Volume II - Edition I
Why Good Copy Matters
Its well known that your web page, brochure, mailer or newsletter can have a huge impact on your business. These are well proven marketing tools that have stood the test of time. The written word, laid out on screen or paper is intended to convey a message—done well and your enterprise will profit. However, if your communication does not read well you may not recover.
Just a few years back we saw the “dot com boom” followed by the “dot com bust,” a remarkable rise and fall of a single industry that was quickly developing. Thankfully that market sector has now settled somewhat and offers great opportunity for business and entrepreneurial growth.
The web is a unique marketing medium as it is a great leveler. Small and large companies compete for the same customers and dollars. And in many cases the small, more agile business has a unique advantage—speed and flexibility—that larger, more bureaucratic businesses struggle with quick changes.
What came out of the “dot com bust” period was a new realization in the power of the written word—the copy on all the pages of the net. During the pioneering days of the net, it was technology, graphics, cool stuff that drove site development—minimal attention was paid to copy. Clearly, technology has its place, but what makes a customer out of the surfer is the written message.
It depends on the words used, the tone created, the overall message crafted that does the heavy lifting of sales—it’s all about the copy.
This is the major advantage that large companies have over the small businessperson—they quickly learned that words are the key-selling element of the web. They started hiring Direct Mail copywriters to develop their message and immediately realized a huge impact on sales. The small business did not catch on as quickly and many exited the web as a viable medium. Most had competitive products and services, with fair pricing, but they failed to convey a compelling message. Their copy just did not motivate the prospect to purchase. However, more and more of these smaller businesses have seen the value in quality copy. They are making investments into content and copy, and being rewarded for their efforts.
The end objective of your printed message, whether on paper or electronic, is to invoke a positive response—one that sells.
The message must reach in and grab the reader with voice, tone, and language that motives, and gets them up from the computer to open their wallets.
It must tell your customer about you and your product in a voice and tone that reaches deep.
How does it read?
- Copy that creates trust between the buyer and seller.
- Copy that speaks to the inter dialog of the prospect’s mind.
- Copy that answers the prospects “What’s in it for me?” question.
- Copy that educates and outlines the benefits of your offer.
- Copy that speaks the buyer’s language—targeted, direct and, compelling.
- Copy that instructs the prospect in the buying process.
There are writing guidelines, but no real rules in creating strong copy — the words, the pace, the phrases, and the tone of the message. When copy is done well your prospect barely notices—they just respond. Done poorly and your prospect is off surfing once again.
Does your
business have copy that does the heavy lifting of sales for you? Does your
message ring true—clear—compelling? If not, your business will benefit from a
copywriter that can tap into the mid of your customer, and create a message he
or she wants to hear.
This month's tip:
Everyone has a story. When a writer or speaker tells his/her story it helps us tap into our own wisdom because in some way these stories are about us--we connect with them. Many of our deepest lessons are learned through life experiences. We don't take much time to hear each others stories-- we are too busy watching the unreal stories portrayed in the movies and on television.
I would ask you...do you know your own story, have you set it to paper or memory? If not I challenge you to do so today. You might just surprise yourself.
Quote of the Month:
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher considered the father of Taoism.