Make every word count

In the hectic urgency of creating a brochure, website or flyer, it’s tempting to spend all of your creative time on the design. The task of writing good quality, persuasive copy often gets overlooked, which means a mad panic, rising stress levels and rushed wording.

“An attractive design, an eye-catching image, an amusing graphic; the aesthetics of your marketing materials are what first grab a potential new customer’s attention,” Laura Jane Johnson, a freelance journalist and copywriter admits. “But dull, sloppy or clumsy content will soon turn them away. Design is important, but it needs to be supported by compelling content if you want a reader to actually be convinced to take action and make the move to get in touch with you.”

Copywriting is something many of us try our best to avoid. With so many other things to do in a working day, it’s easy to relegate writing the content for a new web page or newsletter to the bottom of a long to do list. But it’s getting harder to escape. The rise of social media, blogging and various other online communications has made copywriting more important than ever. Search engine optimisation (SEO), rankings, Tweets and all those other baffling terms are becoming impossible to escape. And the secret to all of this is a professional understanding of how to apply writing techniques that enhance your visibility in a crowded virtual world.

“It’s an exciting time; especially for writers, whose skills are increasingly in demand,” Laura says. “Social media and online communications when used cleverly are extremely powerful marketing tools. They offer the interactive elements that many people now expect, an effective way to improve Google rankings and increase the number of visitors to your website.”

They’re also cost-effective methods of marketing, something that is welcomed by many businesses struggling to build their market profile on a minimal budget.

As the economy is slowly struggling out of recession, more businesses are daring again to consider growth and the future. As we get less prudent, marketing will once again find itself nearer the top of the agenda. But for a small business, without the luxury of a marketing department, this can present challenges in terms of the availability of the time and skills to deliver projects.

“When it comes to developing a website, brochure, flyer or newsletter, most businesses wouldn’t think twice about employing a graphic designer,” Laura says. “But many cut corners when it comes to developing the content; they take a DIY approach rather than employing the professional skills of a copywriter.”

As a result, many businesses are not creating that great first impression they’d hoped for and are missing an opportunity to communicate their skills, messages and key differentiators loud and clear to new customers. Laura warns:

“Just crossing your fingers and hoping an eye-catching design will distract readers from the content is not enough. The world is not quite as shallow as you may think – most people can see beyond a pretty exterior!”

Laura Jane Johnson works with publications and businesses to create commercial copy and editorial that captures the interest and imaginations of their target audience. For more information on Laura and to get in touch visit www.laurajanewrites.co.uk.