Internet Marketing and Website Promotion

Amy Edelstein - Ascent Copywriting

June 28, 2007

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BioAmy Edelstein is the founder of Ascent Copywriting, a business and online copywriting firm. She has twenty years experience in marketing communications, public relations, and professional copywriting. Her clients include business-to-business and business-to-consumer companies from Fortune 50 to mid-sized businesses in most vertical markets. She is one of the preferred search engine optimization copywriters for leading Search Engine Marketing agencies. When not writing about Search Marketing, she also publishes indepth interviews with some of our world’s leading visionaries, including the Dalai Lama.

Company BackgroundAfter beginning my internet copywriting career for companies in Silicon Valley in 1996, I founded Ascent Copywriting in 2002 to serve the SEO needs and to help raise the bar on the standard of copy and internet marketing. Over the last 5 years, I’ve built a team of writers who are well-versed in best online writing practices, who meet deadlines, and write original content. They are a creative bunch and it has been a pleasure training them and seeing their own aptitude grow. I have also linked into the strong network of SEO professionals, expert colleagues who partner on projects that require complimentary skill sets and who also provide support and camaraderie in the field.

Services OfferedWe offer SEO copywriting for websites, emails, online product manuals, catalogs, and other e-content. We also write trade articles and conduct trade interviews.

Distinguishing FactorThe distinguishing factor of Ascent Copywriting is our Communications and Writing aptitude. We have a skill of marrying tone with market, so that the business owner feels their content is written in their own voice, talking directly to their clientele. We offer more than the psychology of Marketing and the technical understanding of the inner workings of search engines and online marketing. We also bring to our work an understanding of culture and of customer types so that the language we use not only appeals to search engines effectively but also appeals to the better part of human nature on behalf of the client.

Success StoryWe’ve really grown into the top of the field by our own interest and hard work, and by learning from and giving back to the field through knowledge exchange and standard of work. We have worked with some of the leading Fortune 100 consumer companies and are pleased to be able to deliver very high caliber content that consistently meets all the compliance specs. We’ve developed online SEO copywriting training materials, and have conducted very successful seminars on The Art of Blogging; SEO Blogs – Why You Want Them; and Optimized and Optimal Online Engagement – Using the Internet Appropriately as a Communications Tool both in house and internationally by WebEx. As technology advances, so do we, but we pride ourselves on continuing to work by old fashioned values of integrity and innovation in our work.

Questions to Ask1. How experienced is the firm in online marketing & search engine ranking techniques?
2. How satisfied are their past customers?
3. Will they empower me by teaching me about online SEO tools and tips?
4. Will they work with me if I do not like what they produce?
5. Have they received praise from peers or from the industry?

Myths in the Field1. “Marketing techniques are more important than talking to your customers in your own voice.” – That’s a myth. An authentic voice where you feel the person behind it wins customer interest and loyalty.
2. “If you build it they will come.” – That’s a myth. No matter how great your site or your copy, you need to keep reaching out and connecting with your customers.
3. “A great copywriter hits it every time.” – That’s a myth. Study your copywriters’ tone, samples, and client work. If you don’t see copy that sounds like you want your site to sound, keep looking. Great copywriters are versatile, but each has their own strengths. Make sure you get a good match.

Skill Development I rely a lot on Search Engine Strategies conferences and other trade discussion forums to exchange ideas with peers. There are many people who are very creative and doing great work in the field. There’s nothing like the cross-pollination between colleagues.

Future of the IndustrySocial Media is one of the big future changes. The challenges are inherent in the growth of Social Media. Style and tone get more informal, and the signs that distinguish professionals from amateurs may become less easy to discern. There’s also great potential in Social Media for connection, change, and new markets.

The Next 5 YearsI anticipate a lot of change, development, and growth over the next five years. I expect to do more and more training, in person and remotely, and to use some of the new tools for international virtual teaching. I also will be working more and more with interactive media, using the web as a dynamic communication tool not just a static information repository. There are plenty of great tools to facilitate audio, video, and newsletter production. We’ve never been able to facilitate communication like this before. On a personal note, I am also getting married sometime this next year, which I’m thrilled about. ?