If you’re a business owner looking to sell more of your products and services, this small business copywriting tips will help you out.
Your words
Not only is it critical to have visually appealing marketing and advertising collateral, but the words you use in those materials are also critical to your success.
Your small business’s value proposition may be ignored or overlooked if it lacks compelling and well-crafted content.
As a result, you may lose prospective customers to your competition and possibly leave a lasting negative impression.
Unfortunately, for many small business owners, copywriting is not a strong suit.
And, whether launching a bootstrapped startup or running an existing business, businesses frequently lack the funds to hire a professional copywriter.
Don’t give up if, like so many other entrepreneurs, you’re having trouble getting your wording just right.
By following some best practices, you can improve your writing skills and make your copy more effective.
6 Basic Copywriting Tips for Small Business Owners
Below are the basic copywriting tips for small business owners that will put more money into your pocket and that of your clients.
1. Know your objective
Before you begin writing, think about what you want your marketing piece to accomplish.
A single goal will help you stay focused and avoid bombarding your target audience with multiple messages.
For example, maybe you’re hosting a free workshop or seminar to demonstrate your expertise to potential clients.
You decide to invite people through an email marketing message.
Your goal is to get those people to RSVP that they will attend your event.
So, it makes sense to share some information about the topic you’ll be presenting, the credentials of whoever will be speaking, the date and time of the event, the registration deadline, and a call to action to RSVP to reserve a seat.
However, it’s unlikely that you’d want to include a list of your current sale items along with an “order now” message.
2. Think about what’s important to your target audience
Concentrate on the benefits of your products and services rather than their features.
Customize your copy to address how you will help customers in achieving what they desire or avoiding what will inconvenience or harm them.
- Save them time?
- Save them money?
- Enable them to make more money?
- Decrease stress?
- Make them happier?
- Alleviate a concern?
Also, use caution when using pronouns.
Use “you” more often and “we” less frequently.
Take a look at the two different versions of the same copy below.
- At ABC Company, we deliver fast, reliable service, and we offer cost-effective pricing.
- When you choose ABC Company, you can rest assured you’ll get fast, reliable service and save money, too.
Everything in the first example is about ABC Company.
It does not address prospective customers’ needs.
The second example, on the other hand, speaks directly to the reader and explains how ABC Company can provide peace of mind as well as cost savings.
After each piece of promotional content you create, go back over your draft and make changes to ensure it is customer-focused.
3. Be genuine
Authentically project your company’s voice.
If your company’s approach to working with customers is easygoing and informal, writing in a conversational tone will better reflect the customer experience than writing in an overly formal tone and grammatical structure.
Your industry, type of business, and the characteristics of the customers you serve may all influence whether you use a casual or formal tone in your website copy.
Read your copy aloud to determine the authenticity of your content’s voice. Does this describe you?
But I’d be remiss if I didn’t issue a word of caution about being authentic.
Easy accomplishes this through the use of slang and jargon.
If you’re not certain your audience will understand a particular term, find another way to convey your message.
The same is true for using humor.
Not everyone agrees on what is amusing or appropriate.
Before interjecting your wit, I recommend having a small but diverse group of people review it and provide feedback.
4. Realize that less is usually more
Know when to use the word “when” in your copy.
If you cram too much text into your marketing materials, they will appear cluttered.
You’ll also overwhelm your readers, increasing the likelihood that they’ll tune out.
Include all necessary information, but do so in as few words as possible.
Get to the point as quickly as possible, avoiding run-on sentences and large, intimidating blocks of content.
5. Always include a call-to-action
Don’t assume your audience will understand what you want from them.
Make it clear with an attention-grabbing call-to-action (CTA).
Consider using a strong verb or question to lead your CTA, followed by either a reminder of the benefits readers will receive if they proceed or a reminder of what they will miss out on if they do not.
As an example:
- Buy before January 31st and save 50%.
- How much more could you do if you were pain-free? Call us today for a free consultation.
- Sign up now to assess the security of your company’s data.
- Hurry! This special Valentine’s Day offer expires on February 20, 2018.
6. Keep a collection for inspiration
Rather than considering the postcards, brochures, and flyers you receive at your home and office to be “junk,” think of them as copywriting samples you can use as inspiration.
Keep pieces that you find appealing and engaging for future reference as you come across them.
It’s beneficial to have a diverse collection (pieces of varying sizes, from various industries, with varying objectives) and to sort through them for ideas on how to make your wording clear and impactful.
Collecting junk mail also means you’ll have samples on hand to show your graphic designer if you want your marketing pieces to have a specific look and feel.
A final word on small business copywriting tips
These small business copywriting tips will help you become better at crafting a good sales copy that will help you sell more of your products and services.
Although copywriting may not be your natural talent, you can improve your skills and create effective messaging for your marketing materials with practice.
In addition to the small business copywriting tips listed above, get the complete copywriting course to improve your copywriting skills to sell more products and services.
Grow Your Business with Expert Copywriting
If you need help with your copy and would like to take your business to the next level with expert copywriting, contact us today!
Our team of professional copywriters can help you craft compelling messages that connect with your audience and drive sales.
Don’t let bad copy hold you back – reach out to us now and see the difference a professional touch can make!
