Copywriting Basics

for a Successful Home Based Business

Here's the key principle. Your words need to convey a clear message to your potential customers.

Let's take the simple example of a leaflet you intend to deliver to local homes advertising your home based gardening services. To keep costs down, you're planning to produce this leaflet on your home computer.

The number one problem you are likely to face is getting potential customers to read your advertising flyer. You know what it's like when you receive unsolicited mail. Many people throw it straight in the bin with hardly a glance. If you're lucky, someone will give half a second's attention to your leaflet before they screw it up.

So, in that half second, you have to gain their attention. That's the job of the first words at the top of the leaflet. The font size should be large and the message should be very clear. Do not make the big mistake of putting your name at the top - unless you really think that your name (Elvis Presley?) will make the householder read the rest of what you say.

The headline is the single most important part of the advert. The sort of headline you need is 'Do You Need Help With Your Garden?'. It's not flashy. It just tells the reader whether this bit of paper is likely to be relevant. If they don't want help, they won't want your service. No problem. But if they do want help they may read on.

So the next line (in smaller writing) might say something like 'Experienced Local Gardener - Free Initial Advice'. If someone is still interested in reading on, they are the sort of person who you would want to speak to regarding your service. So the rest of the leaflet should be about encouraging the reader to contact you right away.

How do you achieve that? Here's what you need:

• A call to action - a reason why someone should call you right now (maybe it's the time of year when some gardening task has to be done
• A testimonial from an existing happy customer is great (even if it's your mother!)
• Your contact details

It's also a good idea to test out a series of leaflets to each household. This is what marketing guru Dan Kennedy suggests in his Magnetic Marketing system.

The same general copywriting basics principles apply to writing any copy - whether it's for adverts, letters, or brochures. You need a clear first line / headline that tells the reader whether this is likely to be relevant. Clear simple language works best for small home based business advertising.