Business-to-Business Copywriter
3 Keys To Keeping Your Copywriting On Strategy
by Steve Slaunwhite
by Steve Slaunwhite
There are countless examples of copywriting that is wonderful to read. The grammar is impeccable. The phrases are inventive. The words sing. But does that mean the resultant sales letter, direct mail package, web page or ad will meet objectives?
The answer, of course, is no.
Good writing alone is not enough to engage the hearts and minds (and wallets) of customers. If that's all it took, a lot of struggling literary authors would be making a lot more money.
So how do you ensure that your copywriting isn't just pretty prose? Here are three questions that can help keep your copywriting on strategy:
Ask: “What is the goal?”
Exactly what is it that you want to accomplish? Do you want your email to encourage HR managers to download a valuable white paper? Do you want your direct mail package to motivate gold investors to fork over $600 for a newsletter? Do you want your sales brochure to help sales people explain new product features? Be as specific as you can.
It's amazing how many direct mail and email promotions, and especially general marketing communications, seem to have no clear raison d'etre. Don't risk producing something that merely contributes to the clutter. Have a goal, and keep it front-and-center as you write. You might even want to sticky-note the goal to your computer (as I sometimes do.)
Ask: “What's in it for the reader?”
Perhaps the biggest mistake that copywriters make is focusing too heavily on the product. This admonition may come as a surprise for some. After all, isn't the product the subject?
Actually, no. The subject is the customer. Or, more specifically, the customer's needs, desires and interests. That means your copywriting must clearly answer the question every reader asks: “What's in it for me?”
If you focus purely on the product — no matter how revolutionary or value-packed it may be — you risk producing nothing more than a “brag and boast” document. And you know what happens to those. (Waste bin basketball, anyone?)
Ask: “What do I want the reader to do?”
Do you want the reader to visit a web page and fill out a form? Do you want them to call a toll-free number and order your product? Perhaps you want potential customers to be prepared (i.e. “watch your mail”) because something interesting is going to happen next.
Copywriting in all its various forms — direct mail, advertising, PR, online — is essentially an exercise in persuasion. Whether it's an obvious “Call Now!”, or conveyed merely in the subtext, you must communicate what it is you want the reader to do. If you don't, your writing will be like a ship without a rudder. It may look good, but it's going nowhere.
Steve Slaunwhite is an award-winning copywriter, freelancer's coach and author of The Everything Guide to Writing Copy (Adams Media) and Start & Run a Copywriting Business (Self-Counsel Press). To receive a free copy of his "Copywriter's Success Kit" visit http://www.forcopywritersonly.com.