Are you asking the right questions?
If you're asking; "have I got experience in your sector?" You're asking the wrong question!
For great content, the questions you should be asking are “Can you get to grips with my business quickly? Will you write to sell what I do? Can you connect with my audience? Can you generate more traffic to my website?”
When it comes to writing marketing content - whether they’ve got experience of your sector or not - your copywriter will need to get under the skin of your business quickly, understand what you do and appreciate the challenges and opportunities you face, but ultimately they need to know how to market you and write the words that sell what you do. Not be a specialist in your field. You are the specialist!
As a copywriter, it’s my job to ask questions to flush out your USP, key messages, customer benefits, supporting evidence ie: all the great things you do that support your USP, but might not be enough on their own to clinch the deal! Writing a compelling argument for choosing you rather than your competitors, oh yes and leading with the benefits. It’s something I’ve been doing for decades, it’s not easy and it’s not quick, but it shouldn’t be. It takes a conversation, research, thought and more thought, then the ideas come! So, when clients come asking ‘do you have experience in my sector? In most cases I have, I’ve written for most sectors, but actually it’s still not the right question.
When you're analysing, reviewing and predicting customer behaviour, your focus is on how to stand out, what motivates consumer behaviour, decisions and what triggers action and results. Humans behave in predictable ways, no matter what sector they’re accessing, investigating, trawling.
Whatever your sector, your audience are human beings, with individual personalities; motivational drivers; interests; needs and desires … so identify what makes your audience tick and connect with it. You might think that because you’re in law, you should speak to your customers as a lawyer, with a lawyer’s voice, using legal terminology. But, and here’s the spoiler, if they’ve made it to your website, they know you’re a lawyer and they’re already anticipating what they’re going to read and how it’s going to sound. They’re already bracing themselves for it. So surprise them! Believe me, whatever your chosen tone of voice and style, it can still be professional, credible, reliable, informative and above all valuable.
You connect so much better with your audience if you’re transparent, honest and human. Demonstrating how you’re meeting customer’s needs just like good old Maslow’s motivational theory taught us, ticking all those boxes as their basic needs are met; physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualisation (or fulfilment!). A marketeer can do that. A copywriting marketeer can do that.
Why are you asking if I’ve got experience in your sector? Is it so that you can seamlessly hand over the blogging to someone else? It’s never as easy as that. Every business is different, so whether I’ve had experience in your sector or not, it’s going to take a little time to get under the skin of yours. The drawback of having someone write for your sector, who’s entrenched in your sector, is that you risk not getting that fresh approach. And, surely it’s a fresh approach you’re after, so that your content stands out from your competitors?
The advantage of having someone new to your industry, is a fresh pair of eyes. Someone who can look at your business from a consumer’s perspective, look objectively at your offering. Ok so (and I’m going to slightly contradict myself here!) it does follow that the more work you do in a particular sector, the more you attract. I’ve ended up doing lots of marine industry writing over the years for; superyacht designers, marine engineers, technical gear, yacht clubs, boat clubs etc. I’ve ended up doing lots of financial services, implementing marketing campaigns for Lloyds Bank, Liverpool Victoria, Bank of Ireland, GE Capital, TSB etc, but I’ve also written for innovating software developers, crypto currency and cyber security developers, electrical engineers, garden designers, manufacturers, CNC engineers, florists, interior designers, pilates instructors, chiropractors, chocolate producers, mortgage advisers … you get my drift. It’s about adapting quickly and asking the right questions.
Copywriting should not just be writing a nice piece of prose about what you do, anyone can do that. But will anyone read it? I’m sorry to burst the bubble but your target audience don’t care what you do. They care what you can do for them. And, my job is to make them care. To write the words that strike a chord, so your audience feel compelled to do business with you.
The skill of copywriting marketing content is flushing out that dreaded thing, your USP. Your single minded proposition, what is it that you do or offer that your competitors do not. Why customers come to you and what they value in your services? And that’s the skill of a good marketeer. A good marketeer who can write is even more useful!
Talking of what you can offer … I remember a restaurant in Lymington years ago - it was the ‘90’s - running a promotion where you were awarded a free packet of cigarettes with every meal (I’m not joking!!) - might not be everyone’s cup of tea but I’ve never forgotten it!
So when you’re scouting about for a great copywriter, have a think about what it is you really want them to achieve and then start asking questions. And if you’ve got any questions for me just email vicks@footprintwrites.com