What's in a name? A good one can make your business, while a bad one can break it. What's in an email? If it's boring, people won't read it, and they won't read your next one, either. What's the value of an error-ridden sentence? It has none, and if you have too many of them, no customer will trust your product.
You get the point. Writing counts. If you're a small business owner or solopreneur, you're probably not also a professional writer. You're focused on building your business and promoting your product. And that's a good thing: Evan Williams, co-founder of Blogger, Twitter, and Medium, has famously declared that the number one rule for success is to focus on one thing. Do less. Don't spread yourself thin.
In other words, don't waste your talent trying to figure out how to write persuasive copy for your website, newsletter, and products. Hire a professional writer who can do it for you.
The best business names are memorable – and they are also worthy of repetition. Your current or potential consumer should be unembarrassed to repeat them to a friend and refer your business by word of mouth or on social media.
Good names tend to be short and innovative – they invent new words, play on popular phrases, or even misspell words in a way that is deliberate and makes sense for your product or service. Find a writer who understands what's in a name and can invent the right business name or company slogan for you.
Ideally, product descriptions don't simply explain the purpose of your product or service or how it works. Instead, they function as sales pitches written to entice your ideal buyer with language that appeals to their imagination and desires. This might include using words that tempt the senses, embedding mini stories within the description, or incorporating customer reviews. Find a writer who knows the art of a pitch – bonus if they can make it SEO friendly, too.
There's an art to making each stage of an email stand out and lead seamlessly to the next. First, there's the crucial subject line: Will your reader even bother to click to read what's next? A good subject line is often one that includes something FOMO-inducing, like a limited-time offer.
Then comes the preview, or the first visible line of text a reader sees without opening your email: Make each of those characters count. If you've convinced your target audience to open your email, have the body of it be easy to skim – bullet points and short paragraphs work well. And never make your email look synonymous with spam. Find a writer who can get your readers to convert.
What can a strong website with excellent content do for you? It can generate leads, drive traffic, help shape your brand story, foster personal connection between you and your target audience, and, ideally, spur your visitors to action, whether it's buying, downloading, subscribing, or following you on social media. Original, compelling website content can do all of this – and will also boost your SEO. Find a writer who will make your website worthwhile.
Sales copy – the text behind your video scripts, sales letters, or your landing page's elevator pitch – has the power to make or break your business or brand. Just as product descriptions shouldn't merely be descriptive, sales copy must be inventive and creative in order to convince your clients that you're different – and better – than the competition. This might mean breaking the expected syntax, including shorter sentences or phrases, or doing whatever it takes to create the most memorable sound bite.
Find a writer who can make it rain for you. If you want your entrepreneurial efforts to pay off, don't spend time trying to write crucial copy that's better left to professional writers. Save your energy and focus for the innovations only you know how to do.
Are you an entrepreneur who's hired a writer? How did it go? What did you learn? Tell us in the comments below!
