Maybe you can’t design or program your own website. But you can sure as heck write your own marketing copy.
Right?
Not so fast.
We’re not suggesting you’re not a ‘good’ writer. Much writing—copy or otherwise—is perfectly competent. It’s ‘workhorse’ writing: communicative and technically correct.
But ask yourself four questions:
- Do you have perspective? When it comes to their own website copy, even people who write well have a tendency to flail. Some start in the middle—and then spin rapidly into outer space. Others throw in the kitchen sink. It’s tough to choose what to hone in on…to streamline…to organize. And so you wind up choosing everything—and leaving the reader to sort it all out. Sorry to say: they won’t bother.
- Do you know what makes you different? Truly different? Many businesses think they do…but haven’t gotten to the bottom of it yet. Every one of our MarketSmiths copywriting interviews is an intense investigation into what sets you apart. We investigate. We probe. We immerse. We do not put a single word to paper until and unless we have captured—not just a story—but an angle on a story. As with all compelling stories, your angle has a razor sharp edge.
- Can you take the intangible, and make it ring clear and real? Every business has intangibles. The trick is to interpret them in a way you can see, smell, touch, and desire. A related skill is to take what’s earthbound (read: literal, tedious)—and set it to flight. Position it to ignite the reader’s imagination—and make him/her want it. An exceptional copywriter can do both of these things, and a whole lot more.
- Are you capable of inciting action? In as little as 2.6 seconds? That’s all the time you get before a reader makes a value judgment on whether to explore further—or go away.
If your answer to one or more of the above questions is no, then please email info@MarketSmiths.com, and find out how MarketSmiths can help!
All the best,
Jean Tang and the MarketSmiths Team
