by Alana Keane,
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on the net: http://www.DarnGoodCopy.com
UNITED STATES, Aug 20 — Your ability to achieve, it has been said, is limited only by your ability to dream.
It’s a nice idea, but if you’re a small business owner, you know that your ability to dream isn’t exactly the biggest limitation with which you have to contend. That dubious honor would have to go to your budget.
(c) Copyright Alana Keane
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our ability to achieve, it has been said, is limited only by your ability to dream.
It’s a nice idea, but if you’re a small business owner, you know that your ability to dream isn’t exactly the biggest limitation with which you have to contend. That dubious honor would have to go to your budget.
Let’s face it: large or small, every business has a budget -- and these days, more and more business budgets are what you might call the "shoestring" variety. Cutting costs and maximizing benefit for every dollar you spend are always smart strategies for long-term success and optimal growth, but now they’ve become absolute mandates for surviving the current economic conditions.
It’s easy to understand, then, why you may think that hiring a professional copywriter just isn’t in the budget when your website needs improvement or you want a new sales letter. What you might now know, however, is that you can get quality copy writing without breaking the bank. All you have to do is follow the three R’s: Revise, Reuse, Reduce.
Revise
A good copywriter is a good copy editor and a great way to get professional results at a discount is to provide your copywriter with a rough draft. Now admittedly, the thought of coming up with a rough draft can be almost as vexing as the prospect of creating a polished piece on your own from start to finish, but you needn’t let anxiety prevent you from reaping a budget windfall.
You may, in fact, already have materials you can use as a rough draft. If you plan to revamp your website, for example, the existing copy can easily be used as a starting point. Simply make a list of the things you want to retain from your current content as well as the points you’d like to add and voilà: you have a rough draft to give your copywriter.
Of course, if your project requires the creation of a brand new element to your marketing campaign, then you will need to actually put pen to paper -- or fingers to the keyboard -- to generate your rough draft. But don’t panic. Don’t worry about grammar and style. Don’t tie yourself up into knots if your end result is choppy and unappealing. A good copywriter can spin silk from a sow’s ear, so all you have to do is get your ideas down on paper. Then, simply hand it over to an experienced copywriter and prepare to be amazed when you see what quality copy editing can accomplish.
Reuse
One of the best ways to stretch your marketing budget is to pay for copy once and use it repeatedly. Let’s say, for instance, that you need a copywriter to create website content and a sales brochure. Your website will, undoubtedly, include most, if not all, of the information you’ll want to include in your sales brochure, so there’s no reason to pay for the same information twice.
Simply tell your copywriter that you’d like to use the content from your website to generate the material for your brochure. In most cases, he or she will be able to select the relevant material and, with some minor copy edits, make it suitable for its new purpose.
And, remember, even if you want to make half of your brochure content unique, you’ll still save 50 percent if you source the other half from materials you’ve already had written.
Reduce
Let’s say you’ve found a copywriter you really like. The only trouble? Her rates are just too steep. Before you decide you can’t afford to work with her, though, take some time to reconsider your project goals.
Do you really need such a lengthy website? Could your sales letter be just as effective with four pages instead of six? Is it absolutely necessary to send seven auto responders or could your campaign be just as effective with five?
The bottom line is that high-quality copy writing doesn’t come cheap. But when prospective clients are reading about your company, which you would prefer: that they be wowed with three pages? Or disgusted with six? Never forget that your copy represents your company 24 hours a day, seven days a week -- and the investment you make with a high-quality copywriter will pay dividends for years.
(c) Copyright Alana Keane. All rights reserved worldwide.
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