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Why You Shouldn’t Write Your Own Sales Copy

June 14, 2017

By Larry Alton, business consultant At some point, every entrepreneur needs to write copy for his or her company’s website, sales pitches, blogs, and other marketing materials. It’s at this moment when you have a decision to make. Do you choose to write your own copy or hire a professional writer to do the heavy

altBy Larry Alton, business consultant

At some point, every entrepreneur needs to write copy for his or her company’s website, sales pitches, blogs, and other marketing materials. It’s at this moment when you have a decision to make. Do you choose to write your own copy or hire a professional writer to do the heavy lifting? While there’s a case to be made for both sides, most successful entrepreneurs have found that it’s far better to hire a copywriter.

4 Reasons to Hire a Writer

From a business perspective, there are so many different costs associated with keeping your operation up and running. It can be tempting to try and bring some tasks in-house in order to save a little money. However, copywriting isn’t something you can afford to jeopardize.

Here are four specific reasons why hiring a professional writer or marketing expert just makes sense:

1. You Aren’t a Professional

There’s a difference between putting words on a page and being a writer. Any business person can put coherent sentences together and form basic paragraphs, but that’s just surface-level stuff. Think of it this way: Just because you know how to nail together a couple 2×4’s, doesn’t mean you’re ready to start framing your own house.

There’s a reason people get paid well to develop content and sales copy. They understand how to use words in a way that moves people to action. If you aren’t a professional writer, then you probably can’t do this. You’ll actually get a better ROI on your content by paying for someone else’s expertise.

2. You Have Other Fish to Fry

As a business owner, you must learn to identify and separate core tasks and complementary tasks. Core tasks are things like sales outreach, customer service, marketing strategy and other things that directly impact the immediate and long-term success of your company. Complementary tasks are things that support core tasks and indirectly impact the success of your company. They include responsibilities like web design, content marketing and packaging.

Your time is best spent focusing on core tasks. You can always hire other people to handle complementary tasks, but there’s no replacing your input and direct involvement in core tasks. Since copywriting is a complementary task, it makes sense to outsource it to someone else.

3. Your Vision Is Clouded

As someone who spends every minute thinking about your business, you aren’t exactly the most objective person. You have hopes, goals and dreams for your business. It’s your baby and you want everyone to love it.

While there are times when you may be able to produce a timely piece of heartfelt and effective content, it’s much better for you to give the keys to someone who isn’t emotionally attached. A professional’s vision isn’t clouded by the same things and can produce superior content that benefits your brand.

4. Content Is Currency

Digital content is currency in the world of marketing. It’s what your company uses to engage and convert customers. Unless you possess the appropriate skills and are able to give it your undivided attention, you can’t afford to get involved. You’d be doing your brand a disservice.

Instead of looking at hiring a content writer as an expense, think of it as an investment. Assuming you have the right strategy in place and do your due diligence when hiring a writer, you’re going to get a positive return. So, in that sense, it’s not an expense at all. It’s an investment in your organization’s growth.

Maximize Your Time and Talents

Your time is too precious to spend hours of your week writing blog posts and developing copy for landing pages. Hire a copywriter and use your energy to focus on the big picture decisions that move your business forward.

altLarry Alton is an independent business consultant specializing in tech, social media trends, business, and entrepreneurship. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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