Local Business Owners—Customers Don’t Read Like Your Admin

posted on Oct 13 by MBarry in the Copywriting category

Every time I read marketing text that has the benefit buried deep within the third paragraph, I curse our story-telling culture.

Because public elementary schools taught us that stories needed to first introduce an idea, then build it up, next hit the main point and finally, summarize—that’s how we write everything. Even if the objective of the written piece is to get an idea across in as few words as possible, we still go through the story-telling motions.

The story-telling formula is a great way to create local online marketing that’s ignored.

Break the story-telling habit

Why should you care how you present your business benefit… isn’t it important to get the benefit out to your clients and potential clients?

Yes… but, that’s the point. Most of your readers will never reach that third paragraph if you don’t tell them what they get when they do business with you. Even if you have the best local SEO keywords, they’ll go to waste because your Web page won’t get read.

I’m amazed at the number of small business owners justify writing that misses the mark by telling me that when they had others people read the piece and they got the point. Well, most of the time the people who proof and edit a marketing piece before it goes out are friends, family or people who work for you.

I promise you… your customers will not read a Web page or e-mail from you like your admin who relies on you for a paycheck. Because, as I mentioned earlier, your customers are primarily interested in knowing what’s in it for them and if you don’t tell them up front, they’ll stop reading.

Three types of readers

Readers generally fall into three categories—people who methodically read every word, people who scan or people who jump around. No matter which type of reader lands on your site, you have to give them a reason to keep reading if you want them to look at your pages.

My personal reading habits lean toward the jumping around, BUT I have become a methodical reader to get ideas on what to do or what not to do. Even if readers are compelled to read one word after another, if they’re confronted with a block of boring, unnecessary copy, they’ll move on.

Scanners will usually pick up every four or so words in a sentence. If one of those words doesn’t capture their attention, they’ll stop reading.

People who are jumpers may look around based upon graphics or something else that gets their attention. They may read the headline, then maybe some bullet points. Again, if there’s nothing to intrigue them, they’re on to whatever is new and shiny.

Create local online advertising that gets read

If you write copy that is benefit-driven, you’ll have a better chance to get readers to gobble up every word.

Imagine how your product or service would benefit your clients, and make sure that the majority of your written words deal with this.

What do you think? Share what your favorite methods are to writing compelling marketing copy that gets read!

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