Ah, myths and legends, something which doesn’t really exist, right? Like copywriting… As a small business owner, you have probably come across copywriters before, but are never really sure what they do, or what benefit they could possibly have. After all it’s just writing about your business isn’t it? And you can do that yourself.
Not necessarily! Read on as I attempt to answer this for you by busting apart my top 7 Myths About Copywriting.
It is about protecting your intellectual property or trademarking
This is one of the most common misconceptions! CopyRighting is about securing your intellectual property. You need a legal team involved and it protects your business if someone steals your ideas. CopyWriting is totally different, as it is about creating persuasive words on the page, providing leads for sales.
It is just writing words down on a page
Yes, it does involved writing words, but these words need a purpose and a structure. They need to be written in such a way to appeal to your potential customer; grabbing their attention from the outset, then keeping them on the page long enough to be inspired to contact you (whether it is to make a purchase, or at least make an enquiry).
It will be too pushy and put off my customers
There is a fine line between being too pushy I agree, but why would you not want to promote your business and encourage sales? It would be time wasted otherwise. The main difference is that the copy written will present your product as an answer to your customers needs. This is very different to pushing something onto them that they don’t need, which is indeed very annoying and will make them run a mile!
I would rather write it myself, I know my business best
Ok that’s fair enough, but are you really happy to publish content about your business, your pride and joy, that hasn’t been checked by a professional? Or edited with proper marketing needs in mind? You might be busy and just want to get something out there, but is it really the best you can come up with? A copywriter will work with you to find out all they can about your business and desired customers before they start writing, so it is like having the perfect partnership – you know your business inside out and the copywriter knows how to sell it!
The words on my website are just fine, thank you
Again, fair enough, but have you checked how many actual visitors these words have attracted, let alone lead to a sale or enquiry? Signing up to Google Analytics will tell you, and I am already betting that you are not being found for what you think you are! A copywriter will help you write the website content around the right keywords on the page; keywords that your potential customers are actually searching for, and will include them in paragraphs that actually make sense (not just stuffed with keywords, like old fashioned SEO).
My neighbour writes short stories, she can do it for me
A good copywriter indeed does have something in common with a writer of fiction, in that good English is needed, they may need to tell a ‘story’ and do lots of research before writing. However, there is one main difference; the copywriter is there to write persuasive words for a business that inspire action, i.e. build relationships, create sales leads or inspire immediate purchases. It is marketing and a business tool, not just telling stories.
It sounds expensive, I can’t justify that cost for my business
A copywriter is a skilled professional, and yes that does come with a fee, but it’s a fee well spent as it will be an investment in your business. Time is money, so do you really want to spend time creating copy, not really knowing if it is going to work or not, when you could have a professional do it in half the time? Good business people know how to delegate, and hiring a copywriter will save you both time and money in the long run.
So there we have it, my top 7 Myths About Copywriting debunked! Has it helped persuade you? You might have more objections I haven’t thought of, or you might be ready to hire a copywriter right now. Either way, do let me know in the comments below.
This post is written by Rachel Toy of Spirit Creative, a creative digital freelance based near Tring. If you would like to use effective web design and content marketing to help grow your business, or need more advice on Copywriting, call me on 01296 662172 or email rachel@spiritcreative.co.uk.