Dispelling a Few Choice Copywriting Myths
One of the random gems I’ve stumbled across in recent years is RainToday.com. It’s an offering of Wellesley Hills Group, a “management consulting, marketing, and lead generation firm focused on helping professional services firms grow.”
(btw, The Hired Pens has no relationship with Wellesley Hills Group, so I have no ulterior motive here.)
Anyway, I highly recommend checking out this article: “5 Myths of Internet Marketing for Independent Professionals.” Author C.J. Hayden believes you can’t market professional services (e.g. management consulting) the same way you market Internet-only products and services (e.g. Web hosting). And if you do, “you’re likely to make some serious mistakes … that may be hazardous to the health of your business.”
She then goes on to dispel the five prominent myths. Two of them concern copywriting, which caught my eye.
Hayden cites “It all starts with a great website” as Myth #1. That is, before committing to building a fancy website, make sure you’ve clearly defined your service offerings. And that means getting it all down in writing:
“A brilliant design and dazzling graphics won’t pay off anywhere near as well as a clear explanation of why a client should work with you. Useful material such as articles, assessments, and other samples of your expertise will go much further to persuade prospective clients than flash intros and interactive menus.”
Amen to that.
Myth #4, says Hayden, is “Killer copy is the secret to sales.” Here, she recommends turning down the hype with your website copy. If you’re selling professional services – as opposed to, say, “steak knives on late-night TV” – you should look to create an aura of quiet confidence, not unfettered chaos:
“Your Internet marketing persona should reflect the same professionalism as the work you do with your clients. If writing marketing materials isn’t your forte, by all means hire a professional copywriter. But be sure you hire one with experience writing for professionals like you.”
A recommendation that readers hire a professional copywriter? Amen to that, too.
The author of thehiredpens.com has written an excellent article. You have made your point and there is not much to argue about. It is like the following universal truth that you can not argue with: The harder you punch someone, the more your fist hurts afterwards. Thanks for the info.