There’s a fine art to copywriting. If you do it right, you’ll have people doing what you want them to do without them even realizing it.
When you use professionally written copy in combination with an intelligently designed marketing plan, your conversions will shoot through the roof. But bad copy stands out as an eyesore, an ineffective, ham-fisted attempt at business that makes you look amateurish at best.
But it’s not just amateurs that make these mistakes. Too often, even professional copywriters fall victim to repetitive copy that ends up falling flat, leaving the reader uninterested and uninspired.
And just because it’s been done before doesn’t mean you should do it again. Take for example this phrase I recently found on a pack of AA batteries:
“Join The Conversation”
Have you seen this one before? It’s a familiar call to action for the reader to head to their favourite social media channel and follow that company’s page where they can chat in-depth about it.
You’ll find this phrase accompanied by those familiar Facebook and Twitter logos on everything from doctor’s offices to food products, and even toilet paper.
But let’s look at this objectively here. Really, we’re talking about a pack of batteries.
I’m sure you’re familiar with a particular brand of batteries, and have probably used them at least a few times in your life.
They powered the walkman you got for Christmas back in 1993 so you could listen to your new Pearl Jam tape. They powered your digital camera so you could take pictures of Niagara Falls during your vacation there. And today, they might even power the cordless mouse you have beside you or the controller for your Xbox.
Sure you might have had a lot of experience with these batteries. They might all have been good experiences too.
But look at this from the point of view of the consumer.
Do you think they will want to “join the conversation” about them?
What could “the conversation” possibly be about?
Has anyone ever been so excited about a pack of AA batteries that they just HAD to hit the internet and tell the world about it?
I don’t think so.
It doesn’t matter even if the conversation IS interesting. It could be the most fascinating, in-depth discussion on the most exciting topic in the history of the internet. But you’re not going to get people showing up with that sort of language.
What’s At Stake?
It seems like such a simple little thing, doesn’t it? One little phrase on your website, or on a box of batteries. What’s the big deal?
I used the batteries to prove a point, but the principle applies to any writing you have for your business. What happens when that writing falls flat? What happens when your message just doesn’t connect with an audience?
It means your prospects, the people you want to be attracting to your business, are going to take off and go elsewhere.
It means you’re missing out on many people who may just be your ideal clients.
It means your competition will be that much stronger, since your leads will be going to them instead.
In short, effective copywriting can make the difference between a successful business and a dismal failure.
When You Write, Provide Value
Your brand might be more exciting than batteries. But even if you’re Disney World, you’ll have a hard time getting people to want to “join the conversation”.
I don’t know about you, but when I read “join the conversation”, a few things come to my mind:
- “Oh god, not another stupid page showing up in my news feed.”
- “I have better things to do than sit around chatting about batteries on Facebook with a bunch of strangers.”
- “Why should I? What’s in it for me?”
The last one is the most important. What does anyone get out of joining the conversation about your brand? Even if it’s the most amazing benefit in the world, if you tell them to “join the conversation”, they aren’t going to get it.
“Join the conversation” provides no value at all. It’s asking someone to do something for you with no clear benefit to them. And with more people clamouring for our attention than ever before, you need to make sure when you request something from somebody, clearly and obviously communicate the value of doing so.
If I don’t get the point of doing something, I’m not going to end up doing it, plain and simple. And most people feel the same way.
Writing Effective Copy
Are you a business owner looking to communicate your message more clearly and effectively to your audience? Do you want to start attracting more leads to your business, and then converting them into customers or clients?
If so, you and I need to have a conversation. And no, we won’t talk about batteries. We’ll talk about the most effective way for you to start generating more leads and more business online.
And best of all, it’s FREE. At the end of the consultation, you’ll walk away:
- CRYSTAL CLEAR on the current state of your lead generation efforts
- An understanding of what your competition is up to, and how you can take the lion’s share of their leads.
- Specific next steps you can take to start attracting new leads right away.
To claim your FREE 30 minute consultation, just drop us a line using our contact page.
Drop us a line, and let’s chat about how you can start generating more business.
