how to use business copywriting to make your sales more effective

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How to Use Business Copywriting to Make Your Sales More Effective

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How to Use Business Copywriting toMake Your SalesMore Effective

2 | How to Use Business Copywriting to Make Your Sales More Effective

If you’re a small business owner or freelancer, it’s important to craft messaging that connects you with the right customer or partner. The secret to doing this lays in writing copy that’s smart, informative, engaging, and clear.

Many small business owners think they can create messaging that sells their service or product instantaneously. Who needs a professional business copywriter? After all, copywriting is just stringing words together. How hard can it be?

The answer: very hard. Like all creative fields, writing effective copy is an art form. The best copy is written by professionals who have devoted countless hours

How to Use Business Copywriting to MakeYour Sales More Effective

3 | How to Use Business Copywriting to Make Your Sales More Effective

to their craft. You may think that because you started your business that you’re the authority on selling it, but the fact of the matter is, you need help with your copy. After all, you go to a professional to build your website or design your logo, right? Why wouldn’t you do the same for the messaging you use to win new customers?

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Find a ProfessionalWe mentioned this in our intro, but we’ll keep repeating: unless you consider yourself a writer, you’re going to want to outsource your copywriting. A talented professional copywriter will be able to work much faster and produce better results than someone who has never written business copy before.

Also, you may have heard the saying “everybody needs an editor.” This is a case where that phrase is especially true. Even if you have an idea of what you want your copy to say or accomplish, it’s always good to have a second person working with you. This other person can give feedback, introduce new ideas, and catch those pesky typos and grammatical errors that slip by all too often.

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Sharpen Your MessageSo let’s say you’re going to be working with a professional copywriter to craft copy for your website, social media outlets, or emails. The first thing you need to do when writing for any of these outlets is what you’re trying to accomplish. Do you want people to purchase a product? Visit your website? Watch a video? Tell a friend about your product or service?

Whatever the case may be, you need to make sure your reader knows exactly what information you’re trying to get across. A good way to do this is by making the last line of your copy a call to action like Watch this video! or Sign up for our newsletter here! What comes before this should persuade them to take this action. So if you’re asking people to watch a video, explain its value. If you want people to sign up for your newsletter, explain what makes it different from all the other emails that land in their inbox over the course of the day.

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Know Your Brand’s PersonalityThere’s a difference between a paragraph written by, say, Stephen King and Jackie Collins. It goes beyond plot and subject matter and into a real that any professional copywriter describes a tone.

Tone can be a tricky to nail. It’s essentially the way you say something and the mood your words convey. It’s easy to read someone’s tone in person. You can look at someone’s face or the inflection in their words, But in writing, it can be tricky conveying the right tone. After all, think about the curt emails you’ve received from a boss or coworker.

Are they angry with your, or are they just shooting off a quick reply so they can get through the rest of the emails in their inbox?

A talented copywriter will be able to wrap your copy in a tone that resonates strongly with customers. They’ll also be able to match the tone to the overall personality and goal of your brand or business. For instance, if you run a funeral home, the tone of your copy will probably be serious, serene, and reverent. However, if you own a bar that’s known for getting wild on the weekends, your copy will likely be lively, fun, and irreverent.

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Know Your Basic Writing RulesThe fastest way to isolate yourself from a reader is to ignore the basic rules of writing. Now, some writing rules are made to be broke. For instance, Apple’s “Think Different” slogan from the mid-80s is technically grammatically incorrect (it should be “Think Differently”) but the casual tone of the final tagline conveys a mood and a tone that matches the Apple brand: cool, pioneering, and unexpected.

But there are some rules that should never be broken. Typos, funky punctuation, or poor sentence structure can make your materials difficult or annoying to read. It can also make you appear sloppy and unprofessional - after

all, don’t we all snicker when we come across a typo or a nonsensical sentence on a website or blog?

Be sure that you or the copywriter you hire have a solid grip on the basic rules of grammar and spelling. If you’re tackling the writing on your own, consider grabbing a book that lays out the basic rules of grammar and punctuation in case you have questions when writing your materials. And, again, even if you feel confident enough in your writing skills to tackle your own business copywriting needs, it might be wise to hire a copyeditor who can keep an eye out for typos or other inconsistencies that sometimes we don’t catch.

There’s an old saying that that the medium is the message. What that means is that how you decide to say something - in the case of a small business owner, that may be an email, a webpage, a handout at your store - is as important as what you’re trying to say. On a smaller scale, think of it this way: The question will you marry me? has different weight if the person asking it has it written in the sky via airplane versus asking it over a quiet candlelit dinner.

When you’re crafting business-related copy, be sure that copy is living in the right place. When writing, ask yourself, “Is putting this message in an email

the best way to go?” or “What am I telling my customers by putting this message on my business Facebook page?”

Even if you’re trying to push out the same message over different platforms and outlets, you’ll probably want to change your approach. For instance, an email can get more in depth, while a tweet needs to be succinct and to the point. Never try to fit a message somewhere that feels wrong. For instance, the funny meme that relates to your business might play well on your Facebook page - but is it something you want to send out via email? Maybe not.

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Use the Right Medium

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Teach YourselfWe spent a lot of time talking about the importance of hiring a professional copywriter, but there’s also nothing wrong with teaching yourself to become a great writer,as long as you’re serious about it.

Visit your favorite bookstore and you’re bound to find a wealth of books that teach you how to write. Some of these books will focus on marketing or business writing, which will obviously be useful, but don’t shy away from books that are more creative in nature. They can offer insights that help your copy be less stiff and more lively.

If you want to get serious about copywriting, you can also consider taking a class or two that will teach you more about writing. Also, hearing what your teacher and classmates have to say will get you used to getting feedback from people.

Also, look for business copywriting that you like. What brands speak in a way that catches your attention? Which ones bore you? Which ones excel on social media? Who has the best email campaigns?

But there may be no better teacher than experience. While books and

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Teach Yourself

classes can give you the basic tools to become a great copywriter, you’ll also get better just by doing it a lot. Try to write every day, even if what you’re writing is always related to your business. Keep a journal, write letters or emails, or write short reviews of the movies your see and the books you read. These little writing habits may seem like nothing, but they’ll eventually build a foundation that helps you become a stellar business copywriter.

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In ClosingDesign and copy are the two artistic components that come together to build your brand identity and connect you with the right customers. Neither should be taken lightly.

When it comes to crafting business copy that gets the job done, always aim for perfection. If you aren’t happy with an email or pamphlet, rework it until it’s exactly what you want it to be. After all, that copy is potentially your first interaction with a customer and you want them to be nothing less than blown away.

All images are subject to copyright.Source: http://seocopywriting.com/21-ways-copywriter-can-help-small-business/