I’ll always remember an ad in my then local newspaper that read: “ABC Company – were good people to deal with”. Now obviously ‘were’ was meant to be ‘we’re’ and most people who saw the mistake would have realised, but it’s an example of how important copywriting is… And how easy it is to make a mistake!
If you own a small business, or for that matter a large one, copywriting is one of the most important tools you have at your disposal to entire customers to spend money with you and not your competitor. Why? Because at the end of the day almost all your marketing communication – or communications with customers – will fail or succeed because of copywriting. I can hear graphic designers, photographers and others beginning to revolt, so let me explain by way of example.
Imagine a website that perfectly reflects the business. The design is ideal, the colours are spot on, the font superb, the images engaging. But there is no copy. This might work for very specific uses but obviously for the majority of us business owners it’s not an option. Now imagine the same website but the copy doesn’t make sense, or the grammar and spelling are terrible, or there’s no information on services or products or no contact details. Unfortunately it happens. Less obvious, but more common, is when the copy is simply not engaging, interesting and informative.
That’s why copywriting is so important.
So how do you make sure your business’ copy works? Here are some things to consider:
One of the keys to getting people to buy your products or services is to get them emotionally engaged. How do you do this? In simple terms, talk about benefits rather than features. If you sell widescreen LCD TVs, focus on the clear picture and superior viewing in all lighting conditions that will have your friends green with envy, rather than 1080 resolution and matte screen. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include the features, as there are people who like to know them, but they shouldn’t be the focus.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is writing too much copy. Generally, to be effective most of your marketing communications material will need to have copy that is short, relevant and to the point. It many cases it can be better to leave customers wanting more so they’ll take action to contact you for more information.
Make sure your headings and subheadings (and subject lines in mediums such as email marketing) are catchy and engaging. Imagine a sales letter that has a heading of ‘Monthly Special’ compared with one stating ‘50% off selected stock this week only’.
Remember to include information about your business that may set it apart from others. Key areas will be your products or services, prices and service. Perhaps you have the lowest prices in your area, the best quality products, superior service, free delivery, package deals, etc, etc. This information will make a great starting point for your copywriting because it’s the type of information customers will want to read and you’ll want potential customers to know.
Above all, and this is the case with all aspects of your marketing communications, don’t be mediocre. Research suggests we all receive hundreds of marketing messages each day. If your message is boring how much chance do you think it has of being heard?
If you’re not confident about developing the copy yourself don’t hesitate to contract a copywriter. Get a good one and it will be money well spent. Armed with the tips above it will be a lot easier to choose a good one from a not so good. Ask to see samples of their work and talk to them about their thoughts about your particular project.
How much will you need to spend? It’s a difficult question, particularly as this article will be read in many countries, so the simplest advice is to be just as wary of the cheap quote as you would the expensive. Value for money is what you are looking for.
If you do decide to hire a copywriter it doesn’t mean you have to leave all the work up to them. Do some preparation beforehand, such as writing notes or bullet points, or providing a plan, and you’ll be helping your copywriter. He or she should, in turn, be able to do the work quicker and cheaper. And perhaps more accurately.
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