Copywriting is an essential part of any marketing strategy. An experienced copywriter will be able to whip up something compelling to showcase your brand.
Did you know that 55% of web pages get less than 15 seconds of attention? That means a copywriter needs to make sure they’re engaging people within the first sentence! While that may seem like a lot of pressure, once you get the hang of it writing copy is easy peasy.
As a copywriter, you should know your way around words and how to craft compelling content that sells, influences, and informs. Here are some of my copy tips that I swear by as a writer.
1: Keep it Simple
One of the most important rules in copywriting is to keep it simple. Sentences should be short and easy to read. You want your audience to be engaged and understand the content quickly. Remember, you’re not writing a novel. Long, drawn-out sentences are going to lose engagement FAST.
Simple writing does NOT mean dumbing information down. You’re simply making it easy for anyone in your audience to digest the material. If you’re writing about a complex topic, try to keep industry-specific jargon out of it and use common language.
2: Know Your Audience
To write effective copy, you’ll need to know your audience like the back of your hand. Before you start writing, ask yourself:
Who is your audience?
What are their pain points?
What motivates them?
When you have an idea of who your audience is, use language that resonates with your target. If you’re still having trouble, more research may be needed. More on that later.
3: Write Conversationally
There’s nothing worse than trying to find an answer to something only to be met with a long, dry wall of text. Pronouns are your best friend in copy!
Unless specified by your client, conversational writing typically works best in copy. Audiences are much more likely to stick around if the information sounds like it’s coming from a friend as opposed to a textbook.
4: Copy Should Solve a Problem
Copy is written with the users and target audience in mind. When someone stumbles upon your blog post, it’s usually because they were searching to solve an issue. So, your copy should be solving that problem.
Clients will typically give you a pain point that their audience is facing. Their products or services solve the issue, so your copy should be explaining that.
5: Research, Research, Research
Copywriting is all about building trust and credibility, and research is key. Before you begin writing, research will give you insight into your topic and external references to link. As a copywriter, you’re always learning. You’ll become a great asset to a trivia team!
When you’re writing copy whether it’s an email or blog, research is necessary. For example, readers love to see statistics to back up information. It makes your content look trustworthy. Before writing, market research on the brand and products you’re writing about is also essential. It will make your life easier, trust me.
6: Break it Up
If you’re writing longer copy such as a blog post, make sure to break it into easy-to-read sections. As we mentioned, people tend to skim for relevant info. Readers like to get their information in digestible chunks.
Let’s say you’re writing a long-form blog post. Yes, your entire blog post should be compelling, but 73% of people have admitted to skimming rather than reading an entire post. Breaking up the information into bulleted lists and short paragraphs will allow skimmers to find what they need, and they are likely to come back for more!
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is that copywriting isn’t scary. It’s important to do your research, write conversationally and build trust. Following these tips will help you craft the perfect formula for writing your own copy.