Writing your own copy constantly can lead to a problem—how long is it before you run out of things to say?

Before you know it all your marketing materials look and sound the same. Customers start getting fed up seeing the same old messages again and again.

So how do you overcome this?

What can you do to freshen up your approach and offer something more innovative, eye-catching and exciting?

Doing a 180

Keeping your marketing collateral fresh and exciting is vital if you want to remain at the forefront of your industry.

When things start to get a bit stale it’s time for a 180 degree rethink by looking at your products and offers from a different angle.

Let’s look at an example to see how this can work.

Bob has a company that makes washing powder. His normal marketing ploy is to show a glamorous model walking along the street, smiling in a brilliant white trouser suit. This shows the product not only cleans superbly but it will also enhance your confidence and attractiveness (at least that is the underlying suggestion).

But Bob’s clients are getting tired of seeing superwoman with her unnaturally clean clothes, so he had to come up with a new angle. This time, rather than showing the whiteness of the finished article, he took a step back.

His new advert shows a shabbily dressed woman in stained clothes. Her hair is a mess and she seems invisible to everyone else and quite introvert. The message this time is that drab whites lead to a drab life. This time viewers see an image they don’t want to be associated with and buy his product to ensure they don’t end up that way.

A rather cheesy example but I think it makes my point.

Choose a different angle

So if your marketing approach needs a revamp move away from the pleasure angle and sell it from the other side of the fence—and visa versa.

The fresh approach will attract attention and get people talking about your brand again. Do something unexpected and create a buzz.

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter

Psst. Come here – did you know there are millions of adverts everywhere you look? They’re on websites, in brochures, newsletters, emails…

Do you want to know how to make yours stand out?

Take a look at what your competitors are doing…and then do something completely different.

I bet if you were to study the adverts in your industry you’d see a common theme running through them. It might be in the copy, it might be in the design, it’s probably in both. The problem is you are all selling similar products and services so if you want yours to be noticed, you have to be different – you have to stand out from the crowd.

When you run a business, it becomes your life. You live and breathe it every day so it’s not surprising that you become blinkered in your marketing approach. Which is why. sometimes, it pays to get an outsider in to write your sales copy for you.

Once people realise that, my phone rings. As a freelance copywriter I can come into your business with a fresh pair of eyes. Whether I have experience in your industry is neither here nor there – in fact, having no experience is often an advantage. An outsider will look at your product or service in a totally different way and bring a fresh, unbiased approach to your sales message that eye-catching.

If your budget doesn’t allow for a copywriter to be brought in, I’ve put together a list of 10 ways you can be individual in your marketing approach:

1. Put a handwritten letter on your advert to make it stand out.
2. If you have well known and respected clients, put their names on your ads (of course, you must get their permission first) as endorsees.
3. Before and after pictures send a strong message.
4. If you’ve had an outside review or feature written about your company, use it in your copy. This will add credibility to your advert.
5. Throw in a free bonus offer.
6. If possible, a famous name endorsing your product will always grab attention.
7. Put your own picture and contact details on your advert. This adds a personal touch.
8. Perhaps consider donating a percentage of profits to charity.
9. Use closed questions in your copy to make them think about your product and what it will do for them.
10. How about a competition. If they can find the 5 spelling mistakes in your add they can enter your free prize draw. This will keep them reading your ad and the longer they read, the more likely they are to become customers.

You don’t have to use all of the above, just one or two will make you stand out from your competitors.

Are you already using these techniques? Do you have one that works particularly well for you? If so why not leave a comment and share it with us?