Why Copywriting is Undervalued: A Look at Hong Kong's English Standard

Why Copywriting is Undervalued

In Hong Kong’s diverse world of business and branding, there’s an incredibly undervalued tool. There’s no need for us to take you on a journey here, setting up for a plot twist where we dramatically announce that copywriting is the hero of our tale.

Why’s that? It’s already there in the title. And that’s the point. Good copywriting doesn’t make an epic production; instead, it puts the key points out there in the most natural way possible. Good copy doesn’t need trickery; just clean language with a reassuring tone.

Well-written content feels so natural, that readers often find themselves seduced while they read. It’s a subtle art, honed through decades of practice and experience. Our title laid the tracks for my opening paragraph, so you already knew and accepted what I wanted to tell you.

But if we were to ask you why copywriting is so undervalued these days – what would your guess be? Okay, now it is time for us to take you on a little journey.

Our Modern World

The year is 2017, and everybody with a laptop, computer or smartphone can call themselves a writer. We all have the means to publish posts on social platforms. We blog, we post and we Tweet. The written word on our screen has become commonplace.

Over 27 million pieces of content are shared across the web every other day. Over 60% of internet users use search engines to research products before making their final purchase. And in a month’s span, Internet users conduct a total of 12 billion searches. Those numbers are huge, and it's hard to stand out when that content is present at all times.

In Hong Kong in particular, where the quality of English has dropped considerably since our city changed hands from a British colony to a Chinese region, the lack of highly competent copywriters has led to the acceptance of lower quality content.

Just think of all those times you’ve laughed at a billboard or made fun of ‘Chinglish’. This has obviously had a massively detrimental effect on businesses.

The Value of Good Copy

Copywriting rests on our innate human ability to connect emotionally and spiritually through the age-old process of reading. As one of our oldest forms of communication, nothing is as powerful as absorbing information through words.

It takes a great deal skill to understand an audience and talk to the reader directly. To compel them to act, in order to deliver a business benefit. It’s crucial that your copy resonates with the reader.

Copywriting sets the right pitch, pace and tone for the voice of your company. Good content isn’t just a description of what your business provides and sells. It has to be engaging and concise. More importantly, it has to be persuasive.

A copywriter must hold the reader's attention with their written word, while convincing them that said business will add value to their life. Good content is a call to action, willing the reader to purchase their product, sign up for the monthly newsletter, or simply take the next step in building interest.

A successful copywriter knows not just what to say, but how to say it.

The Future

Hong Kong is one of the fastest growing business communities in the world. As language and people change and adapt, your strategies should be doing the same. As a copywriting service in Hong Kong, we’re well-placed to know that good content shouldn’t be ignored.

At Writers.HK, we believe that great copy is worth investing in, and hiring a Hong Kong copywriter is essential to your success. Investing in the services of a copywriting company in Hong Kong will increase your customer emotional buy-in and see sales rocket.

We know how to deliver measurable results for your business.

Or, as our slogan says: We know words that work.