So you’ve registered your business. You’ve locked in a logo that could give Coca-Cola a run for its money and your customers are waiting just around the corner. All systems are go… nearly. There’s just one thing holding you back from finishing your website and telling the world about your exciting new venture.
You’re totally lost for words.
And that’s OK; you’re not expected to be able to do everything. This is where a copywriter comes in. A good copywriter has the ability to tell your brand’s story and communicate its USP (unique selling point) to your target audience. From the words written across your website to the content created for blogs, social media and EDMs, hire a copywriter to not only help you find your audience, but assist you with engaging with them.
But surely I can do this myself?
I have no doubt this is a question many business owners ask themselves, particularly start-ups with limited budget. Sure, you need to hire someone to design a logo and build a website for you. But why not cut costs by channelling your own inner wordsmith and learning how to blog?
Do you really need to hire a copywriter?
Well in short, the answer is yes. And sure, I get it – being a copywriter myself, I’m obviously biased. After all, writing words is how I put dinner on the table. But the results speak for themselves. There are many dangers you’ll end up facing if you take on the role of copywriter, including but certainly not limited to:
1) Your website ending up with typos.
The amount of websites I come across where there are typos scattered throughout never ceases to amaze me. This might not seem that important, but you’d be surprised the amount of people out there with eagle eyes who’ll notice these finer details. Typos should never be found on your website, as it just comes across sloppy and cheapens your brand. It also leads to potential customers or clients failing to trust the product or service you’re trying to sell them.
2) Your brand missing its tone-of-voice.
It’s not just keeping your content free of bad grammar and spelling mistakes that a copywriter is responsible for. They’re also who you’ll rely on to help your business find its tone-of-voice, which is imperative for seeking out your audience, helping them build trust in your brand and keeping them engaged. A qualified copywriter will want to know who your target audience is before anything else, so they can figure out the best way to find and speak to them.
3) Your content not being optimised.
Another term you’ve no doubt heard thrown around or perhaps have a vague understanding of, is SEO. For those of you completely new to the game, ‘Search Engine Optimisation’ is the magic key to getting your website ranking as highly as possible on Google. And when you’re competing against an ocean of other websites all trying to sell the same product or service as yours, you’ll want your website on page one, not 17.
A quality copywriter will be trained in how to make your website optimised, which these days is more complicated than simply stuffing your content with key words (terms that are searched frequently each month online). See, Google is a clever beast. And with new algorithms being developed all the time, it’s only getting cleverer.
SEO is now about quality over quantity.
These days, it’s all about developing engaging content that will really resonate with your audience. It’s about creating copy that will sound like an actual human being, not a robot doing its best to pull the wool over Google’s eyes (that’s if Google had eyes, of course). This is why you need to hire a copywriter. With the billion other things you need to be doing when launching and running a business (believe me, I know there really is a billion things), creating and maintaining a content strategy needn’t be one of them.
Which isn’t to say you shouldn’t be involved.
Quite the contrary. A good copywriter will have an open dialogue with you and frequent communication. If you provide them with clear briefs from the start, they’ll have the tools they need to turn your story into success by creating content that converts. Don’t be afraid to offer constructive feedback to your copywriter, as you’ll know more than anyone when something is on or off brand. The more you give them, the more you’ll receive in return.
It’s also a good idea to set up monthly meetings with your copywriter if you’re planning to work with them on an on-going basis. This could be over the phone, Skype, or coffee in real time. Take it from me, copywriters love coffee – so definitely opt for the latter if possible. This meeting will allow time for your copywriter to run through your website’s stats on Google Analytics so you can see the fruits from their labour. Just remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day – and neither will your brand be. Long-term goals should be set and results measured, but it won’t happen over night.
These days, it’s all about developing engaging content that will really resonate with your audience.
See the bigger picture.
Building a brand or organisation goes beyond quickly seeing dollars coming in and social media followers adding up (although, this is ultimately the goal). Engaging, quality content will help you build a long-term relationship with an audience that trusts your brand. When you hire a copywriter, whether you’re paying them to write the initial copy for your website or to assist with a more long-term content marketing strategy, you need to be looking ahead.
It all begins with seeking out the best copywriter to assist you with finding the right words and creating the most effective content marketing strategy. Remember, just because you’ve mastered the art of spellcheck and have some great ideas for blog posts, doesn’t mean you should be executing them. Leave the prose to the professionals.
An experienced wordsmith will be able to craft the quality, optimised content you need to take your business exactly where you want it to go.
So what are you waiting for? It’s time to hire a copywriter.