27
Apr, 2021
Think you’re a pretty deft wordsmith? You might have the gift of the gab and the ability to fire off a killer email, but that doesn’t always mean you’re the right person to write your own marketing copy.
The same goes for pitching to potential clients in person versus actually sitting down and hammering out your brand copy and content strategy. No matter how knowledgeable and passionate you are when talking about your business, you may not be up to the task of:
- articulating your positioning statement and USP
- developing your tone of voice
- defining your internal and external brand values
- perfecting your slogan or tagline
- creating your brand’s overarching content strategy – the who, why, where and when of every piece of content you produce
- writing strategic, targeted messaging for your:
– client proposals
– website
– capability statement
– social media profile
– brochures
– emails
– client communications.
It’s a lot and it’s got to be perfect in order to bring those potential clients onboard. Still confident you want to take it on?
Why are words so weighty?
Good copy involves the careful use of grammar, syntax, punctuation, subtle inferences and more. You may think a tiny typo’s no big deal, but it can actually make your site seem unprofessional and unintelligent. Professional copywriting boosts perceived credibility, and you only have one shot to impress potential customers when they visit your website, see your advert or find your email sitting in their inbox. Every interaction with your brand matters, and words in-particular leave a lasting impression. Copy isn’t just on your website, it’s across all your touchpoints – social media, proposals, EDMs, marketing material and even email signatures. Whatever our job, we all write something in our daily life, and most of us are able to tell if copy’s a little “off”. Engaging a professional copywriter – one who can look at your business objectively, and craft words with your business end-goals in mind – should be a non-negotiable in your marketing budget.
Every word counts
A lot of websites house copy purely for SEO purposes – and you can tell. While this is an effective way to boost your visibility online, it can work against your brand if it compromises your carefully considered key messaging. If SEO pages make your website read poorly, seem repetitive and, well, a bit soulless, there’s a problem. Typically an SEO-provider that’s also tasked with writing your website copy will be approaching the job with their key objective in mind – to get you ranking. What they’re not paid to consider is brand perception and message delivery. This is why it’s crucial not to sell your (company) soul when it comes to SEO – instead, engage a professional copywriter to review and reword your SEO copy so it’s on-brand and doesn’t bore your reader to death. A professional SEO copywriter can even make your SEO pages serve a dual purpose – enhancing your visibility and boosting your brand at the same time.
When it comes to brand copywriting, every word matters. That’s why, when clients approach us about a branding project, we always, always recommend professional copywriting – even when they have a limited budget. Tailored copy – written by someone who knows what they’re doing – is no optional extra. It’s an absolutely essential part of marketing your business successfully.