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You need help.
It’s not always easy to admit it, especially when it comes to content.
Content just feels so, well, personal.
I get that, and I agree. It is personal.
You’ve built your company from the ground up. Or, you’ve played a significant role in its success, so of course you want to create content that will help it succeed. But it can be scary, vulnerable, and you never know how the people are going to react.
Putting content out there is a little like putting yourself out there.
But a sustainability copywriter can help you through it. Because it is scary and it is vulnerable; that’s where the value lies.
People aren’t dumb and they don’t want to be treated like they are. They can tell when your content wasn’t made for them — and they’ll act accordingly. Your customers want content they can understand. Content that provides them with value, answers, and assuages their fears and concerns.
Keep reading for 6 more reasons you can’t live without a sustainability copywriter.
Why You Need A Sustainability Copywriter
1. Ethics
I often see concerns about whether copywriting is ethical. Both in my own research and by friends/family after learning what I do. If I’m being completely honest, I’d rather them ask vs. secretly thinking or suspecting it.
Copywriting certainly can be unethical. As can anything. I think a lot about the days of the ‘good ol boys’ stuff and think a lot of that was scammy and icky. But unethical copywriting can still be found today.
But people know now — you know now. People know when they read something and it feels like someone’s lying to them. They know they feel icky after reading certain types of copy. They may not realize why, but they know.
I’m not here to scam or lie or mislead people. And I’m not here to get you a bunch of sales by saying one thing when you’re really doing another. I ensure my content is sustainable for your business and will help it grow well into the future. While also helping you share your positive impact on the planet.
2. Passion
You’re going to have customers who don’t really care about ‘that environmental stuff’. They like your brand, they like your product, and they’ll keep coming back. Great. But the rest of your customers? They’re conscious consumers. They care. So let’s get them excited! Whatever you’re excited about, let’s share it! Let’s tell them about what you’re doing for the planet, and how your products are making less of a (negative) impact. Let’s tell them how you’re part of the Fair Trade network, or your policy for diversity and inclusion. I’m passionate about the environment and about helping your company. That passion comes through in everything I do, every step of the way. When you share your passion, it can positively impact your audience.
3. Storytelling
At the bare bones of it, content is just words. Tons of people can put words together in a way that sounds nice. And they might even write some solid copy.
Some people will tell you copywriting is about making sales and getting people to do stuff. Even more people will reference Apple’s website and say “now that’s good copywriting.” And they’re to-tal-ly right.
But it’s also more than that.
Copywriting tells a story. Your customers’ story. The one they’re living and the ones they want to live.
It understands who your customers are.
- What they think they care about
- What they actually care about
- Who they want to be
- Their problems
- Their concerns
- Their fears
And so much more. Copywriters do all that and make a story. Whether it’s 10,000 words or 50 words, storytelling inspires your audience to feel something and, ultimately, move forward in the journey.
4. SEO Optimization
You’ve heard of it. You can’t go anywhere in the digital marketing space without hearing (seeing) ‘SEO OPTIMIZATION’. It’s always screaming at you, isn’t it? But it’s screaming because it’s important and people are still ignoring it.
As a sustainability copywriter, no matter what level of experience you have with SEO, I optimize my content. And yes, it really does need to be optimized.
You want people to find you when they’re searching for the problem you solve.
You want to show up on Page 1 of Google.
You don’t want to get penalized by Google.
Right?
Google’s goal with every update is to provide the “most relevant, useful results in a fraction of a second.” But don’t just believe me, believe Julia McCroy, from the Search Engine Journal.
“If you want organic search visibility, rankings, and traffic, you have to commit yourself to the grind of consistently creating optimized content.”
And that’s what I help my clients do.
5. Building trust
It may sound silly, but it’s not. It’s psychology and sustainability copywriter knows that. People prefer to buy more, and spend more, with brands they trust. The Kearney Consumer Institute says “…establishing trust is a mandatory first step in creating deep consumer relationships.” So, how do you create that trust?
A few easy things you can do to build trust with your customers are:
- Be honest — Do what you say you’re going to do. If it’s providing a rebate, following up with an email, honoring a discount, sending a resource, etc. Say it then do it.
- Don’t use clickbait — There is nothing more annoying than clicking on an article and realizing the content has nothing to do with the title. That’s a very easy way to lose traffic and loyalty. Don’t do that.
- Let them unsubscribe — If they want to go, let them go. Your time will be better spent finding and reaching your ideal customers. And your revenue will show it.
- Don’t spam them — I think everyone has a different idea of spam. Don’t send emails that are unhelpful, irrelevant, and/or sent too often. You always want to be providing value. Answering FAQs, sharing reviews, displaying testimonials, explaining the features and benefits.
6. Understand your audience
I’ve mentioned it a lot in this post: give your audience value, know what they want to hear, answer their questions, share their passion. This is all great, but how do you do it?
I wish there was an easier answer, but there isn’t. It’s research.
You simply need to:
- Figure out the buyer’s journey
- Find out what concerns people have at each stage
- Do keyword research on those topics and concerns at each stage
- Create content for each of those keywords using SEO techniques and best practices.
Easy right? While these points may sound simple, each one could (and does) have an entire blog (and company) dedicated to explaining and teaching them. But that’s what copywriters are here for. If you know what you need but don’t have time to write it, I can help. If you have no idea what you need or where to start, I can help. And I can help with everything in between.
As a sustainability copywriter I don’t just care about the planet. I care about the people and animals and all things on this planet. My purpose is to highlight all the amazing things your brand is doing and the problems it’s solving. I do that with passion, by matching your brand ‘tone’, and never-ever shaming people for their actions.
If you’re ready to have a sustainability copywriter in your life, let’s talk!
