January 31, 2018/Comments Off

Three Common Misconceptions In Copywriting

I want to clear up three common misconceptions about copywriting. This is a service we offer at Odin, and a hot one at that. Good copywriting integrates seamlessly with search engine optimization (SEO), website design, Google adwords and overall audience interests and targeting.

Knowing the right words are just as important as saying them to the right people.

With that being said, let’s dive into those misconceptions.

Misconception #1

“Do I really need to pay someone to write for me?”

Possibly, it depends on how much time you have and the type of content you want to produce. If I had a dollar for every time a client came to me and said, “I thought I would do it myself, but… I ran out of time, it’s harder than I thought, I couldn’t find the right words, etc.” Insert roadblock *here.*

If I had a dollar for every time I heard a client share one of those roadblocks, I wouldn’t be sitting here at my laptop writing this blog. I would be on an island somewhere sipping sangria, because I hear it that often.

You know what I tell them? I tell them it’s okay, it’s normal, it happens all the time, it’s hard to write about yourself, etc. And it’s all true. It is hard to write about yourself, let alone find the time to do it as a business owner!

If you’ve developed a new website and it’s sitting there because you have zero content and zero capacity to make that happen, I encourage you to call a copywriter (ahem, I’m a copywriter). When we design a website at Odin, copywriting is included because we understand the value of delivering a complete package.

It’s okay if you don’t have the right words, that’s my job.

Misconception #2

“Copywriting is easy.”

Well, it’s a bit harder than a simple sentence. The written content on your website is a dance between two writing styles, branding and SEO, that when blended together cater to the search engine gods, and the relationship between you and your target audience.

It’s one part brand personality and one part SEO. The brand personality part is the voice and values of your brand that connect to your audience. You’re writing for them. Not only do you want to give them content that is valuable and interesting, but you also want to stay in line with who you are.

The second part (though every bit equal) is made up of specific keywords that tell Google how to place you and customers how to find you.

For example, I own a marketing house that provides copywriting and SEO among other services. Notice how I’ve sprinkled these keywords throughout the blog while adding a bit of personality to keep you entertained. Not only will Google notice these keywords and help place my agency, but it will also help readers and potential customers like yourself find me when you type a search term into Google looking for a copywriter.

It’s a fine balance that I wouldn’t want to gamble with, and neither should you. If you have a way with words then yea, you’re probably better off saving yourself a few bucks and doing it yourself after a bit of research on keywords and some time to account for the learning curve. If there’s anything I respect, it’s those get-er-done personalities that make the world go ‘round.

However, don’t kid yourself into thinking it’s a piece of cake, because it’s not, and most business owners I know don’t have time to do it themselves because they’re too busy running their business.

Misconception #3

“More is better.”

No, it’s really not, especially when it comes to keywords. If you repeat a keyword too many times on a page because you want to increase your organic ranking, it actually has the opposite effect and can hurt your ranking. Plus, you want content that is engaging to your readers and that doesn’t translate it more, it actually means interesting. It’s no good if you get someone to your page and they’re bored to tears reading the same word over and over.

Don’t sacrifice your brand for a higher organic ranking when you could have both.

Here are some of my copywriting tips:

The shortest you want your blog post to be is 350 words (and that’s pretty short). The length of your blog will determine how it ranks on Google. When we write for our clients, we aim around the 1,200 word mark.
If you’re writing website content, keep the keywords applicable to the specific page that you’ve designated for a particular product or service.
Don’t go overboard with fancy words or run on sentences. Keep it clean, simple and consistent. It’s easier on the reader and it’s easier on you.

If you need help with copywriting, keyword research web design or anything else we offer, shoot us over an email or give us a call. Our team is ready to get to work.

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