4 Copywriting Tips for Small Business Owners
by Pamela Ross
It’s likely that as a small business owner, you’ve at least taken a crack at writing your own copy. Maybe you hire a freelance creative, or write web/social/print/radio/etc. copy in addition to your standard responsibilities — in which case, you’re probably exhausted! Even if you’re a total novice who doesn’t know where to begin, there are simple tips you can follow to craft effective copy. Below are four of the biggest ones — and the fifth is to enlist Write Label’s help, of course.
- Have a clear objective
Do you want to promote a new location that just opened? Updated COVID-friendly business practices? A seasonal offer that shoppers can take advantage of? Your advertising objective has to be clear to you before starting. It’s also possible you need a generic branding ad — but even that has an objective: make obvious what your business does and make sure consumers remember it. The easiest way is to repeat your name, and perhaps provide a slogan that captures your USP or branding: “Garden Catering — The best chicken nuggets you’ll ever have!”
2. Foreground the problem(s) you can solve
In other words, why is your advertising relevant to the prospect, instead of something they can safely tune out? Identify the problem(s) your product/service solves, and include it early on so people understand why they should keep paying attention. An easy way to do this is to ask a question invoking the problem, and then offer your company as the answer: “Do you wish you could travel more, but don’t want to leave your dog lonely or bored? Then turn to Cozy Dog Boarding for boarding services and doggie daycare.” Another time-honored method is a testimonial style-ad, which is written from the perspective of a customer. This format vividly conveys how your product/service can solve problems to improve people’s lives:
TESTIMONIAL (FEMALE): “For years, my son struggled with the math curriculum at school. He had trouble completing his homework on time and seemed discouraged about math overall. Big class sizes made for little individualized attention, and the private tutoring I looked into was so expensive. But then I heard about Teacher’s Pet Tutors and their affordable rates, and I knew this was the option for my son. Thanks to weekly sessions with a tutor that Teacher’s Pet matched perfectly to him, he’s caught up in math class — and has even started to enjoy it! I’d recommend Teacher’s Pet Tutors to all parents!”
3. Include a call to action
So you’ve got someone’s attention and they’re interested in your product or service. Awesome! What now? To convert them to a customer, you must include a call to action — or the action they can take to further engage with you. Some common calls to action are to visit the business at its physical location, visit its website, call its phone number, and follow it on a certain social media platform. Whatever call to action is included, make sure you’re prepared. You shouldn’t encourage people to call if no employee is going to pick up the phone — or direct people to a defunct or out-of-date website.
4. Get creative with imagery and narrative
Employing creativity is a great way to elevate your copy from merely informative to entertaining and memorable. Something that helps me generate creative approaches is imagining myself in the customer’s shoes, and the circumstances under which they might use your brand/product. For example, if you owned an ice cream parlor and were advertising during summer, you might write something like, “When you’re tired of running through sprinklers and cannonballing into the pool, cool down with Midge’s Ice Cream! Order soft serve or hard, and decide if a cone, cup or sundae will satisfy your summertime cravings.” Narrative can also be an attention-grabbing way to explain why consumers should care about your business. Here’s a theoretical ad featuring a couple that needs a plumber:
WIFE: I’m so excited for couples game night! We’ve got pizza, drinks, board games…
SFX: Toilet flush
HUSBAND: …and a serious plumbing issue. What are we going to do? The Millers will be here in an hour!
WIFE: No problem! I’ll call Blakely Plumbing at [number]. They’re on call twenty-four seven with emergency service, so we can relax and enjoy our evening!
It’s my hope that these four copywriting tips have helped point you in the right direction. As in all things, practice is necessary to develop your skills! Don’t hesitate to start small with a tweet or draft of a slogan. The sooner you begin writing, the sooner you’ll begin improving. Besides, as a small business owner, you’ve got this!
