5 reasons why a copywriter is your business’s trump card

“Why would I need to pay a copywriter when I can write pretty well myself?” It’s a question that many business owners ask, and I totally get it. You’re good at English and feel fairly confident about spelling and grammar (nothing that a decent spell-check won’t fix, right?). But let me ask you this: would you write your own legal documents instead of hiring a professional? Or muddle through your taxes instead of seeking help from an accountant? You could… but you wouldn’t get the greatest result.

What is a copywriter?

By definition, a copywriter writes content that encourages people (your customers) to act on what they’ve read. This might be to purchase your latest product or sign up for a new seminar. Now, yes, this definition is rather vague. And that’s because a copywriter’s role varies greatly. It can involve writing website content, newsletters, brochures and various other marketing materials, but all with that same purpose in mind.

As a psychology graduate, I often refer to copywriting as ‘the psychology of advertising’. What I mean by that is that copywriters are aware of the clever tactics and techniques that influence a customer’s decision making, and they use these in your marketing materials to boost your sales.

Because of this, copywriting is so much more than just stringing a few sentences together. Writing is actually only a small part of the process. Several hours will also be spent researching, analysing, discussing, editing and proofreading to perfection.

So, with this in mind, here are my 5 reasons why you should hire a copywriter:

1. You’ll get more visitors to your website

Know much about short- and long-tailed keywords? Metadata? HTML headings? The amount of text each website page needs? All of these factors can, and will, influence how high your website ranks on search engines like Google.

A copywriter has a thorough understanding of all of these factors and spends a huge amount of time researching the search terms that your customers use when they’re looking for a particular product online. We then incorporate these keywords into your content in the most effective yet natural places.

This mix of factors helps to move your website up the search rankings, meaning your customers are more likely to find you online and consequently visit your website. This is what we call SEO copywriting.

2. Your sales will increase (more sales = more profit!)

Okay, so we’ve now attracted more visitors to your website. What happens next? That’s the clever part. An SEO copywriter’s role is to not only get your website to rank higher, but to also engage these new visitors, turn them into customers and make them shout “Yes! Your product is exactly what I need!”

When you talk about your business, you’ll understandably feel incredibly proud of its defining features. But what do these features mean to your customer? Copywriters are customer-focused; they get inside your audiences’ heads to really understand what it is they need and then explain why your business or product would benefit them. Because features tell, benefits sell… but that’s for another article!

3. You’ll save time and money

On average, it takes around 3.5 hours to write one article. Do you have that kind of time going spare? Probably not. And did you know that only 2 out of 10 people actually read more than just your headline? (Copyblogger) Or that the structure and font of your content can determine whether or not your copy is read? Imagine how disheartened you’d feel after spending hours on an article for people not to even bother reading it!

You need someone who has the experience and know-how to make your content readable, user-friendly and attention-grabbing. So, save yourself time and hassle and leave your article writing to the pro. You’ll be able to use your time more wisely in other areas of your business, or go and grab yourself that much-needed brew and bickie break! (I won’t tell if you don’t.)

Okay, so a copywriter can save you time, but what about money? Copywriting is a great Return on Investment (ROI). Sure, copywriting fees can seem a little pricey, but that’s because of all of the work that’s involved. When you factor in how successful their content can be in driving traffic to your website and increasing sales, copywriters really are an essential investment that will more than likely pay for themselves over and over.

4. You’ll develop a stronger brand identity, trusted by your customers

Your brand identity isn’t just your logo. The content that you put out there and what you have to say plays a huge part in your business’s identity. The key here is consistency. Every piece of content should be carefully written to capture your brand’s tone of voice, giving your customers a clear insight into who you are and what you value (and what you can do for them). This consistency creates brand awareness, loyalty and trust, which are all factors that can increase sales. If you’d like to learn more, check out LogoCreative’s guest post from author and copywriter Tom Albrighton about the role that copywriting plays in your business’s branding.

Copywriters spend a large amount of time really getting to know your company and its values, and researching your target audience. Therefore, they’re able to perfectly capture the essence of your brand and make it easily recognisable and resonate with your audience. In addition, they can also analyse the success of each article, ensuring your business is continuously adapting to meet the needs and preferences of your audience.

5. You’ll spare yourself the embarrassment of common mistakes

If I’m shopping for a particular product and I come across a company that has typos or obvious grammatical mistakes in its content, I’ll leave. There’s something about mistakes that makes a company seem untrustworthy. And I’m not alone. In fact, RealBusiness states that 59% of people wouldn’t use a company that had spelling or grammar mistakes in its marketing materials.

Most copywriters are grammar geeks and are aware of the most common grammatical traps that people fall into. They’re able to ensure that your content is accurate and professional. They’ll proofread, proofread again and then triple check your content so that it glistens with perfection (or is that just me?), so you won’t need to worry about pesky typos popping up and ruining your reputation.

So, now that you’ve heard my top 5 ways in which a copywriter can give your business the upper hand, what do you think? Ready to ditch the DIY and hire a professional copywriter? Drop a comment below or get in touch for more info.