We all know that the overall purpose of the copy you write for your business is to make sales. Whether you’re a service or product based business, your website copy needs to convince potential clients that they NEED what you’re offering. But how you get from ‘ooh, this site looks interesting’ to ‘my God, I must work with this person immediately’ is a journey with many possible paths. I’m a creative copywriter, which means I sit further towards the ‘lyrical storytelling’ end of the spectrum than the ‘SEO and direct sales focused’ end. I firmly believe in creative writing for business, and the art of storytelling over sales patter as a way to connect with your clients and help them to trust you.
For me, the magic is found in the crossover between copywriting and creative writing. It’s the way I approach my client work, and it’s the method I teach in my workshops. Today I’m looking at five ways that having fun with creative writing both inside and outside your business can make your copy stronger and lead to more enquiries.
1: Your Enthusiasm Will Be Infectious
It’s said that if a chef is angry, you’ll be able to taste it in his food. If you only sit down to write when you absolutely have to, it’s always going to feel like a chore, and the end result will be flat and lacking in sparkle. Bringing some creative writing into your life on a more regular basis that’s just for fun, where the pressure is off and you have chance to play will make your copy stronger and more fun to write (and to read) when you do come to tackle it.
You might not be able to tell when someone’s had a bad day from their writing, but you can absolutely tell when someone’s having fun with it, and it’s bloody marvellous!
2: You Can Build Them A Whole World
Your website is your online home. It’s a place you’re inviting readers into, and it should feel like they’re being taken to a place other than their laptop screen. If you’re able to create a sense of place in your website copy with descriptive language, you can really show potential clients what their life will look like with you involved. Paint them a picture of a room filled with your flowers; make them feel like they can taste the gourmet food you create; give them the rustle of fabric or the glint of a smile as they look in the mirror and see the gown you’ve designed.
This is your wordy world, don’t leave it feeling like a desert!
3: You’ll Get To Grips With Language
My creative writing outlet of choice is poetry. I love how you have to find exactly the right combination of words to spark an emotion or create surprise in a really small space. This is something that makes my copywriting stronger, too.
Being able to analyse your word choices and understand the subtle differences in impact and mood they create is a creative writing skill worth practicing. For example, ‘beautiful’, ‘pretty’, ‘charming’ and ‘gorgeous’ might all seem to do the same thing, but they’re all making subtly different impressions. Grab a notebook and have a go at describing a few images on your insta feed to see which words you gravitate towards. Are they working hard enough for you? Do they reflect the tone of your brand?
Every word matters, so the more you can be mindful of your individual word choices, the clearer your brand voice will be.
4: Blockages Begone!
Wouldn’t it be amazing to lose that frustrating ‘I don’t know what to say’ feeling? Creative writing = creative thinking. The more you let loose with your notebooks and journals, the more the content ideas will flow. You’ll find yourself looking at blog posts and social media captions afresh, and coming up with new takes that will make you stand out from the crowd.
(Disclaimer: you may find ideas make themselves known at all hours of the day and night. Keep a notebook by the bed just in case!).
5: Creative Writing Invites Conversation
This is a big one. Making your potential clients feel comfortable enough to reach out and make contact is vital. Yes, you can do that by wowing them with your product or service, but you can also (and arguably more successfully) do it by giving them as many chances as possible to connect with you as a human. To do that, it’s time to get creative.
Does your About page simply repeat the same messaging as your Home page? Does it really only tell your clients that you’re very good at your job? Getting creative with your approach gives people a handhold, and a chance to say ‘oh! I see myself in that person! I’m going to get in touch’. So be brave: add that pop culture reference; talk about the film that never fails to make you sob; wax lyrical about your cat or your car or your favourite type of cheese.
Getting creative makes you memorable and encourages conversations, which lead to conversions.
If you’re keen to get a taste of creative writing for business, why not come along to my workshop day in London on 28th March? I’ll be leading a range of gentle and inspiring exercises and writing opportunities to get you thinking differently about your copy and content and approaching it in a new and playful way. Find out more and get your tickets here.
If you’ve got any questions about your copy, or you’re feeling stuck in a rut, I’m always here to help as your friendly neighbourhood word nerd. Send me a message and let’s have a chat, I’d love to hear from you.
Love,
Jen x