The pen really is mightier than the sword but in a competitive business environment, the written word should be as sharp as a samurai blade, as incisive as a cutlass and above all, an interesting read.
Quality copy is an effective, low cost marketing tool, but whether you’re writing a press release, a newsletter, blog, webpage or just staying in touch with customers, aiming for quality copy is essential. As my dearly departed business partner, Chris Walker, would regularly drum into me, when brandishing his red editing pen, “AOB, scrappily (expletives deleted) written copy can blot an otherwise professional business image.” I’ll forever miss Chris, but never the dreaded red ballpoint!
Know your pitch, know your audience
Knowing your target ‘audience’ and the role of your content are effective starting points. Content marketing, for example, needs to engage customers and take them on a journey, rather than adopting a “Look at me, look at me, buy this” approach. A press release should be newsworthy, written in an informative rather than ‘salesy’ style, while a newsletter should entertain while bringing audiences up to speed with issues that directly affect their interests.
Given the variety of mediums in which copy can be effective, quality writing is clearly not a one-size-fits-all proposition. But to be truly effective, all copy should engage the reader. And this is where the trick lies.
Cut through the competition
Like so many other skills required in today’s business environment, copywriting is a specialist skill. It is therefore often a more cost-effective solution to outsource your writing needs to a specialist firm such as Corpwrite rather than waste valuable marketing dollars on words that are ineffective.
Cut through copy isn’t just about boosting sales. It can enhance your organisation’s reputation leaving clients and other stakeholders happy to refer your services to others. When that happens, quality copy has truly paid for itself.
For cost-effective, quality copy that will deliver your message, call Anthony O’Brien in Australia on +61411578818 or email us at [email protected].