When it comes to your website and other promotional material, great copy really can make a difference, says UKAWP guest blogger, Catherine Butler, a national magazine journalist and ghost writer for commercial blogs and newsletters.

WHY HIRE COPYWRITER?

Your website is your ‘Hello’. It’s the warm smile; firm handshake; pithy pitch, and unique flair with which you’d want to greet every prospective client. We all know that first impressions count, so if you want the next happy couple who land on your web page to call off the search, your web copy has to be every inch as slick and professional as the design. Choosing the right words matters – years of soothing a cathedral-load of jittery couples will have taught you that. And just as you can’t expect a bride-to-be to effortlessly craft her dream wedding without the help of someone who has done it a thousand times before, the copy for your website, newsletter, or blog, will strike the right chord with the help of a professional writer. Believe me, nothing can rack up a bounce rate quicker than lack-lustre or flabby copy, while a typo will immediately send your credibility plummeting.Hire the right copywriter, however, and they will make sure that all your company literature is not only concise, error-free, and easy to follow, but captures the unique personality and ethos of your business.

FINDING YOUR PERFECT MATCH

The right copywriter can help transform your business’s website, newsletter or blog in to a must-read that inspires, and most importantly, sells. If you’ve been deterred from outsourcing over recent concerns of copycat websites and plagiarism, think again. A professional will ensure that everything they do for you is 100% tailored to your business, and they will be willing to go that extra mile to understand what makes you tick, what your brand values are, and ensure that your company’s unique voice is projected in all your promotional copy.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

It’s not so different to a bride choosing a wedding planner really. Start off with a 15-20-minute face-to-face consultation (over Skype), during which time you can find out more about me, and so I can understand your business and establish exactly what you need, from developing a ‘house style’ or brand tagline, to figuring out an easy-to-navigate copy structure to best show-case your services. Because I want you to be completely happy with what you pay for, I quote by job rather than by time, meaning I can tailor packages to fit most budgets. Prices start from around £450 for the standard navigational pages (approximately 1000 words), up to around £1500 for a more detailed website, which may, for example, include time spent interviewing venues and past clients for testimonials and quotes.

HOW ELSE CAN A COPYWRITER HELP MY BUSINESS?

If your website is already top notch, a copywriter can take the stress out of writing press releases, brochures and other promotional material, transform a monthly newsletter, manage your social media, or even ghost-write your blog. In other words, you can have a personalised publicity machine working hard for you so you can focus on the parts of the job you really love. So, with wedding season upon us, perhaps it’s the perfect time to give it a whirl.

For the months of April and May, I am offering UKAWP members 20% off all new client copywriting services, and £79.99 (RRP £89.99) for one month’s social media management.

Get in touch; www.catherinebutler.co.uk.