Six reasons why every business needs a copywriter- yes, even yours.

I know what you’re thinking… ‘Well of course you’re going to say that Bonnie, you’re a copywriter!’

Ok, so I am a bit biased, but hear me out. The right person, writing the right words, is going to completely revolutionise your business. You just need to find the right copywriter for you.

First of all, what is a copywriter? If you’re anything like a number of my friends, you’ll have no idea. No, it’s nothing to do with copyright, or the little c in a circle. And, yes, it is a hugely important job. The reason you might not know about it is because we don’t get much credit. We write, in your voice, to your requirements, for your business. Copy means writing. Copywriter literally means writing writer. Crazy right?

So, you may now be thinking, ‘why can’t I just write it myself?”. You can! Go for it. If you’d like me to proofread it, or edit it for you, throw it my way. Taking on your own content and sales writing might be a highlight of your day. Especially if something is coming easily to you, and the words are flowing. It’s honestly a magical moment. But, the reason it’s magical is because it’s rare. Writing can be a struggle. Now, I live for the struggle, and I love it, and I can always find my way through to write something good, but not everyone can. (PSA: and that’s ok! We all have gifts. I can write and cook and read pretty fast. I cannot fix a car, or paint, or sing, or play instruments, or do rock climbing. No judgement here.) You have something in you which you need to communicate to your customers. To allow them to get to know you, or to sell them a product or service, or share a testimonial or an offer. And, if transforming that blank word document with its flickering cursor into a coherent sequence of silky sentences feels beyond your ability right now, or if you feel you’d rather do absolutely anything than sit down to write, then hiring a copywriter is essential.

Here are six reasons you need a copywriter for your business:

1) Take writing off your to do list: Simply, do you have time to write? Is there enough time in your day between family responsibilities, invoicing, chasing clients, emails, stock taking, seeing friends, showering, eating and managing social media? One of the most frequently cited reasons my clients tell me they’re hiring me is because they either have no time to write, or they have already taken too much of their precious time and they’re going round in circles. By hiring a copywriter, you have the security of knowing your important writing will be done. More than that, it will be done by your deadline and will be done well. Give yourself a break and tick “blog posts” or “website copy” right off your to do list, by delegating to me.

2) Definitely connect with your audience: Let’s imagine you’ve somehow found the time to settle down and write your much needed content. Well done, and get yourself a tasty treat immediately. Now, are you sure everything you’ve written is going to connect with your ideal audience? Is what you are posting going to attract your customers, or, nightmare, possibly put them off? You need to know your audience inside out, and tailor your content to what they like to consume. They’re organically going to connect with your posts, website and business if you’ve created what they’re looking for. This can be incredibly easy, if you know your audience well. If you don’t, or you’re not sure what your audience likes to interact with, then it’s time to give that job to a copywriter. I’ll spend my time researching and writing for you, so you can be sure to get engagement. And what does engagement mean? Prizes! No, wait… Sales! Awareness! Followers!

3) It’ll be succinct: I cannot possibly tell you how often I get copy from a client, with them saying, “this is what I have so far, but I just think it’s missing something”. Every time, EVERY TIME, the gold is right there, buried under piles of rambling sentences and vague vocabulary. I have to spend the first half of my allotted writing time cutting out huge chunks of text which are simply not saying anything. Then, I build in snappy, clear, memorable phrases. Soon, the person, product or service is shining from the page. There’s a reason you might not be good at this, and it’s not that you’re a bad writer. It’s simply that you don’t have perspective. You’re obsessed with this thing you’re writing about. Of course you are! It’s your baby, your passion, your livelihood. You want to tell your audience every little thing about it because it. Is. Brilliant. But, your audience doesn’t have time to read every little thing. They want the facts and they want them quickly. So, it’s my job to dig down to the important gems, give it all a good old polish, and allow it to glisten in the sun.

4) It’ll be accurate and consistent: In my previous bullet point I made at least two, possibly three grammar mistakes. Can you spot them? I made them knowing I was making them, but choosing to. I think the words sound better, more conversational. It's one thing to break the rules of spelling, punctuation and grammar, and quite another to do it with style. You need to know what the rules before you start breaking them. Why? Because your audience will instinctively know if something sounds “off”. You can opt for a totally, perfectly accurate piece of writing, which will add gravitas and formality, or you could go for a conversational tone, or even a completely slang- filled piece that will connect with your audience. The point is that you need to know which one you’re opting for, and you need to be consistent across all of your communications. Being accurate and consistent lends a clear indicator of professionalism. Who doesn’t want that for their business? If you’re not sure if you can write accurately, or consistently, get in touch.

5) It’ll drive sales: Whatever your product or service, your ultimate goal is to sell. You’re in business to make a living. While sharing gorgeous pictures of your pets with your followers, or posting pics of your coffee or bunch is a great way for your customers to get to know you, it isn’t necessarily going to translate to money in your account. What is going to drive sells is targeted, clear, accurate communications. There are a number of ways a copywriter can inspire urgency for customers to grab a special offer, or create a problem which only your product or service can solve, or to weave your story into a compelling tale to gently nudge a customer to making a purchase. Sometimes this can be subtle, or it can be more overt, depending on your brand voice or what you’re selling. Knowing the differences between all of these methods of selling is a tricky tightrope. Getting the tone right is key. Entrusting this to a copywriter means you have the security and confidence that sales are on their way.

6) The right words in the right format: As your copywriter, I will talk to you about your needs, make a plan on how to achieve those needs, go away, drink lots of coffee, do lots of research and then write what you need. I will deliver it to you, for you to use as you wish. Importantly, I know how to do lots of different types of writing for lots of different reasons, AND I know how to get your “voice”, or your personality, into the writing.

Here’s an example. Say you’re a florist, and the summer is coming up, and you have weekends without weddings booked in. This is a problem. You need those weekends filled up with happy brides and grooms, or brides and brides, or grooms and grooms... people and people, so you can provide your services and get paid. You’ll need me to write about the services you can offer, in engaging detail, and perhaps include some discounts for those particular weekends you want filled. This can go out in an email to everyone in your email list, or it could be used in a blog post which you can share on social media. It can even go on posters which you can display at wedding fayres. My words will drive action and sales, meaning you get more business.

Let’s pretend you’re still a florist. You need to get traffic to your website, and for people to be familiar with your brand. Weekly blog posts can really help here, sharing information about which flowers that are in season, gorgeous arrangements you’ve put together, reminders of which holidays are coming up, happy customer reviews. I can write these for you each week, to go live on your website. You can share them on social media and build up support, awareness and excitement about your business.

Let’s think about your florist website: does it have all the information your customers need? How do you know? I can talk with you about the aims of your website and then I can write what you need. Do your customers know about what “in season” means? Do they know about your business? Do you have a page of FAQs, or testimonials? That’s where I come in. Now, you might not be a florist. Swap it out with your business- café, artist, mechanic, coach, tutor, hairdresser, nail technician, dog walker- it doesn’t matter. You need good writing. So, you need a good copywriter. I will work with you to find out what you need, and properly, effectively communicate that to your customer. Really, it’s invaluable.

Employing a copywriter is an investment, for sure. You’re investing in your business, your customers and, in, well, me (thanks!).

Get in touch here or by email (bonnie@wordsbybonnie.com) to see how we can work together, or find me on social media.

Bonnie Harrington is a copy and content writer from Bristol, UK. She loves writing for creative small businesses, independent brands and agencies who pay their invoices in a timely manner. Meeting new clients and chatting about their passion is one of the best parts of her job. If she’s not reading, you’ll find her writing, or messing about on Instagram.