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Why Writing Matters

By GRAYBOX Alumni

When putting together a solid marketing plan and website, there is one crucial element that often gets overlooked: writing. "After all," the thinking goes, "we know our company, and we write plenty of other things like emails and proposals. Why would marketing copywriting be any different? We'll save money by doing it ourselves."

Writing Is Hard

But marketing copywriting, much like programming, is very much its own skill and language. Words matter more when crafting persuasive copy that speaks to potential customers. Skimping on solid, powerful writing for your website is much like having a beautifully constructed new home where the new homeowner has decided to paint the exterior himself with whatever random brushes or rollers he happens to have laying around. Sure, the home is a custom-built wonder ‚ but nobody wants to check it out because the amateur paint job makes the entire property look like a joke. Good writing, much like design, invites people in; it welcomes and entices. Poor writing tells your potential customers that you don't care, can't be bothered with doing things right, and that what your company has to offer isn't worth checking out. Good writing gives your customers something to grab on to. It helps direct them, inform them, and compel them into action. It tells your story, conveys your passions, and announces your expertise. It should be clear, concise, and powerful.

Bad writing, on the other hand, confuses, irritates, and annoys. It is a clear dividing line between "professional" and "two-bit operation." It tells people that "good enough, I guess" is your business's mission statement.

Writing Expertise Is King

Ironically, when businesses choose to keep the writing "in-house" to save time and money, it rarely ends up doing either. Since it's not anyone's priority or expertise, the work gets passed around various departments for input, and everyone uses their own brush and paint, creating an ineffective mishmash of styles, tones, and focus. Time (and money) is then spent on rewrites, more department input, and the end result is often a very visible "written (poorly) by committee."

Plan For Success

Effective copy can more than pay for itself as part of your marketing goals and vision. Writers know how to deliver your message to your audience in a way that is concise, convincing, and powerful. They can convey your passion and expertise in a way that is perfectly tuned to the people you want to attract. Much like coders who use special programming languages to breathe life into the website they're building, writers use targeted, special, precise language to breathe life into your site. Your business ‚ and your message‚ is worth it.

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