Yes I know, you’re a start-up business so money’s tight. But, you still need engaging marketing materials and an effective online presence to get things off the ground.

More often than not, copywriting is the one thing that gets crossed off your set-up shopping list.

Why?

Because you think you can do it yourself.

Granted, you can write pretty well. But can you write something that makes people think “Yes, that’s exactly what I need”?

Going it alone without a copywriter

This is a familiar scenario:

The task to write your sales copy is passed to someone in your office. They already have a full workload so it gets pushed to the bottom of the pile.

Eventually, the need for the copy becomes urgent so they spend their lunch hour quickly writing something that ‘will do’.

The problem with this is, writing about your company is difficult because you’re too close to it. It is incredibly difficult to stand back and look at what you offer through the eyes of your customers.

The result is you end up with copy that tells your reader all about your company and absolutely nothing about what your company can do for them.

What a copywriter will do for you

When you bring in a professional copywriter they will ask lots of questions to learn about:

• Your company
• Your product or service
• Your audience (i.e. your ideal customer)

This helps them understand you, your product/service and, more importantly, the person you are trying to sell them to.  Through this process, they can place themselves in your customers’ shoes and discover what it is that your readers really want to know.

The copy will talk directly to the reader, address their problems and sell them the benefits of your product/service.

The result?

• Your website copy will be optimised and will convert visitors into paying customers
• Your brochures will sell, not just inform
• Your case studies will entertain, inform and sell
• Your press releases will engage and generate new enquiries
• Your email marketing will be effective because they will be opened, read and acted on

Do you still think copywriting is a waste of money, or something you can do on your own?

Every piece of written marketing could be the first impression the reader has of your company. Make sure it gives the right impression – that you are a company that is professional and understands what its customers want.

If I asked you to give me an example of powerful copywriting what you say?

• Something that catches your attention immediately
• A headline which draws you in
• Simple to read copy with lots of headings

Hopefully your answer was something along those lines. Powerful copywriting is all of those things.

The problem is when some people try to write strong copy they get it all wrong. Bear with me and I’ll explain.

Shouting copy

A few days ago, I was writing some web copy for a client and my husband was working from home. He works for a German company and deals with a lot of customers located around Europe.

That particular day he was engaged on a phone call to one such customer. Instead of his usual voice, I heard a rather strained conversation being conducted in very slow, broken English.

He, like many of us, is guilty of adopting the technique of speaking very s-l-o-w-l-y and loudly when speaking to a non-native English speaker.

What does that have to do with copywriting? Well, it is something you also see in print in the mistaken belief it is getting your message across strongly.

The problem is, people try to replicate the ‘hard sell’ type of copy for their own websites, newsletters and emails. You know the kind of thing I mean – long copy, bright colours, bold text and lots of highlighting. Don’t get me wrong, that type of copy has its place and (believe it or not) works – but it isn’t a style that should be used for everything.

Building confidence

The problem with that type of text on your website, or in your newsletters, is that it doesn’t instil confidence.

Your words have to convince rather than your font size and colour.

Your copy has to resonate with and engage your reader so they are drawn into your copy. Then, by focusing on the benefits, you will convince them they have to have your product or service.

Don’t use brash and in-your-face sales techniques – chose your words carefully and:

• Create a strong headline
• Capture their attention immediately with benefits led copy
• Keep your font uniform and only change size for headings and sub headings
• Use only one colour for your font (preferably black or white)

Your copy will look professional and readable.

Would you want to look at a site full of colourful text of varying size? I doubt it, and neither would your readers. If you want to be taken seriously, make sure you approach your marketing materials in the same way.

Be professional, be clear and concentrate on your benefits.