I’m going to be 100% up front with you: This entire article is basically going to be one big plug for hiring copywriters. I run a copywriting company, new customers are my bread and butter, and, as a business owner and marketer, I have an obligation to myself and to my staff to promote our services as aggressively as possible.
Now, let me step out of the confessional and provide you with what I think amounts to a success framework for marketing your business that is built around different kinds of copy. These building blocks are separate from other types of content, like visuals and multimedia, but I will give you my two cents on where those things fit in as we go.
The best way to lay out a business copywriting strategy is to align and develop the copy around the Buyer’s Journey. Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Copy That Raises Awareness
Let’s start at the very beginning (it’s still a good place to start) and talk about using copy to raise awareness of your brand.
All products and services exist to fill voids or solve problems. Your initial contact through words should address the problem(s) your product solves and communicate to the readers that you understand what they are going through. It’s the old “gain trust” and “encourage engagement” angle, and it is vital to getting them past this initial stage of their journey.
There are a few key types of copy that you can use to get your audience’s attention at this stage. Here are some of the most common:
• Website Copy
• Blogs
• Long-Form Articles
• White Papers
• Landing Pages
• Squeeze Pages
• Long-Form Sales Letters
• Video Sales Letters
• Sales Pages
• SMS Texts
• Social Media Posts/Tweet/Pins
Many of the above can also be used to direct the reader further down the road to conversions, and I will touch on how momentarily. For now, I’m guessing that you’re already finding this list daunting. You’re probably also hearing the “cha-ching!” of a cash register with every bullet.
To allay some of your concerns, you won’t find yourself using all of these avenues in every campaign. There are some you might never use at all. The point here is to get you thinking about all of your options. Are there things on that list that you’ve thought about but haven’t tried? Are there things you’ve never heard of or thought about in connection with your own marketing strategy?
If you answered yes to either (or both) of those questions, I would suggest taking the time to at least look into them. Learn what you’re doing without and see if any of those options might be used to fill voids or replace other efforts that aren’t working.
I would also suggest at least seeking the help of people who specialize in the types of copy you currently use (or elect to use going forward based on this list). Ask your copywriter or agent if he/she/they have the knowledge and expertise to handle creating a specific type of copy for your business. A reputable company will be honest and direct about what its people can deliver.
2. Copy That Plays Up the Brand
Once you get past the awareness stage, you want to give your readers things to think about. This is where you continue seeding your website and social channels with fresh words all the time. Those words could come in the form of more emails and blogs (the two most effective content marketing tools out there), but you might find that you need different messages and articles to get through to various segments of your list.
It is also important that your basic brand message shines through in everything you write or have written for your company. Simply generating well-written, thought-provoking copy is not enough. You also need to make sure that the reader associates the words with your brand, not just the concepts behind the articles. Remember, you are the solution to the problem, not just the product or service in general.
OK, so, if that’s the case, why did I downplay my own services at the beginning of this post? Simply put, an ounce of humility can go a long way in establishing a sense of trust and equality with your reader. No, I don’t want you to hire another agency. Yes, my writers can handle anything on that list. There is no reason why you should ever look anywhere besides Beez for your copywriting needs. There. I said it.
“All right, then, Cedric, why leave the exit door ajar, then?” Because I want my customers to know that I care about them, first and foremost. That attitude must shine through in your copy at this stage.
The decision to do business with you has to be the customer’s, not yours. Admit it: You kept reading for one of two reasons. You either did it to get information from a source you decided was trustworthy after reading two or three paragraphs or to find a reason to hire us. Maybe you kept reading for both reasons…
Any way you look at it, my plan worked. Show real concern for the readers, and it will help you gain their trust quickly. Just do me one favor: Don’t fake it. Be genuine and sincere. Your customers will figure it out quickly if you aren’t.
3. Copy That Makes the Sale
I’ve done loads of full articles on this subject or have touched on it in enough detail in previous posts that I don’t really want to repeat myself too much here. I’ll leave this one very simple for you:
In order to see the customer make it to the end of the buyer’s journey, you have to get good at a few things:
• Delivering a constant flow of fresh content, always
• Testing and implementing the best possible calls to action at each stage
• Integrating content with your copy that reinforces the concepts and ideas you are trying to convey about your brand
• Personally interacting with your audience via social media
The Last Word on Great Copy
Absent of the accidental pun in that last heading, what I really want you to take away from this post is a sense of direction in copy creation. I want you to think about how you are doing things now and how the right words can make a difference in how people receive all your marketing materials.
The words you use matter. If you feel like you could use help in that arena, stop wasting money and resources on things that don’t work or don’t work well. Enlist the help of a few pros in the field, regardless of whom you decide to hire.