Small business owners often make the mistake of believing that they can get by writing their own copy for their marketing materials. Even big corporations sometimes fall into this trap believing they can be just as effective handling copy development in house.
While its true that you can produce passable copy this way, you often are [...]
Written on August 29th, 2008
Read more articles on Become a writer.
Small business owners often make the mistake of believing that they can get by writing their own copy for their marketing materials. Even big corporations sometimes fall into this trap believing they can be just as effective handling copy development in house.
While its true that you can produce passable copy this way, you often are missing out on better resultsresults that a copywriting professional can bring to your marketing efforts. And settling for lesser results means your business isnt doing as well as it could, and its marketing materials are not providing the return on investment that they should.
The main concern that business owners and marketing directors alike have about hiring a professional copywriter is cost. They fear that the cost will be prohibitive. But in most cases the copywriters fees are minimal compared to the overall cost of the marketing campaign. And good copy can improve the success of the campaign by up to 34%.
The reason a professional copywriter can make such a difference to a marketing campaign is not only that they know how to write persuasivelythey also know what common mistakes to avoid. If youre trying to get by using copy written by somebody whose main focus is not copywriting, your marketing materials could be suffering fron one of these common traps.
1. Me-Centered Copy
Its so easy when youre selling a product or service to focus on that product or service. It seems like a no-brainer. But the truth is doing so can kill your response rate. Professional copywriters know to avoid this me-centered mentality and focus on the prospect instead. This shift alone is enough to make a sharp improvement in any marketing campaign.
2. No Call to Action
So many marketing pieces do a great job of getting the prospects attention. They draw them in, convince them of the product or services meritand just when the prospect is ready to buy, they drop the ball, and forget to tell the prospect what to do next. A call to action is a simple, but often overlooked, way to build response rateand its something that every copywriter worth his (or her) salt will include.
3. Selling Features
This common marketing trap is similar to the Me-Centered copy trap. Instead of figuring want the prospect wants to know about your product (why they need it, how it will help them), its so easy to just tell them what you know about the product. A professional copywriter will avoid this trap and focus on a products benefits, not features.
4. No Testimonials
If your copy doesnt include powerful testimonials, youre marketing efforts are missing out on one of their most powerful tools. A professional copywriter will always ask about testimonials. If you dont have them, theyll offer some tips for collecting them.
5. Wheres Your Target?
One of the most common copywriting errors is overlooking the target market. In an effort not to exclude anyone, the copy doesnt appeal to the people its really meant for. If your copy doesnt immediately grab (and hold) the attention of those your product or service is meant for, a professional copywriter can help your response rate.
6. Whats Your USP?
Your Unique Selling Proposition. What sets you apart from the competition. And ultimately why someone buys from you. A professional copywriter will want to know what it is or will help you determine it. And they will use it to make your marketing copy stronger.
7. Dont generalize.
A professional copywriter will spend time researching the market and issues of interest related to your product. Theyll always be specific with the information they convey, adding intrigue and credibility to your every marketing piece.
These are just some of the most common pitfalls that a professional copywriter can help you avoid. By enlisting the services of a professional, you can improve your marketing efforts through a better response rate and an increased return on investment.
Heather Robson is a founding partner of DragonFly Creative Media (http://www.dfcreative.com), a company that helps businesses that are overwhelmed or shorthanded move forward with their marketing strategies.
Weekly Positive Tip & Sales Skill from Mr. Fantastic for 7/7Stan Billue
Weekly Positive Tip & Sales Skill from Mr. Fantastic for 7/7
POSITIVE TIP from Mr. Fanta$tic
A nice little success secret of life is to learn to Reward Ourselves and Others each and every day. If we continually wait around for others to do nice things for us, unfortunately we might have a long wait. It could be as simple as picking yourself a flower, or buying a little trinket, or investing a few minutes to watch a beautiful sunset. We should also reward others who have done something nice, accomplished something special, or just because they are who they are. Take a moment out of your busy day and buy them a Greeting Card, or leave them a nice voice mail, or by simply telling them; “Thank You, or “Congratulations”, or “I really appreciate you”, or “I’m proud of you”. Kindness is fun to give away because it keeps coming back.
SALES SKILL from Mr. Fanta$tic
If you sell a product or service which requires that you do some Qualifying, you’ll find that a Bridge will help you be more successful. If you just start asking questions some Prospects can actually take offense by not understanding why you are probing or prying for information. By saying something like; “In order to determine how we might be able to best service your needs I need to gather some brief information, fair enough?” or “Just so I don’t waste your time I need to quickly verify that you would meet our suitability requirements, does that make sense?” Now you’ve told them why you need to ask questions and even received their permission to do so.
About the Author
Stan Billue, CSP is a recognized expert in Sales Skills, Telemarketing, Motivation, Mentoring, and Marketing. His Audio and Video Programs are sold in our 30 Countries. You can Subscribe to his Free weekly Newsletter at sbillue@cfl.rr.com
Written on August 29th, 2008
Read more articles on Become a writer.