Why copywriting is a mixture of art and science

Article written & contributed by Matt Press
www.splashcopywriters.co.uk

What is copywriting? And why is copywriting such an important skill to master? Well, pictures may speak a thousand words, but words are the currency that all businesses trade in.

Words have the power to make or break a brand. We, as consumers, infer much from how a company communicates to us. To that end, the words a brand chooses convey much more than the initial meaning they’re meant to.

Copywriting is a mixture of art and science. It’s about combining creativity and fresh, friendly, intuitive language with effective simplicity. With business copy, there’s no room for sentiment. There are no prizes handed out for literacy. Copywriters need to be results-driven. They need to deliver tangible benefits for a business.

In a nutshell, copywriting must sell. If it doesn’t, it’s just writing.
Copywriting is about understanding human psychology. It’s about getting to grips with what makes us all tick. Why do we buy stuff? And with the advancements in technology and the development of the digital world, how do we buy stuff?

As copywriters, we must write in a way that propels action. Yet we must also do that in different styles, since every company has its own brand voice.

From headlines to taglines, body copy to captions, every word has a role. Every word must work hard. And every sentence has just one purpose: to get the next one read.

Because it’s eyes on paper (or web pages) that count. And that’s why modern copywriters need to embrace SEO – if copy doesn’t get read, everything else is pointless. Creative juices, budget, effort – it all gets wasted. Copywriting should be used to build a business, not just an audience, which is why copywriting is an investment, not an expense.

In many ways, it’s a dangerous time to be a business owner. As I alluded to earlier, the advances in technology have opened several doors. Every business has a website, but equally, they also now have access to a CMS. That means everyone’s now a publisher.

Trouble is, not everyone can write. At least, not in a business sense.

Some people realise that, others don’t. But the ones who don’t risk being left behind. There are close to a billion websites in existence, many of which are run by businesses. Most of those are now continually creating content and applying SEO techniques.

Soon, even good content won’t be enough to push you up the Google rankings. But great content will always stand the test of time.
Talking of which, is it time you hired a copywriter?

Matt Press is the founder, owner and Director of Splash Copywriters.
Phone: 07812 581297
Email: hello@splashcopywriters.co.uk
Follow Matt on Twitter @SplashCopy

The 4 things that will take your brand to the next level

Article written & contributed by Matt Press
www.splashcopywriters.co.uk

In today’s digital world, there are millions of businesses battling it out for supremacy. Here are 4 tips to make sure that your business reaches the top of the tree.

1. Align your copy and design to your buyer persona.
So many businesses just create and develop websites and marketing materials in their own image. That is to say, they think about what’s important to them.
Instead, clever brands put themselves in their customers’ shoes. They figure out who their most valuable customers are and then work backwards.

2. Create relevant content.
To that end, creating content that’s interesting is one thing, creating stuff that’s interesting and relevant is quite another.
Pictures of cute cats might garner a lot of Facebook likes, but will they pull in many customers if your business deals in IT? Probably not. Make sure that your content marketing strategy doesn’t leave customers feeling disconnected.

3. Have you designed clear messages and CTA buttons?
In terms of your landing pages and advertising bumf, don’t be afraid to be very direct with people. If you want them to download an ebook, buy an item or subscribe to a blog, be clear (both in terms of copy and design).
Don’t assume that people will understand inferences. Don’t leave anything to chance.

4. Plan ahead.
Creating a website with a great user experience and regular content that consistently engages is very labour-intensive.

Only dedication, hard work and a lot of planning will help. And for planning, also read testing. See point number one: a certain phrase or a particular design might seem nice to you, but perhaps it’s horrible for everyone else.

Matt Press is the founder, owner and Director of Splash Copywriters.
Phone: 07812 581297
Email: hello@splashcopywriters.co.uk
Follow Matt on Twitter @SplashCopy