Be your own copywriter – Part 1

You might not need a copywriter. You may prefer to take control of your own content and spruce up your words. And why the hell not?

If you’re interested in improving your own copy, then I hope you will find the following tips useful.

I’m going to elaborate on the following points in the coming weeks, and when I’m done I’ll bundle them all together into a Word document so you can take it away.

You can make your copy better (I’ll explain what ‘better’ means later…) by

• Fixing mistakes.
• Using keywords.
• Making sure that the copy answers customer questions.
• Making sure that the copy supports your own goals.
• Highlighting benefits.
• Bringing everything up-to-date.
• Using calls-to-action.
• Cross-linking your content.
• Thinking about your customers.
• Telling people what to expect.
• Revealing yourself.
• Making contact details and addresses easy to find.
• Using active sentences rather than passive.
• Being bold and clear, rather than trying to hide behind jargon.
• Focusing on the positive rather than the negative.

These are some of the things you can do to fix up your own copy. There’s no magic involved in copywriting – it’s just a case of following the rules. Actually, that’s not entirely right. Following the rules will help you produce effective copy, but your words may not be inspired – or captivating. To create brilliant, engaging copy you need tap in to your creative side. We’ll talk about that in future posts.

So – back to the rules…

I recommend that you review your own copy, taking the time to consider each point, page by page. Does every sentence on every page fulfil these requirements?

Check back next week for part 2, in which I will elaborate on the first point.