Research

Marketing

Costs

Contact us

What's new?

Environment

Links

Back to Articles Page

Write Right!

Sit up straight and stop shuffling, the lecture is about to begin…

“OK class, open your books to Chapter 4, Marketing…now, you are all supposed to be creatives…stop sniggering Powell…so you may think that you know all that there is to know about writing; unfortunately, your recent homework submissions suggest otherwise!

Perhaps we need to go back to basics…”

You will find much on the Internet and in bookshops from self-styled copywriting gurus who claim to have found the ‘magic formula’ to guarantee that your marketing messages will always translate into big sales (try Googling the ‘5W1H formula’ and you’ll see what I mean). Writing in the US is very focussed on two key elements – the belief that there is a formula that must be followed and the unabashed goal of making money; this comes across clearly in the copy, which is often a little brash for the English ear. A recent example I read ran:

“This is Super-Advanced Stuff for Serious Web Guys and Girls Only...Because... It Will Take You DEEP into the "Insider" World of Making HUGE Website Profits... Faster Than You Ever Dreamed Possible!”

Stirring stuff. As with everything else, these ideas are slowly percolating across ‘The Water’ to us in the UK, but, although there are a few champions of the ‘American model’ out there, the majority of UK writers still work in a rather different way. Certainly, they’ve heard of these formulas, they may even have quietly tried them out, but, for the most part, they (and the companies that they work for) are happy to carry on as they always have. That doesn’t necessarily mean that their writing doesn’t need to change; much copy produced in this country is just as formulaic as its US counterpart; it’s just that, whereas the US style follows a clear pattern (“Go for 25% keyword insertion per page”) the ‘UK Formula’ is a quite unintentional by-product of our native reticence. The American way is to shout; the English is just the opposite; it is to state, precisely, often at length (sometimes at unbelievable length) just why it is that XYZ hose clips last up to 3% longer than their nearest rival whilst still remaining fully compliant with ISO 800001.

Clearly each approach is a product of its market, but neither is benefiting from much original thought. This is writing solely for the purpose of making money and making money takes the soul out of writing.

I receive a regular e-newsletter from a US-based Internet marketing site; each edition features an article from a guest writer explaining an area of business that they specialise in. Some of this makes very interesting reading; some of it is virtually gibberish! Here’s a case in point:

“For the past few years and the next ten years or so, search engines would be the most widely used Internet tool to find the sites that they need to go to or the product or information they need.”

Would you trust this man with your SEO?

The point here is that publishing articles, especially articles that will be doing the rounds of in-boxes worldwide can be very good for business but getting it wrong can be fatal. Good writing builds a relationship with the reader; they may then chose to become your customers - but do remember that they have a choice – you have to engage their interest. Interesting articles are read, links are clicked, sales are made; it’s organic, not force-fed.

If your own writing isn’t any good then you’re better off not writing at all. If you don’t have anyone in-house who can do your writing, then out-source it. And if you are going to out-source, use the same company for all your writing – the key is to maintain a consistent style throughout.

“So, class, I hope that’s clear and perhaps we can look forward to some better copy in future? Take that out of your ear Olins…”

About the author: Dara O'Brien runs Better Start Here, a one-stop shop for all your business writing needs including copywriting, editing, web copy, proofreading and brand design.

Back to Articles Page

TO BOOKMARK THIS PAGE PRESS (Ctrl+D)

© Better Start Here 2005