Are you a grammar graduate or will Santa be tucking a dictionary in the top of your stocking this year?! Take my Christmas #confusables quiz and find out if you’re a Clever Copy Club convert.

No prize for getting ten out of ten – just the smug sense of satisfaction of knowing you’ve been paying attention to my newsletters each month. And the knowledge that it caused me Actual. Physical. Pain. to type some of these!

(If you need to brush up on your #confusables and you don’t already receive my monthly email tips, you can sign up here.)

To take part, just pick the correct use of the #confusables in the sentences below… I’ll start you with an easy one.

Answers are at the bottom of the screen. No cheating now!

Question 1

a) Santa leaves presence at Christmas for everyone who behaves.

b) Santa leaves presents at Christmas for everyone who behaves.

Question 2

a) Your gift is too generous! I can’t except it!

b) Your gift is too generous! I can’t accept it!

Question 3

a) If I’d known you were coming I would of got the mince pies on!

b) If I’d known you were coming I would have got the mince pies on!

Question 4

a) Who’s coming for Christmas dinner?

b) Whose coming for Christmas dinner?

Question 5

a) A notebook! It’s beautiful. Thank you – I love stationary

b) A notebook! It’s beautiful. Thank you – I love stationery

Question 6

a) I’m not adverse to a glass of champagne, thank you

b) I’m not averse to a glass of champagne, thank you

Question 7

a) Drive carefully – ice has led to the roads being really slippy!

b) Drive carefully – ice has lead to the roads being really slippy!

Question 8

a) I’d love to come over for dinner – are you sure it won’t affect your family time?

b) I’d love to come over for dinner – are you sure it won’t effect your family time?

Question 9

a) I’ve bought the sherry, trifle and mince pie’s

b) I’ve bought the sherry, trifle and mince pies

Question 10

a) Let’s go to Santa’s grotto – the kids can come too

b) Let’s go to Santa’s grotto – the kids can come to

Scroll down for the answers…

 

 

 

 

Answers

Q1) b

Q2) b

Q3) b

Q4) a

Q5) b

Q6) b

Q7) a

Q8) a

Q9) b

Q10) a

How did you do?

8 to 10: A* student – go to the top of the class.

5 to 7: good effort – could do better.

0 to 4: must pay more attention in English lessons.

You know exactly why you need a copywriter.

You know a copywriter can help get your business noticed for all the right reasons.

That they’ll help you identify the special essence that’s unique to your company – the things that make you stand out from the crowd.

And that they’ll help you articulate the spirit of your business in a way that convinces your target market to choose your business, buy your products, and hire your services.

The reason you haven’t hired a copywriter isn’t because you don’t know you need one.

It’s because you’re making excuses.

You’ve begun to believe those myths you churn out to justify why you keep writing your own copy. Those same myths that stop you taking the plunge and choosing a copywriter who can take away the pain, save you time and help you get a head start on your marketing.

Here are four of the most common barriers to using a copywriter.

Which do you identify with?

Copywriting myths

Myth 1: It’s only words

“Surely, I can write the copy myself – why do I need a copywriter?”

Whether you consider yourself a reasonably capable writer or you have an English degree, there’s a big difference between everyday writing and writing to sell.

A copywriter will get inside the head of your customers. They’ll help you identify the things that make your business different – special, even – and articulate those things in a clear, concise and compelling way.

However confident you are about writing your own marketing materials, writing for the web is a different skill.

A copywriter knows how to write in a way that speaks to your customers and to Google – and their words help your business get noticed online by your target audience.

Myth 2: It’s all in your head

“No one knows my business as well as I do!”

That’s true. But a good copywriter knows the questions to ask about your products and services, the problems they solve for the people who buy them, and the sort of customers you want to attract.

They’ll talk to you about your marketing goals and the reasons why you’re in business. And they’ll work their magic to transform that information into words that work hard to promote your company.

Myth 3: It’ll cost too much

“I can’t afford a professional copywriter – it’s too expensive!”

Like anything that works, good copywriting doesn’t come cheap. But your time is money – and if you’re spending that time trying to write your own website or brochure when your skills lie elsewhere, you’re not saving money – you’re wasting it.

The most effective marketing is a collaboration between hardworking, clever copy and great-looking, functional design.

Designers just love working on projects that are being professionally written – it makes them look good. So remember: if you blow your marketing budget on graphic or web design and have no money left to spend on copy, you’re missing a trick.

Pay a professional to do a proper job, and focus on the superpowers that make you money. Chances are that’s the reason you went into business, after all.

Important note: any time you’re tempted to cut corners and buy on price alone, remember this mantra: you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

Myth 4: It’ll take too long

“I don’t have time to brief a copywriter – it’ll be quicker to write it myself.”

Earlier this month, I had a meeting with a website designer, who told me that seven of the beautiful websites he’d designed had stalled, simply because the client had decided to write their own copy.

In the time you spend agonising over the best way to promote your business – not to mention the stress and headspace involved in doing it yourself – a professional copywriter could have written your website copy ten times over.

That’s valuable time your shiny new site could be live and doing what a good website should do – getting your brand out there, promoting your business, building trust, and selling your products.

Time that your competitors are out there doing just that… and pinching your customers while they’re at it.

If any of those excuses sound familiar, have a quiet word with yourself and make this the year you leave your copywriting to the professionals.