Marketing changes all the time. Great writing is timeless.
More and more companies are outsourcing writing tasks to copywriters.
Here are one or two reasons you might wish to join them.
- The right copywriter will help you stand out amongst your competitors in the overcrowded world of online marketing.
- Whether you are selling cakes or conservatories or career advice, a decent copywriter will sell what makes you different. How else will customers choose you over your many competitors?
- A good copywriter is a consultant for life. They’ll fit around your needs. They are an adaptable and versatile lot. A loyal freelance copywriter will act as a go-to grammar consultant, marketing expert, copy-editor, and proofreader all rolled into one.
- Copywriters offer peace of mind. Getting copy right is crucial for credibility. It isn’t something to take lightly or take risks with. Copywriters are a safe pair of hands. Mistakes matter. It is human nature to remember the negative. 57% of readers are put off by typos on websites. 47% of websites contain typos. Mistakes are distracting and detract from the professionalism of your brand.
- Running a business makes time the most precious of commodities. You have a million things to do. Writing this month’s blog is the least of your worries.
- Hiring a copywriter means you won’t be tempted to dash something off which isn’t up to scratch, something which doesn’t do your business justice.
- Even if you had the time, reluctantly writing an indifferent newsletter is not the best use of it. Your time is money and it’s perhaps worth more than your average copywriter’s.
- Hiring a copywriter means freeing up time for the fun stuff. That might be nurturing staff, meeting new clients, or devising new products. It’s not writing your own copy.
- Hiring a copywriter puts an end to procrastination. You know, in your heart of hearts, the website looks and sounds a little tired. The numbers show it’s not converting. And that’s a worry. It’s time to silence those nagging voices.
- The temptation is to delegate in-house, but it’s not always a good use of your employees’ time. You have neither the inclination nor the confidence to rewrite your web copy – the same holds true for them.
- Hiring a copywriter is surprisingly affordable. Many work remotely, from home, and they have minimal overheads.
- You don’t become a great copywriter overnight. Think about what you excel at. Did you master Mandarin or the guitar or surfing in a day? Will Durant wrote, ‘We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.’ Consider Philip Kotler: ‘Marketing takes a day to learn. It takes a lifetime to master.’ Copywriters possess the expertise that comes only with experience.
- A copywriter will highlight what matters to those who matter: your customers. Your business may be your favourite subject. You may be able to talk about it till the cows come home. A copywriter will know how to drive your message home without driving people away. David Ogilvy said that you don’t bore someone into buying from you.
- The number one rule of copywriting: get their attention. This is especially true online. People don’t stick around for long. We all have twitchy fingers. Web page visitors take as little as 3 seconds to decide whether it’s worth staying.
- Concise sells. However complicated or technical your product or service, no one will complain that you made things too easy to understand. The modern age is all about bitesize. It is easy to outline your strengths in 1000 words. Can you do it in 100? A copywriter will have a good sense of what to include and what to leave out of promotional literature.
- A copywriter will help you find a voice. More important still, they know how to sustain a consistent tone of voice that resonates with your customers.
- Copywriters are ace mimics or ventriloquists. They know to use language that your customers use and understand. A copywriter may not know your business as well as you do, nor does your average customer. A copywriter is the conduit, the intermediary.
- Copywriters are ace researchers. They will stake out online forums, getting a sense of why your customers buy one product over another.
- A copywriter will help you feed the social media monster. Some overplay the need for new content, but consistency is important. Each platform competes for your time and attention, and the time and attention of your customers. It can be an enormous time suck. The temptation is to do nothing.
- Social media is now a central element of the marketing mix. Social Media Today reports that companies that blog regularly receive 55% more website visitors and 97% more links to their website. 70% of consumers learn about a company through articles rather than adverts. A copywriter will make digital marketing an opportunity not a burden.
- The right copywriter will ensure consistent, quality content that helps you stay top of mind and a visible, findable presence online.
- A copywriter will create the right content for the right context. Context is key. Each platform looks and feels and requires something different. Case studies and blogs make you an authority and allow you to insert keywords for SEO appeal. Videos are cool, get talked about and target those on the move. But you must get the wording right.
- A copywriter helps you stay up to date with an ever-changing industry. They have a feel for what is working now and what isn’t.
- Copywriters have a nose for what might scare off readers. They are psychologists as much as prose stylists. They know what not to write. Jargon, key word stuffing or the overused industry clichés all grate with potential customers. And consumers hate copy that has designs on them. Some copy tries too hard.
- In a world of fakery, the best copy is deceptively simple. It tells the reader: ‘Impossible is nothing … Just do it … It could be you … because you’re worth it …’ With the simplest words, a copywriter will sprinkle a little magic on your business or brand. ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’ (Leonardo da Vinci)
- I’ll sign off with a quote from one of my favourite clients: ‘I didn’t know the service existed. I wish I’d known about this years ago. It’s like getting someone to do your homework for you.'