Writing good copy - Marketing⁺

Writing good copy – Marketing⁺ a collection of papers from PlannedSites for SME's

"The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean” - Robert Louis Stevenson

We all think we can write good English. It’s a sort of macho thing. But this isn’t about grammar, punctuation or syntax. Crudely, it’s about getting a sale, or a new client. Your English can be impeccable and score ten out of ten in GCSE tests. But that impeccable English may also be so boring, it’s practically unreadable.

Good copy, in this context, is English that is a compelling message that attracts potential clients. There is an army of exponents and many of them have written books on the subject. Here we have limited time so this is nothing more than a distillation.

Consider this:

xxxxxx is a leading web design and software development company that is committed to providing companies with great quality, reliable and winning web solutions. We are redefining the way web sites are built and managed by introducing a range of web design packages that incorporate professional web design and advanced web site
functionality. With xxxxxx, getting your business website online has never been faster and simpler.

You may not recognise it as something you’ve seen but you’ve certainly seen its type
many a time. Now consider this:

Complete website development for your business

Your website is the first exposure to your company that many of your customers will have. Make sure you make a good impression through proper web design.

The Internet has become one of the most successful tools in linking buyers and sellers to one another. This being the case, it is important that your website not only display what your business has to offer, but that it is organized, informative, easy to navigate and easy to find.

At Webgeek Design, whether you are looking to build a website for a large corporation or a small start-up company, your business is OUR business. We view each website as an individual creation and are not satisfied until you are. Our talented web design staff will take the time necessary to work with you so that you feel confident your website stands out and adequately represents you and your business.

Contact us now for a free quote or see our portfolio for examples of our work.

The second may be a bit stilted but it is infinitely better than the first whose biggest mistake is its insistence in talking about itself. In an advert for a sofa do you want to know that you’ll be comfortable or do you want to know the construction details of what will make you comfortable?

The first also has no headline (the value of which we’ll discuss later).

Benefits

The most important thing in writing good copy is to hone in on benefits – the benefits the reader will enjoy by using you. These have to be real, almost tangible, certainly believable. Many organisations have a selling message based on personal service. OK, providing a personal service is a benefit to a potential client but . . .

• wouldn’t he expect personal service to be included automatically?
• doesn't every firm offer personal service?

Personal service may be a benefit but offering it as something that differentiates you
from other firms – forget it. As a firm you need to establish three proper benefits you offer. It’s not easy and could take time but for successful marketing the time investment will more than pay for itself.

Copywriter

If you don't feel confident at all, then pass your brief onto a copywriter.  They can writer the whole piece from start to finish.

However if you do want a crack at it, when you’ve drafted some copy (and, by the way, if your final copy bears any resemblance to your initial draft you probably need to do some more work), a copywriter will also be happy to edit it for you.

USP

Your unique selling proposition. As with benefits you need something with a bit of bite. We don’t want to be hearing of a personal service again under this heading.

When you find one, flaunt it.

Positioning

Positioning is the process of putting the perception of your firm’s exceptional services into the minds of potential clients. Some years ago Volvo spotted a niche in the car market and started conveying the message of producing safe cars. Today, without much thought, most people associate Volvo with safety.

You can do the same thing.

Call to Action

All your copy must end with a Call to Action. “Do this and do it now”. You see something similar time and time again. Why? Because it works.

Writing Techniques

• Use bullet points:
o they clarify your message (very often because reducing something you’ve
written to bullet points clarifies the message for you).
o they’re easier to read,
o the eye is drawn to them
o they’re easier to write and can help composition
• Get started – you’re not aiming for perfection first up
• Address your words to one person
• Answer objections but don’t risk putting something in your reader’s mind that wasn’t
there before.
• AIDA – standing for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. Your message should
have those elements and it that order. The most important by a long way is Attention
– the headline.
• Use short words. For example, “commencement” is one of the ugliest words in the
language. You should never use it, particularly as “start” means exactly the same.
• Use short sentences.
• Use positive statements rather than negative if you can. Your glass should always be
half full, not half empty.
• Use active words rather than passive. “She hit him” rather than “He was hit by her”.
• So many professionals will tell you how much better long copy is over short that it
must be true. BUT that means tell your story fully, not pad your story out.
• Always ask someone to read your copy. Did they understand it first time through and
without having to go back and re-read any part of it, however small? If there are any
problems on these points, re-draft what you have written and test again.
• Use testimonials
• Use guarantees