Lauren Jefferson - FocusCopy®

How Is B2B Copywriting Helpful For Businesses?

Copywriting / By Lauren Jefferson / October 27, 2021 July 22, 2022

No matter the industry or product, every business can gain from copywriting. From bringing in organic web traffic to actually persuading customers to take out their wallets, copywriting helps businesses connect with their audience and create brand authority.

Of course, copywriting does even more than this.

But for businesses who sell directly to other businesses, it’s essential to know how to write B2B copy.

How Is B2B Copywriting Different From B2C Copywriting?

While B2B copywriting (or business-to-business) is different from B2C copywriting (business-to-consumer), they share similarities. Copy should always be precise, focused, and engaging. A writer’s ability to convince a reader to take action is a key part of any marketing strategy’s success.

However, B2B copywriting is different from B2C primarily because of the projects a B2B writer produces and the audience they target.

For example, B2B involves selling and marketing to other organizations or businesses. B2C, on the other hand, markets straight to consumers. As you might imagine, a copywriter’s approach to these two audiences can look quite different.

Audience & Tone

Different audiences connect with certain marketing languages and advertising. Think about the last time you were shown an ad for a product that just wasn’t your thing.

We all have different needs.

We all have different problems.

So, it makes sense to say a product that’s marketed to other businesses will probably be less relevant to a consumer audience, right?

The biggest difference between copy that’s written for consumer audiences versus businesses is the tone of the writing itself.

While B2C copy uses a lot of pain points and emotions to build a connection with the reader and persuade them to take action on your offer, writing for a B2B audience requires a stronger focus on how the product or service impacts the business (usually time, profitability, or operationally).

You don’t want the copy to sound like a car manual (or, maybe you do!), but you do want it to include enough data, information, and logistics on how your product or services is helpful for a prospect to reach out.

While in B2C copywriting, your target persona could be dog owners who want safe leashes.

In B2B, you could be writing for software programmers who have a ton of experience in their field.

Can you see how your copy could be different between these two groups?

All this to say, think about who you’re writing to. You aren’t writing to a robot that is the total embodiment of a business – you’re still writing to a human who works at the company. They may just have different goals and needs than your B2C audience.

Here’s how the two forms of copywriting compare:

B2B Copywriting	B2C Copywriting
Logical (must make business sense) Educational Technical but not too technical Professional yet personal	Pathos Conversational Eye-catching Trendy

But don’t confuse B2B copywriting for something boring.

What Are The Goals Of B2B Copywriting?

Although the style and process of B2B and B2C copywriting differ, their goals remain largely the same: to close sales, bring in more customers, and create brand loyalty. However, the way in which B2B copywriting achieves these goals is not the same as B2C. While content projects may be similar or have some overlap, the content of the projects themselves will have some variation.

Looking for a team of writers who can speak your audience’s language no matter the industry? Sign up for a virtual cup of coffee with FocusCopy so we can talk about your marketing goals.

Reel In Organic Traffic

In the same way B2C copywriting can help drive organic traffic to your website, B2B copywriting strives to do the same thing – its focus is just on the type of traffic you’re bringing in.

Through SEO-optimized content, brand awareness strategies, and email marketing, B2B copywriting is still trying to get businesses interested in your product or service.

The kind of content B2B writers produce for organic traffic may contain the following:

Blogs
Ebooks
Social media posts
SEO landing pages
Direct mail
Press releases

Convert Prospects

Of course, B2B and B2C share the same main goal – to close sales!

B2B copywriting does this a little differently, so the content produced for their bottom of the funnel (or BOFU) will usually contain information-packed pieces like case studies or white papers.

Sealing the deal often requires a B2B copywriter to thoroughly address each detail about the product. The decision to buy isn’t made by just one person, but often by a team within a business. So a B2B copywriter needs to be attentive to details and able to clearly communicate each feature of a product. All while backing up their claims with real data.

Content a B2B copywriter will produce at the BOFU:

Reports
Case studies
White papers
Brochures

At FocusCopy, closing more sales for your business is our priority. Find out how we can help you grow by scheduling a discovery call.

Build Lasting Relationships With Customers

B2B-focused content also aims to help you connect with your clients and establish a long-term partnership. Including detailed manuals for your products, user guides, or even creating FAQ pages allows you to build trust with your clients after they’ve made the purchase.

This is another area where B2B and B2C are quite similar. You want to ensure that a customer feels taken care of at each point of the marketing funnel. You can’t just sell a product without detailed instructions and expect a customer to feel satisfied with their purchase.

At this point, they should know how your product can solve their problems. But customers will want to be able to easily find guides on how to actually use your product.

So, set your brand up to create loyalty with educational, in-depth material. That way, clients will continue to return to your business for years down the line.

Here’s the type of content you’ll want to create:

FAQ pages
User guides
Testimonial videos
Q&A / Demonstration videos

Industries That Need B2B Copywriting

Several industries can benefit from B2B copywriting.

From email marketing companies like Mailchimp to medical equipment manufacturers selling machines to hospitals, the B2B copywriting world is quite large.

Here are examples of businesses that would market themselves directly to other businesses or scenarios in which B2B marketing is the goal:

Telehealth therapy companies marketing to private practicing therapists
Photographers selling their services to real estate companies
Data compliance consultants to healthcare companies and law firms
Fruit and vegetable farms to grocery stores

And… the list goes on!

How To Write Compelling B2B Copy

Leaning into your industry knowledge is the key to writing strong B2B copy.

When you’ve done thorough enough research to understand the problems the industry is facing, you can deliver relevant products and content. You’ll also be able to immediately recognize what language your B2B audience wants to hear.

Typically, you want to avoid jargony language in B2C copywriting and speak to your audience’s level. However, with B2B copywriting, including industry-specific language is not only a good strategy but is a necessity. If you must use jargon, make sure to explain what those jargon terms actually mean – just in case your reader doesn’t know.

B2B copywriting is all about being able to (and excuse the cliche) walk the walk and talk the talk. You need to be able to speak directly to the people who are immersed in the industry. That way, they’re able to feel like you actually understand the issues people are dealing with. And you need to be able to back up your claims with rock-solid evidence.

While you should always offer proof to your promises in all copywriting, when you’re writing for B2B, it’s especially vital.

Ready To Brew The Perfect Cup Of Copy No Matter Your Business Model Or Audience?

While you’re handling the day-to-day tasks of running your business, the copywriters at FocusCopy are hard at work crafting copy that speaks directly to your audience.

Our goal is your goal: to grow your business! Let’s hop on a call to talk about how we can help you achieve your marketing endeavors.

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7 Steps To Write A Strong Hook In Your Copy To Keep Your Audience Engaged

Copywriting / By Lauren Jefferson / October 20, 2021 July 22, 2022

Did you know your hook could be all it takes to capture your target audience’s attention, even if you don’t consider yourself a great writer?

In fact, all it takes is some creativity and keeping your readers at the forefront.

Whether you’re illustrating the pain points you can alleviate or sharing a personal story, you want to connect to your readers on a human level. This is what pushes that, “Oh my gosh, I totally relate!” sentiment to convert readers to paying customers.

Keep Readers’ Eyes On The Page With Intriguing Hooks

Writing content to promote your business isn’t always easy. But what’s even worse is if the people you’re writing for aren’t reading your copy. It’s frustrating, feels like a setback, and can get your mind spinning about what you should be doing differently. But sometimes, all you need is to rework your hook.

Need a little help coming up with the perfect hook? We can help craft a message specifically for your target audience.

What Is A Hook Anyways & Why Should I Care About It?

There’s a good chance you’ve heard the term “hook” in discussions about writing. It’s that opening line that keeps your eyes moving down the page to learn more.

Otherwise, a swipe of the finger will have them reading or watching something else. And if they’re searching for something specific, you may have pushed them to move on to what your competitors are offering.

How To Write A Strong Hook Your Audience Wants To Read

The most important aspect in getting your message across is to write copy your audience actually wants to read. And we’re here to help you capture attention so you can continue spreading your message and growing your business.

1. Speak To Your Ideal Clients Or Audience

Do you know who your ideal audience is?

These are the people your business is made for.

They have problems that you can solve through your product or service. You saw a need and went into business to provide a solution. Now, all you have to do is get people to realize they don’t just need the product – they need your product.

Suppose your business primarily targets women in executive positions. In that case, you may state, “As an ambitious woman busy crashing glass ceilings, is your life revolving around other people’s needs while you’re left with never-ending to-do lists?”

Here you’ve called out your target – ambitious women. And you’ve humanized their personal needs and let them know that you can relate. Any career-driven woman chasing ambitions on top of caring for children and running all the errands will be excited to read what life-changing solutions you are offering.

2. Raise Eyebrows With Shocking Statistics Or Going Against The Grain

We’re not encouraging click-bait, but instead, consider how you can raise ‘brows by going against the grain. Something different, quirky, startling, or surprising that will set you apart from the tons of blogs and articles out there.

In your search bar, simply type in your keyword + statistics (or stat or stats). Before you know it, you’ll have a variety of data to choose from. So find something relevant that speaks to your target audience, and it will lock in their attention to read past the first line of your copy.

As an example, consider the many new, toxin-free cosmetic lines available in the U.S. Type in: toxic cosmetics + statistics = “Since 2009, 595 cosmetics manufacturers have reported using 88 chemicals, in more than 73,000 products, that have been linked to cancer, congenital disabilities, or reproductive harm.” If you were in the market for safer cosmetics and skincare, would you keep reading?

Don’t have time for research and writing? Find out how FocusCopy can take writing off your hands and help your business grow.

3. Illustrate Pain Points That Alert Readers To A Threat Or Urgent Warning

Without realizing something was lacking in your industry, would you have started your business in the first place? The pain points in our lives are what drive innovations and new businesses.

Don’t be afraid to push on those pain points to alert your readers to threats they need to know about.

For instance, imagine you are selling umbrellas that wick away water and dry off quickly. Before and during hurricane season, you can warn your audience of upcoming bad weather.

In this instance, your hook may be, “With a week’s worth of rain heading our way, don’t let a soggy umbrella soak everything in your purse and the floor of your office or home.” You are helping them with a heads up about the upcoming rain and offering a preemptive solution to their chronic, weather-related pain point.

4. Keep It Relevant & Confirm Beliefs

Sometimes with creativity also comes the need to reign it in!

You could have the catchiest phrase you’re dying to use, but if it’s not relevant – you may have fallen off course. After all, you need to keep the focus on what you’re offering and who would actually purchase your product or service.

Another proven method to make that needed emotional connection is to confirm your reader’s beliefs. Imagine you own a tire company but many of your potential customers don’t know what they need.

You could write, “Tired of the tire salesman trying to frighten you into purchasing the most expensive set on their floor? We’re tired of watching our friends and family get scammed. That’s why we started TrustyTires. The only tire provider whose goals are to keep you safe and save you money.”

5. Factor In FOMO Worth FOMOing

The fear of missing out is such a universal feeling that the acronym FOMO caught on quickly and swept social media by storm.

There’s nothing like FOMO to get us googling. Whether or not we end up jumping on the bandwagon, we want to be in the know.

So hit your audience with curiosity punches that will get them wondering, “What am I missing out on and how could finding out improve my life?”

Consider a super affordable wash and fold laundry service. For apartment dwellers who are paying $2-$3 per machine, this may come out to only an extra dollar or two more than what they’re spending on DIY laundry anyways.

With so many people living in apartments, the benefits are bound to cause FOMO in jealous neighbors. Consider a hook similar to, “Are you wondering how your neighbor with kids has time to do everything and keep their house clean? Save time and your sanity by letting us take on the laundry so you can have more time to focus on what matters the most.”

Passing on the chore of laundry may be the most FOMO thing worth FOMOing about to your audience, so let them know!

6. Don’t Be Afraid To Get Personal & Vulnerable Through Storytelling

Too many times, people only present the successes that came after their hardships. But that’s not the way to create an emotional connection with your audience.

Is there a story behind your passion? Was it something that happened to you as a child? Or maybe in your previous career?

Don’t be afraid to get personal and share the vulnerabilities that got you where you are today. Whether that’s from a hard upbringing, challenges at a previous job, or just one day or instance when things weren’t great. More people can relate to your vulnerable side than your successful one.

And maybe your story isn’t as heart-tugging as others you’ve heard, but that is ok! There are so many people in the world searching for someone to relate to their struggles. So be the voice to the voiceless and embrace how you got to where you are today.

7. Back Up Statements You Portray As Facts

While this might be last on our list, it is certainly not the least. This is because your credibility is the most important thing you have to offer.

Shocking statements to grab your readers’ attention is great – but make sure you’re not falling away from any truths. Nowadays, fact-checkers are quick to call out anyone who even strays from the straight and narrow.

Don’t let creativity take away from your credibility. Hook your target audience with vulnerable stories or surprising statistics. And most importantly, back up statements you are portraying as facts. Either with statistics, a quote directly from the source, or just owning your own truths.

While this will protect your credibility, it will also help it grow. Wouldn’t it be great if your audience began using you as a source for what they need to know? Not only does this build brand awareness and loyalty, but all those extra clicks on your website won’t hurt either.

Don’t Have The Time To Write Your Own Hooks & Copy?

If getting into the groove of writing doesn’t fit in your busy schedule, FocusCopy can help.

We help businesses in every stage identify their target audience. Then we craft copy to get the message across. From writing the hooks to closing the deals, your to-do list is overwhelming. Let the experts at FocusCopy do what we do best – helping businesses grow.

Ready to get back to focusing on what’s most important? Contact us today to get started.

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How To Create Backlinks & Drive Valuable Traffic to Your Landing Page

Marketing / By Lauren Jefferson / October 18, 2021 July 22, 2022

As you’ve transitioned your storefront and services online, you can’t help but wonder how people are going to find your website. You know that almost 88% of people in America shop online, but how will your business reach them?

But on top of building or updating your website, you’re figuring out shipping logistics. You’re creating social media pages and finding quality IT support, (not to mention balancing your personal life obligations). Learning how to bring people in online is a problem to solve later.

However, you understand that the more customers you have visiting your website, the more likely it is that you close sales.

And of course, you’d be right!

Then, after all the hustle and bustle of getting your website live is over and things have calmed down for just a second, you keep seeing the term SEO pop up when you’re googling strategies for online marketing. But it might as well be gibberish – search engine optimization? What even is that?

As it turns out, the way to generate more web traffic has a lot to do with SEO – especially a little term called backlinks.

What Are Backlinks?

Backlinks play a huge role in your SEO ranking on search engines – especially Google.

Basically, backlinks are links within a piece of content that sends a reader to another website when they click on written text.

For example, if you were writing a blog article about “How to Make Cold Brew Coffee”, you might want to talk about the best brand of coffee for the brew. Including a link to the coffee vendor’s website is an effective way to provide your readers with even more information or resources.

After you hit publish and the blog post is live, the business you linked has now earned a backlink from you. This makes search engines give their website a vote of confidence – so to speak.

When this happens, Google begins to recognize the linked website or article as providing valuable information. Backlinks are like your digital reputation or credibility in the eyes of Google. So when more websites link to your own, search engines see that you’re providing value to users online, and thus, raises your ranking in its index.

Which, in turn, leads to more organic traffic!

Simple enough, right? Well, “how do you actually create backlinks?” you might ask.

1. Create Exemplary Content

Quality content is first and foremost the secret ingredient to successful SEO marketing.

The returns from high-quality written content for your SEO game are two-fold. First, well-researched, properly formatted, and grammatically sound content written by professionals will signal to Google that you produce quality information on your industry. Copywriters and content marketers know how to not only capture your brand’s voice and speak in the direction of your audience, but they know how to incorporate keywords into their work. That means when someone searches Google with certain words or asks a question, your website will come up – ready to solve their problem or steer them in the right direction.

All of this already gives you a massive boost to your SEO standing.

But as an added bonus, the better your content is, the more likely it is that other websites in your industry will link back to your articles. So you’ll earn Google’s stamp of approval for producing good content and when others in your industry recognize your thoughtful work.

Need a team of master writers to support you in all your SEO endeavors? Our copywriters are on standby. Sign up for a discovery call with us today!

Skyscraper Content (Or How To Rise Above The Rest)

Skyscraper content is a type of content that rises above every other existing piece of content on the same subject. While challenging and time-consuming, (skyscraper articles should be 1,500+ words, ideally, even more!) investing your energy into creating long-form skyscraper content could give you an edge.

Similar to pillar content, you can use skyscraper content as an opportunity to create in-depth educational guides and online courses. Or you can focus on a single question being asked by your audience and answer it extensively.

If creating a skyscraper piece sounds a bit intimidating, you can always create a smaller version first. Then over time, add more to the piece. Plus, constantly refreshing your content can also improve SEO.

Guest Blogs: Share Your Perspective & Insight!

Another way content creation can create backlinks is through guest blogging. Reach out to other professionals or publications that are in your industry, and ask to write a blog for them in exchange for a backlink to your website. Doing this may even expand your network and make you new connections.

However, you’ll want to be sure your values align with the publication’s, and that you have some work to show as a reference.

Find Broken & Old Links, Then Pitch Your Content As Replacement!

Once you have quality content in your arsenal, try digging around online for a while, reading various articles about your industry. Sometimes, older backlinks can take readers to a website that was taken down after the article was originally published. That means the backlink is basically broken and isn’t providing value to the reader or the website that’s hosting it.

When this happens, reach out directly to the website owner and pitch your content as a replacement backlink. Finding broken links might take a while, but you might be surprised at how many you discover. And, reading those articles provides an opportunity to learn more about your industry.

Either way, finding broken backlinks is a surprisingly effective way to build up your backlink portfolio.

2. Collaborate & Connect With Your Industry and Network

Another way to build up backlinks besides just creating content is by connecting with others in your industry and network. What’s more, this gives you an opportunity to dive deeper into your industry and audience (and even create professional connections).

Get Listed On A Resources Page

One of the simpler ways of building up your backlinks is by having your content featured on a resources page. While exploring websites in your industry, look to see if they have a “master list” of website links to other domains.

Many websites put together a page for their readers where they can learn more about a specific topic. For example, food blogs may have links to websites with more recipes. So send a message to the admin with a link to your content!

Hop-On A Podcast

Found a podcast in your industry that you love? Reach out to the host and see if you can join them for an episode.

Joining a podcast allows you to dive right into the heart of the conversations taking place in your industry. You’ll hear perspectives from other professionals, engage directly with your audience, and have the opportunity to share your thoughts with the community.

Not only is this great publicity for both you and the podcast, but you’ll also have the chance to earn a quality backlink on their website as well.

Help Out A Journalist

Sometimes, journalists need to speak with experts in certain fields to interview credible sources. You can volunteer your time to answer questions about your industry to help a journalist complete their story. Just ask them to link to your website in the finished article!

This strategy can set you apart from competitors because a journalist has chosen you to act as a thought leader. When someone who has limited or no knowledge of your industry reads the journalist’s story, they’ll be sent right to your website.

Ask For Testimonials

After you’ve been working with a client for a while, ask them if they would like to exchange testimonials about each other’s services. For example, in exchange for your testimonial, you’ll display their testimonial on your website, and then backlink to them. Not only will this generate more backlinks, but it may also bring in more clients since you’re actively promoting each other’s work.

3. Be Wary Of Quality Backlinks vs Toxic Backlinks

While you might think more backlinks are better, the SEO benefits from backlinks come from the quality of backlinks, not the quantity.

Originally, Google’s algorithm looked at the number of backlinks more than the actual quality of the link. Naturally, buying and selling links was common practice to quickly accumulate links and rise to the top of Google.

Now, Google considers backlinks generated in this way as “toxic”, and they harm your SEO ranking instead of bolstering it.

But, this is just one example of a toxic backlink. Additionally, if websites with similar pages all link to your website with the same hyperlink or anchor text, search engines may register you as trying to build links quickly and maliciously like the tactic above.

Either way, when you have a toxic backlink, Google’s algorithm will automatically penalize your website. That harms your ranking on the index.

Want to guarantee that all your backlinks are high-quality? First, you’ll need content written by the expert writers at FocusCopy! Contact us to learn more about how we can help your business grow.

How To Remove Toxic Backlinks

Before you work to remove any potentially toxic links, you’ll have to identify which links could be causing you trouble.

The Backlink Analytics tool from Semrush generates data about your backlink portfolio and can identify which links might be harmful. And thankfully, there are some ways in which you can remove a toxic backlink from your website.

For starters, you can reach out to the website’s host and ask them to remove the link to your content. If the link is actually coming from a quality domain but Google incorrectly categorized it, you can ask for a manual review of the link from Google themselves.

You can also use Google’s “Disavow” tool from their search console to remove toxic backlinks. WARNING: You’ll want to read up on how to properly use the tool to ensure you don’t harm your website’s search performance.

Partner With The Content Experts & Create Backlinks

Content really is king when it comes to SEO. But when you’re juggling business obligations and your personal life, there’s simply not enough time to create content yourself.

To grow your business, you need a team of copywriters who can support your content creation, make your brands stand out from the crowd, and help you bring in more leads. So, reach out to us at FocusCopy! We’d love to talk about your goals and how we can help you achieve them. Schedule a discovery call today.

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Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words

How Does Professional Copywriting Help Your Business Grow?

Copywriting, Entrepreneurship / By Lauren Jefferson / October 11, 2021 February 28, 2023

You have your product, a clear idea of what it does, how it helps people, and the price of sale.

And you have all the numbers, figures, facts, and marketing strategies all brainstormed and laid out.

Even though you keep seeing recommendations to hire a copywriter or are studying writing techniques yourself, you aren’t placing too much stock into the idea.

After all, words are just words. Right? They’re easy enough to put down. Even though it’s been a while since high school English and freshman composition class, you send texts and emails every day. So putting together a few sentences about your product and uploading them to your website should be plenty.

You’ve also budgeted for social media ads that you’re feeling confident about writing yourself. After all, isn’t it really the product that matters most and not the advertising attached?

So, you move forward with your launch. It’s an exciting moment! You’ve been working your way up to this point for quite some time, and you’re ready to help people and change the world.

However, after a few months, you aren’t making many sales. In fact, it doesn’t seem like your web traffic is even breaking more than a few visitors a day. Or maybe you’re having the opposite problem. Maybe your ads are getting a lot of clicks, but no one is making the purchase.

What gives?

It’s Not What You’re Saying – It’s How You’re Saying It

Believe it or not, you do need more than a few sentences on your website or advertisement to actually convince people to buy your offer.

Now, you’re spending extra hours in the morning and late into the night learning about copywriting because it keeps coming up as the missing piece to your success.

But, “what even is copywriting? Isn’t that like a trademark?” You think to yourself.

Copywriting is a powerful form of marketing that has been used for more than two centuries. Even if the practice has looked different throughout the passing of time, copywriting’s goal has remained largely the same.

The end goal? To close sales, of course! But when done well, copywriting can even position your business and brand as leaders in your industry – making you stand out from the competition and rise to the top. Your customers’ problems are solved, and your dream of having a successful business is accomplished.

Therefore, it’s really no surprise that copywriting can help your business thrive. Because no matter its form, the aim is always to move prospective customers closer to hitting that “Order Now” button on your website.

4 Ways Professional Copywriting Can Help Your Business

Copywriting – not to be confused with copyrighting – encompasses many different parts of a marketing strategy. So, it’s easy to understand how you might feel a little unsure at first how it can actually help your business.

At the most basic definition, copywriting is any piece of writing or content you might find on a website, billboard advertisement, newspaper ad, and even a flyer you receive in the mail.

Copywriting is also part of commercial advertising (if you’re still watching cable television these days), as well as slogans, catchphrases, and infomercials.

Really, copywriting is everywhere, and has been for quite some time!

Nowadays, thanks to so many businesses moving online, it’s especially beneficial for businesses both new, old, large, and small. In the digital realm, copywriting takes the shape of sales letters, email newsletters, social media posts, blog content, video scripts, and more.

From coffee roasters to law firms, no matter your industry, product, or service, copywriting acts like support beams to your entire foundation. It helps you solidify your mission and message, connect with your audience, and grab the attention of those who’ve never heard of you.

1. Copywriting Improves SEO & Increases Organic Traffic

Recently, you’ve been looking for new desks through Google. So, you’ve been searching for things like, “best desks for home office” and you immediately have a wide variety of beautiful desks in front of you.

You click on one of the first few websites that come up because they grabbed your attention.

Well, that’s copywriting (and a little SEO strategy) in action. Not only does copywriting help your website actually show up in search results from Google, but that brief little description underneath the website link was written by a copywriter. You knew almost exactly what you would find before you even clicked on the link.

But, maybe you want to learn more about this specific brand’s furniture. You might not find it featured prominently, but if you dig around a little, there’s a good chance you’ll find a section dedicated to Blogs.

Why is that, you might wonder? Well, blogs are a form of copywriting that actually serve two big purposes.

Blogs Offer Free & Valuable Information

First of all, blogs are a way for brands to provide valuable information to their customers – which often leads to better B2B or B2C conversions.

Maybe you want to know how the desk you’re thinking about buying was made. Look through their blog, and find the piece that covers their whole assemblage process!

Maybe you care about the environment and you want to be sure the desk is constructed with sustainable materials. In their blog section, you’ll probably find articles detailing their commitment to sustainability.

See what’s happening here? You had questions and their blog has already provided you with the answers. So, essentially, the goal of blogs is to address your questions, needs, and concerns in greater detail.

What kind of business would you most likely purchase a desk from? The one that has a lot of information available about their desks and products? Or the one that has nothing but a desk and a check-out button?

This example can be applied to a lot of different kinds of businesses and industries.

Need to schedule a dental appointment but you can’t choose between two different offices to call?

While one has good reviews, you can’t find anything about their services, pricing, or commitment to providing you a good, pain-free experience. The other office, however, has full-on articles and FAQs about ways in which their dentists help you through dental anxiety – which, (we know the feeling, believe us) is something you’ve struggled with since you were a kid.

So which office has closed the deal and earned your call? I’ll let you decide!

Blogs Boost SEO

The value of blogs doesn’t end with informational content for your customers. You see, the only reason you clicked on that website with all the desks in the first place, was because of a little thing called SEO.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is like putting up highway markers leading to your business. Picture the interstate highway system lined with every furniture store on the internet. If you just type in “furniture store online” into Google’s search bar, you’re going to find a lot of results.

That’s because all of these businesses have put up signs that say something like, “This is a furniture store. We sell furniture here.”

But let’s say you type in “furniture stores near me.” Now, your search is going to be more localized. You may have fewer results, and the stores will specifically be in your area.

Can you guess why?

The furniture stores near you have indicated to Google that they sell furniture in a certain area. They probably have a physical storefront, as opposed to furniture stores that sell exclusively online.

But how did they get Google to register their business in a certain area, and understand what it is that they sell?

For this part, look through their website!

What words do you see on their page? If they have a blog, what kind of topics are they writing about?

When a business wants to show up on search engines for certain phrases or search queries, they use copywriting to incorporate those words into their web pages or blog content.

This signals to Google to show their business for the keywords people are searching for.

Simple enough, right?

Well, good SEO doesn’t quite end here.

Word Count & Quality Content

You see, the more content a business uploads each month, the more web traffic it generally will receive – which makes sense if you think about it.

The more signs they put up on the highway, the more road trippers start to recognize their brand and offers.

We won’t get too technical here. Generally speaking, blog content with a word count of a thousand words or more is thought to be “quality content” in Google’s eyes. While word counts of two thousand words or more will yield even better results for your website.

In fact, there have been several studies from notable content marketing agencies over the past two years that have done deep dives into the correlation between word count and SEO results.

However, the content must be quality. This means well-researched, well-formatted, and well-written! You shouldn’t expect grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or incomplete thoughts to bring in much organic traffic.

Additionally, you should never copy and paste someone else’s entire work onto your website or blog content. Seriously, don’t.

Google has ways of recognizing bad content that’s just trying to game the system and will punish your website link by making it more difficult to find or remove it from its results completely.

Ready to have a steady stream of quality content up on your website? Schedule a discovery call with FocusCopy, and we’ll take the content process off your plate. Freeing up your time to focus on your clients, business, and personal life.

2. Copywriting Builds Relationships With Your Audience & Fosters Community

Brands and businesses benefit a lot from having an active online community.

For example, do you want constant feedback on your offer? Having an online community to engage with on social media allows you to easily take stock of customer opinions.

Additionally, you can get to know your customers on a more personal level, which helps you better serve their needs (more on that later).

Copywriters can help your business build an online community by creating email newsletters, content pillars, and by giving away free information such as the content on your blog.

Content pillars are like ebooks or in-depth articles about specific topics in your industry. The goal is to provide value to customers even if they don’t all make a purchase.

Encouraging visitors to sign up for your newsletter allows you to communicate directly with your customers through their email inboxes. But you need a persuasive subject line and copy to really convince customers to take action on your promotion or offer.

3. Copywriting Speaks To Your Customer Needs

Understanding your customer needs is a big part of having a successful business. And it can mean several things.

For example, your customers are more likely to respond to brand voices that they connect with or relate to. Copywriters are effective at capturing brand voices and speaking your customer’s languages.

And once you’re speaking your customers’ language, you know their goals, problems, and where they are mentally and emotionally.

Because even though copywriting is about closing more sales – it does this by solving customer problems. Effective copywriting does this by making your customers feel heard, understood, and that your business cares about helping them.

Let’s solve problems together. Schedule a discovery call with us, and we’ll help you make your business vision a reality.

4. Copywriting Strengthens Your Power Of Persuasion

The purpose of copywriting is ultimately to drive customers and users to action.

Whether that be signing up for your newsletter and email list, following you on social media, or of course, choosing to buy one of your products. Good copywriting leads your customers through a funnel. Until, eventually, you close a sale!

The more effective your copy and research, the more likely you are to generate revenue. However, good copy still needs a quality product or service to offer potential customers.

The most persuasive copy won’t help you if customers are leaving bad reviews about your product and telling all their friends and family about their horrible experience.

Increase Your Conversions With Focused Copy

Your business deserves to be on your customers’ radars. You’ve put time, money, and a lot of effort into making a service and product that actually helps people and improves their lives for the better.

Don’t you want the best team of copywriters at your side, supporting you each step of the way? Contact us today, and together, we’ll develop a plan to tackle each one of your business’s objectives.

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

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Why Is It So Important To Identify Your Target Market?

Marketing / By Lauren Jefferson / September 27, 2021 September 28, 2021

Have you ever felt as though you’re speaking into a void when it comes to your marketing materials?

What about talking to potential customers that end up nowhere near you making a sale?

No one likes to exhaust their resources. However, you might be doing exactly that if your main focus is on the wrong group of buyers. In fact, 80% of content is geared towards the wrong audience. Spending all of your efforts speaking to the wrong audience isn’t beneficial to your business or to those customers missing out on all you have to offer.

What you need to do is ensure you’re speaking to the right people. This way, you’re producing deliverables that can convert into sales.

Identifying your target audience is essential to any growing business, and doing so is easier than you might think!

Need a little oomph added to your business’s copywriting? Contact FocusCopy to learn how we can help your business grow.

Factors That Impact Your Overall Marketing

Identifying your target market is just as important as the product or service you’re offering. Because without talking directly to your target market, you likely end up losing a lot more than you realize.

Money

Did you know? The average small business spends an average of $9,000 to $10,000 per month for online advertising.

On top of your marketing budget, you also have monthly fees associated with your website and other tools you use to get your name out there. In addition, you have operations and supply costs to cover.

However, if you’re consistently speaking to the wrong demographic, all of those essential business elements aren’t being recovered.

Resources

On top of your budget, you have all of your deliverables that aren’t earning results because the audience you’re focusing on isn’t the right one.

Time

The time you spend planning, organizing, and executing your advertising adds up. Make sure your time is used efficiently by talking to the audience you really want.

Potential Revenue

The thing is, there are probably plenty of people who are interested in your business. But they’re not buying because they simply haven’t heard of you. Hone in on the potential customers you want by shifting your focus.

Valuable Assets

A fantastic web design, captivating copy, and a solid team are nothing without its consumers. You can have top-notch work simply decaying because it isn’t being seen by those who matter to your business’s revenue.

Need a little help? We can push your business in the right direction with crafted copy that targets your ideal audience.

How To Identify Your Target Market

Here are the 3 steps you need to take to redirect your business’s efforts:

1. Start With The Demographics

Find out the age, gender, income, and profession of your customers. You may have to make broad strokes to identify an ideal target audience, but the goal is to get your audience to fit 80% of what you write down for the demographics.

For example, your target audience may look like:

Woman-owned business that offers a professional service, 35-50 years old, lives in the US, works remote, mother of 3 kids, and married
30-year old multi-generational company who the son is currently taking over, 35-45 years old, lives in the US, grew up in the company, married, goes into the office or company building for work, bilingual (usually in English and Spanish)

The key here… Get specific!

2. Get Into The Details

Use psychographics to pinpoint your customers’ lifestyles, values, and personality traits.

For example, if we were to take the woman-owned business listed above, her personality profile may include being sociable but introverted, determined to make this work, values family over money, and relationship-focused.

3. Uncover Their Values

Narrow your funnel by learning your customers’ attitude, knowledge, and response to your services.

If you aren’t digging down and getting to the root of who your customers are, it will be tough talking to them about what you can do to serve them better. Your customers want to believe you understand them and are willing to go the extra mile to solve their problems.

They want reliability, honesty, and value. Understanding everything about them from their age range to their preference in politics helps inform your marketing endeavors.

How To Talk To Your Target Audience

Now that you have your audience, you should be able to talk to them directly.

Demand Their Attention

Don’t be afraid to call your customers out! There’s no need to beat around the bush and evade talking to a smaller group of people because you’re afraid it will single others out. People are much more likely to perk up and pay attention when they feel seen, heard, and understood.

For example, instead of saying “All-Inclusive Legal Services For Texans,” you should say, “Are You The Victim Of A Drunk Driving Accident And Need Legal Representation?”

The point is, you may be a law office that serves all types of clients. However, if your main focus is representing drunk driving victims or their families, you need to say so upfront. Don’t be concerned with leaving others out by zooming in on a specific demographic.

Instead of spreading a net that’s too wide, you cast a net towards a smaller, but more quality audience.

Get To The Point

You don’t need to worry about using a ton of fluff copy or over-explaining yourself. Too much copy is off-putting and can confuse your customers. Stick to their pain points and how you can solve their problem. Speak their language and use every chance to write in a voice you think they would respond well to.

For example, your audience may have a wealth of experience and knowledge in the oil and gas industry. They know their profession at an extremely deep level of understanding and respond well to efficient copy. In this instance, try to use words and phrases that you know they’ll be familiar with, even if they’re technical.

As another example, you might know your audience is largely made up of bakers who are in their 20’s. Again, it’s okay to use wording or practical phrases as they relate to the market your customers are in.

Place The Spotlight On Them

In everything you write, place the focus on your customers rather than on yourselves. There are certainly some aspects of your business that customers want to know about.

However, this doesn’t mean you want them to forget that you’re there to help them. It’s helpful to use copy centered on the customer in your above-the-fold website copy. And use wording like “you” more often than “we”.

Set Your Sights On A More Refined Focus With Writers Who Can-Do

Whether your business is 5 months old or 50 years strong, you need to identify your target market and understand who you’re speaking with. We understand because we’ve helped businesses in all stages of growth get where they need to be through comprehensive copywriting services that include identifying your target audience

Have a quick deadline? No problem. We’ll work with you to deliver high-performing copy in a timely manner. Worried about being shut out of input? Not with us! We believe open communication is key to a successful partnership

What are you waiting for? Get started with us today.

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Create A Pillar Blog Post That Sells

Copywriting / By Lauren Jefferson / September 20, 2021 February 19, 2024

You’ve heard of a pillar blog post before, but can’t help but feel lost. You’ve been working on your marketing and you’ve nailed the use of keywords throughout your blogs. Or so you thought. That’s all it takes, right?

It seems simple enough, doesn’t it? Write relevant and engaging blogs and plug in the keywords as you go. But you’d be misinformed to think that blog posts with keywords are all you need to rank ahead of your competitors.

Now, you’re not entirely wrong. Blogging for SEO used to be an amazing way to boost your website traffic. However, content marketing has changed and requires a little more work than monthly blog posts.

Enter pillar blog posts. We’ll talk about what they are, and how you can create one that helps you make money.

Would you rather get pillar blog post assistance directly from the experts? Get started with FocusCopy.

What Is A Pillar Blog Post?

A pillar blog post is a long-form piece of content that is written covering a specific topic. It should be broad enough to offer a comprehensive look at the subject. Yet, it should also be definitive enough to get into some, but not all, of the nitty-gritty details.

How To Write A Pillar Blog Post That Sells

Find out what you need to get started writing a pillar blog post for your business.

Start the structure, then write! This will help you save time whenever you’re ready to write.

Collect Your Keywords

Before you sit staring at a blank page, you need to start with the keywords you’d like to target. Use whatever tools you normally would to narrow down some reasonably achievable keywords that apply to your business and what you have to offer.

When it comes to the keywords you’re aiming to target, make sure they:

Are relevant to your business
Can be combined in discussion with a service or product you offer
Are interesting enough to pull in your target audience

Once you have your keywords rounded up, you’re ready to put together an outline. Putting together the foundation of your pillar post will help you (a lot). That way, you have something to go off of when you’re writing, and you don’t need to struggle to come up with the next topic as you go.

Define Your Topic Clusters

If you’re unfamiliar with topic clusters, they’re truly simple to understand. What your pillar page is about will be your broad topic.

As an example, this may be “Facial Plastic Surgery” if you’re a cosmetic surgeon. Or you may want to talk about “Air Conditioning Maintenance” if you own an air conditioning company. Both of these are broad enough to have the ability to discuss a bunch of other topics within them. These are called topic clusters and will consist of related topics you go a little more in-depth with. However, you shouldn’t worry about discussing each one in too much detail. You only need to talk about each topic enough to give a comprehensive view and why it’s essential.

Using our example as a cosmetic surgeon, you may want to discuss the following under your “Facial Plastic Surgery” pillar blog post:

Rhinoplasty
Chin implant
Cheek enhancement
Brow lift
Lip fillers

For your “Air Conditioning Maintenance” pillar blog post, you may want to cover:

HVAC definition
Common problems resulting in AC failure
DIY fixes
Benefits of AC maintenance

As you can see, there are several things you can talk about. Each one of these things makes up a topic cluster. Flesh out your topic cluster based on the broad topic you’ve chosen. Then, you’re ready to move ahead with your pillar page.

Don’t Forget The Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks define your content – ultimately defining it as a pillar page. Adding hyperlinks into your content allows the reader to click and reach another page on your website. Whether it takes them to a more in-depth blog or service page, these links will help Google navigate your website, improving your ranking.

Another important element here is making sure that the linked page is also hyperlinked to your pillar page. This way, your reader can get right back to the pillar page without any trouble. It creates a sort of full-circle moment and helps Google understand what your website is about. Then Google can determine whether you’re offering valuable content rather than stuffing keywords into copy that isn’t well-written or helpful.

Is A Pillar Page A Blog Post?

Yes and no. This can be difficult to understand because pillar pages look like web pages but are longer than regular blog posts. The truth is, they’re a combination of the two with a purpose.

Your typical blog posts are pretty specific, and the reader knows exactly what to expect from it. This type of blog post is probably about 1,500 words. Its topic is narrowed, coming from the expert (you), and can contain many keywords to help your ranking.

However, you can think of a pillar blog post more as a what-you-need-to-know page. It’s full of topic clusters, which help organize your content as you go. You can talk about them all on your pillar page, but you wouldn’t go into as much detail as you would on a devoted blog. You can also use the space to answer commonly asked questions your clients are most likely to ask.

Can I Use My Page As A Blog Post?

Yes. As mentioned above, pillar pages have an interesting blend of blog and website components. Additionally, you can use them as blog posts for your business as long as they have the necessary aspects needed to serve as a pillar page genuinely.

How Long Is Too Long For A Pillar Blog Post?

Let’s start by saying pillar pages do need to be long. And they certainly need to be longer than your regular blog posts. However, there’s no need to go overboard and write 20,000 words on a single page. Your sweet spot will be at 2,000 words. It’s okay to go over a little bit, but you don’t want to overwhelm your readers and force the topic if you’re starting to lose your intention.

If you’re having trouble and don’t know where to start, talk to the team at FocusCopy.

Perfecting Pillar Blog Posts For Clients In All Industries

Google and its algorithm can be a nightmare to navigate, especially if you’re not too up-to-date in the digital marketing world. But that’s okay! As a business owner, you’ve already done so much and perfected your own craft. So, if you feel like you know where to begin, but don’t have the time and tools to do it yourself, allow the experts at FocusCopy to guide you.

We can not only walk you through the process, but you’ll have open communication every step of the way.

What do you say? Let’s grab a virtual coffee and get going on your digital marketing goals.

Need help writing pillar blog posts for your business? Contact FocusCopy for help.

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5 Effective Lead Generation Ideas To Earn More Leads

Marketing / By Lauren Jefferson / September 17, 2021 February 20, 2023

Finding the best lead generation ideas doesn’t have to be a lengthy or complicated process. There are certainly ways to freshen up your pool of potential customers without having to spend a ton of time, resources, and money.

Maybe you’ve been feeling uninspired about reaching out to earn more business. You might feel stuck in a routine, finding it hard to break through that barrier to see new opportunities.

The truth is, we know because we’ve been there ourselves.

Feeling uninterested and unmotivated can take a toll on yourself, and your business. But lucky for you, we’ve got 5 quick tips you can use to kick your brain back into high-gear. That way, you can narrow down your next steps and focus on what you’d like to see happen first.

Implement These 5 Lead Generation Ideas

Put your budget towards the back of your mind for a second. There’s no need to start sweating bullets because most of these ideas won’t cost you a dime. This means even if one of these tips isn’t exactly the route you want to take, it isn’t a wasted effort. It’s just an additional opportunity to find out what works.

Share these best lead generation ideas with your team and collaborate on how you can go about implementing them. You might be surprised at how much others want to become involved. It can even reignite your inspiration and passion to help get you back on the right track when promoting your business.

If you see something you like but don’t want to write it yourself, give us a shout!

1. Get Social & Connect On LinkedIn

As the most trusted social network in the U.S., you could be part of an expansive group of professionals who can help one another out. Whether you have 5 or 500 connections, keep it moving!

Continue to ignite new relationships with your target audience and others within your industry. Even if you reach out and connect with people who say they aren’t interested in your services at the moment, their circumstances can change. And when they do, you’ll be right there to remind them that you’re available.

Keep in mind that connecting goes beyond sending an invitation. It also means posting articles, sharing news, and discussing industry-related content with others. By bringing value to your niche, people will begin to notice you more and remember your name when they think of products or services similar to your own.

LinkedIn Ads

If you have a little extra money to work with, you can put it into a social media ad budget to give yourself an extra boost. But it isn’t completely necessary. You may be surprised how far simply connecting with others can take you.

2. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Referrals In Your Meetings

You’re already talking to customers who know you and value what you do. At some point, it’s okay to reach out and ask for referrals to help your business grow.

If you’re stuck on feeling awkward, start by saying something like, “I really appreciate your business, and I’m hoping to expand my business to serve others like yours. Do you know anyone who may be interested in what I have to offer?”

It doesn’t need to be complicated or sound pushy at all. The worst-case scenario here is that your clients don’t have anyone they can think of immediately. But they may have someone in mind for the future!

Again, take the chance to ask for more business without being too aggressive, and stay true to your brand voice.

3. Type Up A Guest Blog Or Two

The term “guest blog” might sound strange, but it does have a purpose. Guest blogs are blogs you write for someone else’s website discussing matters your industries have in common. Within that same blog, you’ll feature their (and your) services.

As an example, say you work as a professional flooring supplier and installer. You may find a mutual partnership with a real estate agent, home building company, or others who work in construction and real estate. You’ll then write your blog on a topic like “The Best Types Of Woods For Flooring”. But then you’ll feature your partner’s services and link back to yourself. This way, interested readers can visit your site from theirs.

Doing guest blogs boosts your reach, SEO efforts, and gives you a little more recognition outside of your primary audience. According to Optinmonster, “62.96% of readers perceive blogs with multiple authors to be more credible.”

Ultimately? Guest blogs can benefit both your partner and yourself.

4. Put Your Perspective To Paper & Post A Blog

Publishing a blog on your own website is a little less complex than a guest blog but is also one of the best lead generation ideas you can integrate. Blog posts from you (the expert) establish yourself as an authority figure and help you outrank your competitors on popular search engines like Google.

As long as you practice the following key aspects of blog writing, you’ll do just fine:

The blog topic is helpful, educational, or interesting
Punchy headings and subheadings
Call-to-actions (CTAs) throughout
Images when necessary
Links and sources wherever needed
Proofreading before you hit publish

5. Revive Your Online Presence With New Website Copy

When was the last time you updated your website copy? If it’s been longer than a few years, it may be time to take a second look. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to scrap every bit of information. It does, however, mean that you need to take a deeper look to ensure your website’s copy answers the following questions:

Who do you serve?
Who are you?
What value do you bring?
How will you solve the problems of your customers?
What is your reputation?
Is your contact information easy to find?
How much do your products and services cost?
Are your call-to-action buttons clear?

If your website can answer every single one of these questions and reads well, you’re probably okay. But even if it already does, it may add value to your business if you freshen up the copy while staying consistent with your brand voice.

Feed Your Focus With A Little Help That Goes A Long Way

Are you worried about not having enough time to execute these tactics? Even some of the best lead generation ideas amount to nothing if you can’t incorporate them in a timely and efficient way.

But don’t feel too overwhelmed. We’re the copywriting experts who know effective branding begins with compelling copy. You may be considering a massive email marketing campaign. Or perhaps you’d like to start small with a blog or two. Whatever you choose, we’ve got your back!

Get started on creating the best lead generation ideas for your business.

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What Are The Benefits Of Surveying Your Target Audience To Make Business & Marketing Decisions?

Marketing / By Lauren Jefferson / September 13, 2021 July 22, 2022

Surveying your target audience to help you make business decisions may not cross your mind. But there are some big benefits to doing so. For starters, you may want customer insight into an ongoing situation or upcoming event. In this case, customer feedback can be an excellent tool to gauge which direction you should take.

You can’t expect all of your clients to respond or submit feedback. However, any observations you receive could be constructive. Google found that less than 40% of marketers use surveys to help make business decisions. This means it’s an overwhelmingly unused resource for a business owner to take advantage of. Aside from getting customer feedback, surveys have many other benefits as well.

Searching for a stellar team of writers to help create whatever is on your to-do list? Contact us to get started.

6 Benefits Of Surveying Your Target Audience To Make Business & Marketing Decisions

Ideally, you want to talk to each and every one of your customers. By doing so, you can find out where their head is at and how they feel about your services. However, the reality is that this is pretty impossible to accomplish. But there is another way to reach the insight you’re looking for. For example, online surveys can ask questions you may not be able to ask in person.

In addition, digital surveys can:

Be easy on your budget
Cast a large net all at once, reaching your target audience
Be simple to create yourself
Managed easily through software like SurveyPlanet or SurveyMonkey

Need help with your digital marketing endeavors? Reach out to FocusCopy and see what you’ve been missing.

1. Get A Gauge On Current Conditions

Events beyond your control can dictate how you conduct business. But you can use surveys to get ahead of the curve. As an example, the pandemic left many business owners stuck on figuring out their next steps. Because there is so much controversy surrounding the pandemic, it can be hard to read an audience. This makes it that much more difficult to make smart decisions that can help expand your business.

Nevertheless, proactive businesses took it upon themselves to send email blasts surveying their customer base. They asked questions regarding the pandemic to get a feel for their audience’s current wants and needs. And then tried to offer a solution.

Ultimately, digital surveys helped businesses think about their availability, remote and delivery services, and more.

2. Keep Customer Feedback In Mind

Help Scout says that for every customer who complains, there’s 26 more who feel similarly but don’t say anything. However, you should keep in mind that 95% of customers share their bad experiences with friends, relatives, and acquaintances. As a business owner, you don’t hear every complaint. But many potential customers are hearing more than you know.

These findings may not seem fair. Nevertheless, there is a way to reach out and hear more from customers who may be dissatisfied. That’s where surveys come in. Keep a pulse on your audience and check up by sending surveys every once in a while. This way, you can find gaps in areas such as your:

Business model
Marketing tools
Management or employee service
Wait times
Repetitive problems
Poor customer service or resolution

Getting feedback in these areas can help you decide what needs to be addressed. In addition, it can tell you where you’re doing well. From here, you can make changes in management, operations, and other departments as needed.

3. Surveying Your Target Audience To Reorganize Priorities

Additionally, surveys can help you rearrange your priorities and get to the root of what really matters to your customers.

You may find that certain products or services are more popular than others. You might even find you have an untapped potential by offering something else you didn’t think of before.

Say you’re a nutritionist and personal trainer who offers packages geared mostly towards healthy eating advice. However, you might get survey results that say people would rather pay more to get additional workout and exercise programs. Even more so, you find your audience isn’t all that interested in one of the packages you offer. This may be the ideal time to consider realigning your priorities and focus less on nutrition by balancing those services with exercise options. Doing so shows you’re capable of listening and allows you to offer something new to current customers based on direct responses.

Adaptation is key to a business’s long-term success. Your priorities shouldn’t remain the same every month or year. By often surveying your audience, you won’t run the risk of falling behind the market. Or losing customers by not actually offering the services they most want.

4. Manage Your Reputation

It’s important to maintain your online reputation the best you can. You may not agree with every survey response you receive. But there is always a way to respond with professionalism.

Say you’re hearing a ton of negative comments about your production times. However, you know that your company works as fast as it can to get products to your customers. This may be the time to create a marketing campaign that gives customers an inside look at production, why it takes so long, and the value in not cutting corners.

Your audience will value their feedback being addressed and come to better understand how your business operates.

5. View Your Business From The Customer’s Perspective

Surveying your target audience is an opportunity to see your business through someone else’s eyes. Responses can shed light on an idea or opinion you may not have ever thought of before. There may even be additional opportunities to do some good like making charitable donations or offering discounts to essential personnel. You might find out you can make a certain aspect of your business even stronger.

6. Give Management And Employees A Chance To Adjust

You’ve conducted a survey and see that perhaps you’ve been focusing all of your efforts on delivery services. If most of your customers say delivery is seamless, but a few of your staff are poorly trained, rude, or make continual errors, it may be time to make some tough decisions.

Getting both positive and negative feedback helps your ability to come up with a game plan. In this case, you may want to congratulate your team on amazing delivery services. However, you will also need to transition and spend more time and resources on training. If necessary, you may need to let go of workers who are unwilling to learn, adapt, and alter their work style. But by doing so, your client base will see you’ve improved and potentially become repeat customers.

Make The Best Business Decision By Choosing Expert Copywriters

After you’ve surveyed your audience, you might feel ready to take the next step but don’t know where to start. Have a list of deliverables in mind? What about a marketing campaign you’re SO ready to get fired up?

Whether you need completely new website copy and additional pages, or just a few blog articles to send out, we can do it all!

Get started on creating the best lead generation ideas for your business.

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5 Signs You Need To Improve Your Website Copy

Copywriting / By Lauren Jefferson / September 10, 2021 September 7, 2021

How do you know for sure when it’s time to rework and improve your website copy?

There are a few tell-tale signs, but the biggest indicator is that your business is slowing down. You may feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. But there’s no need to panic because you can help yourself by making changes to your website right away.

Maybe you’ve reached a lull in your day-to-day. You may find yourself spending less time speaking to customers and making sales. Or you could be having an entirely different problem altogether. Perhaps you are talking to people, but they’re the wrong crowd. This may leave you asking yourself, “Where are these people finding me?”

You’re not alone. It happens to businesses everywhere. But what most companies don’t know is that it could be their website. And since 88% of users won’t revisit a site once they’ve had a bad experience, altering your copy for the better is something to consider. If your website isn’t self-explanatory, concise, or geared towards the right audience, it may be time to improve your website copy.

Need new website copy on a timeline that works for you? Reach out about our web writing services.

When To Improve Your Website Copy

If you’re running into these problems, it’s time to reevaluate what your website is truly telling people.

1. You Keep Answering The Same Questions In All Your Calls

Picture this… You pick up the phone or respond to an email, and you end up answering all of the same questions all day long. What gives!?

If you know for a fact that people are visiting your website but continue to call anyway, they may not be getting the correct information they need upfront. This can be frustrating for several reasons. It’s a waste of time repeating yourself and is disheartening for both you and your customer. Wouldn’t it be better if everything they needed was right there online? Chances are, you’re paying for your website anyway. So, you might as well get the most out of your money and make it go further with fresh copy.

Update your website copy and make sure to include the following:

Who you are
What your business does
How your business helps customers
Easy-to-find FAQ answers
Contact information throughout the website
Pricing upfront (you can always give a starting point)

Have each one of these elements ready to go on your website, and you should be golden.

2. The Leads You’re Getting Aren’t The Ones You’re After

There’s nothing more disappointing than talking to someone who you realize doesn’t need your services at all. It can be even more confusing if they end up asking for a business or service similar but not the same as yours. So, where do you go from here? Take a look at your website’s copy and then have others outside your organization give their honest feedback. Find out what it’s saying to them and where there’s a disconnect. Then, when you see where your website is having trouble, approach the following areas with rewritten copy:

SEO

Target the right keywords. You can also pinpoint keywords you audience is searching for when looking for your business. For example, some SEO tools may tell you to rank for “health coach” but you know your audience would search for “functional medicine”. SEO tools are simply that… Tools! Use your brain to steer your keyword research.

Homepage Copy

Be direct and let customers know what you offer and how you can help. Don’t forget a call-to-action button. Nearly 70% of small businesses end up leaving one out! If you don’t want people calling you, don’t list a phone number. BUT if you want people to schedule a discovery call instead, link your calendar to the primary button.

Branding

If you need to make adjustments in your branding of any kind, ensure that’s reflected in your website copy as well.

3. It’s Time To Improve Your Website Copy Because The Line Is Dead

Here’s the worst-case scenario… You’re not getting any leads at all! Again, this is disappointing but shouldn’t hinder your efforts to make a change.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to figure out where you should start:

Is my website easy to navigate? Are there any broken links?
Am I working on my SEO?
Are there any significant errors in my website’s writing?
Is my contact information all there?

If anything seems to be completely off, now is the time to act and change it. Once you’ve answered these questions, you can even make a checklist of what you need to do before you get started.

4. Business Has Changed Due To The Pandemic Or For Other Reasons

The pandemic has taken a significant toll on businesses worldwide. Many companies scrambled to make drastic changes to their business models. However, while doing so, you may have missed updating your entire company website. That’s okay because you can do it now.

Go page by page and read through your business’s website copy. Find out where you need to make changes or updates and write them down on a to-do list. Consider improving your website copy for the following COVID-related reasons:

You’ve made alterations to safety protocols
Shipping and delivery has changed
You have team members listed who no longer work there
Appointments or scheduling is different

In addition to changes prompted by the pandemic, you might have changed your branding and need your website copy to match it. It’s essential to keep your website copy up-to-date, primarily if it affects your customers.

5. Your Website Has A High Bounce Rate

For starters, your bounce rate is the number of times someone views your website and ends up leaving quickly. This type of behavior typically tells us that your website isn’t what they’re looking for or the information on it is insufficient enough for them to take action.

There are a few tools you can use to check your website’s bounce rate, including:

Google Analytics (free)
Statcounter
Parse.ly

What Is A Good Or Bad Bounce Rate?

You’ll want to aim for a bounce rate between 26 to 40 percent. An average bounce rate is between 41 to 55 percent. A bounce rate between 56 to 70 may mean you want to make improvements to your website copy. If you see a bounce rate of over 70 percent, it’s time for a facelift for your website.

When Your Website Isn’t Speaking The Right Language For Your Industry…

There’s FocusCopy. We’re a team of writers who connect with you to understand what you do and who you are. We dive deep into your business goals and what you’d like to accomplish. Then, we take on the task of writing for your business with your target clientele in mind. Download our free guide to start updating your home page with ease.

When Was The Last Time You Updated Your Home Page?

Answer these 6 questions and spruce up your home page in 15 minutes (or less).

5 Key Questions To Learn How To Discover Your Brand Voice

Copywriting / By Lauren Jefferson / September 8, 2021 August 31, 2021

Learning how to discover your brand voice sounds complex and tedious. But once you start answering the questions you need to ask yourself, it becomes quite a bit easier.

Now, you may think: Is it really a big deal if I don’t have a brand voice?

Do I need one?

Yes! And not because we’re telling you to do so, but because companies with a brand voice sell better and make more money. It’s the one thing that gives you the warm and fuzzy feeling when they hear it. A well-developed brand voice is both familiar and trustworthy.

Everyone knows about the big brands like Apple, Google, and Coca-Cola. But even today’s large companies started small not too long ago and increased their revenue by creating a brand voice that’s all their own. These companies include ones like:

Billie: Billie launched in 2017, raising $6 million at its initial stages. By 2019, the razor company dedicated to women raised $25 million, led by Goldman Sachs Private Capital Investing Group.
Poo-Pourri: Saw an 80% increase of $15 million to $27 million in sales after a digital campaign went viral.
Casper: The mattress company earned $100 million in less than two years.

On top of each of these being great ideas, what do they all have in common? Their branding is recognizable and pushed them to the next level, seeing a huge return on their investment.

We’ll walk you through the 5 questions you should be asking to learn how to discover your brand voice.

Struggling to find your brand voice or unsure of where to begin? We’ve got you covered. Get started with us, and we’ll write it for you!

What To Ask To Discover Your Brand Voice

Did you know it takes about 5 to 7 impressions for customers to start recognizing a brand?

Finding your brand voice can be overwhelming to think about. But it doesn’t mean you can’t do it. In fact, if you have about 20 minutes, we’re sure you can answer these questions yourself and get started.

Grab a pen and a clean sheet of paper or notebook. Don’t worry about being too detailed. Even if you scribble your answers quickly, you’ll have an outline to go off of when you’re ready to think about it more deeply.

Reading along for a quick skim? That’s okay, too. These questions aren’t tricky and shouldn’t leave you confused.

1. Who Is Your Audience?

Let’s start with something you may already be familiar with.

In other words, this question is asking, “Who the heck are you talking to?”

If your audience is primarily middle-aged men who are married and lean on the conservative side, write it down! If you cater more to a younger audience that’s diverse and single with no children, write that down. Or maybe you aim for high net worth individuals who consider themselves workaholics. Whatever the case may be, jot it down and have it on paper.

Pinpointing who you’re talking to will eliminate a ton of other brand voices that currently exist. Doing this can also help you get a more narrow idea of how you’re already talking to your audience during the following steps:

Initial conversation or consultation
Following up on the exchange if necessary
Sale
Thanking them for their business
Responding to positive and negative feedback
Reaching out to get them to return, sign up for something, or any other call-to-action (CTA)
Talking to returning customers

Running through your business model or sales process gives you a better idea of your tone, wording, and other aspects of your brand voice.

Need some extra help? We have a special process to help businesses establish their own brand voice with a handy guide.

2. How Are You Different From Your Competitors?

You’ve likely heard this time and time again. But it’s because it’s important to decipher what makes your business unique and different from your competitors. This answer could include things like longevity, special certifications or licenses, quality of staff, and so on.

Then, you need to ask why your audience would care about what makes you different. You can then place your focus on turning those unique features into benefits for your customers.

3. Who Do You Want To Sound Like?

Whether you’re hoping to mimic your own voice or that of someone else, it’s important to decipher what you plan on sounding like. One way to get this down in your notes is to list a bunch of adjectives that describe your brand.

Some examples include:

Witty
Friendly
Relaxed
Casual
Professional
Educated
Authoritative
Inspiring

You don’t have to use these exact adjectives but think of some on your own. They could even come from client testimonials you’ve read or heard in the past.

This step leads us right into the next one…

4. What Do You Want To Avoid?

This part isn’t as fun but is oh-so-necessary. Consider what you’d like to avoid when moving forward with your branding. Write down a bunch of adjectives that you want to refrain from or avoid altogether.

Another way to do this step is by writing down negative adjectives you’ve heard about your business to help you decide how to steer away from sounding that way.

For example, perhaps you’ve read the reviews, and people tend to say your business is inconsistent and sloppy. It’s harsh and may not even be true. However, it’s essential to listen to feedback and turn it into a positive opportunity by seeing what you can do with it. First of all, consistency is key. Then, sounding too informal may not be the best decision depending on the market you’re in. If people expect you to sound professional, you can still do so while showing your human side.

5. What Do You Want People To Feel About Your Brand?

Finally, go back to who your target audience is. Then ask yourself what you’d like your clients to take away from interacting with your brand. Envision their absolute best “buying” experience and explore those feelings and emotions. Whether you sell a product or offer a specific service, it’s critical that you walk through their process, focus on their pain points, and understand how your business helps. Find some descriptors or even personal stories that accurately encompass your brand.

Don’t Lose Out On More Money And Get Help Finding Your Brand Voice

86% of customers say authenticity is important to them when deciding which brands to support. This is why it’s even more important than ever to make sure your business has a brand voice to showcase. This doesn’t mean you need to make the next viral TikTok. It just means people value businesses and business owners being themselves.

What do you say? Are you feeling inspired to get going on your brand voice?

If you don’t want to go it alone, reach out to us for help on learning how to discover your brand voice!