If you?re in business, than copywriting is something that you use. If it isn?t, it should be. Most of your marketing efforts involve some form of copywriting?whether it?s copy for a sales letter, a display ad, a brochure, or a radio spot, somebody has to form the words that sell your product or service. And you want to be sure that the words they come up with are going to do their job well.
Whether you are doing the job yourself or just reviewing and approving copy before it goes out, you can only help your company by fine tuning your copywriting skills. That way you?ll know better what to write or what to look for in what others are writing.
To recognize good copywriting requires that you also understand the basic tenets of marketing. You need to be sure that the written words that your business uses are effectively reaching your target client base. And often what sounds good, may not be packing the most punch.
For example, it?s very tempting to talk about your company and how good your product and service is right at the outset of an ad. While information on your company?s reputation and the credentials of your product certainly have a place, you don?t want to lead with that information. Instead, you want your lead to talk about the prospect, their problems, and how you can help fix them.
Another tempting pitfall is to be too general in your headlines. When you?re advertising you want to reach everybody you can. This often translates into a headline that tries not to exclude anybody. The problem with this approach is that you may attract the attention of people who aren?t actually interested in buying your product, while your target audience may not be drawn in. Better to make your headline appeal directly to your target audience. Your ad may not catch as many eyes, but those that look will be more qualified prospects.
Whether you handle your business? copywriting directly or are responsible for its approval, it?s never a bad idea to brush up on your copywriting and marketing skills. A quick trip to the library or bookstore can provide a wealth of information. (I recommend checking out works by Bob Bly or Dan Kennedy.) Or subscribe to a marketing industry publication. Or take some time to review the sales ads and letters that cross your desk. By keeping your marketing and copywriting skills sharp, you?ll help your business to grow faster and stronger.
Bio: Heather Robson, as a copywriter, specializes in direct marketing and technical copywriting. To find out more about learning powerful copywriting skills, visit http://www.thewriterslife.com/ms To contact Heather directly with questions or for help growing your own business, email her at mailto:heather@dfcreative.com.
