Writing copy that slays your business twin
I shall don the hat of Captain Obvious for just one moment: The internet has changed a lot in the last ten years.
Once more, with feeling
If traditional advertising was starting to die then (with shouts of BUY MY STUFF! BUY IT!)- ten years on, selling has become entirely about fun content and the meaning attached to it.
It’s an interesting time to be a writer. To be a content person. To be alive.
Do you remember, as a child, how you would know a celebrity was dead? Via a joke travelling at Lamborghini speed through the population. Because bad-taste and funny always arrives quicker than sensible news. Where the laugh would hit you in the playground, or later in life, the pub, it’s now arriving via Twitter.
Interesting information has always been viral.
Why is it when we walk through the doors to our places of work, we suddenly become convinced that our clients want to read long brochures. Boring web copy. A list of our product features.
Imagine you’re at a party. You’re watching your friend Lauren get chatted up by identical twins. First comes Joe:
“Hi Lauren. You’re so smart! And you have really great taste in clothes. I love your dress. I hear you’re really into the Foo Fighters? Me too! I love the energy. Are you going to the concert?”…..and later…”Me? I’m interested in justice, I just want the world to be a fairer place and so that’s what I spend my days doing. And I love to travel – I get a thrill from seeing a sunrise over a new city, trying anew ice-cream, a new gallery”.
Then his twin John tries his luck. John has an identical life to his twin.
“I AM JOHN. I have a house and a car and I have been a lawyer for 5 years. I am big and clever. I have lots of clients. I like music. I like holidays. I like ice cream. I will go to galleries. Girls who like ice cream and galleries should pick me I am better at complicated boring stuff than other lawyers. I will be an excellent boyfriend. SIGN UP FOR UPDATES ON MY LIFE BEFORE I TELL YOU ANYTHING VALUABLE”.
Is this your marketing? Your web page?
ME! ME! ME!
Does your web page say “we…we….we”?
And no, I’m not suggesting that you start telling “stories” in a cute way. There’s a special hell/string-theory-alternate-universe reserved for you if you go there.
Simon Sinek once said “People don’t buy WHAT you do. They buy WHY you do it”.
These are my top picks from 3 DIFFERENT financial companies this week. Can you tell me who they are? (if you can, we need to talk. Probably with wine).
- “We aim to be the most respected financial services firm in the world, serving corporations and individuals in over 100 countries.”
- “Our multiple business divisions work together to provide customers and clients the best offerings across our chosen markets.”
- “…is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high-net-worth individuals”
THRILLING. Sign me up for financial services, big boy.
Where were we? Ah yes. Stop being boring. I challenge you to re-write your “me-me-me” copy and delete the word “we” wherever possible. WHY do you do WHAT you do? What drives you? Tell your audience.
Hannah