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being wasted on marketing that goes 2 Don’t Write Write About Your
by unnoticed? Anything That 3 Reader – Not Your
Well, it’s hard to say exactly how
much is wasted each year, but as You Wouldn’t Say Practice
far as the spending part goes; IPG At some point today, take a quick If you want to tell your clients about
Mediabrands calculated that nearly look at the copy in your client your new dental chairs, an updated
sixteen-billion-dollars was spent on reminder letters. booking system, or any other feature
advertising in Australia-alone, during Then, imagine yourself at a café of your practice; don’t. Not unless you
2017. with some friends. can tell your reader what that means
So when it comes to marketing Would you feel comfortable saying for them and their family.
your practice and your marketing the words in your reminder letter to For example, if you want to talk
spend, how can you be sure that your your friends? Would your friends find about your new chair; explain to your
COPY FOR doesn’t go to waste? them like that? If not, then it’s time to their next visit will be. If you want to
it normal that you were speaking to
reader how much more comfortable
portion of that sixteen-billion-dollars
re-work that copy.
talk about your new booking system,
A lot of your campaign’s success
then tell your reader how it’s now
A great way to ensure that your
will have to do with your research,
CATCHING media plan and budget. I can’t help writing feels natural is to record easier than ever to find a time that’s
right for them and their busy lives.
you on those aspects. What I can do
yourself saying what you want to say
All companies, big and small, are
in your letter and then transcribing
is help you make sure that your copy
and concepts are as easy to read
guilty of this; which may explain some
it. This will ensure that your
AND KEEPING and attractable as possible for your communication sounds natural and of that un-read marketing material in
heartfelt, which will encourage your
potential reader. The easiest way to do
your recycling bin.
this, is to spend ten years making all
In the end, there’s no, possible
reader to take the time to read it.
way to guarantee that people will
of the right mistakes and learning on
CUSTOMERS the job. Just kidding. read anything; but if you follow these
As you’re busy, here are three
three rules, you’ll have a far better
things you can do to instantly
chance of your audience reading your
improve your marketing copy and
communications: marketing material.
After all, you just read mine.
3 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS. Read Everything
1 Aloud
We’re schooled from a young age to
Simon Hills-Johnes is a freelance content writer, whose career over the past read in quiet, without even moving
decade saw him develop from copywriter to creative writer and creative our lips. So, unless you’re a poet,
director of Nova 96.9 and smooth fm 95.3 in Sydney. He has worked with musician or an actor; it will feel
some of Australia’s biggest brands and media agencies across Australia. immensely unnatural to read anything
you write out loud.
n one of his famous business you ever skim-read an entire letterbox directly; but it is the fault of people like The benefits of reading your copy
card cartoons, Hugh Walker of direct marketing material, and me, because I write marketing material before you send or print it are two-
I(renowned copywriter, and tipped it directly into your recycling for a living. fold; firstly, it acts as a natural editing
Artistic Director at Gaping Void) bin? Or, have you ever used the As a copywriter, advertising pays process. While you may miss an
wrote, “If you talked to people the “Why Am I Seeing This?” function on the majority of my mortgage; but I error or a clunky sentence when you
way advertising talks to people, Facebook, or even unsubscribed from too am quick to flick, switch, bin, skim-read your work, reading it out-
they’d punch you in the face.” an email list? scroll or turn the page the second I loud will instantly highlight anything
Now, even if you don’t consider If so, you’re probably not a violent feel that I’m being yelled at, ignored, incorrect. Secondly, by reading your
yourself a particularly violent person, person, you have nonetheless acted condescended to, or spoken to in any copy in your own voice, you’ll quickly
I want you to consider this: have you against an ad that you found annoying way that I find unnatural. find that many things you may find
ever changed the television channel or irrelevant in one way or another. So if I’m not reading, and you’re easy to write, are quite hard to read;
during an annoying commercial? Have It’s probably my fault. Well, not me not reading; then how much money is which brings us to our next point:

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