Valuable Advice: Use Your Words! What to Expect from Marketing Copywriting

One of the biggest complaints we hear from prospective clients is the lack of creativity in the marketing writing.It's an age old question: How do you distinguish yourself from competitors who offer the same product or service? The fact is, most marketing copywriters are average writers who lack the ability to inspire and entice with their writing. Factor in that the client rarely can give creative direction and the resulting text is often accurate but average and the unfortunate product of group-think.So, how do you find a great writer to give you something original and compelling?

The Valuable Advice: Great writing speaks with an engaging voice.It has a quality that makes it conversational, giving the copy momentum. If you are concerned about your web site copy sounding just like every other site in your field, hire a writer who knows more than grammar and how to research a subject. These writers cost more, but their work will always sound original, even with routine subject matter.

All it takes is a little know-how on evaluating a writer, assuming spelling, grammar and syntax skills are all pre-requisite. Here is a clear guide for evaluating your copywriter. They should have the following:

1. A mastery of the facts
2. A mastery of the value and an understanding of the buyer (ie. salesmanship skills)
3. Voice (Is the copy simply stated, or does the style and language make it interesting?)

The first hurdle is a no-brainer: a mastery of the facts. This isn't even worth elaboration. The writer must know what he or she is writing, or it comes off as B.S.

Second, a mastery of value and salesmanship skills. This is the first real value you should spot in great writing.The purpose of copywriting is to convince the reader of value. Sometimes this is a short statement; sometimes it takes some revealing. But even an expository paragraph should be written to convey value. When salesmanship enters the picture in copywriting, the text begins to do the work of a salesperson who knows the customer and takes the time and effort to make points in a way that is convincing. If you find a person with these skills, hire them. A salesperson who can write can be a highly valuable contributor.

Lastly, voice is the hardest quality to find in a writer. Typically, most writers lack the experience, courage or skills to write with a unique voice that is compelling. These copywriters are true professionals who are expensive and, usually, they have worked at publications and in multiple mediums. These are the self-actualized writers who know anyone can research and write the facts, but few can do that and make an audience want to keep reading. If you find a writer like this, especially one who has salesmanship skills, you hit the jackpot!

You have the power to hire and evaluate a great writer without being one yourself. You just need to put yourself in the place of your reader and use these three guides to evaluate.

If you have questions about your marketing writing, please contact us here.