Hire a copywriter – there’s more to copywriting than you think.
When starting a new business or building a campaign, companies flood their efforts into strategic marketing, campaign planning, and content creation, as they should. But, break it down, and one can almost guarantee that the written copy has not seen its fair share of the budget and is often an afterthought. Weird when you consider how much value words hold in representing and elevating brands, and when done well, converting customers to buy. There’s no denying its inclusion in the comms plan; here, I am talking about the quality of the output and who is writing it.
Poorly curated copy, drafted with no data, and zero creative license will only serve to disappoint your customer. That’s if they have even got as far as to read your written content, sat amongst stunning graphics via the multi-channel marketing efforts to reach them. I think the phrase involves rolling something in glitter.
What is ‘good’ copy?
Some fundamentals should always have a place in copywriting. Tone, style, and purpose will depend on the business and brief, but the basics are for the copy to be;
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Grammar checked
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Spell checked
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Concise
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Well structured
Why hire a copywriter?
The basics alone will not deliver the results you need from your written content. There are essential things to consider before your written content can work for you. A copywriter knows this and how to execute them most effectively. Invest wisely, and your copywriter can become a critical lynchpin in your marketing communications output.
Considerations
Your customer
It’s easy to assume that someone would want to read your copy, and why not? Well, the truth is, they don’t, not until it speaks to them directly and delivers what they need. With stiff competition in almost every market, it’s not about who can shout the loudest, but the smartest.
By putting the groundwork in first with buyer persona work and research to get to know who your customer is, your brief will be more precise and your content tailored to them. As a result, you will see results far more quickly and higher quality, from subscribers to sales conversions.
Customer engagement
Now you know your customer, what do they want from you? What are the questions they have and does your written content answer them? Furthermore, how will they engage with you? What is the optimum way for you to reach them? The insight you can gain into customer behaviour can light the way towards a highly successful result.
It is fair to say that your online presence should be near the top of your priority list here, but merely putting words online isn’t enough. How you attract visitors to your website, engage with them, interact, and convert them through a strong call to action are all key stages to bringing your customer on board. Curating a communications plan of content to reach your customers at all levels on which they operate is essential before putting pen to paper.
Fit for purpose
Sometimes what may seem appropriate or the most appealing to you might not be what your customer needs. Will local gym club members be looking for a hefty white paper research piece, for example? Will this get the traction you want and the numbers you need? I believe there is much more room at the Inn for specialised, community content and indeed, I have written blogs about subjects you wouldn’t think are read, but they are. You need to ensure that your chosen vehicle for content is appropriate for your audience. Make sure that they will have time to read what you have to say. Online written content is absorbed on the go, on different devices, and elicits an instant response. Print media can deliver on aesthetics with luxury printing options, a brand experience to be taken away and enjoyed at leisure or be shared among friends and colleagues. Use your research to find out how your audience likes to consume their content and deliver it with bells on.
Written for SEO
Search engine optimised (SEO) web copy will get your website found online and your content noticed. There are several different data elements to factor in your online writing, which can take time to perfect. However, the result is for your written content, which may be supporting other media, too, such as video, to be optimised in search engines, namely Google. By ranking highly on the results pages, your content is presented to your customers as an option they should consider. SEO tactics are used in blogging, homepages, and landing pages to get your customers to your sales page for the final conversion.
ROI
ROI is measured differently by different clients; ultimately, it’s achieving what they set out to do based on the investment they put in. Broadly clients are looking for open rates, CTR’s and CTO’s, numbers online, and all-important conversions. But, those conversions may not always be quick sales; indeed, they may not be for sales at all. A blogger will want to increase their readership and subscribers, usually with their revenue coming from elsewhere as a result of the successful blog. The final act of sale might actually come offline – a meeting, event, or in-person transaction but the trust and loyalty to the brand have been gained online through copy and content targeted to them. Unconditional help, advice, and tips can pay dividends in the long run.
Working out what ROI means to you will further help form a concise and clear brief for your writer, and in return, you will get the results you want from your investment.
There is more to copywriting than this, but to help you decide whether you should invest in your written content, it is undoubtedly a solid starting point. You may not have time or be that passionate about writing, and that’s ok. Curiosity can help and work with you to get your message right and where it needs to be. Get in touch to find out more.
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