Writing With Purpose

Ever begin reading something and a few sentences in, you think, "Why am I reading this?"?

That kind of response is a writer's worst nightmare. Before you even write your first word, you need to put yourself in the readers' shoes to nail the purpose of your writing.

While there are many reasons to write, there are three main purposes copywriters focus on:

1. To educate
2. To persuade
3. To sell

And if you don't decide on why you are writing, readers aren't even going to stick around to ask "so what?" They'll simply click away and find something else that will resonate with them.

Writing To Educate

I once put together a social media plan for a small local business who made and sold at-home spa products. In talking with my client, she wanted me to come up with posts she could throw up on social media to drive sales. In her mind, this meant flyers that showcased her products, their price, and how to buy them. She was very leery when I told her she also needed to educate her customers on her products and process- not just what she sold, but also about what she sold.

Behind the scenes. How products are crafted. Decision making in new products or scents. How products can lower stress levels. How the right scent can trigger olfactory nerves. These are all things this company's customers would love to know.

I ended up creating 30% of posts specifically for this purpose and told her to just try it out. When she finally decided to give it a try, she found customers responded positively. She realized it was more effective to take a moment and explain her creative process and give customers a break from an incessant sales pitch.

Writing To Persuade

Maybe you have an amazing makeup line you know will give your customers a great makeover. Okay, great. You know what else does that? The cheap makeup I can grab at the local drugstore.

What makes your makeup the choice over the competitor? I've come across start-up businesses who want their products to speak for themselves, including a candle-making company.

Jokingly (sort of) I had to tell my contact, "We haven't developed the technology for scratch and sniff websites, yet." Even the best of products need a little bit of wordsmithing help.

Writing To Sell

Ah, yes. The ultimate goal of businesses: to sell sell sell. And if you're not careful, it is tempting to focus all your words doing just that.

But let me be clear: Writing strictly to sell should be kept at a minimum. I'm talking maybe 10% of what you write should be direct selling: sales flyers, product discounts, etc.

Pushing these off to the side allows you to focus more on what will intrigue and resonate with a customer: building a trusting relationship so the customer will come back for the purchase later. Trust me, it is well worth it!

BONUS: Writing To Entertain

I'm adding this as a bonus reason to write because it exists mostly in creative writing.

Personally, I feel like your copy should have entertainment sprinkled in without it being the sole purpose of the piece. After all, customers may not come to be entertained, but they are less likely to leave if they find your copy entertaining!

And there you have it. The three main purposes in copywriting. It's pretty straightforward, but an absolute necessity to tackle before your pen even hits the paper.

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Want to learn more about copywriting or my business? You can do so by going here: www.AmandaBJaeger.com