Copy relates to the written words we create. In business, copy is found in brochures, manuals, on business cards or other promotional material. Digital copy can be found on your website, blogs, social media and newsletters.
You may not consciously think about the words that you are projecting into the digital space, but it has a significant impact on how you are viewed, as well as the success of your business. This article looks at four reasons copy should be a priority for you.
Sell your business
Your copy is a key factor in selling your business. It is a reflection of you and your values. Your words help create an identity and forms the basis of opinions of potential customers.
Copy can be crafted to be persuasive, emotive or factual which are all factors that help you sell the benefits of your business.
In a recent article we identified articulating your brand’s voice as an important component of a content strategy {LINK}. This voice will in turn guide your copy. If your voice is fun, young and cheeky you would write copy differently to a voice that was serious and professional.
Consider the following information, presented in two different voices.
What would we do without watches? We need them in our lives. Without them we would be late for meetings! I love my watch – as it not only does its job, but looks great too.
Watches are an integral part of life. They are important as we use them to tell the time. They can be functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Do you see the difference? Copy is imperative to representing your voice and your brand.
Builds trust
Copy builds credibility and trust with your audience. This increase in trust will in turn help you convert potential leads into clients.
Consider this scenario. You need to have some major dental work done by an endodontist. Your dentist has given you two referrals but you need to choose which one will perform the surgery. Looking at their websites you come across these two phrases:
“Our surgery has been operating for the past twenty years. Our endodontists are the best you will find in the city.”
“We provide a compassionate environment which focuses on caring for the patient. Our trained and industry leading professionals will ensure that you are comfortable and informed in every step of the process.”
Which endodontist will you choose? It will probably be the second as the emotive copy has been crafted to build trust and credibility with the reader.
Audience Engagement
Good copy will draw in your audience. It will make them want to know more about your topic. It is important to note here that good copy will not engage everyone. Consider the example given above. The first sentence will appeal to a different audience to the second.
The aim is to create engaging material that your audience will want to interact with. This will amplify your digital presence through audience activities such as sharing blog articles, commenting or liking social media and increasing the numbers in your ‘community’.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Increasing audience engagement is also good practice for SEO. Search engines add value to websites and social media profiles which show increased engagement. This is because sharing, liking and commenting represents authoritative material to the search engines. And they like content that other users trust.
Writing copy can also be used to promote keywords resulting in higher search results. A word of warning here. Please don’t go and fill your content with random keywords or phrases. This is not adding value for your audience, or doing you any favours!
It does however, signal to search engines what your content is about and helps to identify your website, blog or social media profiles for specific search queries.
By carefully considering the words you use in your content, you can ensure that you are presenting your best self to the world. Good copy will elevate your business, entice new customers and ensure that your words match the personality of your brand.
