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The Pitfalls of Copywriting

So much gets written, but so little gets printed! That’s the experience of many businesses when drafting copy for editorial outlets. But it needn’t be that way if you follow some basic rules:

1)      Who is the target audience?

This may seem obvious, but is often forgotten once the writer gets immersed in the detail of a product or service; it is no good writing a technical article for a lifestyle magazine – it simply won’t work and the audience will not read it, therefore the editor will not use it.

2)     What is the purpose of the communication?

Why are you writing the piece? Is it simply to inform, is it to provide factual information or specific instructions, is it to sell the benefits of a product or service to gain more business, or is the publication looking for a light-hearted tone to the piece?

3)    What is the style of the communication?

Are you writing a press release, a feature, article, website copy, blog copy, an e-newsletter,  a promotional flyer, a brochure or an advert – all require very different styles of writing which should be thought about before putting ‘pen to paper’.  The structure of each will be quite different so this also needs to be thought about in advance.

4)    What are the key messages?  

What do you actually want to tell the recipients of your communication? Be clear, get to the point, don’t waffle and don’t use industry jargon in a communication designed for the general public – it will simply be meaningless.

5)    Timeliness
When drafting communications about a forthcoming event, a product or new service launch, staff changes or changes within a business that directly impact on customers, it is important that the communications are delivered to the right audience, through the right channels and in a timely manner.

Of course, in addition to these basic principles, the ability to get close to selected editors, journalists and bloggers can be crucial. No matter how compelling the message, relationship still count when it comes to seeing the fruits of your labours in print or online.