How many times do you rewrite your appeals before dropping them in the mail, or before you hit the “send” button?
Do you simply read it over and run spell-checker? Maybe you make a few tweaks and decide you’re “good to go.” After all, anyone can write a letter or email for goodness sake!
Hmmm . . .
If that’s your approach then you’re leaving money on the table with an incomplete job.
Copywriting is Hard Work
To tighten copy so it really makes an impact (the RIGHT impact), demands merciless editing. Oh, and I’m NOT referring to the committees who review and maul copy after the copywriter submits it.
It takes several rounds of edits and revisions before it all falls into place. Oops. I forgot to mention all the research and creative thought that precedes any writing. But I digress.
Remember this: It’s harder to write a short letter or email than a long one.
“I didn’t have time to write a short letter,
so I wrote a long one instead.”
That quote is attributed to Mark Twain (1835-1910), but Blaise Pascal wrote a similar version in 1660. The point is a valid one regardless of who says it.
If you’re not willing to work very hard at writing copy that produces donations; gets people to join; makes people sad, happy, angry, or inspired; and keeps people with you for months and years to come . . . then give the task to someone else.
No. This post isn’t a camouflaged ad to get you to hire me. Although I’m not turning you away either (smile).
Based on what I read and how I hear people talk at conferences I’ve concluded that too many folks wrongly believe that copywriting isn’t difficult. That thinking is hurting your cause.
Please realize that regardless of the size of your nonprofit, sometimes the smartest business decision you can make is to out-source a task. It might be copywriting, or graphic design, list selection, strategic planning, or anything else.
Good copywriting is hard work. Great copywriting is even harder.
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