You’ll no doubt be surprised to hear this, maybe even amazed, but copywriting isn’t all about glamour, glitz and glory. Very few content creators own their own private jets, or sip champagne from a golden slipper, or feast themselves on gold-encrusted tomahawk steaks at two hundred pounds a pop. Most of us feast on nothing more glamorous than a bag of scampi fries and a lukewarm bottle of lemonade. Personally, I haven’t influenced anyone since I persuaded a classmate to eat the unwrapped Werther’s Original that I found under my school chair. That didn’t end well.
For some of the world’s most prominent entertainment names, influencing is second nature. If one of them chooses to highlight their morning skincare routine – whatever that is – the chances are thousands of others will be doing the same within a week. For many others, a skincare routine involves a quick splash with water and a liberal scrape with the nearest towel that comes to hand.
Working in the B2B PR sector gives us a good insight into the importance of being able to influence people, and we’re not talking here about the likes of Rihanna recommending a particular brand of moisturiser. We mean influencing corporate clients to interact with their clients in a positive and engaging manner. The old adage about being a leader and not a follower is especially true in the business world.
Saying the right things at the right time
There’s nothing wrong with following superstar celebs on social media, of course, and to adopt their ways from time to time in your personal life should you want to, but applying the same principles as a business user can lead to major errors of judgement. In some ways, it’s best to think of it in terms of role reversal, so get ready to make pronouncements that others will listen to. Once you’ve done that, you can start to master the art of saying important things that carry with them some genuine influence.
This may involve sharing the secrets of customer retention, introducing products, services and strategies that have proved to be beneficial and meaningful, or simply showing the world that your organisation is something everyone will want to be associated with, much like the type of PR Agency Sussex can be proud of. Picture yourself in a public space, making pronouncements with everyone listening intently. That’s the sort of influencing you should aspire to.
In conclusion, the business user needs to be an influencer and not a follower, but to do that he or she needs to mimic what the influencers do. Swap tips on moisturiser for tips on marketing, drop the comments about VIPs and focus on your USP instead, and always, but always, make sure your words are valuable and not vacuous. And if you’re in any doubt, call on RMG founder Aneela Rose and the team and ask a few questions. That’s all there is to it.
