspired. I’m much more receptive than I would be otherwise. Being calm and free of nagging thoughts will just let the ideas flow. That’s why I always go for a walk when I have a break, or take a long hot bath when I’m at home. Anything that helps me let the world slip away is enough to get me writing again.

Damien: What is the greatest challenge you’ve faced as a copywriter?

Stephanie: Oh boy, I don’t want to name names (laughs). Basically I face the greatest challenge when I’m writing for a client whose products, services and customers are completely foreign to me. I’ve been in a situation where I was totally confused as to what the client did, even after researching their website, competitors and an hour meeting with them! I wouldn’t have even known they existed if we weren’t working for them (laughs).

Damien: That sounds pretty rough. How would you get through that situation?

Stephanie: Time and lots of questions, good questions. Communication is key here. The difficulty in this particular situation was that it was a technical subject; it was like we were speaking two different languages! But when you don’t understand something, it’s up to you to find out the right questions that will get you the answers you need. Appropriate research will help you formulate intuitive questions. The fact that I got through a difficult project like this boosted my writing ego and helped me further develop my interviewing skills.

Damien: At Apollo, you also practice PR and syndication of our work. How do you integrate effective copywriting with SEO?

Stephanie: Very carefully. It’s not really all that difficult, you just need to have your priorities straight. Your copy comes first and foremost. You have to address the concerns and needs of your audience before your adjust your work for the search engines. You can have all the links in the world but still not get anywhere if your customers are confused by ineffective copy. After I feel that the copy is effective, I then look to what the search engine spiders want. From there, I begin inserting key words into the text.

You always need to find the appropriate balance between copy and SEO. So far, I’ve been pretty comfortable with SEO terms in the text as long as they don’t detract from the message. There are other SEO tactics besides having the right keywords in the content, of course. We have press releases, PR syndication, anchor text, titles, of course, and social media sites. All of which helps keep the copy from becoming too keyword heavy, which would otherwise make things unreadable.

Damien: Can you name drop any bloggers or writers that inspire your own work, professional or personal?

Stephanie: I have two favorite bloggers. Professionally, Brian Clark at copyblogger.com is a major inspiration for me. His copy simply works for me on so many levels. It’s highly entertaining and the copywriting principals he teaches ring true to me, it’s aligned with my current knowledge of the subject. Most importantly, it’s as if he’s writing for me alone. It shows that he comes to his blog knowing exactly who he is writing for as his writing speaks to the needs of his audience. A lot bloggers, no matter their subject of interest, can learn from him.

Personally, Leo Babauta at zenhabits.net has been instrumental to my growth. His blog is all about simplifying your life and getting your things and thoughts in order. If my life is in order, my work follows. He teaches you to declutter your environment so you can declutter your mind. It helps me fight off the confusion that comes from disorganization. When I overcome confusion, I reduce my stress and attain clarity. When my mind is at ease, I’m at my most efficient.

Damien: When do you know an article is complete? At what point can you sit back and say, “that’s it”, that works?

Stephanie: There are really 2 ways that I write.

The first way is the conventional high school essay style where I work from a general outline. My hypothesis is my central point which guides me to subsequent supporting points and evidence, leading me to my final conclusions.

The other way I write is free flowing, and it’s how I approach my own blog. I basically just sit down and write without stopping, I just let it flow. It’s done when I start getting bored. I run out of steam and at that point I go back and edit. So essentially, I exhaust myself, and then step away. From there, it’s just trimming the fat.

Damien: Thank you so much for your time and explanations, Stephanie. It really has been an insightful conversation. Do you have any closing thoughts you would like to leave our readers with?

Stephanie: Sure thing. Basically, you have to remember that websites and blogs, of all kinds, are holistic beings, just like people. They consist of a bunch of smaller organs, bones, fluids, etc. that make up a bigger entity. If one part is lacking, the entire structure breaks down or moves very slowly. The smaller parts are meant to work in tandem. Design, copy and functionality are all important and need to work together for a site to reach its full potential, to meet its goal. If one of those elements is missing something, things still might work, but it will sadly fall short of its full potential. Good copy is essential but must work with the other elements to do its job properly.

For all the businesses looking to revamp their websites, or create new ones, they should hire a company that covers all the bases with equal enthusiasm and attention. That will truly be getting your money’s worth. I recommend meeting the different members of the development team, from programming, design, and content development and so on to get a full impression of that company’s holistic approach. That’s my advice.

Damien: Well, here’s hoping these interviews can help with that process!

Stephanie: I’m sure they will. Cheers.