How to write about your business - Tips on creating great copy.

To succeed in business, you have to be enthusiastic about what you do. Day on day, in e-mails, telephone conversations and meetings, that enthusiasm is shared quite naturally with customers and clients as you discuss jobs, make plans and outline the benefits they can expect by choosing you.

Yet try to commit this positive enthusiasm to paper, and it all seems to disappear.

The vast majority of people struggle to write about their own business. The formality of finding the right structure, words and phrases becomes a real barrier to getting your message across in a way which will inspire the reader and hold them to the page. Yet getting the message right is one of the key contributory factors to the success of your marketing material. Confuse or bore your reader, and the chances are they will quickly lose patience with you and move on to the next piece of mail, next website, or next job on their to do list.

So how do you write about your business? And what is it that engages a reader? Follow these tips and the right words may be just a little easier to find.

Get the basics down..

I read so many pieces of marketing where I get halfway down the text and think ‘what do these people actually do?’. Yes, they have told me they offer ‘solutions’. Yes, they will ‘enhance my bottom line’. But what, in real actual terms, are they trying to sell me?

It is impossible to buy into a service or product if you don’t understand what it is. So somewhere at the top of your text, in short and simple terms, you should tell your reader exactly what you do.

“Bob’s widgets are the UK’s leading provider of thing-a-me-bobs to the aviation industry”

Change your perspective.

Deciding on what to say is the key challenge. So rather than thinking as a business owner, change you perspective and think like a customer. What would encourage you to buy? What key information do you need to make a decision?

Directly addressing your readers’ key concerns will make your text much more engaging.

Use your USPs.

My new car features TFSI technology. Do I care? Yes, because it means that I can accelerate just that little bit faster which means I can pass that slow moving lorry just a little more safely.

Always put the features of your product and service in the context of a benefit to your customer. So instead of saying ‘aluminium construction’, try ‘super-light aluminium construction for easy handling and fitting’. And instead of saying ‘based in the Devon countryside’., try ‘Set in a quiet corner of rural Devon so you can sleep well and truly relax’.

Cut the technical language.

When talking to suppliers or staff, there may be technical terms you use on an everyday basis without even thinking. However, you must be careful about including these in your marketing. Using technical jargon and acronyms may make you ‘look like you know what you’re talking about’, but you want your reader to feel included in your message, not excluded by it.

In explaining things simply you are making the buying decision sound simple. You will also appear more open and assessable, increasing the chances that your customer will feel comfortable in calling you to discuss their requirements.

Bullet point key information / use sub headings.

Breaking up your text with sub headings and bullet points is a great idea.

• Makes your message quicker to read and consume
• Instantly points to the key selling points
• Creates white space within your text
• Makes long text less daunting to read

Ask and answer questions.

Is your text a little dry? By asking and answering questions, you can make your message more engaging. So how do they work? Questions break up the text and renew the tone – leading your reader seamlessly through the text from one thing to another. They also allow you to directly address the key questions and concerns in the mind of the reader, building that all important rapport with them.

So is using questions a good idea? We will let you decide.

Be positive.

Many people feel uncomfortable in being ‘boastful’ about their product/service. Unfortunately, salespeople don’t make sales by being shy.

You certainly shouldn’t lie, or make unsubstantiated claims, but if you care about your customers and you do a good job, then have the confidence to say so. Your message will be competing for attention amongst hundreds of others, so if you are not positive you may not get a look in.

Once you have written your text, go back to it and turn up the positivity. Change the ‘good’ for ‘outstanding’ and the ‘comprehensive range’ for ‘excellent range’. Shorten the sentences by removing the ifs, buts and maybes. If it sounds too much, you can tone it down again but always remember that the big brands are not backwards in coming forwards, so neither should you be.

Have a call to action.

Once they have read your great text, your reader is convinced and motivated. You now need to convert this motivation into a positive action. Try to finish your text with a ‘call to action’ which tells your reader exactly what they should do next.

‘Phone 0800 123 456 to make your appointment’, ‘Call now to discuss your requirements’, ‘Go to www. to view our great range!’, ‘Ask your chemist for’

Get it checked over .

When you are editing and re-editing text, mistakes creep in and not all of them will be found by a spell check. Find someone meticulous and get them to check it through for you. A simple mistake can quickly undoo all your hardworrk.