Hiring a marketing agency means a brand gains access to a plethora of marketing capabilities – from expertly written copy across all promotional channels to eye-catching graphic design to public relations activities, and everything in between. However, with the recent tightening of budgetary belts due to the COVID-19 global crisis, more and more brands are becoming entrepreneurial by tackling their marketing themselves. For this reason, we’re offering up 4 of the most essential copywriting skills that every small business owner should master in 2020:
1. Put your reader first
Before you even think about putting your pen to paper (or fingers to computer keys), entrepreneurs looking to participate in some copy development should know who they’re talking to. Consider drawing up a simple persona for your ideal customer. Who are they? What do they enjoy doing? What will they enjoy reading? What tone (formal/informal) would best suit your brand, and will your readers relate to it? If you can respond to these questions, you’ll have a better idea of how you should write your copy.
2. Be completely authentic
This skill takes practice. As promotional copywriters, our first instinct is to hit the reader with the sales pitches, using ‘salesy’ language that might be better suited to a daytime television funeral insurance plan advertisement. The modern consumer can easily see through sales-babble and will turn off immediately once under the impression that all a brand wants is their money. Choose to speak from the heart rather, and remove any wording that might indicate you’re merely seeing dollar signs.
