Our world is full of words.
You read them on billboards, websites, emails, magazines, direct mail, brochures and catalogues not forgetting online digital content.
Who cares I hear you say?
You should because if you are an established business, SME or new business startup you need to develop your tone and this is reflected in your choice of words.
The words that are used to communicate your brand are the ethos of your company and they reflect your values.
Your brand is your identifier, your company, your persona, what you and your business stand for, the differentiator that sets you apart from your competitors.
How do you develop your voice and brand through the use of words or text?
Text or content is the copy (words) that make up your website, direct mail, emails, articles, blog posts, social media posts, sales and marketing collateral.
Without words, there is no brand or voice that tells your audience what you and your company are about and that is where a content writer helps.
Producing great copy for your project isn’t about making a few notes and bullet points hoping that someone will understand, it is about crafting and using the right words that make the content ‘sing’ to your audience.
Not literally, although you could produce a video of yourself singing the entire contents of your services that would be original.
The content on your website and your sales collateral need to be understood by your potential customer.
And be able to show them something they don’t know which prompts them to take action.
More often than not the first point of contact your newbie customer will have with you is the content on your website and your social media accounts.
The wrong words = wrong voice = no customer.
The words that you choose to develop your voice and brand are key to ensuring the customer “gets it”.
What is copy and what does it have to do with you?
The definition of ‘copy’ means different things to different people but, as far as I am concerned copy is the set of words used to sell something or to promote for sale.
And there are many types of copy – Slogans, Advertising, Promotional, Web SEO, Press Releases, Direct Mail and Advertising Features.
The content of your marketing piece helps hook the customer and it has to be easy to read, interesting and persuasive.
Making the time to generate and produce content is a real-time issue constraint for businesses.
Which is where a content writer comes in.
You are running a busy office, a business or company and time is at a premium.
But you are also aware that part of your sales and marketing objectives are to write and deliver consistently good quality copy on a regular basis.
This can be in the form of a business blog, podcast, sales and marketing print, marketing letters and sales literature either offline or for online viewing.
Making time to do it consistently requires planning and design.
How do you write objectively when it is your business?
To hook your customers your words need to be persuasive and informative without sounding big-headed and arrogant.
And getting it across in words requires skill and thought.
When you’re the one writing it, sometimes it can appear too fluffy and cringe-able.
There are numerous examples I read daily of copy that literally makes me cringe because it has been written without the customer in mind.
A content writer is trained to write copy that makes an impact and is persuasive and is kept short (no longer than is necessary to describe details).
The challenge for the copywriter is to make the content original and fresh while at the same time persuading people to purchase your product or service.
Your brand helps the customer form an opinion of you and develops your reputation.
You want creditability and by building on your reputable position you become the ‘go-to’ person in your industry.
Think of the great brands who spend hours developing straplines for their products and services like:
Tesco “Every little helps”
Coca Cola “They don’t make’em like they use to, WE DO” or “Open a Coke, Open happiness”
Nike – “Just do it”
Sony – “BE MOVED” and, “Like no other”
They have the money and the resources plus a whole host of advertising agencies to help them but you can adopt the same principles with your own brand, website and sales literature.
If you have never given any thought about how your content and the tone is conveyed, the chances are you are undervaluing your business.
The right tone, language and consistency are crucial so that it sends out the right message to your audience.
How can a content writer help?
The copywriter’s job is to ensure your brand has a voice whether it is in print or online.
Use of language, consistency, correct spelling and grammar is vital to building trust with your audience and developing a brand all of which can be achieved by working with me.
Finally, some key points to think about when you are writing your own content
What does your business do and, how do you help customers?
Do you know your target audience?
What are your sales/marketing objectives for your website, sales and marketing?
Why would a customer contact your business?
What writing style best suits your company’s image – technical, conversational, salesy?
Further reading for you
8 mistakes SMES make when writing web content
An introduction to what is a content writer?
