If you've been thinking of sending an email to customers in the run-up Christmas, now is a brilliant time to catch their attention. With pay day finally out of the way and more snow that you can shake a reindeer at – my guess is most people will be getting online this year rather than hitting the shops!
So, just to help you along with that all-important email copy...I've put together a few copy writing tips:

1. The main objective of copy writing is to make sales, build relationship and attract customers –  never forget this. For any copy you write (whether it's your website, flyers or marketing/sales emails) always plan out what you want to say to your customers.

2. Remember WHO your customers are...what makes them tick, do you understand exactly what they want and what bits of your product or service appeal to them most. Never lose sight of how to best communicate with your customers.

3. If you are going to advertise a special offer, you must always explain why it is so valuable...perhaps try making it 'exclusive' or give it a time deadline.

4. Want to try something a bit different? Why not piggy back on some recent research or news; for example, 'Royal wedding confirmed for 29 April 2011 – book your London accommodation with www.londontravels.com for a front seat view!'

5. Repetition can be good and it can be bad. It's fine to repeat an offer or message, but try not to use the same words too often or too close together. Use a thesaurus to help aid your creativity.

6. Write short sentences and short paragraphs – keep paragraphs to just two or three sentences and leave lots of white space. Don’t overcrowd the page…separate paragraphs with a clean, clear line of empty space. Aim for an average sentence length of around 16 words.

7. Keep email subjects short...no more than 60 characters (including spaces) and, if possible, you’re better off staying in the 30 to 50 range.

8. It’s easy to make small mistakes and if you’re reading something from a computer screen it’s even easier to miss them. The best thing to do is print out your copy, read it carefully and use your red pen wisely. Always ask someone else to read through your work too – if you’ve been writing for a while, they’re more likely to spot any mistakes than you are.

9. Always KISS (KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE). Wield an axe to flabby language and unnecessary words. Don’t waffle or descend into a longwinded rant that’s of little interest to anybody but you. 

And finally...

10. Make it lively, make it memorable! How would you sell an egg? How about ‘a cracking good idea’ or ‘six of the best every week’? People will remember your message if you use colourful, memorable language. Use as many of the senses as you can and make an impression – it’ll help you make the sale.

Have you been thinking about treating yourself or a loved one to an iPad this Christmas - well before you go ahead and buy...check out this review on the Guardian website about the best deals for tablet computers! Click here for the full article.

And if it's an iPad you're interested in, Mr Site will be at the Business Startup show in London Earl's Court on Nov 30 and Dec 1 with our good friends from design company, Longtail Services...and they'll be giving away an iPad! If you fancy your chance to win an early xmas present or just want some advice on how to expand your Takeaway Website, come and see us on stand 360. Tickets are completely free and you'll be able to get lots of fantastic advice for your business. To register, just click here - hope to see you there!