Liz Rawlings, Communications Manager at Dechra Veterinary Products shares 6 helpful tips to keep in mind when putting your copy or campaigns together
Know what you want to say and say it
Keep your communications simple. Start with a blank page and write down the essence of what you want to convey in its most basic form.
e.g. we have launched a new product/service and want customers to buy it.
This is the start point for your communication and the thread that should run throughout the content. Think of this statement as the framework to build your communication around.
Know your brand
Generate a set of brand guidelines for your brand and always adhere to them. Identify the personality, tone of voice, vocabulary for your brand to help customers identify you by the way you look and also the way you sound. Agree on a recognisable visual identity which includes style of photography, colour palette and font as this will help deliver consistency across your communications.
Know your audience
Imagine trying to choose a birthday card for a complete stranger. It is very unlikely that you would select an appropriate card without knowing the gender, age and interests of the recipient. This also applies to engaging communications. Do some research and get to know your audience so that you can create tailored communications. Consider running some face to face research sessions with your audience or conduct a short online survey with an incentive for completion. This can also be a great way of developing a marketing database and provides an excellent opportunity to generate PR.
Define your call to action
Every communication should have a clear, defined call to action for the audience. This can range from clicking a link, telephoning, emailing or purchasing a product or service. Ensure your call to action is clear for the audience as the last thing you want to do is peak their interest without providing a channel to express that interest. A communication without a call to action is a wasted opportunity.
Use appropriate media
Make life easy for your audience. Consider the message you are conveying to your audience and the subsequent call to action. This will help you define the appropriate media to utilise for your communication. If you want your audience to go online, consider using digital media to deliver the message or if you are using print media, generate direct paths for long URLs.
Take the customer journey
When you have completed your communication, go back to the beginning and engage as though you have never seen the communication before. Put yourself in the shoes of the recipient and ensure the communication is a closed loop, i.e. there are no missing links in the journey. Ask a colleague to review the piece without telling them what you want to achieve and ask them to share what they think the purpose of the communication is. This is a great way to check that your objectives are achieved, whilst having a secondary proof read.
