In copywriting, the principle is the same. The best copywriting will not work, if there is no NEED for the product or service. Many a times, my clients have asked me: How come you said your copywriting is good, yet no one is buying my products?

I often explain that while copywriting is vital, the business aspects such as market segmentation, key messages etc, are equally if not more important. Your product has to be good, the market has to be receptive, and with copywriting, your brand is out there. Copywriting is not a magic pill. But it is absolutely vital in any business. After all, with a great product and an eager market, what’s the point of all that if no one knows you exist?

1. How long does it take?

It takes 5 days for first draft, and another 5 for editing.

2. Is design included?

Absolutely! The idea is that you work with one person instead of ten. Less people to liaise with, less headache for you.

3. Do you provide media contacts?

I do have media contacts, but that would be out of my job scope. Best if you contact the media directly on how much it costs to put an ad in their newspaper/ magazine etc.

Fast forward to the client’s desk: he hates it! He hates it to the core!! I summoned all my copywriting theories, and years of experience, to try to explain the rationale behind the copy. Just to explain- I took a very reader oriented approach (focusing on what the readers want), while he wanted it to be pure business oriented (telling his readers what great products he has). His main complain was- ” Why does the copywriting say nothing about my products??!!! All it talks about is the reader’s needs!”

It would sound very logical for a business owner to want to trumpet his great products, but years of experience, and plenty of reading, tells me that what really works is not talking about your product. It’s talking about what your customer needs, even if it’s a dumb need.

Aye, there’s the rub- what do you do when your client wants something that isn’t right for him? The answer: It’s not going to be easy, and plenty of patience is needed. Most importantly, a two way communication with plenty of give and take is going to be needed. But we copywriters need to be persuasive. If we can’t persuade our clients to buy our ideas, we can’t persuade THEIR clients to buy their products.

The story has a happy ending. In the end, I managed to convince my client that I am giving him the right solution. It takes plenty of talking AND listening, but I’m glad I did my best and gave him what’s best for him. At  the end of the day, it’s  about the satisfaction of finally wrapping up the assignment, knowing his brochure was in good hands, and that the end result is about how my copywriting contributed to his business needs.

A brand plan, or a brand manual if you like, is a manual that basically captures your entire brand strategy. You can see it as a kind of corporate reference that you can distribute to all those who work to produce your publications, such as your marketing team, your copywriter, your printers etc.

For instance, I met a company who sent me a few samples of brochures. As a seasoned copywriter, I immediately spotted inconsistencies in the logo. Some of the logos on certain publications are different from some of the logos on others. This would not give a very good impression to your clients.
A brand manual would help eliminate this problem by spelling out exactly how your logo should look like, what colour it should use (including colour codes), what the right size for the font is, what type of font etc. That would add so much more consistency.

Another example is this: for instance, you have a product. Let’s call it Product A. If you have 30 seconds to talk about Product A, what are the top three points you’d like to say about it? If you got it, the bigger question is, does EVERYONE know it? Will your marketing guy be saying the same thing? Will your PR guy be saying the same thing? Will your copywriter be saying the same thing? Will your press releases be saying the same thing? Will your brochures, website, articles etc be saying the same thing?

That’s when a Brand Manual comes in very handy. It ensures everyone says the same thing. It makes everyone get on the same page.

You can’t afford different messages in today’s competitive world. You got to be consistent.

As always, for a quotation on my copywriting services, email tengkygan@gmail.com

Just an update: For this month, the promotion for advertisement still goes on. E-mail tengkygan@gmail.com to enquire how you can get a nice advertisement done (with design if you like), without breaking your marketing budget.

What an awesome mode of communication is this thing we call an ad.

For enquiries on how much (or little) an advertisement will cost you, email tengkygan@gmail.com

Yes, that’s right. It’s all about getting crazy this March and April. It’s Ads Month (or months, since it’s two months).

Crazy ads- It’s March, it’s still the first quarter, so start the year with a bang. Get the ads crazy, and get them out! Don’t send boring ones for goodness sake- ads reflect who you are!

Crazy prices- That’s right! As always, I aim to always price myself lower that standard industry rate. By now, you should know that.

Crazy Timelines- Why the rush? Oh, why not? The ads will be done in 2 days. 7 days if you want them designed. That’s right! Why wait endlessly for copywriting agencies taking their own sweet time working on your ads? And when it comes to payment, get harassed endlessly? Why not get them in two days and get them published immediately?

E-mail tengkygan@gmail.com for a quotation. Visit my website http://tengkygan.webs.com/ to find out who I have written for. You’ll be quite amazed.

Check out the corporate profile above. Need one? You NEED one.