Create Success

What Most Small Businesses Are Missing

If you're running a business, or if you are in sales (and who isn't?), then you need to know about copywriting. You may not want to become a copywriter - because it's tough work to become good at it and that may not be your interest - but you need to know what good copywriting is.

If you don't, I can guarantee that you are pouring your hard earned advertising money down a rathole.

Most small business people I meet are clueless about copy. They usually confuse "pretty" with "good", and no one ever sets them straight, because most graphic designers and advertising agencies are clueless, too.

"What?", you say. "How can ad agencies be clueless about copywriting? Don't they write copy?"

Sure they do - they write artistic, descriptive and accurate copy in beautiful typefaces across elegant layouts. The problem is - it doesn't sell squat.

Here's how to tell a good ad agency from the pathetic herd. Do they create a way to measure results - in print, in mail. on the web? How many people saw it, how many people took some action, how many people bought something?

Here's another way to tell - look at their copy. If you know something about copywriting, you'll be able to tell immediately if they're going to waste your money or not.

To evaluate copywriting, you need to understand that all effective advertising has to have a purpose - some action that you want people to take. Everything in the copy, whether it's your web page, a sales letter, postcard, brochure or flyer, should be designed to compell that action. Your material should tell people what that action is - clearly! Don't make them guess, for cryin' out loud. "Click Here", "Buy Now", "Call This Number", etc.

The next thing you need to know is the difference between features and benefits. Features start with "we". We do this, we do that, we're #1. Yuck! Who cares?

Benefits start with "you". You get this, you get that, you feel this way, your problem goes away. It's all about them, your customer.

Test your current material right now - does it have benefits and a call to action? Or is it just pretty pictures and we, we, we?

There's obviously a lot more to good copy but there's plenty of information on the web from some world class copywriters. The four best that I know are (in alphabetical order) Gary Bencivenga, John Carlton, Gary Halbert and Dan Kennedy. Other excellent sources are Michel Fortin, Lorrie Morgan-Ferraro, Scott Haines, Alexandra Brown, Jim Edwards, David Garfinkle, Joe Vitale and Yanik Silver. Many of these people have free newsletters, article archives and other resources. Look them up!

So what are you waiting for? Get smart about copy and start getting orders.

posted by Wes Hopper @ 12:09 PM