What is copywriting and why should you use a copywriter?

Copywriting - whether it is the text for a website, brochure, sales letter or press release - is a moment of opportunity to bring an important message to your potential clients and existing customers.

What you say needs to have impact. It needs to be interesting so people read it. But often what we want to say is different to what people want to read about.

Professional copywriters can unscramble your thoughts and put them in a way that will wow your customers. They take your messages and put them into words that will attract attention, spark their interest, ignite desire and prompt them to take action (the AIDA effect). Copywriters will your message in the right words so you achieve successful promotions.

The best wordsmiths understand how communication works. They take into account that different people have different learning preferences and ensure that their copywriting takes this into account. They will weave into their writing visual, auditory and kinaesthetic phrases to avoid missing a large proportion of your target market.

Often, updating the words in your brochure, on your website or in your sales letters gets pushed aside by the day-to-day tasks that often overrun the marketing manager or owner of a business. Using a copywriter means that you will have your new words ready when you need them - on time and within budget.

It takes just one call or email to start communicating with your customers on a new level by using the right words to promote your messages...

Want to know more or see some examples? Visit http://www.copywritingandpr.com/ or call Hannah Sookias on 01283 808460.

How important is correct English?

A few years ago, I received the following text in an email:

Aoccdrnig to a rscheeachr at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht
oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and
lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey
lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.

Whilst this research is probably correct, I still feel that glaring spelling mistakes and incorrect grammar in brochures and on websites may change a reader’s perception of the company. One small misspelling in a 20 page website probably won’t hurt, but if the home page is littered with them, then the professionalism of the company will probably be questioned.

Spell check is a great invention, but it isn’t a ‘what I meant to write checker’ and it doesn’t help on those tricky situations when you need to choose between ‘their, there and they’re’ or ‘practise and practice’.

Top Tips

• I try to leave a couple of days between writing and proofreading so I read what is there, rather than what I meant to say. If in doubt, use a colleague, friend or us to read through important documents
  
• Remember to proofread leaflets, brochures and sales letters before you print them, even when they have been professionally designed... It is not always possible for graphics designers to copy and paste your words and they often break up text to try out different formats to ensure you receive the best design possible.