Effective copywriting is not just about creativity (although that is still a must if you want to grab attention points) but it is also about understanding what the people you want to reach hear and read.
It is about communicating how you can make their lives easier through your business’ products and services.
Good copywriting, whatever the platform and the distribution channel, must always answer the £M question – what’s in it for me?
If the question remains unanswered, it’s just writing.
Naturally, there is an etiquette. Grammatically-correct, spell-checked writing is taken as read.
Brochures
Well-written brochures give us total control of our messages – and the look and feel of our brands. An effective brochure – or portfolio of brochures - persuades people to engage with us. Translates our facts and features into benefits. Sells our services. Wins us business. Despite the digital revolution, they are still integral to the marketing mix.
WWW copy and content management
Websites are our very own ‘broadcast’ media, so our web content should be fresh, current and newsy, just like it is on TV and the radio. A regular SEO-friendly diet of original content is essential to drive traffic to you and calls to action – including blogs, audio and video. News stories and blogs together with online special offers and e-card or electronic newsletter campaigns will give you unprecedented interactive access to your stakeholders through inbound links.
Press releases
A proper press release makes a journalist’s job a lot easier. It doesn’t need spin, just the facts, a hook and an understanding of what target media wants. They need to be properly planned, researched and written. They needed to be distributed using traditional and online channels. And followed up where appropriate.
Social (sharing) media
Social (or sharing) media provides numerous exciting channels for businesses to distribute content to customers, clients, purchasers and opinions formers. Clever use of social media platforms builds inbound links, greater traffic and boosts sales. Incidentally, social media, such as tweeting, LinkedIn, Facebook and numerous other sharing channels, should receive the same disciplined approach as any other copywriting task. Objectives and success criteria should be clearly identified. Results should always be assessed and where possible methods regularly test.
Magazines & newsletters
Magazines and newspapers and give you total control of how and what you want to say to people. Printed or electronic, the key skills are the same including editorial production, photo research, design, layouts and artwork.
Video, scripts and speeches
Producing and broadcasting a video is easier and cheaper than ever before – but that does not mean sacrificing quality. Videos – and indeed speeches and audio presentations – should always be professionally scripted to ensure you get your messages across in the quickest and most effective way possible. Filming and editing should follow the same design templates as the rest of the brand and be shared across all media channels once published. Videos should always finish with a clear call to action.
Business plans, presentations & sales letters
Good communications and copywriting applies across the board – and not just to the glossy colourful collateral. Business plans, reports, presentations and sales plans are just as important. Professional writing and editing skills can transform documents. Make them accessible, relevant and consistent by focusing on key messages.
Advertising & direct mail
Advertising and direct mail generate sales and awareness about you and your business. Whether it’s part of a planned campaign to build our brand or tactical activity to boost sales leads, advertising and direct mail must show end user benefits, engage with our audience and carry an easy to follow call to action.
White papers
White papers are an increasingly powerful marketing tool, focusing on the needs of our audience, highlighting how you can solve their problems with your solutions, products and services. Search engines love them. They provide greater substance and logical reasoned arguments.