Perfect Your Copywriting: Wow Your Audience in 3 Disciplines
Cover Art by Eman Azrak
Copywriting is only one factor in the all-encompassing industry that is Marketing, yet it holds a lot of weight. Think about how a business communicates with a customer. How is that communication completed? Through copywriting. In business, reaching new audiences and connecting with potential clients is crucial to growing a successful business. Social media, emails, and blogs all reach the customer for a purpose to share information, convert a new client to a business partner, and raise awareness for the company. Copywriting is an essential function of that purpose and must be effectively utilized.
To help grow yourself in the art of copywriting or to make an impact in the success of your company, knowing how to write effective copy will become an invaluable asset to your skillset.
Social Media
Individuals use social media for entertainment to laugh, smile, or get inspiration. There’s a post for anything on social media. People have seen it all, so why would they want to read yours? As marketers, this is the question you need to ask yourself when creating content. What makes your post stand out from the millions of others? You can begin by enhancing your copy.
Keep it simple and concise. Individuals are on social media to scroll through posts. They aren’t there to engage with long captions and some platforms limit the amount of characters so your copy must be short and quick to the point.
Do not include fluff. Only use words that serve a direct purpose. Simple meaningful statements present information much more effectively. Viewers need to quickly understand the copy without becoming uninterested.
Write to the audience. Directly speak to them. Do not present information in the hopes it will reach the intended audience. Tell your readers exactly what you want them to know. They shouldn’t have to guess.
Create a sense of urgency. Make your reader feel that it is necessary for them to engage with your post. The first sentence must make the reader want to continue reading.
State a problem, disturb that problem, and provide a solution. Readers must know what the problem and solution is, so tell them how they can engage with your content.
Here is a useful guide to tailor your copy to the purpose of different social media platforms:
Source: coschedule.com
Understand that the header directs readers to the body content, which leads them to the call to action. Unlike social media, email copy builds on itself beginning from the header to what we, the marketers, want the readers to do: click the call to action button.
Before diving into the nitty-gritty of what makes copy successful in an email, first marketers must understand the target audience. Without a grasp on who to write to, how is it possible to write an effective email? Know your audience. This can be done by determining what kind of readers will be engaging with your emails. What are their characteristics? How old are they? How knowledgeable are your intended readers on the topic? Tailor your writing to the answers to those questions.
As we all know, emails can linger in the inbox. Some might never be opened, so how can we make individuals open ours? It begins with the header. Don’t overthink it. Stick to simplicity. While a creative header might make the writer feel proud, it doesn’t lead to a higher open rate. Keep headers straightforward. Something simple like this, “Here’s how I saved my business from going under” gets readers interested and clearly introduces the topic of the email.
Opening the email is only half the battle. We want readers to click on the CTA, the call to action button. So the body copy must have this specific goal in mind. Everything you write needs to direct the reader towards that goal.
Blogs
The reason why people say, “don’t judge a book by its cover” is because so many people do. It’s the first thing you see in a book, so why wouldn’t you? For blogs, the title is the cover of a book. It must make an impact on the reader. Include the following:
Number - for readers to quickly grasp the extent of the content
Value - defines how it will benefit the readers
Hyperbole - your audience wants something special
People’s attention spans are low. Create intrigue. Readers need to be interested. If not, no one will read the blog. Spark curiosity with the first sentence and build upon the value promised in the title. It’s a harsh world for marketers, yet by strengthening the informational value, reader interest will be gained.
Be purposeful. Your copy must be focused and directed on the value promised, so deliver through your writing. Stay on topic.
Get to the point. Avoid boring the reader with long sentences. Simple, straightforward writing is well received.
Final Remarks
Although the art of copywriting has been broken down in 3 categories some things remain the same.
The copy must be concise
Know who you are writing to
Keep your copy straightforward and purposeful
P.S. Copywriting is not an exact science. It is possible to read all the tips, tricks, and sure fire ways to enhance your writing, yet nothing may come of it. It is something that must be honed with practice. The more you do, the better you will be. Go out there and try different things. The only guaranteed way to increase the effectiveness of your copy is to write, write and write some more.
