Have a new marketing project you need copy written for? Thinking about doing it yourself? You may want to think again. While most everyone knows how to write “that is, put ideas down on paper” most people don’t know how to sell through writing. And that’s what copywriting is all about: effectively selling a product or service through the power of words. 

Think about it this way. You wouldn’t perform surgery on yourself, would you? Nor would you replace your car’s transmission, rebuild your computer’s hard drive, or design your own website. Nope. You’d hire a surgeon, mechanic, IT expert, or web designer for these tasks. Likewise, when you need marketing copy written, you should hire a professional writer. Here are seven reasons why:

Reason #1: Quality.

A writer writes. Period. That’s all they do. They know how to write persuasive copy that packs a punch, gets attention “and sells more.

Reason #2: Positioning.

Yes, it’s true, some people have a knack for writing. But developing copy for marketing materials (things like brochures, websites, and campaigns) goes beyond good grammar and spelling. It’s about knowing how to properly position your product or service so that it stands out and motivates your target audience to take action. A professional copywriter knows how to do that.

Reason #3: Perspective.

You’re in the middle of preparing for a new product launch, scheduling an investor’s meeting, hiring a new assistant “and a myriad of other tasks. Sometimes you get so busy that you lose perspective about your company “and about what makes it unique in the eyes of your customers and prospects. In essence, “you can’t see the forest for the trees.” But a professional copywriter can bring fresh eyes “and fresh ideas “to the table. They are not caught up in the day-to-day inner workings of your company and can therefore, many times, do a better job of communicating “big picture” concepts about your business.

Reason #4: Clarity.

Even if you are a good writer, you may not understand how to write for your target audience. A professional copywriter can take a complex concept “one that you may easily understand, but your customers may not “and turn it into easy-to-read copy.

Reason #5: BrevityLet’s face it. In today’s too-much-information age, everyone is deluged with more then they can possibly read. But a professional copywriter knows how to get ideas across using words economically. They can take all the information you provide and translate it into succinct and relevant points. With the help of a professional writer, your copy will take on a new energy, crispness, and focus.

Reason #6: Convenience.

Your time is valuable “and effective writing is a time-consuming task, constricting your already tight schedule. By hiring a professional copywriter, you’ll be able to focus on other tasks, while the writer does what he or she does best “writes.

Reason #7: Supporting the design.

A well-designed website, brochure, or direct mail campaign requires strong copywriting. If you have eye-catching graphics, you’ll invite your audience to begin reading. Compelling content will keep them reading. A professional copywriter can ensure the success of your design efforts by holding the attention of your audience.

The Bottom Line.In today’s economy, business is as cutthroat as ever. As the saying goes, “only the strong will survive.” You need every tool in the box to stand out and persuade your target audience to act. A professional copywriter may just provide the edge you need.

A couple of weeks ago, one of our guest writers wrote a post about a powerful copywriting technique that can be used to get great results even if you aren’t a professional copywriter.

In fact, we write a lot of posts on Copyblogger about how entrepreneurs can apply the techniques used by professional copywriters. Strong calls to action, compelling benefits, fascinating bullet points, magnetic headlines.

With all of this information, no one should ever need a pro, right?

Well … I wouldn’t say that.

Sometimes it can make sense to do it yourself, and sometimes it’s a very good idea to call in a professional writer. Today we’re going to talk about five scenarios when you’ll want to bring in a pro.

1. You just aren’t any good at itTalent is about 90% a function of putting in the work, but it’s hard to put the work in for something you don’t feel any connection with. Plus, sometimes you have a pressing need where you don’t have time to get good enough to do it yourself.

Lots of people hate to write. If it’s just a phobia about hitting those keys, you can try speech recognition software, which can be a fantastic time-saver. But if the thought of writing is about as appealing as dental surgery, you’ll never put the work in to get good.

Do more of what you’re good at and less of what you hate. If writing isn’t for you, hire or partner with a really good writer to make sure that part of your business is getting the attention it needs.

It doesn’t matter how fantastic your product or service is if you can’t communicate that to customers. Every company needs to communicate a powerful message — and that means you need strong writing.

2. You don’t have the bandwidthEven if you love writing, there’s a limit to how many words we can consistently get onto the page or screen every day. Marathon writing sessions can work for some people, but they can also lead to burnout and sabotage your productivity in the long term.

Copyblogger Media is a writing-based company. All of our founding partners have written their own content at various points in our business lives. And of course, Brian Clark built Copyblogger in the early days purely on the strength of his own writing.

But as our business has grown, we’ve needed to grow our writing staff with it. We pulled in additional writers to help us out with the sheer volume of content and copy we need to create.

Professional copywriters know “the more you tell, the more you sell.” And that’s even more true in the content marketing world — the more high-quality content you can create, the more authority and customer connection you can build.

Just realize that you need to understand the strategy behind the content you’re creating. Don’t add a writer for the sake of getting more words generated. Understand the business purpose behind allthe copy you create, whether or not you do the actual writing.

3. You need particular expertiseYou may create really good daily content for your blog, but you need a persuasion specialist to write sales letters that convert fans into customers.

Or you may need a subject matter expert to write a white paper.

Or a strong SEO copywriter to write content that both serves your business needs and can rank well in search engines.

Realize that you’ll pay more for a copywriter with specific expertise, rather than a generalist … just like you pay more for a Mercedes mechanic who’s been in business for 30 years over some kid at the quickie oil change who’s always wanted to try fixing a Mercedes.

4. You’re too close to the topicThe reason it’s so hard to move from features to benefits is that it can be really tough to be objective about your own business.

You know all the blood, sweat, and tears you put in to make your product or service great. (In other words, the features of your business.) You understand the details behind the scenes.

But your customer may have no interest at all in those things. In fact, they might care deeply about something that’s barely on your radar.

Sometimes a pair of outside eyes can be just what you need to communicate your most important benefits. Your winning difference could even be something you take for granted, but that your customers find wildly impressive.

Just make sure that your writer is looking at real customer feedback. This could come from survey responses, from social media listening, or from conducting interviews with customers. Your copywriter should have direct access to real customer language about why people like doing business with you.

5. The stakes are highIf you’ve got a big launch or an important marketing campaign, you need to make sure your copy is making a great impression.

• That means a terrific headline that gets attention immediately.
• It means well-structured content that conveys your authority.
• It means writing that gets to the point without a lot of fluff or verbal clutter.
• It means customer-focused copy that clearly conveys valued benefits.
• It means making sure you know the difference between your and you’re.

Professional copywriters are perfectionists about language. They’re obsessive about tone, subtle shades of meaning, copy structure, and the finer points of grammar and usage.

If that’s not you, you may want to bring in some help. Clunky, error-filled writing is a serious credibility killer.

But … the message still belongs to youWhile a talented, well-trained copywriter can help you find your strongest possible marketing message, ultimately that message does need to come from you.

You know the customer you want to reach. You know the little details that will make your copy more interesting. No one will ever know your business like you do, and you need to recognize the hidden remarkable benefit that becomes your best marketing story.

That’s why it pays to study copywriting and marketing even if you turn over every word to someone else. A terrific copywriter can make you sound fantastic — but as the business owner, you’re the one who’s ultimately responsible for your story.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is co-founder and CMO of Copyblogger Media. Share your charming, colorful, vivacious self with Sonia on twitter.

One of the most powerful tools in Internet marketing is the ability to write ads that sell. Ad writing is an art that not necessarily everyone can master. While some people weave magic with their words effortlessly, there are others that find it difficult to string a single sentence together for an ad.

Most large business houses can afford to hire out their ad writing requirements to professionals, while smaller businesses often do not have that option. This does not mean you cannot write great ads that invoke a response; you just need some ad writing tips to get you going on the right track.

Here are some tried and tested ad writing tips that will help you create sales copy to positively impact your revenues.

1. Use attention-grabbing headlines. Online users display a short attention span that lasts only about 6 seconds. That’s how long your ad is scanned before moving on to the next piece of information. The best online ad writing efforts use compelling words that get the message across fast and in a way that engages the reader. Another attention grabbing technique is the use of a single exclamation point. Avoid using multiple exclamations to make a point or it will look like you’re screaming way too loud.
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2. State the benefits upfront. If you are offering a discount to the customer state the exact amount or percentage right away. Don’t make the user guess. Instead of saying, “Great discounts! Save lots of money!” try using, “50% discount. Save up to $125!” If you are providing a solution to a particular problem say so upfront. Instead of saying, “Are you worried about premature hair loss?” try saying, “Prevent hair loss today!”
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3. Use testimonials whenever possible. The power of word of mouth is surprising in its effectiveness. Hearing another customer testify that he or she is extremely satisfied with the product provides just the right impetus to get customers to make a purchase. However, a published testimonial alone may not be enough. Customers are wary of the genuineness of testimonials when there’s nothing to back them up. You should look to either add the photograph of the person testifying, or better yet, an audio-video clip! Hearing and seeing another person testifying about the great quality of your product, is like stamping it with a seal of approval.
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4. Build credibility. Indicate to the customer that you are a well-established organization and not a fly-by-night operator. State the origins of the company as well as the number of years you have been in business. Also weave in any awards, recognitions or certifications that the company has received.
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5. Appeal to the customer emotionally. Your ad writing prowess is very dependent on how emotionally involved you can make your customer. Arousing emotions within a customer via copy is a great way to spur him or her to buy. Money, beauty and fitness, health, fame and love can all trigger emotional responses. Think about the product you sell and the feelings you can evoke in the customer with that product. For example, let’s say you sell fishing lures. Instead of selling the lure, sell the fishing experience, the bonding of a father and son while on a fishing trip, and so on.
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6. Use call to action statements. Once you have made your sales pitch the final step in the process is to get the user to take action. Call to action statements (such as act NOW or buy TODAY) are a cornerstone of all ad writing efforts. Just giving the user information is not good enough. You must create urgency within the user to buy the product immediately, to get up and go to the shop, to pick up the phone and call, to click the button and order now!

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Ad writing is an art that does follow some guidelines, while still allowing room for your own creativity. Use the tips above to create great ad copy that will compel customers to want to buy your product, NOW!

-Stacie Leonard, Ecommerce Marketing/Copywriting

Let's be honest. There's a reason why you wouldn't be caught dead driving a vehicle that looked like this one, right? Well, let's dig deep and dissect exactly why. We all care about image. Our personal image and our business image matter. I know, you're probably thinking, "I really don't care what people think." But the truth is simple. You do care. Image is our silent advertising campaign. It's what speaks for us before we even utter a single word. Which is why image -- whether professional or personal is pivotal in representing who we are, what we offer and how we deal with dilemma. There are two components of image: 1) visual  2) verbal. Humans are innately visual creatures and our brains require some sliver of mental stimulation through visual stimuli. But in business, people want to know you can convey a message clearly by translating a convoluted cluster of verbiage into lucid writing. That's where the balance of professionalism, poise and superior verbal engineering become increasingly necessary. If you can't convey your own services or expertise directly and succinctly then maybe you should just settle for a 1989 Batmobile with a rusty exhaust and non-existent rims.