If you’re in the business of selling something, be it products, services, or ideas, you’ll eventually have to write sales material, whether you want to or not. But if you’re not used to paying for things you use, you might not realise that copywriting is a very expensive hobby. Here are ten reasons why copywriting is so expensive:
1. Editorial Approach
Writing for an editor is one of the most expensive habits in copywriting. Perhaps even more than the cost of the editor himself. Since you’ll usually need a lot of editing to make sure your copy is polished and error-free, you’ll pay a lot for the privilege of getting someone else to do all the work for you. And just to be clear, although you might want to think otherwise, you’re not actually paying these editors to like your product or service. They’re simply doing their job. So while it might be tempting to think that you can convince them to write pretty articles just to win a sale, good copywriters are usually highly skilled and don’t work for free.
2. Research
There’s a reason why the phrase’research-winning’ has become so popular. The more you research, the more you learn, and the more you learn, the better your results will be in your favour. In the world of commercial copywriting, research not only means finding the correct statistics to use but also means discovering the emotions and desires of your target audience. To put it simply, the better you know your audience, the better you’ll be able to satisfy them and make them want your product or service.
Even when you do discover the right statistics and use them correctly, you could still fail to sway your audience. This is why you need to do as much research as possible and try out different versions of your writing to find the one that works best, convinces your audience the most and boosts your sales.
3. Setting Up An Editorial Board
If you’ve ever tried to do any kind of writing for publication, you’ll know just how frustrating it can be to get an article published. It usually takes several drafts, many rounds of editing, and a lot of patience to see your work come to life online. Setting up an editorial board is similar to getting an article published in that it takes time and patience to see the results. But in addition to the editing and polishing stage, you’ll also need to make sure that the board members are satisfied with your work so that they will continue to contribute high-quality content to your publications.
4. Staffing
Another expensive habit in copywriting is the hiring of writers and editors. Although you might want to think that you can get the job done yourself, the fact is that without proper staffing, you cannot run a smooth and effective operation. Good editors and copywriters are hard to find and even harder to keep, so businesses that want to keep up with the ever-changing world of marketing need to pay for the privilege of getting someone else to do the work.
5. Publishing Houses
It costs a lot to get your work published in a major publication, whether it’s a book or a newspaper or magazine. Although there are some freelancers who’ll agree to write for free, the fact is that you’re paying them anyway, so why not invest in good quality publications that you know will do well and build up your personal brand? In the world of paid copywriting, publishing houses are the equivalent of major newspapers and magazines, the only difference being that they’re usually interested in marketing material, rather than reporting news.
6. Personal Branding
Creating high-quality content is only the beginning of the process. Once you’ve got your content marketing strategy under way, you’ll need to build up your personal brand, which is a marketing tool that allows you to stand out from the crowd. Personal branding includes everything from getting professional looking emails and social media accounts to creating compelling content that will draw potential customers to your business. When done right, personal branding can be a powerful tool that will boost your bottom line.
7. Landing Page Design
As we’ve discussed, good research means knowing your audience. But sometimes knowing your audience doesn’t put you in a good position to sell to them. Sometimes you need to start from square one and create a welcoming environment that compels your potential customers to take the next step and make a purchase. For that you’ll need a landing page designer. A good landing page designer can help you to create an effective pre-sales experience, one that will convince potential customers that you’re the right person to do business with and help you to drive the right kinds of traffic to your site.
8. Event Marketing Materials
Not every business is fortunate enough to have an annual revenue stream that allows them to fund expensive marketing activities. Those that do usually spend a large portion of their marketing budget on events, whether they’re conferences, exhibitions, or summits. Attending events is a great way to get the word out there and meet influential people, and if you’ve decided to do a lot of marketing in 2020, why not try and do as much as you can? From invitations to booths, sponsorship to keynote speeches, there are many parts to an event marketing plan and plenty of opportunities to promote your product or service.
9. Travel
If you’re reading this article, you’re probably not going home tomorrow. You might want to consider flying to another country for an event or a conference. The cost of travel and accommodation can add up, especially if you’re going to be out of town for an extended period. Especially since you’re not usually allowed to bring bags or suitcases on the plane. This often means you’ll need to rent a car, which will further increase the cost of your trip. Add to this the cost of meals and you’re looking at a significant investment. Even when you add up all the expenses, they’re still cheaper than renting a similar level of office space back home.
10. Telephone Support
Good copywriting is almost always delivered in the form of written text. However, not every form of communication is created equal and the rise of the chatbot has created an opportunity for businesses to provide real-time support to customers via text. Simply set up a chatbot that’s friendly and easy to use and you’ll be able to provide customers with support 24/7, removing the need for you to be bogged down with answering calls after hours. Even when you’ve got human employees available to provide support, the ability to engage with customers via written text can be highly effective, especially when it comes to attracting and retaining customers.
If you’re serious about growing your business, advertising on social media isn’t going to cut it anymore. You’re going to need to look for other ways to fund your efforts. One way might be to implement a membership programme. Depending on the type of content you create, you might want to think about creating and selling your own products. Or, you could sell and support other businesses on your behalf, with the understanding that you’ll get a cut of the profits. You might also want to look at creating and selling online courses. The opportunity to teach others is both lucrative and consistent.