The world and her mother claim to be online copywriters these days but are target audiences really content with the online content?
Any digital marketing strategist worth their salt will tell you that simply vomiting a random pile of words into a virtual text box will not increase your sales leads.
A website which greets visitors with disjointed grammar and incorrect spelling will not inspire confidence in potential customers. Adopting an apathetic attitude is perilous for business when it comes to online presentation and visitors will vote with the their feet. Sadly, once they’re gone it can be very difficult to get them back. The bottom line is that sloppy copy can damage brand reputation so it’s important to maintain high standards in all copywriting – from landing pages and static content to blog posts and social media updates.
Each time I scroll through a social media feed yet another virtual acquaintance proudly announces that they’ve arrived in the blogosphere. Some offerings pleasantly surprise and are well written, engaging, informative, instructional and even amusing. However, it must be also noted that a large number of blogs frequently fall into one of two categories: poorly written or plagiarised
More often than not an article – which is so proudly presented as the self-proclaimed writer’s Magnum Opus – looks more like someone filled a big bucket with a decent idea, a collection of superlatives and an ever so slight helping of punctuation then unceremoniously tipped them out on to the page.
On other occasions the so-called ‘new’ blog turns out to be one I’d read a few weeks, months or even years earlier on another website.
Poorly written copy we can forgive because at least an attempt at establishing literary brilliance was valiantly if not disastrously attempted. As for plagiarised copy – well, nobody likes a thief.
It should go without saying: posting either of the above types of content on your website can be bad for business.
Thankfully there are plenty of good content writers out there and many do write blogs on their organisation’s website. However, if you’re not inclined towards writing or simply haven’t the time to do so then hiring a professional can be very good for business indeed.
Done well, content really is king. Publishing good quality content is a vital factor in both driving traffic to your website and converting online visitors into solid sales leads.
From blogs to newsletters and landing pages to e-books, it’s important to publish high quality material that is both original and engaging. To generate well written material it’s worth investing in a professional copywriter. There are many reasons why paying for content creation will be money well spent, here are five of them.
Why to hire a professional content writer
Respect your reader
It’s vital that you show respect for your target audience/market by presenting original copy that is well written and free from grammatical and spelling errors. A golden rule of journalism is to never underestimate the reader and the same attitude should be taken when writing online content designed to generate sales leads.
Save time
Sitting down to ‘pen’ your own copy from scratch can be daunting for many. In much the same manner as you wouldn’t ask your accountant to fix your car or your mechanic to, er, fix your accounts (only joking, by the way) – you shouldn’t expect excellent prose to simply flow onto the page if writing is not your profession. Hiring a good copywriter will ensure you are no longer killing the precious time that you should be spending doing what you’re actually good at.
Boost visitor conversions
High quality content that is both original and engaging is a key component of a good digital marketing strategy. The overall aim of digital marketing is to convert online traffic to sales leads and money in your pocket. Content that keeps visitors on your site, that impresses them enough to sign up to your regular blog, monthly newsletter or other offering and encourages them to bring their friends is the ultimate aim. The objective is to ensure your customer is not only content with your content but won over by it.
Content is not always king
Generating original content is what a professional writer does. Plagiarism is not only a dirty word for any self-respecting writer it’s actually against the law. Readers are not stupid and keen observers will notice stolen content and then tell the world. There are online tools available to check that your articles are original – so be warned. Duplication of content can also affect your website’s Google rankings; you can even be de-listed.
Writing which avoids writs
Hiring a professional writer – especially one with a journalistic background – will not only stave off the grammar police but also keep you out of the courts. Any good professional writer will have a strong knowledge of defamation laws and ensure your company does not take any unnecessary libel risks when publishing material.