February 26th, 2010
oogle, BT, PayPal, the Institute of Directors, Enterprise UK and e-skills UK have teamed up to offer small businesses a free website.
The project, called Getting British Business Online, could see up to 100,000 businesses getting launched on the web.
If you sign up, you get a free web address (domain name), an easy-to-update site, traffic monitoring and more.
However, if you want your website to work hard for you, you need to make sure it’s well-written and can be found in the search engines.
That’s we we are proud to announce our new GBBO copywriting service. Our copywriting agency has extensive experience in writing small business websites, and can do it fast at a reasonable price.
For further information and a no-obligation quote, please contact us on 01206 266 799 or use our contact form to get in touch.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
GBBO (Getting British Business Online) copywriting service launched »
Author: Ben Locker.
Posted in: GBBO, News | Comments Off
November 22nd, 2009
he Essex business magazine I edit, Colchester Connected, is up for has just won a gong in the Business to Business category of the Colchester & District Business Awards 2009. It’s great news for everyone involved in the magazine; but the thing that I love is that fact that so many finalists, in so many of categories, have been featured in the mag over the last 12 months. It’s a real testament to what the magazine has achieved in a very short space of time. There’s a full list here.
*UPDATE* Lots of companies that have featured in the magazine did well at the Awards. Congratulations to all: we’ll post a link to the winners when they have been published.
If you’re looking for an experienced copywriter and magazine journalist to work on your own publications, please get in touch. We’d be delighted to help.
Colchester Connected up for an award *wins* business to business award »
Author: Ben Locker.
Posted in: News, copywriting | No Comments »
November 9th, 2009
ast week, I appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze alongside Professor Andrew Chadwick, journalist and author Nick Cohen, plus Spiked Online editor Brendan O’Neill. We were there to be grilled as ‘witnesses’ about Twitter and so-called ‘mob rule’ by a panel that comprised Kenan Malik, Melanie Phillips, James Panton and Clifford Longley.
I’m going to blog about the show in the near future (the show left many more questions unanswered than it even attempted to address), but in the meantime you can learn more about it here and – if you’re quick enough – listen to it online.
Ben Locker on BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze »
Author: Ben Locker.
Posted in: News, copywriting | No Comments »
October 31st, 2009
his is a gratuitously self-promotional post, but I’m quoted a few times in this feature about ‘The Power of Tweets‘, which appeared in today’s Guardian. Many thanks to Jon Henley for describing me as “a smart young copywriter”. Any other 35-year-old bloke will tell you that it’s the exact age at which flattery about being young is the most effective.
Anyway, it’s a cracking article, and hats off to Jon for asking some damned good questions in it – a rarity when it comes to discussing Twitter.
By the way, if you’re the pleasant sort of person who would like to follow me on Twitter, I’m here – @benlocker. I almost always follow back.
“Ben Locker, a smart young copywriter” – The Guardian »
Author: Ben Locker.
Posted in: News, copywriting | No Comments »
September 27th, 2009
e left London for Colchester only in April, but the copywriting business has never been brisker. So much so that we are soon going to need a new, full-time copywriter to help us out.
In all likelihood, we will be recruiting in January 2010. So, if you are a talented and versatile copywriter who never stops learning new tricks, why not beat the crowd and send us your CV now?
A proper job description and application form will appear on the site in due course, but the person we’re looking for will be a quick thinker with a talent for making commercial copy sparkle.
Sound good? Then bung over your CV and anything else you think will interest us to info [at] benlocker.co.uk
p.s. This will be a full-time position in Colchester. If you can’t make it into Colchester to work, then you’re not the person we’re looking for. Sorry.
Copywriters: have you thought of working in Colchester? »
Author: Ben Locker.
Posted in: Jobs, News | Comments Off
September 23rd, 2009
e are very proud to have written a new advisory guide for leading digital marketing agency, Coast Digital. The guide, Credibility, authority and profitability is aimed at FTSE 500 corporations and other companies that want to develop a dynamic web presence.
Packed full of facts and figures, and drawing on the expertise of the agency’s team, the guide is essential reading for firms that want to rationalise their online real estate and make sure they are properly addressing their intended audiences.
You can find further information about the guide, and download a copy, from the Coast Digital website.
Digital guide on effective corporate web presence »
Author: Ben Locker.
Posted in: News | Comments Off
August 30th, 2009
opywriters will take heart at ad:tech’s new research, which has found that nearly half the visitors to its show are planning to spend 30 per cent of their budgets on digital marketing. With that kind of money sloshing about, there shouldn’t be too much difficulty for good digital copywriters to get a slice of the action.
Ironically, in a press release entitled Jargon Preventing Increased Online Marketing Spend, Christophe Asselin, Event Director for ad:tech, used acres of jargon to interpret the findings.
There are clearly opportunities for marketers to capitalise on the increasing investment by UK businesses in online marketing however this needs to be allied with an understanding of business needs, not marketing jargon. The language barrier has created a fracture between traditional and online marketing and has generated frustrations amongst many marketers who wish to integrate online within their current marketing strategy. The research shows the demand for tangible impact…
Sadly, language barriers are only made worse by phrases like ‘integrate online with’ and ‘demand for tangible impact’.
Copywriting is only one element of a digital marketing strategy, but you do need a good copywriter if you are to avoid repelling customers with unreadable jargon — and ad:tech is no exception.
Mr Asselin, we can help — and we understand your business needs. Call us on 01206 266 799 today, or contact us for a some copywriting advice. It won’t cost anything near 30 per cent of your budget.
Drop jargon, win business – ad:tech research »
Author: Ben Locker.
Posted in: News | Comments Off
August 27th, 2009
or once, we’re proud to unveil a project — and we haven’t written a word for it.
Whatever your politics, it’s hard to disagree that Graeme Archer – the regular Conservative Home columnist – is one of the best political writers out there. The warmth, humanity and sharp political insight of his work appeals to people across the political spectrum.
Graeme has now been selected as an official Conservative candidate, and it would be a foolish constituency that passed up the chance to have him helping to fight their corner.
We’re very pleased to have put a simple Wordpress website together for him, and absolutely delighted that he has taken care of the words. If you have any remaining stereotypes about the sort of person who would like to be a Tory MP, then visit www.graemearcher.com and prepare to abandon them.
A new website for Graeme Archer »
Author: Ben Locker.
Posted in: News | Comments Off
August 25th, 2009
ew research released by comScore suggests that there’s a growing need for online copywriters who have a talent for appealing to mums.
Defining ‘mums’ as women aged 25-54 who lived with children, the study uncovered a UK audience of 4.6 million who logged in during July, making over 52 individual visits over the period and clocking up an average of 26.7 hours surfing time
READ ON »
Copywriters: target mums »
Author: Ben Locker.
Posted in: News | Comments Off
August 24th, 2009
e are very proud to unveil a new website, commissioned by the law tutor and legal essay review company, Stoke Newington Chambers. Built by Ben Locker & Associates on Wordpress, and using a customised version of the popular Thesis theme, the site is designed to be clear, simple, classy and win new clients. The copy is also optimised to help the site rank in search engines for certain key terms.
⇒ Visit www.stokenewingtonchambers.co.uk
Client: Stoke Newington Chambers Ltd, c/o Oppenheim Scroxton, 52 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3EP
A full case study will follow in the near future. If you are interested in our digital services, please contact us for further information.
A new site for Stoke Newington Chambers »
Author: Ben Locker.
Posted in: News | No Comments »
