Writing Advertising and Promotional Materials: An In-House Function?

While it is true that a good wordsmith is apt to tackle just about any writing assignment, it is equally true that certain types of Professional Communications are best left to those with specific training and experience. This is especially so when it comes to developing advertising and promotional materials.

Of course, this is not to suggest that the writing of all Sales & Marketing Communications is beyond the capabilities of internal staff. Indeed, communications such as Sales and Prospecting letters, Product and Service Descriptions, and Proposals are often the products of talented in-house staff.

Just the same, the writing of brochures, pamphlets, in-depth Product Profiles, and Advertising Copy is more "technical" and will benefit from the input of a Professional Marketeer.

Granted, Word Processing and Desk-Top Publishing Tools can be used to mimic the professional "look" of these types of communications, but, they may come up short with respect to focus and impact.

For the most part, writing effective copy for Marketing and Promotional Communications requires more than just the ability to turn a clever phrase. Obviously, word virtuosity is a plus; however, this must be complemented by the skill and know-how to package, target and strategize such communications.

In large companies this expertise may exist in-house; however, this is usually not the case in businesses with limited staff. As such, some smaller firms may be tempted to "wing it" on their own in order to save a buck or two. Needless to say, this is a short-sighted decision that can quickly put a company at a competitive disadvantage.

It should be stressed that when a company self-promotes its products and services, it is entering into an arena that is more complex that it appears on the surface. And the simple truth is that companies who ignore this complexity should not be too surprised when their products or services are not selling to expectations.

The upshot is that most advertising and promotion goes beyond the scope of normal Business Writing. In the absence of in-house expertise, there are many outside Marketing and Advertising Resources a company can contract with in this regard. It can be costly, for sure, but it is one "cost of doing business" expense that can positively affect sales in a measurable way.

In the end, your products and services deserve professional promotion. An online search or being keyed in to a local business network are good sources for finding this kind of experise.

Jack