Is a Copywriter Worth the Investment?
If you've never worked with a copywriter you might find yourself thinking...
- 'I know my business best, why would I hire someone else to write about it?'
- 'I don't need fancy words, I need customers'
- 'I can write, I'll do it myself and save money
- 'Of course, you're going to tell me hiring a copywriter is worth the investment - you're a copywriter!'
But, we're worth the investment for many reasons. Before I dive into them, let's address the elephant in the room.
I'm a copywriter. But, this isn't a sales pitch.
Instead, I'm sharing the value that I add to businesses through the copywriting techniques I'm trained to use. I'm sharing how I connect with audiences and sell without 'selling'.
Let me ask you a question.
Do you want to grow your business?
I sure hope you answered yes. To do this, you must connect with customers. So, let's continue.
Copywriters offer a fresh perspective
Your business is your 'baby'. As a business owner, you've slogged your guts out getting it off the ground, building it up and no one knows it as you do. But you can be too close to write about it. A copywriter will bring a fresh perspective.
Telling the world about how much you love your business or how great your products are, is not enough. A copywriter digs deeper.
Successful projects hinge on a copywriter tapping into the knowledge and experience of the business owner. We use this to create (and filter) fresh, quality content that will help achieve your goals.
We understand and connect with your target audience
There's a real knack to writing great copy and at the heart of it is understanding your target market. Business copy shouldn't only talk about the business. A copywriter talks about (and to) your audience.
Pretty straightforward, right? Do you like talking to someone who only talks about himself or herself?.
Each product or service you sell has a target market. An ideal customer. Business copywriting needs to speak to them all. You can't be generic.
I'm not only talking about identifying basic demographics (age, location, salary etc.). It's about getting inside their headspace.
Who is your target audience? What are they thinking? What are they thinking?
If you want to take your copywriting from mediocre to wow, you must understand your target audience.
Know their pain points and what motivates them to take action.
A copywriter will mirror your audience's thoughts and feelings. We use words and tone of voice to show that we understand them. Copywriters help your audience to recognise your business as credible and trustworthy.
When a customer trusts that your product is the solution to their problem, they'll buy. This leads me to my next point.
Copywriters know that people don't buy products. They buy solutions.
What does this mean?
Extracting meaningful benefits (not advantages or features) is a skill that copywriters master.
We use proven copywriting techniques that show your audience what they'll gain or how their life will be better with your product (or service).
Let's break it down further and talk about mattresses
Don't tell your customers what your mattress is like.
- soft/firm/coiled/breathable/eco-friendly
These are features.
Tell them how it will make their life better.
- you'll get a great night's sleep.
- you'll wake up feeling refreshed.
These are the benefits. They're what your customer is interested in.
The point is, a copywriter knows people. We understand what drives them to act. Combine this with proven copywriting techniques and you've got copy that presses their buttons and drives them to act.
We write SEO copywriting that humans and Google Love
Most (not all) copywriters write search engine optimised (SEO) copy. We weave keywords and messages together to create copy that humans and the Google gods love.
In the 'olden days', it was enough to stuff keywords through copy to boost search engine rankings. But, Google got smart and audiences were turned off by copy littered with unnatural keywords.
An SEO copywriter strikes the right balance between keywords, readability and persuasiveness.
Copywriters use no more words than necessary
When you're passionate about your business, you want to scream it from the top of the roof.
You go into every detail about what makes your business so bloody awesome.
But, beware. Having a wall of words on your website or 'waffling on' in your sales letter means losing customers. They'll take a peak and think 'geez, I ain't got time to read this' or they'll get bored and move on.
A copywriter knows how to keep the stuff that customers love and connect with, and cuts the rest. They'll avoid jargon, exaggerated statements and using big 'look at me' words. Copywriters get to point in a way that still connects with audiences.
We capture attention by using 'non-click baity' headlines. Then, we step the reader through a journey. It feels personal and compels them to read on. We use trigger words to reduce their natural uncertainty (and anxiety) around taking action. Finally, we bookend all copy with a clear call to action.
We do all this in as few words as possible.
We understand how to present copy for maximum impact
Your website has less than 8 seconds to make an impression.
Count to 8. It's not long, is it?
Copywriters use proven formatting techniques that keep people on your page. We format copy that's readable, appealing and steps the reader toward the desired action.
The big lesson here is that how you present your copywriting is as important as what you say.
Copywriters leave your copy looking polished and professional
Your copy impacts on the integrity and credibility of your business and brand. So it's important that your copy is impeccable.
Typos and poor grammar will leave your brand in tatters. They detract from the message that you're sharing and won't inspire customers to trust you (let alone buy from you).
A copywriter delivers polished, proofread copy so you'll stand out from the crowd. You'll be so shiny you'll need sunglasses.
There's more to copywriting than writing content
Copywriters use proven techniques to create SEO content, write website copy, write blog posts, landing pages, sales letters and more.
But, I understand some budgets won't stretch for hiring a professional SEO copywriter. So, I encourage you to deep dive into as much copywriting learning goodness as you can. I'm talking free online courses, e-books, webinars etc.
There's heaps of free knowledge out there. If you've got to the time to find it, learn and use it. My post on small business website tips is a great starting point.
If you're keen to find out what it's like to work with a copywriter, pop on over and check out my copywriting process.
If you don't have the time and you're ready to take your copy to the next level, let's chat.