Joanna Woodhouse, Writer and Copywriter

Category: marketing

  • What is copywriting?

    And 5 reasons why you need copywriting for your business

    I felt a sense of pride after completing a three-minute presentation about my business. It had been a while since my last business networking event. Then, a question from another guest slightly burst my bubble. “How do you copyright something, like a photograph or a book.”  It wasn’t time someone thought I worked in copyright, and I swiftly cleared up the confusion.

    Luckily, this mix-up always turns out to be a good icebreaker and gives me a chance to explain how copywriting can help a business. And it’s a good topic for a blog post, too.

    What is a copywriter?

    AWAI says: “Copywriting is the process of writing persuasive marketing and materials that motivate people to take some sort of action…”

    The written content is called copy and is used in print and digital marketing, advertising and promotion. The action the client could want their reader to take could be:

    • To buy a product or service
    • To book a discovery call
    • To click on a link
    • To subscribe
    • To book a visit
    • To ask for a quote
    • To publicise your news or event
    • To make a donation

    Copywriters write for many different types of marketing and advertising material, such as:

    • Print advertisements
    • Broadcast advertisements
    • Digital advertisements (such as a Facebook ad or a Google ad)
    • Social media
    • Website pages, including landing pages
    • Newsletters
    • Advertorials
    • Brochures and leaflets
    • Email
    • Direct mail
    • Video scripts
    • Press releases
    • Blog posts
    • Articles

    I offer a selection of these services, plus other forms of writing related to marketing and journalism. You can see what I offer here.

    Often business owners try to do copywriting themselves or delegate their social media posts to a younger employee. This might save you some money, but will it get you the results you want?

    Here are five reasons why you need a copywriter for your business:

    1. Get a return on your investment

    Why invest in a domain and website with a slick design or a glossy brochure if your copy fails to engage or get results?

    A copywriter will deep dive into your business and ideal customer and check out your competition to produce words that ensure you stand out from the crowd, are persuasive and are worthy of the price you paid for your website.

    2. Saves you time

    If you are writing your copy, are you finding time, or is it on a growing to-do list? Are you spending time on the research needed to craft a message that will achieve your goals? Or are you rushing to tick it off as another job done? Outsourcing your writing jobs will save you time without cutting corners.

    3. Gets results

    A copywriter will conduct the in-depth research needed to write copy that gets the results you want. They also understand how to produce creative content that captures the reader’s attention and keeps them reading. A copywriter also knows the techniques and understands the psychology that can turn a reader into a prospect and customer.

    4. Ensures your content is up-to-date

    When was the last time you updated your website? Your website is your digital shop window, and if it is years out of date, it will create a poor impression. Readers will quickly click off if they feel it isn’t telling them what they need to know today. 

    Search engines will rank your website higher if you regularly post quality content. You can achieve this by handing over the job to a copywriter.

    Social media is another vital tool in marketing that you also need to keep on top of. By keeping it up to date, you will grow your audience and raise brand awareness.

    Your copywriter can:

    • Work with you to come up with content ideas for your website and social media.
    • Write content for your website including blog posts, articles, news, case studies.
    • Collect your testimonials.
    • Update your main website pages.
    • Write landing pages for your latest campaigns or to attract a specific audience.
    • Show how your new content can be used in social media posts, newsletters, and emails.

    5. Looks professional

    If writing is not your strong point, or you are rushing the job, grammatical mistakes or typos could litter your copy. And this could affect a prospect’s impression of you. Also, if your words are long-winded or fail to grab attention, your reader will be turned off and not take the action you want. A professional copywriter knows how to write accurate copy that converts. 

    To learn more about the art of writing for an audience, read this blog post.

    To find out more about my copywriting services, contact me at joanna@joannawoodhouse.co.uk 

  • 7 reasons to have an up-to-date blog on your business website

    In my last blog post, I shared some tips that helped me get my blog up and running after months of not posting. One way I became motivated to finally write a blog post was to remind myself why I started writing posts. The most important of which was the benefits blogging brings to my business. Regular blogging will boost your business too. Read on to find out 7 reasons to blog for your business.

    Demonstrating your knowledge and expertise

    Blog posts that educate are of more interest to a reader than those that sell. Write posts that share the knowledge and expertise of your business. By showing off what you know, you will build trust with your audience, who will be more likely to choose to buy from you. You will also provide valuable content encouraging readers to browse and return to your website to learn more about you and what you offer. Ella Orr of Much More Social uses her blog to share her personal branding and social media knowledge and encourages you to start thinking about why you should choose to work with her.

    Showcasing your product or service

    People don’t always want you to sell to them. But you can highlight the benefits of your products or service in a detailed blog post, encouraging them to click the link to buy the product. This blog tempts the reader to explore the possibility of investing in an air fryer. And after reading the blog post, I might buy this perfume for my husband.

    Driving traffic to your website

    A regularly updated, engaging and well-written blog can drive traffic to your website by improving its search engine ranking. According to Search Engine Journal, websites with good quality and fresh content will be ranked higher by search engines like Google. As Hubspot explains, every time you publish a new post is a fresh opportunity to appear on search engine listings, which will send visitors to your website. Your posts should provide quality content and subtle use of keywords for SEO.

    Provides new content to share on social media

    A blog post can be re-purposed to provide content for your social media channels. As people engage through likes, comments and shares, you will attract a stronger following, build brand awareness and generate leads. These social media posts can also drive traffic back to your website.

    One of the writing packages I offer is blog posts and related copy for social media posts because this is an effective marketing strategy.

    Generate leads

    Your blog post can be a crucial part of your sales funnel. You will have engaged your reader’s interest and built their trust. By including a powerful call to action, you can turn that interest into an enquiry or sale.  

    Boost your subscriber numbers

    If a visitor to your website likes the information you have shared in your blog post or has found it entertaining, they are more likely to want to hear more from you. You can encourage them to subscribe to your blog and sign up for your newsletter. As a result, you will grow the number of people with who you share business news and marketing.

    Provides content for newsletters and emails

    Once you start growing your email list, it is important to send out content regularly. Your blog posts can provide the topic of your next email or newsletter and drive traffic to your website with a call to action, encouraging your reader to read more. So once you’ve organised your blog content finding topics for your next newsletter or email will be easier.

    If you want to develop a successful blog for your business, get in touch to find out how I can help.