Marketing Tips: Yes, You Have Competitors (Even if You Think You Don’t)

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Dear Copy Bitch: I have a copywriter working on my website copy, and she recently asked me who my competitors are. Here’s the thing: I know it’s a standard question, but we really don’t have competitors. No one does the work as well as we do. We really are different. How do I explain this to the copywriter? Her copy should be focusing on what makes us so great, right?

—Awesome Company, Boston

Answer: Sure, from your perspective your nearest competitor is so far behind you that there’s no way anyone would possibly opt for said competitor over you, right? That’s a fine and dandy attitude to have if you’re, say, eight and still thinking the world revolves around you. But how ’bout putting on your big boy or big girl pants and looking at it from your prospects’ perspectives?

Your prospects don’t know you’re the be-all end-all in your industry, and they certainly won’t “get” it just because you tell them so on your website. Your copywriter is smart for asking about your competitors. Why? Because it’s important to look at how your competitors are positioning themselves, their services, and their products so that you can figure out what they’re doing right (because they will be doing something right, I guarantee it), what they’re doing wrong (ditto), and how you’re really going to demonstrate your company’s unique qualities (i.e., your unique selling proposition).

Remember, your website (and any other marketing vehicles) should be about your customers and prospects first. Acknowledge their needs, worries, fears, and pain and then demonstrate how your company fulfills those needs, relieves their fears and worries, and eliminates their pain.

There’s an adage in creative writing: show, don’t tell. The same is true here. Telling me you’re the greatest and that any “so-called” competitor is a lying heap of horse manure won’t be as effective as showing me how well you take care of your current customers and what makes you different from the competition.

Pretending the competition doesn’t exist or isn’t good enough or is too far behind you to catch up is dumb-ass marketing. Don’t do it.

Proofreading Strategies: 4 Ways to Do It Online

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Dear Copy Bitch: My eyes hurt! I stare at my computer all day and make mistakes left and right–stupid mistakes, too. Do you have any tips for proofreading on a computer monitor?

–Grumpy Proofreader

Answer: Yes, Grumpy, never fear! The Copy Bitch feels your pain and has proofreading strategies when reviewing stuff on the ol’ monitor:

1. Increase/decrease the zoom level on your monitor. When you’ve been staring at a document for hours on end, this one little change is enough to give your precious eyeballs (and brain) a fresh perspective on the words staring back at you. When I’m in Word on my PC, the zoom toggle is in the lower right-hand corner.

2. Highlight the text in yellow. This works especially well for shorter pieces. In Word, the highlight option is usually in the same area as the font face and size options.

3. Read backwards. Start with the last sentence of your document and work your way to the beginning (note: don’t read the sentences themselves backwards). Reading things out of context is a great way to catch mistakes.

4. Do a “find” on your crutch words and problem areas. Do you write “your” when you really mean “you’re”? Do a “find” on “your” and double-check yourself. Do you tend to use fillers like “just,” “very,” “really” or “George Clooney is a god”? Do a search on those words/phrases. Do you type too fast and always use “manger” instead of “manager”? Ditto.

Would love to hear about some other proofreading strategies. Leave yours in the comments thread.

Peak vs Peek vs Pique: Easy Tips for Keeping Them Straight

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Peak vs peek vs pique. Oh, my! How the heck can you keep these pesky homophones straight?

Luckily, I have an easy way to remember. Let’s dive in.

When to use peak vs peek vs pique: use this trick

PEEK: You need your eyes to look quickly—or “peek”—at something. There are two e’s in eyes. Same for peek. (You also have two eyes, so you can use that hint as well.)

PEAK: The peak is the top of something, often a mountain. Think of the Alps (“a” in Alps; “a” in “peak”).

PIQUE: If you “pique” someone’s interest, it’s spelled p-i-q-u-e. Think of it this way: Q is one of the craziest, coolest letters in our alphabet (and worth 10 points in Scrabble). If something interests you, it’s probably because it’s cool. So think “cool Q” and write pique correctly.

EXAMPLES

  • I peeked out the window and caught a glimpse of the mountain peak despite the cloud cover.
  • When I was a kid, I peeked in the attic, looking for Christmas presents.
  • She’s scaled the highest peaks in the world.
  • If copywriting piques your interest, be sure to check out my YouTube channel.

Language is fun. Here are my go-to writing and editing resources.

Note: I use affiliate links for some of them. If you use one of the links to buy something, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission. I only recommend stuff that I believe in.

  • Grammarly. (Affiliate link.) The free version is great at catching critical errors. I used it for about a year before upgrading to the premium tier, and I’m glad I did. You can sign up for the free version here. (If you sign up or buy via my affiliate link, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission.)
  • A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers. (Amazon affiliate link link.) I have the fifth edition, which is excellent. I’m thinking about upgrading to the 10th. Hacker was incredible. She died in 2004, but her memory lives on.
  • Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer. (Amazon affiliate link.) Another gem. I gave this one to Mr. Word Nerd.

Advertising Copywriting 101: Know Your Audience

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I’ve been doing advertising copywriting for over 20 years. And even though I shouldn’t be shocked when someone overlooks something so basic as “understand your audience before you write,” I still am.

Here’s a story I recently pulled out of the archives because it is still relevant today. Too many advertising copywriters and marketers still skip this important step.

Consider this scenario: Would you talk to a 20-year-old single guy living in Boston in the same way you’d talk to a 50-year-old woman with kids living in a Boston suburb?

No, of course, you wouldn’t. So imagine my shock when I got a call from a marketer who wanted me to write a headline for a print ad, the third in a series in which he’d created the other two. I asked him where the ad would be appearing, and he told me. Then I asked for demo info on the publication since this would give me a good sense of the audience we’d be speaking to.

And he said, “What do you mean ‘demo’ info? Oh, you mean demographics? I don’t think you’ll need that info once you see what I did with the first two ads.”

Um, how can I do advertising copywriting effectively if I don’t know who I’m writing the ad for? (Short answer: I can’t.) How do I know if I’m talking to the 20-year-old single male living in Boston or the 50-year-old suburban mom? (Short answer: I can only guess.)

OK, maybe you’re wondering why I cared about the publication’s audience. Shouldn’t I only be thinking of my client’s audience? 

When I work with clients, we always discuss their audience, including their ideal buyers (sometimes referred to as the “ideal client profile” or ICP). When I write print ads for clients, I’m still writing to the client’s audience. But! Publications have their own audiences, right?

By asking about the magazine’s demo, I was trying to ensure that the audiences were indeed aligned. I also wanted to know if we were zeroing in on a specific portion of the client’s audience DUE to the publication they were advertising in. (As I recall, the client was a dental practice, which tends to cater to wide swaths of people, from the single dude to the mom with kids. That’s why I wanted to understand the publication’s audience. Were we talking to the single dude or mom? Because the messaging would be different.)

My solution? I went to the publication’s website, downloaded the media kit for advertisers (which is why it exists), read it, and sent it to the marketer along with my suggestions on images and headlines based on the people who actually read the magazine.

When you write a print ad, website, direct mail campaign, sales letter, radio spot, or whatever, you must understand your audience. This is marketing and copywriting 101.

This marketing guy’s failure with advertising copywriting gets even better.

This same marketer created a print ad for another local publication and wanted me to “spruce up” the copy. After asking him for the pub’s demographics, he sent me census data on the town in which the publication appears, as if that info would tell me who reads the publication. (As Dave Barry would say, “I’m not making this up.”) I once again went to the publication’s website and downloaded the info myself.

The ad that the marketer wanted me to spruce up included the company’s “credo” and a picture of the owner and staff. (I’m not sure why he called it a credo. It’s much more common to say the company’s mission statement.) The credo was written in a “We/they” format:

We see our patients as individuals with specific needs and goals; we believe in providing our patients with the best possible care—always.

The tone was really distant despite the inclusion of the first-person plural. I suggested turning it to “you,” as all good advertising copy should ultimately be about YOU, the prospective customer:

We see you as an individual with specific needs and goals; we believe in providing you with the best possible care—always.

Still not great, but this change alone makes the copy a bit warmer. However, the marketer said he wanted it to stay in the third person because “that’s how credos are written.” 😭😭😭

Oy. Where to even begin with this marketing disaster? 

First of all, there’s no rule saying your mission statement must be written in third person. (HubSpot has an article with 34 examples of company mission statements. Some are in third person, and some are in first.)

Second, always consider your audience. Even if your mission statement is written in third person on your site, THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT NEEDS TO BE IN YOUR AD.

Finally, instead of using the mission statement, why not get a quote from a real patient that essentially encapsulates what it says?

Listen. There’s nothing special about a dentist providing “the best possible care.” I would expect that from any dentist. It’s not a differentiator, especially if you tell me that’s what you do.

But consider if a real patient was quoted in the ad with something like this: “Wow. These guys provide the best care. I was so nervous about my root canal, but they told me exactly what to expect, and it ended up being so much easier than I ever thought possible.”

Now, that would be compelling, wouldn’t it?

Bottom line: Always think about your audience first when writing advertising copy.

What matters to them? Why should they care about whatever it is you’re selling? (What’s in it for them?) What will motivate them to take action?

Answer those questions, and the copy will (almost) write itself.

Hey, are you new to advertising copywriting? 

You’re in the right place. I share free copywriting tips here and on my YouTube channel.

I also recommend these books to get started.*

Note: These are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I can earn commissions from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you more, though.

Happy writing!

When to Use Then vs Than: Here’s an Easy Way to Remember

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If you can never remember when to use then vs than, I’ve got good news for you.

First, you’re not alone.

Second, I learned a great tip a couple of years ago from a writing magazine (I don’t remember which one, which is why I’m not naming names). I haven’t had trouble with these words since following this trick.

When to use then vs than: The ultimate tip for remembering

Think of it like this: The word “than” refers to comparisons, while the word “then” refers to time.

Now, here’s the nifty way to remember:

  • There’s an “a” in “comparisons,” and there’s an “a“ in “than.”
  • There’s an “e” in “time,” and there’s an “e” in “then.”

Don’t even worry about remembering both. If you think “then” and “time,” you’ll be golden. Just ask yourself if what you’re writing as to do with time, and if it does, boom! Use “then.”

Examples:

  • I think George Clooney is hotter than Brad Pitt. (I’m comparing George to Brad. And I’m also dating myself.)
  • First, I’m going to eat ice cream. Then, I’ll work out. (I’m explaining the very sensible timing between my ice cream consumption and exercise.)
  • I enjoy writing more than just about anything. (Comparing writing to everything else.)
  • I started freelancing in 2002. Back then, I didn’t have to think about social media. (I’m talking about a time period.)

Language is fun. Here are my go-to writing and editing resources.

Note: I use affiliate links for some of them. If you use one of the links to buy something, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission. I only recommend stuff that I believe in.

  • Grammarly. (Affiliate link) The free version is great at catching critical errors. I used it for about a year before upgrading to the premium tier, and I’m glad I did. You can sign up for the free version here. (If you sign up or buy via my affiliate link, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission.)
  • A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers. (Amazon affiliate link link.) I have the fifth edition, which is excellent. I’m thinking about upgrading to the 10th. Hacker was incredible. She died in 2004, but her memory lives on.
  • Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer. (Amazon affiliate link.) Another gem. I gave this one to Mr. Word Nerd.

Is it Homed In or Honed In? (The Answer Might Surprise You)

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The “is it homed in or honed in” debate will never die. This is a note I received from a client. (Edited lightly for readability.)

Question: I think you made a mistake in my copy. You used the word “home in,” and I think it should be “hone in.” Here’s the sentence in question: “She knew exactly what area of the artwork to home in on.”

Listen, I make mistakes, and I’m not above admitting to them. (No copywriter or copy editor is perfect.) But this isn’t a mistake. So many people, including writers and editors, misuse the phrase “hone in.”

When you “hone” your skills, you improve them. When you “home in on something,” you aim your attention to a direct target (think of a homing device). In this example, “she” knew what area of the artwork to direct her attention to. So my original sentence is correct.

But honestly? I should have never used “home in” in the first place. Here’s why.

Plot twist to the “homed in or honed in” conundrum.

So many people say “honing in” now instead of “homing in” that “honing in” has become somewhat accepted. 😭

Language is fluid. Especially English. And this certainly isn’t the first example of mistakes becoming acceptable by the mainstream. (I’m looking at you, literally.)

Even if you decide to use the phrase correctly and say “home in” when you mean zeroing in on something, you might end up looking like the person who’s making a mistake since so many people misuse the term. (Frustrating, I know.)

That’s why I suggest you avoid using “homing in” altogether. Instead, say “zeroing in” or “focusing” (if it works) so that you can avoid confusion and the wrath of people’s ignorance.

So going back to the original sentence in question, here’s how I should have written it: “She knew exactly what area of the artwork to zero in on.” Or this: “She knew exactly what area of the artwork to focus on.”

Fun fact: I used to confuse home in vs. hone in ALL THE TIME, up until the early aughts when someone set me straight.

During a meeting with my writers’ group, someone used “hone in” when they should have used “home in.” Another writer in the group pointed out the error (nicely) and explained the difference. I took note back then, which is why I use it correctly now. (But I still have words that haunt me. For the life of me, I will never be able to keep “lay vs. lie” straight.)

Language is fun. Here are my go-to writing and editing resources.

Note: I use affiliate links for some of them. If you use one of the links to buy something, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission. I only recommend stuff that I believe in.