A Shocking Error Found on Copywriter Sites!
Have you ever spent some time looking at your competition on the internet?
You should. You might find great ideas that you can borrow in your own marketing. If nothing else, you’ll know what the competition is up to. If you serve a local clientelle, also look to see what others in your field are doing in other parts of the country. You could come up with ideas for added products or services that no one else in town offers.
You probably know that copywriters are always looking at what other people write – picking up ideas from newspapers, magazines, websites, and even TV ads. We even keep “swipe files” of promotions we think are particularly good. Then if we get “stuck” we look through the files for inspiration.
So this week, since I’ve been re-writing some of my own web pages, I went in search of ideas on copywriter websites.
And I couldn’t believe what I found!
At least half of those copywriters broke the very first rule!
That’s the rule that says you must never, ever, ever begin a sales message by talking about yourself.
No matter what, you must begin with something that will interest your reader – and that reader who doesn’t know you really isn’t interested in hearing how wonderful you are.
He probably doesn’t even care who you are until he finds out what you’re going to do for him. And she doesn’t care if you’ve been in business for 25 years or 25 minutes – she only wants to know how you’re going to make her life easier, or make her more beautiful, or thinner, or richer, or just plain happier.
Yes, there is a place for talking about your experience and past successes. But it isn’t on the first line of copy – or even in the first few paragraphs. It comes later – in the “proof” part of your copy, or possibly on the “about” page.
I really couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Do these writers construct copy correctly for clients and then forget everything they know when they write about their own services? Or do they really not know “Rule #1?”
If you’re writing your own marketing materials, check to make sure you aren’t breaking that rule …
Here’s to success!
Marte
Posted: March 21st, 2009 under advertising, copywriting, marketing.
Tags: copy rules, copywriter, copywriting
Comments
Comment from Marte
Time March 22, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Hi Oscar, and thanks for chiming in.
It is a strange thing that we can know what to do for clients – and do it. And then fall down when we write for ourselves.
But we have to discipline ourselves, because our own websites are supposed to reflect what we know! They’re our advertising, after all.
Best success to you!
Marte
Comment from Solomon
Time March 31, 2009 at 10:23 am
Hi Marte,
You’re just right in this observation. I believe, this self-preoccupation comes due to lack of concern for the reader or consumer. If this is the way personal site is written, we can imagine how he crafts the copy.
I am almost done with a post (publish shortly) in my blog where I dealt this malady. Kindly take a peep!
I liked reading your post! keep writing more! Solomon
Comment from OscarD
Time March 22, 2009 at 3:18 am
You’re right on with this. We don’t always do the best job of practicing what we preach, do we?