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Small businesses need a lot of words — several novels’ worth each month, sometimes. Sure, you already know about the obvious stuff: website copy, emails, witty Instagram captions (so short but so difficult). But that’s only the beginning. Everything from your product descriptions to one-off brochures requires flawless text.
Unless you have endless free time, you probably need an expert to help you create this ocean of words. And, of course, they should understand your message and target audience as well as you do.
Copywriting for small businesses can make all the difference — and give you back precious time to focus on the rest of your to-do list.
What Is Copywriting?
Copywriting means writing persuasive text (aka “copy”) that encourages the reader to do something. While it can be informative — such as a tutorial for mowing a lawn — it always promotes a brand, product, or idea.
Copywriting for small businesses usually focuses on:
- Helping brands stand out from bigger competitors
- Creating recyclable copy that works across marketing channels
- Growing revenue
Reasons Why Small Businesses Need Copywriting
If you’re already getting by with do-it-yourself writing (or AI-generated content), you may wonder whether you actually need a professional. Here are a few benefits of using a copywriting service for small businesses:
- Pros work across channels, helping you share consistent brand messaging. Customers will instantly recognize your voice when they see your social media posts, landing pages, and other content.
- Sharing authoritative content such as how-to guides builds trust.
- An expert copywriter will educate your target customers about your industry.
- They use search engine optimization (SEO) to make your business more visible in the search engine results pages, helping you reach more potential customers.
- High-quality content from expert writers improves conversion rates. For example, a blog post about arthritis in dogs could persuade someone to schedule a vet appointment if it has a strong call to action.
- It helps you build a more well-rounded marketing strategy that you might not have time to execute yourself.
Types of Copywriting for Small Businesses
While some copywriters work in a variety of fields, others specialize in one or two kinds of copywriting. Here are a few types you might need:
- SEO copywriting: An SEO content writer uses keyword research and savvy messaging to boost a website’s search rankings and provide an excellent user experience. Often used with blog posts, infographics, listicles, and other types of inbound marketing
- Digital marketing copywriting: Persuasive content — such as sales pages and white papers — for brand promotion and customer engagement
- Brand copywriting: Content that captures your brand’s personality to a T, like the bizarrely hilarious Wendy’s X account
- E-commerce copywriting: Product features and other promotional content that guide customers through sales funnels
- Email copywriting: Punchy messages that deliver discounts and other useful content straight to customers’ inboxes
- Social media copywriting: Attention-grabbing posts and captions for Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms
- Technical copywriting: Turns complex ideas into user-friendly content, such as for product pages and software user manuals
- Creative and storytelling copy: Imaginative narratives that share messages in entertaining and memorable ways, such as Coca-Cola’s adorable polar bear ads
- Conversion copywriting: Focused on getting users to click, purchase, or sign up for something. This may involve landing page creation or writing gated content, such as an e-book that website visitors can only access by signing up for your email marketing list.
Tips on Writing Persuasive Copy
Content marketing for small businesses is all about telling your story in a memorable and trustworthy way. Ideally, your audience will read your magnificent copy and think, “Wow! I need X from them.” Here’s how to do it.
Know Your Audience Inside Out
You can’t write content that converts unless you know what your audience wants. Spend time doing thorough market research to learn about their interests and challenges. This may involve:
- Surveying your customers
- Lurking on online forums where your audience spends time (that’s right — you’ve got permission to go on Reddit for work)
- Checking out your competitors’ sales literature
Use this research to create customer personas who represent your audience. It’s much easier to write a blog post for “Pug-lover Pam, 35, high income” than “a dog owner.”
Use Copywriting To Tell Your Story
Content creation and brand visibility go hand-in-hand. Everything you create should help customers get to know your personality and values. Clearly define your brand voice — sassy? logical? something a little unhinged like Liquid Death? — and use it for all your copy.
Leverage Effective Headlines To Drive Action
Break through your audience’s scrolling mania with great subject lines and titles. Keep these snappy yet vivid, like this Ryanair blog title: “The Tan Commandments: Realistic Rules for Sun Safety.”
Not sure if something’s working? Use A/B testing to try out different strategies — emoji versus no emoji, funny versus urgent — and see what gets readers clicking.
Use Emotional Triggers To Influence Decisions
Emotional marketing might sound manipulative — skeezy, even — but it’s about gently shaping how someone sees your brand, not guilt-tripping them into a purchase. For example, you could use an inspiring case study as social proof of how great your product is. Or use creative storytelling to showcase your product’s features, like Apple’s action-packed “The Underdogs” commercial.
What Should You Consider When Hiring Copywriting Services?
You may not have the budget or volume of work to justify the expense of a full-time content creator. Hiring a freelance copywriter for small businesses gives you all the benefits, often at a fraction of the cost.
Look for these traits as you research agencies:
- Industry experience: A professional copywriting service should have a knowledgeable team that truly knows your field. For instance, B2B copywriters should understand lingo like "return on investment" and what motivates decision-makers.
- Tailored and custom copywriting solutions: The best copywriters actually get to know your business, from your quirky voice to your products.
- Broad service offerings: Need more than standard blog posts? Choose an all-in-one agency to create website content, emails, and more.
- Results-driven strategies: Copywriting can be a big investment, so you want it to count. Look for a service that uses proven strategies to get results.
- Affordability: Many agencies offer packages — such as 10,000 words a month — that you can scale up or down, which can prevent costs from ballooning (always important for small businesses).
How Compose.ly Can Help Your SMB Grow
From your website to your social feeds, compelling copywriting is the foundation of any brand. Whether you’re just starting or looking for new ways to grow, powerful copy is a must if you want authoritative branding that speaks to and converts your ideal audience.
Making an impression in the fast-paced world of content marketing — where bigger brands have already built a legacy — is no easy task. It’s challenging enough to run a small business, let alone find innovative ways to elevate your content writing.
That’s where a premium copywriting service like Compose.ly can help. Unlock the power of high-value professional copywriting for your small business, all at an affordable price.
