Copywriting is more than just stringing together a few phrases to explain what your company does. The core principles of your company should be reflected in your copywriting. It should also leave a lasting impression on readers and inspire them to take the desired action.
Clear and concise content should be used to accomplish all of this.
Without high-quality content, your website’s design and SEO are useless. It takes a lot to write good content that is also convincing, including exceptional writing ability, in-depth research, passion, and empathy. The good news is that you can truly get outstanding results over time if you follow the rules and make every effort to improve your copywriting abilities.
The first important point to note is that copy that is keyword-stuffed is bad copy. In reality, a good quality copy should demonstrate your uniqueness, ingenuity, and capacity for perspective-shifting.
It should highlight your desire to connect with a sizable, varied audience as well as your capacity to attend to the unique demands of all your audience types.
Additionally, it should demonstrate that you are more knowledgeable than any of your primary competitors and can predict, evaluate, and present new trends and concepts with greater speed and accuracy. Simply said, effective copy demonstrates your command of the English language.
Poor copy is a blatant sign that you are uninspired and lazy. Bad copy is web writing with zero value, which doesn’t pique the attention of your readers or entice them to return to your website.
What is Copywriting?
Persuading readers to perform a particular action is the ultimate purpose of copywriting. A brand’s copy should ideally increase sales and conversions while also giving its target audience valuable experiences.
Successful copy must be accurate, effective, and problem-solve creatively. The attributes, advantages, and cost of a product influence buyer readiness. Copy is how you explain these elements and your worth to potential clients to encourage them to make a purchase.
A thorough grasp of the niche and the topics contained within is necessary to produce excellent content. The goal is to achieve the ideal blend of relevance and knowledge. Not all authors can pull this off, particularly in smaller, less competitive sectors.
Why is it Important to Create a Good Copy?
Good copy has a ton of advantages for the brand it represents. From boosting sales to delivering extra value, the importance of using good copy cannot be overestimated. Here are some of the benefits of using good copy.
It improves sales
Excellent copy reads like a good story. It engages the readers, connects with them, and also inspires them to act. With the help of good copy, you can effectively market your products to a large audience that is eager to hear from you. Much like choosing between quote programs, writers often use diverse marketing tactics.
Trial and error is the only way to determine which ones will work best for you. Test several options to see which sales techniques entice prospects.
It enhances brand image
A company’s brand image is how it wants to present itself to its target market. It influences how customers view your brand and has an impact on their purchasing decisions. Good copywriters can understand the picture you want to project and use their writing to develop that image.
Good content effectively communicates a brand’s image with its language, tone, and relevance. A well-crafted copy will give an excellent impression of your business, just like leveraging proposal management in Salesforce. The same is true of hurried, poorly researched, or error-filled copy.
To create value-driven solutions
You only have one chance to make a good first impression, so you must be deliberate in what you write. Readers seek out reliable facts and insights, so every line on your website needs to have a purpose in order to attract relevant visitors.
The benefits of your offerings are also included in the wonderful copy that a great copywriter develops by taking all of this into account. They are skilled at setting the right mood and motivating customers to take the required action.
For instance, the purpose of the items page is to sell, but the About Us page serves as an information bank. Copywriters produce original material by taking into account the differences in the content required on these pages.
It offers valuable insight into reader habits
Communication with the target audience is the goal of copywriting. As a result, using copy with little substance and a largely mundane approach is not the way to go.
Copywriters often make the error of merely describing the basic information about a company. Since a significant percentage of consumers (over 49%) mainly respond to personalized content, this is often unproductive.
Skilled copywriters are adept at writing for various audiences. For example, they would use a different tone when writing for an IT business than when launching an email campaign for a fashion store. Another fundamental approach is to explain how the company’s products will benefit the customer rather than merely listing their features.
Copywriting is about the consumer’s perception of the company, not the company itself. It allows businesses to demonstrate to consumers why they are deserving of their attention while giving them a glimpse inside the brand. Choosing copywriters only based on price or popularity defeats the point.
A novice copywriter who is unfamiliar with the niche is equivalent to someone who produces their content by using Google templates. They might succeed occasionally, but more often than not, they can backfire.
It gives products added value
Have you ever wondered why customers would be even the slightest bit enticed to purchase your new product or service? After all, you might not be the only one offering free contract management software.
Goal-oriented content comes into play here, helping you make your new product an essential purchase by highlighting its distinctive features and benefits.
Imagine that your product is significantly less expensive than market alternatives, takes less time to assemble, and offers excellent value to the user. A talented copywriter can summarize these benefits and give them a fresh spin to capture your audience’s attention and pique their interest in your product.
Proven Tips for Writing Effective Copy
Even though there are many distinct factors you’ll need to take into account for each particular type of copy, here are some broad guidelines you can use to write a compelling copy.
Plan ahead
Whether you’re writing a brief snippet on Direct to Consumer Strategy or a lengthy piece of content on ACID transaction, you should always prepare ahead. Consider the stage of the trip your reader is currently on before putting pen to paper.
Think about your communication strategy and where your reader fits in.
For instance, you should write attractive and informative text if they are in the awareness stage. In the consideration stage, you should provide viable solutions to their needs. Customers at the decision stage will be looking for credibility through case studies and client testimonials.
Good copy works around these variables to deliver content that is relevant to the personal situation of the readers. Watch out for common mistakes when creating a content strategy.
Simplicity is best
It’s crucial to ensure that your copy is scannable. Readers are continuously bombarded with information, and even those who enjoy reading eventually feel overwhelmed. A lengthy paragraph isn’t appealing to the eye.
Break down your content into manageable bits to make it easier for readers to consume.
Using fancy terminology and unnecessary or complicated words might muddle your message, even if you have a large vocabulary. Overindulging in fancy language in descriptions might obscure the message you want to convey.
Long, complex phrases are often challenging to read while maintaining meaning. Remove unnecessary words and divide long phrases into shorter ones.
Be consistent
The importance of consistency and the need to ensure that your copywriting matches your branding cannot be overstated. Consistency can drive average revenue by over 23%.
Both loud and thrilling language, and loud and stimulating visuals should be avoided if they don’t match your brand’s persona.
You can look for something serene, welcoming, and soothing instead. A skilled copywriter will ensure that your copy is consistent throughout your marketing channels, which can be a game-changer for your business.
Additionally, effective copywriting can help you improve brand recognition and the relationship with your customers. They will look forward to hearing from you if they are accustomed to entertaining and relevant content. Customers will become frustrated and unsubscribe, unfollow, or lose faith in your brand if your messaging isn’t consistent.
Stick to the facts
Always confirm the accuracy of whatever you’re saying. Check your information and ensure that you’re sticking to the facts and not making things up. If your content says you’re offering DocuSign alternatives free, then ensure you do just that.
To support any information or data you have supplied, you should also include references wherever they are required.
It’s crucial to have your writing proofread since it will help to guarantee that your content is accurate and understandable. Additionally, it will highlight any spelling or grammar errors in your copy, significantly improving its quality.
Don’t be boring
In copywriting, it’s crucial to allow your brand’s personality to come through. Thinking about the words or phrases that leadership or employees use the most when describing your company can help you achieve this. Give your copywriters more freedom to showcase your company’s style.
Customers should always be excited to hear from you and should leave each interaction with your brand as a memorable one. Even for topics as basic as “How to Sign a Document in Word”, look for creative ways to spice things up.
Add useful soundbites
These are succinct yet potent and lyrical sentences that might better convey a writer’s thoughts and help readers retain the main point.
It is called a thesis statement by journalists and essayists, a logline by screenwriters, and a slogan by speechwriters. The key here is to select stylistic elements and lexical terms that effectively communicate your main points so that the audience will not be able to forget them.
American Congressman Hal Rodgers’s quote about the challenges of running his caucus, “It’s a little bit like being the head caretaker of the cemetery. There are a lot of people under you, but nobody listens,” is a prime example.
The use of contrast and repetition in writing is what makes soundbites so captivating.
Use the storytelling technique
Since almost everyone appreciates hearing a good story, anecdotes are an important component of verbal interactions. You can recreate that same sense of excitement, by using storytelling as a copywriting technique when creating a copy.
Considering the perspective of your audience and discussing a time when you experienced the same problem and how you dealt with it are some of the best methods to incorporate this.
This technique makes it much easier for the reader to relate to the content you put out, making it more memorable.
Stay away from profanity
This is fairly easy to achieve. If you’re not sure it will resonate with your customers, avoid using profanity in your writing. Using obscene language out of context can seriously hamper the impact of the copy, not to mention the damage it does to your brand’s reputation.
You should always tailor content to match your audience’s sensitivity and take note of the values and beliefs they hold dear.
Leverage the power of curiosity
It’s not enough to just draw in potential customers; you also need to keep them interested in your brand. You can do this by utilizing a method called “seeds of curiosity,” which Joseph Sugarman first described in his book titled “Advertising Secrets of the Written Word.”
According to Sugarman, these seeds of curiosity lead the reader on even though the copy may be slowing down at that particular point. “Bucket brigades” is the name given to this strategy by some copywriters.
“Let me clarify,” “Better still,” “That’s not all,” and “However, there’s more” are a few effective examples.
You’re creating what Sugarman refers to as a “slippery slope” by sowing the seeds of curiosity. You make it difficult for your readers to leave your material by creating this slippery slope that directly feeds off of their curiosity.
According to George Loewenstein’s theory, curiosity is a result of knowledge gaps. When we feel we are knowledge deficient, we become motivated to learn more. Thus, planting seeds of curiosity is a way of highlighting gaps in the reader’s knowledge to gently nudge them along your story path.
However, Sugarman advises careful application of the “seeds of curiosity” strategy. The effectiveness of this tactic will decrease if you employ it excessively in your text.
Avoid pandering
People are well aware of sales tactics. Nobody enjoys the overly charming salesperson who complements everything the customer shows even the slightest interest in. Ensure that your copy isn’t excessively patronizing.
You shouldn’t be condescending either. The art of copywriting is about finding a balance and relating to the audience without making them feel inadequate or uncomfortable.
Offer relevant solutions
Being sympathetic is one thing, but you also need to demonstrate how your company can address an issue.
You don’t have to use a lot of words to get there since there are instances when complex issues can be solved quickly. It could be as simple as helping them understand PRM meaning and importance in business growth.
Your customers only need to know that you have their backs and can provide the necessary expertise, tools, and resources to satisfy their needs.
Use analogies
Another effective strategy to employ is using analogies to simplify complex concepts. If you’re selling something that most people wouldn’t be familiar with, such as VoIP phone systems for businesses, compare it to something they are. You can also foster empathy in your readers by adding analogies to your copy.
Use humor
Sharing a joke is much more likely to stick in someone’s mind than a company slogan. Furthermore, who doesn’t enjoy entertaining their audience?
The idea behind good copy is to create a memorable experience for the reader. Your content should attract, engage, and keep the reader wanting more. Humor is an effective way of achieving this.
However, you must be careful to recognize when it doesn’t fit into the type of content being written or the industry concerned.
Take risks
If you don’t take chances with your writing, your content might end up being dull and repetitive. Trying new ideas and techniques can lead to better results. You just need to track the outcomes with the beta software testing process and take note of what works and what doesn’t.
Before publishing the copy, you can modify and update it as well as get more opinions. The fact remains that engaging the emotions of your audience by being passionate, spontaneous, or hilarious will keep them engaged.
Good Results Start with Good Copy
Copywriting doesn’t have to be difficult, even though there are several factors to take into account. When done properly, it can be one of the most economical and effective marketing strategies.
Remember to always test when creating a copy. Print advertising makes copy testing more difficult, but A/B testing should be done on digital advertising channels such as Google Ads and Facebook. You’ll be able to trust that marketing copy once you determine what best appeals to your audience.
If your product copy appeals to your audience’s emotions, they will devour it. Be specific. Tell engaging stories. Remember to keep things relevant and brief. Give them a cause to convert by employing power words.
Yauhen is a marketer and director of Demand Generation at PandaDoc with over 10 years of experience. For the past five years, he was focused on document management markets and electronic signature proposals. Yauhen has vast experience in speaking at niche conferences and he shares his knowledge and expertise with other marketers about topics such as the legality of digital signatures. In his spare time, he is an avid fisherman and goes on nearly 20 fishing trips each year.