From the good book to a good slogan, words are of paramount importance. Here’s an upfront look at why.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That’s what Saint John the Evangelist reckoned anyway. Now there’s a guy who believed in the power of the word.
Indeed, in the Greek philosophical tradition of which he was a part, the “Logos” (word) was seen as a power in itself. John would have known all too well that words have the potential to inspire, to please, to reassure, to enrage, to shock. Whatever reaction you’re after, positive or negative, you name it, a word or two can achieve it. Words are a biblically powerful weapon indeed, not one to be underestimated (and not one, for that matter, that ever has been underestimated by any leader worth their salt).
Underestimate them at your peril, for they harbour another, altogether more sinister power.
Something far more dangerous, not least from where you’re sitting: the power to inspire complete, abject indifference.
That’s right, the potential to do nothing. Think about it. When did you last read a website, an advert, an annual report that was intriguing, entertaining, inspiring, or even just easy to digest? Chances are it wasn’t a recent occurrence and, worse, that you can’t remember the vast majority of written marketing and communications materials that pass under your nose.
What a sad and unnecessary waste of everyone’s time and, of course, a total waste of money for the poor sod who commissioned the work.
You see, more and more communications agencies seem to think they can get away without the services of professional copywriters, that they can cut corners and save themselves some filthy lucre. They’ll charge you for copywriting but, in reality, your copy was probably written by the sensitive-looking soul from the art department who writes poems in his spare time.
After all everyone can write, right?
Wrong.
Everyone can write a postcard, fire off an email, ping out a text message. Plenty of people can write very eloquent Valentine’s cards,
write detailed reports or pen sales presentations. Plenty of people have “a way with words.”
Not many, though, are professionally trained writers who can connect emotionally and intellectually with any target audience you care to shake your stick at, to inspire, please, reassure, enrage or shock an individual into using your business.
And that’s why, here at Honest, we most certainly haven’t done away with professional copywriters. They’re alive, well and thriving here, writing dynamic pieces of copy that readers actually remember reading, that readers take something out of and that readers relate to. Our copywriters have produced copy for everyone from pharmaceutical giants to drug rehabilitation centres, from sports events organisers to reiki healers, shipping magnates, universities, the NHS, independent politicians, toy manufacturers and far more besides, adapting their style, tone and language to suit each individual requirement. They’ve written copy of every imaginable size, from two-word slogans to award-winning headlines to 20,000-word prospectuses.
Crucially, our copywriters have enjoyed more than their fair share of success, proving time and again that it really does pay to harness the power of the word.
Which, incidentally, you could do now: by picking up the phone and arranging a meeting (or of course writing to us).