The Busy Words Blog

Many people tell me they would like to try copywriting for themselves, but do not know how to say what they want to say, they can’t put it into words and they get writer’s block. What I tell them is they need to learn some simple copywriting skills to get them through that intimidating first page.

Before becoming a freelance copywriter I learned some simple tricks to protect against writer’s block. If you’re interested in copywriting these simple tricks, this will help you out.

Say What You Want
Many fail as copywriters because they struggle to put something down on the page; their first words. They sit there eager to type something, knowing what they want to say but not knowing how to say it. They have a fantastic idea to improve their marketing, but can’t find the right words to express it. This is where they make their mistake, don’t do the same.

With copywriting, or indeed any writing, there’s no need to get it right first time. It’s ok to write it wrong, just write what you want to say. Get your idea down on paper. Don’t worry about grammar, style, punctuation or the words you use, there’s plenty of time for that later. Just start writing straight away; put your ideas down into words and instantly, the blank page is defeated. Your copywriting has begun.

Turning to Text into Copy
Then go back and ‘polish’ what you wrote; now you’ll turn your badly written text into copywriting. Improving clumsy copywriting is much simpler than trying to write it right, right from the start.

Perfection
Now that you have completed a re-write, you will have a reasonable piece, but don’t be satisfied, for it to be successful copywriting, it needs to be perfect. Remove all unnecessary words, replace with words that lift the meaning and enhance descriptions. Delete dull, overused words and add evocative and exciting ones. Keep reading through your work, try and do this through the eyes of someone else, it is selling to you? Hone it until your copywriting is perfect.

Less is More
Is it perfect now? I’m not so sure. It’s a cliché, but less really is more when you are copywriting. Try and limit the number of words in your piece. It will help you improve the impact of the copy, because you’ll have to choose and use only the best, most effective words.  If you are to become a successful copywriter, you must recognise the value of words, so use them sparingly.

I’ve been going to a lot of events lately that offer helpful tips on how to survive the recession. The speakers waffle on for hours, so I thought I’d help my readers out by writing up their key messages here, because all they really say is this:

Outsource
Outsourcing services such as marketing and PR can work out a lot less expensive than keeping them inhouse. You can use them and pay for them only when you need them, so it’s pay as you go. Using an agency or freelancer will require an initial investment of time, because you need to make sure you find the right one, but once appointed, they will be keen to achieve results for you quickly. A guide to costs, London agencies are the most expensive, but obviously attract the brightest talent; out of London agencies charge lower fees and often still attract many bright and talented individuals, offering a one-stop-shop for all your promotional needs, freelancers’ rates will be lower still and they are often former agency employees who specialise in particular disciplines, such as copywriting, graphic design, web site building etc.  

Less is More (sometimes)
If you can get away with spending less on promoting your business or brand, then this is great, but don’t do it at the expense of losing awareness in your key markets. It is essential now, more than ever, to be winning the awareness battle. The trick is to ensure that those responsible for planning your promotional activity are using the most effective media, with the right message. Analyse results frequently, be flexible, identify where changes are needed and make them quickly.

More is More
If I was a marketing director, I don’t think I would be asking for an increase in my marketing budget right now, not unless I could justify it with proof that guarantees a return on the investment. More is more when you achieve more for your money or make your money achieve more by buying from lower cost suppliers.

Targeting
I’m not talking here about the importance of targeting per se, although that is still very important, but this is about being aware of which industries or sectors are not effected by the downturn or actually benefit from it.  The Government is planning to spend like crazy, so education, health care and civil engineering will not be short of money, yet! I’m thinking any company that has anything to do with insolvency will be busy for the next 24 months too. They’ll be others, if you know your industry, then you’ll know who they are. These guys will still have money to spend and no harm in focusing your efforts on them for a bit.

Opportunity
Just quickly, have you thought whether the recession actually offers your business any opportunities? For example, I think freelancers have a great opportunity to deliver the services of the more expensive marketing agencies at a fraction of the cost; is there anything your business can do?

Digital Vs Print
I can’t tell you which is more effective for you, although I have noticed a much increased interest in digital since the credit crunch began to bite. This makes sense as digital is cheaper and offers opportunities to be far more targeted than print. But if more businesses are choosing digital media, does this mean there are some great print deals to be found? Let’s not forget print media just yet, give it a chance to prove its worth; I believe print still has more impact that digital because it is tactile and people like to touch and feel. Print may be just what your business needs; consider all options.