Copy Content and SEO

Since my reluctant plunge into writing copy, content, and SEO in 1998, I’ve come a long way. Back then, after being given some direction by a community education coordinator, I’d describe what I was doing as writing course descriptions and informing people of what they’d get out of taking my class. Who knew I was learning a skill that I’d eventually enjoy doing?

Changing Minds and Initiating Action With Words

I’m not new to writing, but I’m new to getting paid for my writing.

If you’re interested, I thought a brief introduction about myself and some information about what I did to hone my copy, content, and SEO skills would be appropriate. But if you’d like to skip the introduction and nostalgia and get right to the samples, please go directly to the writing samples.

An Introduction

Hello, I’m Sam.

Sam D'Amico Photography classes — Photograph by Roxie Brown.

I know; most of what you see on my website involves my photography and photography classes. So what’s with the writing? I’ve been writing for a long time. I started writing while working as s photojournalist in 1987. I wrote caption information for the pictures I provided and provided story summaries for feature pictures I wanted to produce. I started working with local newspapers, magazines, and marketing and advertising businesses. I eventually worked with the New York Times as a freelancer with over 500 published assignments.

Starting in 1989, I began writing to market, my photography classes. It wasn’t something I looked forward to, but I did it grudgingly because it had to be done. And over time, I grew to enjoy writing and honed my copy, content, and SEO skills.

Today, I’m using my acquired writing skills primarily for my website. And at the suggestion of a few students who work in the advertising and marketing industries, I’ve decided to give professional writing a go.

My Writing Experience

Copy, Content, and SEO

In 2003, I started my photography classes in Washington, DC. I designed a tri-fold brochure, filled it with class descriptions that I penned up, and included a registration form that could be sent via the U.S. mail with a check to register for the classes. At the time, I never imagined I’d be putting together a writing portfolio, so I don’t have brochures as an example.

I marketed the classes by placing the brochures in coffee shops, eateries, and other places in areas of town that seemed to have people who wanted to learn photography. These brochures were my first step into copy, content, SEO, and marketing.

After a year or two of the brochures and registering by mail, I got a prepackaged website on GoDaddy. I swapped out the pamphlets for 8.5 inches by 5.5 inches printed pieces that directed customers to the GoDaddy platform to read the course descriptions and pay/register for the classes online.

Blogging, Sales Pages, and Email Marketing

While using GoDaddy, I started an email list and began using WordPress.com to send current and past students blog posts to supplement their in-class and let them know about upcoming classes. However, I eventually wanted a primary domain name for my business. So I found a good, reliable hosting company, got my domain name, switched to WordPress.org., created my website, found a good email marketing service, and started building a more extensive email list. WHEW! I learned a lot between then and now. I learned about the importance of marketing, but I think I learned the most about the value of copy, content, and SEO. In a way, my website can also be considered my portfolio. But please remember that there’s a lot of older work to be updated.