If someone has a piece of your written marketing in front of them right now, will they feel inspired to take action? Will your marketing message compel them to call you, email you or visit you?
Written marketing
I am in the process of writing an article for my next marketing newsletter. It’s all about how to make your written marketing more powerful. Copy writing is one of the most overlooked areas of marketing within small and medium sized businesses. They will often invest thousands in a great website, an advertisement, a mailshot or a brochure – only to blow it all by writing their own, uninspiring copy.
A professionally written marketing letter, advertisement or website can out perform one written by a keen amateur by thousands of percent. I’m not talking marginal differences here. For example, this blog generates more enquiries in one day, than many sites with more traffic will get in a whole month.
Fortunately, it’s really easy to measure how effective your existing written marketing is; simply by measuring your results.
Unfortunately, a lack of results is not usually enough to motivate a business owner to have their copy written professionally.
I spoke to a web designer recently, who designed a £17,000 website for a client. Unbelievably, the client was happy to spend all that money on a new website, but refused to pay for a professional copy writer! Three months later, his client has had four email enquiries via the site and not a single phone call. This, despite the fact they have very effective search engine optimisation (SEO) and get a lot of targeted visits each day. When my friend asked the site’s owner why she didn’t have her new site copy written by a professional, she told him; “the cost would probably be too high.”
Clearly, she can afford the cost of losing tens of thousands of pounds worth of new business though!
When I speak with business owners, who are getting poor results from their marketing, they always blame outside factors. They will blame the economy (even when times are great), the marketplace, the time of year etc.
It never crosses their mind that the reason they are going nowhere, is because their marketing is ineffective!
By the way, these are the same people, whose mailshot letters you throw in the paper bin and whose advertisements and websites you ignore. They honestly believe that YOU are the reason they are failing; not thinking for one moment that their pedestrian copy writing and amateur marketing might be to blame.
Inspirational marketing
We have to remember that our prospective clients are not idiots. Today’s consumer is better informed than ever before. They see ‘average’ marketing all day long; it just washes over them.
To motivate someone to become a client or customer, we need to capture their attention and then inspire them.
Hi Jim,
I absolutely could not agree with you more. I don’t know how many times I’ve encountered businesses who spend thousands of dollars doing the background research for a new company, idea, or website. But, when it comes time to putting this information to use, they fail to invest in the marketing and services that bring it to a full fruition.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head when you say these types of businesses blame the reader for failed marketing/business tactics. But, I can’t help but wonder if the reason for this is the disconnect between the online and offline business world.
The Internet has words like ‘easy’, ‘fast’, and ‘cheap’ so deeply associated to it that it has been absorbed into all areas of the medium. And, it makes sense when you think about it: if I can get a computer from Dell, or a designer jacket from eBay for a fraction of the price, why can’t I get everything else at a cheap price as well?
I think the lack of familiarity with the online world also comes into play. For example, when I started, I had no idea what a website would actually cost to get up and running. You know, $100 for the design, $100 for the copy (if I don’t write it myself), $10 a month for hosting and I’m ready to make millions. Well, it doesn’t take long to find out what kind of quality product that buys you.
Marketing, design, development, and copywriting are overhead just like buying a brick and mortar store with utilities, interior design needs, advertising, and staff.
If you wouldn’t run your store out of a cardboard box, why would you run your business from a website that works as well as one?
Angie,
Thanks for such a detailed comment. In my experience, the refusal of almost all small and medium sized businesses to invest in professional copy, is down to ignorance. They are genuinely unaware that their marketing material could be thousands of percent more powerful.
The problem with copy writing is that anyone can operate a keyboard. This leads them to believe that they can also write effective copy.
It’s like assuming that because they can physically bang each key on a piano, that they can play the piano. It takes years of dedicated practice – just like copy writing.
That’s good advice, Jim.
You have caught my attention and inspired me to get a copywriter.
I’ve just come from reading a web article that was trying to motivate me to improve my copy – in four times the number of words. Blah, blah, blah. It failed where yours succeeded.
Good job.
Robin
Thanks Robin!
Good post, and I run into this all the time. It amazes me how so many marketers still miss this very crucial step in their marketing. I don’t care how much money you spend on your website or graphics, because if you don’t know how to use effective marketing strategies than your screwed and out of alot of damn money! I would much rather take the time and effort to learn effective marketing strategies to achieve better ending results! I don’t care if it takes me a good year because it’s so worth it!
Toni,
I put as much free marketing information here as I possibly can – to help people starting out in business.
However, if a business is serious about sales success, it needs to start professionally marketing it’s wares.
Free advice can only take anyone so far.
It’s all about the story Jim. There’s a reason the Bible is the most popular book in the world, and it’s not always down to pure religion.
If your words can inspire thought and change, your battle is pretty much already won.
Solid piece, my friend.
Danny,
Thanks for the comment!
The power of a well-crafted message, delivered in a compelling way to a targeted audience is incredible.