FROM THE RANKS PART 2: Matt Gets Write to the Point

Staff copywriter Matt had a few choice words to share about the risks of do-it-yourself copywriting...and the rewards of turning to our professional team for help. The stage is yours Matt...

"Imagine this: you’re a cosmetic surgeon, and you want to do some medical marketing of your services over the Web. Seems simple enough—just write up what procedures you offer and a little bit about your office, your staff, and your treatment philosophy, right?"

"In fact, many of the surgeons we work with do believe they can do all this writing on their own, and in a few hours at that. Writing may not be rocket science (though a recent study gave corporate employees a D in their grammar skills), but I’m a big fan of trusting a professional to do the job right. I don’t pretend to know how to rebuild a transmission or administer an IV drip. I haven’t been trained in those things. But I did graduate from Carnegie-Mellon with a degree in Creative Writing, and I refined my skills writing proposals, memos, letters, and case studies before heading back to law school at UCLA, where you bet I got a healthy dose of readin’ and writin’. I have to admit that I take a little offense at those who think anyone can write—it’s a skill I’ve worked hard to develop and refine for over a decade. "

"But enough with me being grouchy. Getting back to that surgeon, how’s the Web site writing really going to go? Think traffic jams. Think molasses. Think three-toed sloth. In my experience, our clients who choose to do their own writing have a very slow go of it. That’s not to criticize the doctors in any way—they always start out with the best intentions. But the strains and pressures of their practice mean that Web site writing has to take a back burner. Many think they’ll find time for the writing over the weekend. In all but the rarest case, they won’t."

"Most of our sites require 50 to 100 hours of copywriting, when a pro does it. Figure probably twice as much time for a surgeon to get in the swing of things: thinking about what to say, integrating keywords, developing a page model, researching the marketing of the products they use, optimizing the copy, and having someone proof it. So even if a surgeon, who mind you is more than likely slammed with consultations, scheduled surgeries, and practice administration, can devote 2 hours per week to writing their site, they’ll be finished in about one to two years. Think that’s exaggerating things? We are currently working with a surgeon who has spent over a year drafting copy, and is not all that close to completing it. Meanwhile, the surgeon has no Web presence and is missing growth opportunities."

"Here’s the moral of this medical marketing story: do what you do best. Leave the writing to us."

Not sure if you can trust our team to get the writing, well, right? Ask our clients. They routinely report that we convey their personality, voice, mission, and the essential clinical details of their procedures with resounding success.