Writing copy can be easy if you’re good at it, but only if your copy is compelling enough to capture your readers’ attention and ultimately, their money. If you’re not a seasoned copywriter who already knows the tricks of the trade, pay close attention to these tips on how to write compelling copy that encourages your readers to buy from you today!
What Exactly is Copywriting?
Copywriting is a technique that uses written content, either for print or digital purposes, to market goods and services. The primary goal of copywriting is to promote sales by improving your customers’ understanding of what you have to offer.
However, it isn’t always about big-ticket items—it can be about promoting yourself as an expert in your field or encouraging people to sign up for your newsletter. Copywriting doesn’t just apply to marketing products directly; it’s also used in job listings, web pages, brochures, magazines articles, and even advertisements. If you want to get better at writing effective copy for your marketing materials, there are some key elements involved: Know Who You’re Writing For: First and foremost, figure out who you’re trying to reach with whatever piece of copy you’re writing.
If you’re writing website copy targeted at attracting high school students, then use words they’d understand and speak their language. Focus on Benefits: Next comes figuring out how to communicate key benefits without overwhelming your audience.
Why do you need a solid brand identity?
A good, solid brand identity can help differentiate your business from others in your field. It will help you stand out and give potential customers a quick impression of what it is you do. When it comes to marketing, brand identity is one of your best tools for differentiating yourself from competitors.
Your brand should communicate who you are, who you serve and how you serve them better than anyone else does. The stronger your brand identity becomes, and more people recognize it—and believe in its value—the greater share of mind you’ll enjoy with your audience. And that means more people will turn to you when they need what you have to offer—whether that’s expertise or information or products or services—the kind only businesses like yours can provide.
What is Brand Identity?
Your brand identity is everything that represents your business. It’s not just what you say about yourself or how you market yourself—it’s also made up of every single element of your business’s presentation, from its mission statement to its website design.
This means your brand identity extends beyond marketing materials and slogans; it includes your company’s logo, office decor, even office attire. So when potential customers look at your business (online or off), they should see an image in line with who you are and what you sell: clean and professional in a financial planning firm, young and trendy in a clothing boutique, artsy in an art gallery.
The point is: Make sure everyone who looks at your business has a clear idea of what type of place they’re looking at!
You can see your current brand identity by doing a little online research. Check your business’s Google listings to make sure you don’t have several different spellings of your name or no information at all about who you are or what you do, etc… Also, make sure any social media pages are filled out correctly.
Tips on Writing Compelling Copy
Before you begin writing copy, there are a few tips that can help take your sales copy from lackluster to wildly successful. By thinking about what your customers want and need, you’ll be able to create content that will not only reach your target audience but have them quickly take action once they’ve read your words.
Here are a few tips that will help you write compelling copy:
- Make sure that each section flows into each other; readers don’t like having their train of thought disrupted by distractions. Use any and all techniques at your disposal (bullets, bolding and italics) to make it easy for readers to move through your page with ease.
- Be direct. Any good piece of sales copy needs to tell readers exactly what’s in it for them, so be clear about why they should care about your product or service.
- Convey value. Regardless of whether your site sells products or services, if potential customers feel as though you’re only looking out for yourself then chances are they won’t return to your site anytime soon—or ever again. This means being careful not to sell yourself short when crafting headlines or subheads—showcase exactly how valuable something is without overselling its benefits so much that potential customers don’t trust you anymore.
- Create an emotional connection. According to HubSpot, emotions play a major role in purchasing decisions. One study showed that users who experience positive emotions before using a website are 1,200% more likely to purchase than those who do not; other research reveals that customers making purchases online typically do so because they want to solve some sort of problem. The takeaway? If you can create an emotional connection between your website visitors and your brand, then people will naturally come back because no one wants to resolve problems alone—that’s where you come in!
- Be social-media savvy. The internet has created unprecedented ways for people everywhere to connect socially. That means that brands must become adept at marketing themselves on Twitter, Facebook, and any other site that consumers frequent. You might even consider creating promotional material specifically designed to spread via social media (and encourage followers to pass along).
- Give concrete examples. Back up claims with details illustrating how great something is—why would someone buy your product or use your service if they aren’t sure of its merits? Plus, including real-life stories adds another layer of credibility; use testimonials liberally (with permission), giving due credit whenever possible.
- Keep your message simple. It’s tempting to blurt out everything you know about a particular topic but focus instead on keeping your message simple—one thing your readers will remember above all else.
- Keep tabs on competitors. Similar to keeping tabs on industry buzzwords, tracking keywords in your competitors’ ads will give you an idea of what works and what doesn’t in terms of getting web surfers to click through and convert. Just like in magazines or newspapers, knowing which words perform well (such as free, new, or percent off) can give you ideas for copywriting ideas—after all, competition breeds innovation!
- Tell a story. Why is your product or service better than everyone else’s? How did you come to be in business and what does your future look like? People respond to and remember stories, so sharing a bit about your company’s history can go a long way.
- Keep an eye on evolving technology. Google AdWords and other PPC opportunities can help bring customers in—but what if they don’t like what they see on your website (perhaps because it doesn’t work with their browser or phone)? Constant upgrades that keep pace with changing technology are important for businesses that rely on social media and PPC advertising to drive sales; if people land on a broken page, they will leave in droves and never come back.
- Bonus: Check out listiller.com for writers looking to write great blog posts, copy, email sequences and much more on your behalf.