‘Can you tidy up this copy? We’ve already drafted it - it just needs articulating.’
I get these types of enquiries all the time, usually triggered by:
A rebrand - the website and/or marketing copy need to reflect your new look
An internal rewrite - someone’s drafted the copy internally but it isn’t working
Dated copy - the copy across the website and marketing collateral hasn’t been updated in years.
Now, it may be that an expert tidy-up is all that’s needed to make sure the copy is consistent, understandable - and flows well.
But sometimes, after viewing the draft, I find it needs much more than just a tidy-up. It needs a complete rethink - because it’s not communicating anything useful and meaningful to potential clients.
The Problem with ‘Well-Written’ Copy
Over the years, I've noticed the same copy patterns over and over again, particularly with professional services firms and corporates.
Lots of talk of trusted relationships, collaboration, excellence, innovation, client-focused solutions, and delivering outcomes (especially if AI has been used!). Websites that look very fancy and seem well-written to most - yet are completely ineffective.
Because they never explain why a client should choose them, what makes them different, who they help or why a client should even enquire.
Simply ‘tidying up’ and editing the existing wording a bit won't solve the problem in these situations.
Prospective clients don't choose a lawyer because the firm ‘values collaboration’. They choose a lawyer because they believe that lawyer can solve a specific legal problem.
Potential clients don't engage a business advisory because they ‘understand their growth goals.’ They engage an advisory because they believe it has solutions and expertise no other advisory offers.
If a law firm wants to be known for complex disputes, saying it is ‘built on relationships’ won't achieve that.
If a consultancy wants to be recognised for a highly specialised area of expertise, generic statements about ‘people, partnerships and excellence’ won't achieve that.
The Questions to Ask Before Even Thinking About a Copy ‘Tidy-Up’
And so months are wasted tweaking headlines, rewriting paragraphs and debating individual words when the most important questions sit unanswered:
What do we actually want to be known for?
Who do we want to attract?
And what’s the best way to get that across?
Until that’s clear, every copy tweak is simply moving things around the page.
This is why I may tell prospective clients no: ‘Just a copy tidy-up’ or quick edit isn’t what’s needed or the best way forward to get to where they want to be.
What actually needs to happen is a step back and for the positioning and messaging to be clarified before even thinking about touching a single word.
The best professional services and corporate websites are the ones that are crystal clear about who they help, what they do exceptionally well and the type of work they want more of.
Good copywriting isn't about just making sentences sound better. It's about making sure the right people understand who you are, what you do and why they should choose and trust you.
If you’re not clear about this yourself, no amount of editing will fix the copy.
So if you're looking at copy that you think just needs a tidy-up, feel free to send it through to elizabeth@elizabethwilsoncopywriting.com
It might just need a tidy-up. But it also might need a completely different - and honest - conversation.