No matter what business you are in, you will need to have copy. Period. It’s not enough to just slap some words on a page though; you will need well thought out and to the point copy. Not every business owner comes out the gate writing brilliantly like Shakespeare (and anyway, if your copy sounds like Shakespeare, it probably sucks).

Learning to write the right words for your business is a process (heck, there are even companies that specialize only in this task…ah-hem). But, you may not be in a place to hire a professional copywriter, and even if you are, you usually can’t outsource all the writing needed for your company.
Today’s lesson is all about learning to write the right way (and please make sure you know which write/right to use…hint: the previous example is correct).

While there are many great songs that could teach us principles of writing copy, today we will be focusing on the lyrical genius of John Mayer and his song, “Say What You Need to Say.”

So, what is the key to writing great copy? Just “say what you need to say” for starters. That is a simple idea, but one that is so important in getting your message across. Say what you need to say. Nothing more. Nothing less. Don’t be overly wordy, and don’t induce death by jargon. Just say the message your target market needs to hear, and keep it concise.

By the way, does anyone else find it terribly ironic that John Mayer repeats the phrase “say what you need to say” until I want to rip my eyes out? But, I digress…

I know what you’re probably thinking, “Great Melissa. I will say what I need to say. But how the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks do I know what I need to say?” And to that question, I say: Look to your audience. I know you hear this advice from me all the time, but it’s fundamental when writing anything for your business. You absolutely have to write the words your target market wants and needs to hear, and you need to know what they’re looking for in order to position your product or service as the right solution. So, the first task becomes figuring out what they are struggling with so that you can say the right words to make it better.

How do you figure out what they need?

Ask them! You can get answers by sending email polls to prospects, ask to interview past clients, read what your target market is posting on Facebook and in forums, or you can find their comments and questions regarding your product or similar products in forums and online groups. By figuring out what their key frustrations and needs are, you will be in a great position to showcase why you have the right solution.

Next, instead of using terribly flowery language to make a simple point, or repeating yourself a billion and one times when once will do (WHY JOHN, WHY?) just say what you need to say in language that will mean something to your target market. No jargon. No lame clichés. Just the truth.

Whether you realize it or not, your product or service solves a problem for your ideal clients. Whether it is a life-changing problem like helping them lose 100 pounds, or a simpler problem like making bad hair days a thing of the past (if your product does this, call me, maybe?), it doesn’t matter. The key is knowing what that problem is and then communicating your understanding of the problem in your copy. As John Mayer says, “Take all of your so called problems. Better put them in quotations.”

So, the first step is to take your target market’s problems (and don’t call them “so called” if you want to make friends) and put them in quotations, or rather, in your target market’s own words.

Next, you need to let them know that you can solve that problem. How? You guessed it… Just say what you need to say.

State how you, your product, or your service can solve the problem for the client, (the benefit of your product or service). Again, be sure to use language that comes directly from your target market research and isn’t too vague. What exactly do your clients need? How can you provide that to them? Without knowing your exact business, I can’t tell you what to say, but I can tell you that the more specific you are, and the closer you are to solving their problems and making their lives better, the better chance you have of closing that deal, or booking that client.

While I could drone on and on, I think I’ll avoid that irony, and keep this article as concise as possible. Please stay tuned for more lyrical learning lessons and drop a comment below if you have found this helpful or have any questions.