I’m reading Can I Change Your Mind? - a book about persuasive writing by copywriter Lindsay Camp and came across something that resonated with my experiences of writing for clients.
Under the heading Losing sight of the intended result Lindsay discusses how clients keen to shout about their new “manufacturing process, award for innovation or bottling [...]
Highlight your differences. Why are you better, faster, cheaper or stronger than your competitors?
Work out your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and then advertise it. Tell your customers why you’re better than the other guy.
A freelance copywriter can help identify the thing that makes your business special. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes will see something [...]
Smart business people recognise the value of good communicators.
If your organisation doesn’t value communication, you may be wondering why people don’t get what you do.
Poor communication at all levels of an organisation can be the cause of:
Confused customers
Disillusioned staff
Unclear goals
Bad products/services.
If your team doesn’t include any talented writers, consider using a freelance copywriter to boost [...]
Just write.
Write emails, blog posts, articles or letters. Everything you write makes you better at writing.
This isn’t Earth-shattering advice, but it’s important enough that I made it my #1 writing tip.
Show me a bad writer and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t write much. It’s as simple as that.
Copywriters are lucky in that they get [...]
If your copy is a load of balls your bounce rate* will be sky-high. Bad copy can affect your bounce rate in a number of ways:
Your visitors may have been expecting something different to what you are offering. Unclear copy can attract the wrong kind of visitor.
Poor grammar or spelling [...]
Writers don’t have to read every classic. You can read anything, but you must read something.
If you don’t read you will never understand how writing works, or how it can fail.
Be adventurous with your reading. Avoid re-reading the same few books.
Reading a variety of styles and sources will strengthen your writing, improve your vocabulary and [...]
Is your copy full of “we”?
If you find lots of “we”, “us” or “our” in your copy, it’s a sure sign that it’s self-centred, and not focussed on your customer.
You should have copy littered with “you” and “yours”. These words generally indicate that your copy is aimed in the right direction (your customer’s!).
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