5 steps to make sure your content is king

Effective copy is not one-size-fits-all. With variables such as differing markets, products and mediums in the mix, composing website text, marketing material or social media content that blows the socks off your customer could be considered an art form.

Incorporate our tips below, and you’ll be far nearer the mark than something hastily jotted down on the back of an envelope.

1. Make it interesting

If you’re not providing value or information that solves a problem, provides an answer or teaches your readers something, why are you writing? That’s not to say you can’t draw attention to what you offer, but if all your marketing messages are just ‘look at me!’, but giving your readers little reason why they should, you’ll find few followers.

2. Make it presentable

Poor punctuation, spelling and grammar may not be your forte. If you know this, employ a professional to check your outgoing communications. When being social online, text speak and more relaxed grammar is acceptable – when trying to present a professional image, it is not. Potential customers could be led to think that if you don’t care about how your company is perceived, you won’t care about them either.

3. Make your audience do something

Perhaps not as easy as it sounds; effective copy makes your audience act – either by picking up the phone, filling in an order form, or contacting you for more information. And not tomorrow either – a rousing marketing message makes your reader think that if they didn’t act now, they’d lose out. Without this call for action, your audience will just move on to the next piece of information. Displaying, reiterating and hammering home how your customers can contact you is key – if they’ve to hunt around for your details, that ‘must-act’ feeling can quickly go off the boil.

4. Make it accurate

This not only means avoiding unrealistic claims regarding your product or service but doing your research. It’s also good practice to mention the source of any information you quote.

5. Make it consistent

This isn’t just the message and style you may choose for your outward communications, but also to do with the frequency. If you only communicate to your customers once a blue moon, you can hardly forgive them for forgetting you’re there. Establish a constant connection without barraging them with messages and you’ll find the minute they have a need for your service, your name is on the tip of their tongue.

If all this seems like a tall order, consider hiring professionals to produce your marketing copy. Poor communications can actually do more harm than good. Outsourcing your marketing requirements isn’t a luxury – any experts worth their mettle will net far more than their costs through increased sales.

So, what are you waiting for? Your potential customers should know why and how you’re the answer to their problems.

For evocative copy, rousing content and persuasive marketing from a full service agency, call +44 (0)330 223 2770.