Great copywriting can do wonders for small business owners looking to expand and improve their business.
Running a small business is immensely hard work, and often owners can find the process of copywriting to be quite overwhelming. However, copywriting doesn’t have to be complicated. Clear and effective strategy coupled with a strong brand identity can make a huge difference in your copywriting game.
These copywriting tips should help you establish strong and consistent copy that produces results.
Incorporate SEO
The use of SEO (or Search Engine Optimisation) can make a huge difference to your web traffic. SEO is the craft of making your copy as discoverable to search engines as possible. This is done by not only having the best content on the internet, but also by including specific keywords and phrases.
As a small business owner, the best way to ensure you have maximum impact is to include localised search terms. A small business budget and influence is not going to achieve worldwide acclaim – but it can make a significant local impact.
For example, you may not be listed for ‘best shoe store’ as the competition is high, but you will have a good chance with ‘best shoe store brisbane’.
Have a strong tone of voice
As a small business, your tone of voice is vital.
A tone of voice is what copywriters use to communicate a brand’s identity, message, and intention. It is a means of communicating that is more targeted and specific to your audience.
A good way to establish your tone of voice is to imagine your audience as a singular person. For example if you own a boutique camping store, your audience might be a male between the ages of 25-40 who is adventurous, affluent, and well educated. Therefore your tone of voice might be open-minded, adventurous, informed, and professional.
Whatever you decide your tone of voice is, the most important thing is consistency. Make sure to write in that tone wherever possible. This provides consistency in your brand identity and allows your audience to more thoroughly align themselves with you.
Brand values and point of difference
As a small business, you are a small fish in a big pond. The best way to stand out from the crowd is to determine what your point of difference is.
A big part of this is to define your brand values and herald them wherever you can. Your brand values outline why you do what you do.
Why did you start your business? What gap did you see in the market? What gets you up out of the bed in the morning? These questions are not only valuable to you, but are also valuable to others. It gives people something more – something special that isn’t offered by large companies.
Make these values part of your brand and people will want to hear more.
It is also very good to determine what your company does that others do not. Does your fruit market sell more organic produce than the other fruit and veg shop in town? Does your restaurant have any awards? Are your baby clothes handmade?
Not only do these things stick to people’s brains better, they also give people a reason to care or pay attention.
When writing make sure to consistently mention your values and point of difference.
Why your small business needs great copywriting
Great copywriting or content marketing services is what can make a small business stand out from the crowd.
Many small business owners put off this task as it can seem overwhelming and confusing. But these tips give all of your writing a solid foundation. You can write about anything as long as it has roots in SEO, tone of voice, and brand identity.
Employing small business copywriters is also a great way to grow your copywriting potential. Even if your business can’t currently justify the spend, it is something that you can work towards.