Archive for January 19th, 2009
Is it worth hiring a professional copywriter?
“Article writers wanted: I will pay $3.50 per article. Must be quality writing – no hobbyists!”
No, this isn’t a joke. It’s an actual job advert, posted on a website earlier this year. What’s more, there’s nothing particularly unusual about this advert. It seems that more and more often these days, people expect writers to work for free – or as close to free as it’s possible to get.
So what’s the catch? Well, professional copywriters won’t write for $3.50, which means that the only people who’ll respond to an advert like this will be very people the employer says he doesn’t want – hobbyists.
But what’s wrong with that? Why not go with a hobbyist – a non-professional writer? What can a professional copywriter give you that an amateur can’t?
Here’s what:
1. Time
Let’s think for a minute about how many $3.50 articles a writer would need to produce in order to make anything like a decent amount of money from it. Quite a few. Quite a few hundred, in fact. In order for it to be worth their while, then, the cheap article writer has to be churning them out at the rate of at least a few an hour. They’re not going to spend a lot of time on each article: what would be the point? Even if each article takes them an hour, they’re still earning less than minimum wage, so the article you receive isn’t going to be carefully researched and written: it’s going to be churned out in as little time as possible.
2. Quality
You may think quality doesn’t matter too much. If you’re commissioning articles for a website, you may be tempted to think that quantity is all that matters: the more pages of content and keywords you have, the better your chances of being ranked in the search engines, after all.
Think about why you want a good ranking though? Presumably you want your site to be well-ranked in order to receive more traffic and more sales. Your content, then, is there to lure in people, not search engines. And it’s a fact that most people arriving at a website full of badly-written content will just hit that back button right away.
3. Credibility
There’s no doubt that good quality writing lends credibility to your website or articles, while sloppy writing creates the impression that even you didn’t think your project was worth investing in, so no-one else should either.
4. Skill and Experience
Some people think that anyone who knows how to string a sentence together can call themselves a writer. Not so. A professional copywriter doesn’t just put words on the page: they know the right words to use to gain the reaction you’re looking for from your audience. It takes years of experience to know what works and what doesn’t in terms of website copy. Do you really think someone who’s spent years acquiring those skills will give them away for $3.50?
Of course, it’s up to you. If your main concern is adding content to your site for very little cost, go with the $3 article writers. But if you want to create a high quality website, with content which will pull in visitors and keep them coming back, it could be worth bringing in the professionals.
January 19th, 2009
How to Look Good in Wedding Photographs
The dress was beautiful, you got through the ceremony and reception without a hitch, but just when you thought your wedding was perfect, your pictures come back and you look awful. What can you do to make sure that your photos are as beautiful as the memories you have?
Here are some of the things you should consider:
- Never scrimp on your photographer. Nobody’s going to remember if your bouquets had daisies or rare, exotic orchids. But years from now, your great grand children will be looking at your wedding album. They’re not just souvenirs, they’re heirlooms. Spend on them.
- Avoid complicated hairstyles and veils. You’ll be walking around, too busy talking to guests to check the mirror. You don’t want your veil hanging to the side, or your bangs plastered to your face. Keep it simple and elegant. If you want a dramatic veil for your walk down the aisle, look for a style that allows you to detach part of it, leaving you with something less cumbersome at the reception.
- Buy or make a small clutch bag or pouch that matches your gown. It should carry blotting paper, pressed powder, lipstick and blush. Ask your maid of honor to keep it handy for you.
- Wear waterproof mascara. You will cry a lot. It’s guaranteed. Black mascara will run and leave unflattering raccoon eyes.
- Don’t wear heavy powder eyeshadow. Again, you will cry. You will also sweat from walking around in heavy makeup, a thick gown, and hundreds of guests milling around you. Powder smears and cakes, and ends up under your eyes.
- Don’t wear sheer lipstick. You’ll eat it off. Or if you do, wear a matte or semi-matte base and apply the sheer lipstick as a top coat. Be sure to blot well, or it’ll end up around your mouth or on your teeth.
- Don’t wear heavy shimmery makeup, unless it’s applied by a professional makeup artist. It doesn’t photograph well under less than perfect lighting conditions. If you do, apply only on the eyes.
- Bridal makeup should be soft and romantic, not harsh. Natural pinks are most flattering, and really make you look like a “blushing bride”. Avoid hard-edged contouring and dramatic browns, unless blended well and kept close to the eyeline. Even lipsticks should stick to the pinks and brownish pinks. Bright reds look too harsh worn against a white dress.
- You’ll need good foundation that lasts long but doesn’t cake. The trick is to apply moisturizer first and let it “set”. This will prime your skin. Apply a matte or cream foundation, then concealer. Dust powder foundation with a brush.
- Take good photographs right after the ceremony, when everyone’s make up is still intact. You should have solo shots, couple shots, and group photos with your entourage, friends, family members.
- Ask for a few black and white photographs. They always have a soft, romantic feel.
- If you’ll be having outdoor photographs, light is most flattering in the morning and at dusk. Avoid any outdoor shots from 11am to 2pm; everyone will just be squinting.
Lesley-Ann Graham runs WeddingTrix.com – a valuable wedding planning resource with articles, tips and advice to help you plan your perfect wedding. The Bride, Groom, Best Man, Bridesmaids and Groomsmen can find it all at http://www.WeddingTrix.com
January 19th, 2009