Writing Copy
Many small business owners are good at a great many things.
Some, however, are not good writers. This doesn’t stop them from trying to write their own copy. If you know that writing copy is not your specialty, then it is a good idea to hire someone to do the writing for you.
This doesn’t have to be very expensive.
There are freelancing sites on the internet where you can post your job, view the portfolios of potential writers and pick the one you like best for the job.
Experience Matters
If you do hire someone, do not make the mistake of selecting the writer who offers to do the work for the lowest price.
You need someone with experience. Remember, the success of your business may depend largely on what this person writes for your ad copy.
Writing copy to advertise your business will be a big part of your communication with current and potential customers. So it has to be well written and catchy.
Do It Yourself
If you choose to do the copy writing yourself, there are some things to keep in mind.
While accurate descriptions of your product or service are, obviously, important, that is not the only thing that should be included in your ad copy. The potential customer needs to know how that product or service is going to benefit them.
Be as specific as possible. For example, instead of simply describing your dog walking service, try something like “You work hard all day. When you get home from work, you need time for YOU. Let us walk the dogs while you relax and get dinner started.”
This ad copy points out a way that your service will be beneficial to the reader. That will grab her attention more than “We will walk your dog for you.”
Don’t expect the reader to make the connection between your product or service, and how it will benefit them. Do the work for them. Also, include questions to which the answer will always be, yes. “Do you want to save money?” “Do you worry about paying too much for home repairs?”
Such questions will help you relate to the reader.
Silly Mistakes
Even the best copy writing can be easily overshadowed by misspellings and poor grammar. Have as many eyes as possible check over the ad copy to be sure that it is free of such mistakes.
You want to leave the reader with nothing but a positive impression of your business.
Poor grammar looks unprofessional, and the last thing you want to do is give a potential customer a reason to think you do not take your business seriously.
Keep Promises
Another big mistake made when writing copy is making promises that the business cannot – or will not – keep.
Sure, making outrageous promises might get potential customers to call, but they won’t call back once they realize that they cannot trust you.
It’s better to be honest up front than to have to explain why you didn’t come through on what your ad copy promised.
Be sure to relate to the customer. Doing so will help you capture the reader’s attention and, as a result, capture more sales.
