Member Spotlight: Christine Butler On The Great Adventure Of Web Writing

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Dear Web Writer,

“We’re putting our house on the market and moving into our motor coach full-time … ”

Isn’t that music to your ears? Christine Butler has embraced the writer’s life to the point where she’s taking her passion on the road and heading out to explore the world — full-time!

She’s a great example of steady persistence, a tactic that’s starting to show some real pay off. This year is already shaping up to be big for her, especially if the first three months are any indication (three published articles in three separate places, having a prospective client approach her … ).

I’ve got to say, I’m thrilled to get to watch Christine as she embarks on her new great adventures. I hope you enjoy getting to know her.

To your writing success,
Mindy

P.S. I particularly love Christine’s take on Glicken. Who’d of thought copywriting would be the key to eliminating family arguments?!

If you have any questions or comments for her, post them below and we’ll make sure she sees them.

Introducing: Christine Butler, Founding Member of WWW

Life Before Web Writing:

I was in Corporate America for over 20 years. I loved working with teams and the people I worked with were wonderful. I traveled quite a bit too, which I love to do. But after about the fourth or fifth restructure of the industry, it starting losing its appeal. I had no control over what was going on around me. When I was given the opportunity for an early out, I grabbed it.

Once I was on my own, I became spoiled at being my own boss and in charge of my own schedule. About that same time I received the infamous letter asking “Can you write a letter like this?” from AWAI. I Read more »

Freelance for Redbox

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Company: Redbox
Location: Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois
Overview: Copywriter; Freelance

Description
Work on a per project basis, delivering copy for email campaigns, websites, social media, and more.

Requirements
You must have excellent grammar and the ability to follow a style guide. The ability to meet deadlines and work flexibly are also musts.

Apply Now

4 Simple Rules for Writing Postscripts

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“People don’t notice ads, they notice what interests them and sometimes it’s an ad.” — Howard Gossage

Ah, the inevitable postscript — or actually, “post scriptum,” to be completely accurate. Way before I ever decided to pursue a copywriting career, I remember growing up and reading sales letters and wondering why every letter writer seemed to have forgotten to say something in the body of the letter. Why was there always a “P.S.?” After all, if they had put so much time and effort into writing the letter, wouldn’t they have known what they wanted to include? How could they possibly forget anything? And wouldn’t the letter have been corrected before being printed so the extraneous information could be incorporated?

Yes, that’s what I thought. But now — fast forward many years later — I am a more seasoned version of my young self and, having been educated on the finer points of direct-mail marketing (not to mention a few trial-and-error experiences), I see the postscript not as the forgotten entity I used to view it as, but rather, for what it is — an integral part of a well-assembled sales message.

Make no mistake about it, folks — the postscript is a major player.

You already know the importance of having a persuasive headline for your sales letters, email promotions, and other marketing materials … but if you’re like I was, I’m guessing you have never given too much thought to how critical including a P.S. is to your sales messages.

The truth is, your P.S. is the second most read element of your written copy after your headline. It is where a busy prospect goes to see what the “real deal” is.

Obviously, you should include your postscript immediately after your signature at the end of your letter. You Read more »

P is for Pinterest

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I never heard of Pinterest until December, 2011.

That’s when I had an e-letter from a well-known blogger, Darren Rowse. Darren described a new social network that was sending 1,000 visitors a day to his Digital Photography School web page — a network he’d never joined or participated in.

The referring website was Pinterest.

So, Darren created a Pinterest account. He started judiciously pinning and watched in surprise as his Pinterest referral traffic increased to over 3,000 visits a day.

Pinterest is a social bookmarking site, although they prefer the phrase “Virtual Pin Board.” It looks like a grid of images, with very little verbiage, and the overall effect is stunning. Because it’s highly visual, early adopters included a lot of photographers, artists, and designers.

Members are “pinners,” posts or articles are “pins,” and when you add content you’re “pinning.”

After receiving that email from Darren, I started paying attention.

According to a January, 2012, study by Shareaholic, Pinterest drove more traffic than:

  • YouTube
  • Google+
  • Reddit
  • MySpace
  • LinkedIn

I started my own Pinterest account five weeks ago, and I’m seeing increasing numbers of visitors from it. As of today, it’s the #7 referral source for my Future Expats website.

Oh, and did I mention — it’s loads of fun, too!

Getting Started with Pinterest

Creating a Pinterest account and adding content is quick and easy, but first . . .

You Need an Invitation

Because Pinterest is still officially in beta test mode, you’ll need an invitation to join.

You can ask a pinner you already know for an invite, or just point your browser to Pinterest.com, and click on the big “Request an Invite” button. (I’ll be happy to invite you.)

Once you receive your invitation, you must sign up with your Facebook or Twitter account.

Fill out Read more »

Part-time Social Media Opportunity

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Company: Meat and Potatoes
Location: Burbank, California
Overview: Social Media Expert; Part Time

Description
Meat and Potatoes is looking for a talented social media writer to help build the brand identity for a client in the liquor industry. Expect to work around 10 hours per month.

Requirements
You should be able to write with a strong sense of voice and a clever, edgy sense of humor. You must know the ins and outs of daily posting to a variety of social media outlets.

Apply Now

Do Social Media for the NFL

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Company: National Football League
Location: Culver City, California
Overview: Full Time/Temporary: Social Media Coordinator

Description
If you have social media expertise, this is a temporary position that will look great on your resume and client list. The NFL needs a social media expert to create daily social media content, to help build social media communities, and to work with the NFL’s marketing team to integrate their social media efforts into their overall marketing strategy.

Requirements
You must have at least one year of experience as a social media writer, manager, or consultant. Excellent writing and communication skills are a must. A passion for the NFL wouldn’t hurt.

Apply Now

Sink Your Teeth Into a Variety of Different Projects

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Company: Vitamin T (Recruiting Ageny)
Location: Orange County, California
Overview: Online Copywriter; Contract

Description
A California-based cosmetic company needs a copywriter familiar with branding and able to capture a unique voice. You’ll write product descriptions, email blasts, collateral materials, and more.

Requirements
You must have two years of copywriting experience. A solid understanding of SEO best practices is a definite plus.

Apply Now

Social Media for the Fashion Industry

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Company: JDMedia Corp.
Location: Manhattan, New York
Overview: Social Media Writer; Contract

Description
Write social media campaigns geared toward the fashion community. You’ll work with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr and must be up-to-date and the guidelines for those site.

Requirements
You should have a background writing or editing in the fashion industry. Two years of social media experience is a must.

Apply Now