Five common copywriting arguments (and my responses) 15 September 2015
Having earned my crust as a copywriter for over two decades, I’ve spent nearly as much time talking to business-owners about their content as I have actually writing it. During this time I’ve encountered some common reasons as to why copywriting is not a concern for particular businesses. I thought I’d share five of my favourites – and my responses – here:
1. “We don’t really get leads from our website so it doesn’t matter what our web content is like.”
Yes, even now that the world is online, this is something I still hear every once in a while when chatting about copywriting…It’s all too easy to forget that while those lovely leads may be coming in another way, other potential prospects might be put off by less than engaging website copy. Aside from typos or grammar gaffes, there’s also the small matter of defining your business above others. It’s great that those leads are coming in, but does out of date or dodgy web content mean that your business credibility is gradually being undermined at the same time? It could be, without an appropriate copywriting strategy.
2. “We haven’t really got anything new to say for our industry so why do we need to have a blog?”
By definition, every company should have something new to say. This message is exactly what a great copywriting plan and blog can bring to life. Does your product have an environmental edge over similar products? Is your service based around niche industry experience? Have you discovered an innovative way to help people save money? These are all of potential interest to your market and extremely blog-worthy topics. With the right plan and approach, you can generate all kinds of valuable blog content. Yes, it usually takes a little time before you enjoy the benefits of blogging and copywriting, but if your company doesn’t have anything new to say, how is it going to stand out from everyone else? This particular cop-out overlooks the many advantages of blogging, whether that’s better SEO, more profile or gaining the edge over your competitors!
3. “I didn’t get a response to my new content as quickly as I wanted so I stopped.”
Reviewing what you’re doing – good. Suddenly stopping a long-term copywriting strategy – not so good. While there’s no point in continuing with an approach which has stopped working, this particular statement always makes me want to ask about that person’s expectations. Were they hoping to go viral right from their inaugural blog post or aiming for hoards of comments after just one week? The reality is that effective copywriting strategies take a little longer to have an impact. It’s all in the planning.
4. “We can’t all agree on the core message/tone of voice/format so we’re leaving it for now.”
Consensus can be a challenge. I know. I’ve heard first hand from clients how tough they can find it to reach a final copywriting decision. From issues around the right tone of voice to the appropriate way to present a business, copywriting choices can be tricky – if they’re not managed effectively. But it’s not a good idea to let decision-by-committee get in the way of applying the power of content. Creating a clear process and having one or two named people who oversee it and make the final decision is a good way to avoid this particular problem.
5. “Our business isn’t really about marketing so it would be inappropriate to use content to communicate with our clients.”
I occasionally hear this one from people who make things – hard working business-owners in the manufacturing or industrial sectors who (understandably) haven’t used content or copywriting strategies to communicate with their current or potential clients. But it’s a viewpoint which excludes all kinds of possibilities. Like that mailing list which is gathering dust (or the digital equivalent) or the upcoming industry conference for which there is nothing but some very ‘vintage’ (and not in the upcycling, fun way) brochures. Just because your core product or service isn’t about marketing doesn’t mean that your business should miss out on the opportunities offered by an effective copywriting strategy!
Want to chat more about this or other copywriting ideas? Let me know!
Written by Camilla Zajac
Camilla Zajac is an award-winning copywriter dedicated to uncovering what’s exciting and unique about organisations and empowering them to communicate that with impact. Learn more about copywriting services from Green Light Copywriting.
