Copywriting is a unique field. It’s perhaps the most creative way to express your business’ unique value proposition, and it’s one that can be measured with numbers: clicks, conversions, and increases in sales.
To become a great copywriter then, you have to balance creativity with data analysis. You need to understand how to tell your story compellingly while also understanding which parts of that story are resonating with your audience.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of tips for writing copy that turns readers into customers.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand your target audience deeply. |
| 2. Craft attention-grabbing headlines. |
| 3. Focus on benefits and solutions, not just features. |
| 4. Use persuasive language to evoke emotions. |
| 5. Incorporate social proof and testimonials. |
| 6. Create a sense of urgency to encourage action. |
| 7. Address objections and concerns in your copy. |
| 8. Keep your copy concise and easy to skim. |
| 9. Use clear and compelling calls to action (CTAs). |
| 10. Tell compelling stories that resonate with readers. |
1. Create A Copywriting Process
Once you’ve decided to write copy for a client, the next step is to create a process that works for you.
Again, make it as simple as possible, but don’t sacrifice quality. The process should be as easy and fast as possible so that you can produce copies quickly (and therefore make more money).
Also, remember that your process needs to be repeatable; if someone else can do what you do with less effort or time invested on their part, then they’ll be able to compete with you and reduce your profit margin.
Finally, make sure your writing process is flexible enough so that if things change like new trends in the market you can adjust accordingly without having any negative effects on productivity or profitability.
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2. Know Your Audience
It’s easy to think of copywriting as a one-way conversation: the copywriter writes, and readers read.
But if you want to turn readers into customers, it’s not enough to write compelling content you have to know who your audience is and what they want, need, are interested in, afraid of, confused about, worried about, and excited about.
This goes beyond demographic info like age range or location (though those are important). You need to get inside their heads so that when they see something on your site or hear something from your brand voice (more on this later), they recognize themselves in it.
3. Write Benefits, Not Features
According to the copywriting adage, you should write benefits, not features. There’s a reason that advice has been repeated so many times: it works. Features are what your product does; benefits are what your customer wants.
So instead of writing, “Our software is compatible with Windows 10” or “Our security system keeps you safe,” focus on what those things mean for your customer:
“Our software makes it easy for new employees to learn how to use our systems” and “Your family will enjoy spending time together at home without worrying about intruders.”
What’s important here is that these phrases highlight how using these products makes life better and happier customers are more likely to buy from you again in the future!
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4. Eliminate Fluff Words
Eliminating fluff words can help you write copy that is more direct and effective.
As a copywriter, you are writing for the sole purpose of getting your readers to take action.
You want them to take action because it benefits them in some way or another, whether it be by making them money, saving time/money or giving them an experience they enjoy (like getting free shipping). Anything that doesn’t do that is unnecessary and should be cut out.
This means avoiding useless words like “very,” “really” and “actually.” These words cause no harm in conversation but add unnecessary weight to your written message.
Each one adds at least one syllable to your already-long sentences, which makes them harder for readers to digest quickly and easily.
And makes it easier for those readers who skim through content online (like on social media) to miss important information because they were distracted by the weight of all those extra syllables in their head!
5. Use Customer Quotes
Showing that your product is being used by real people is a great way to prove that it’s effective. When you write copy, include quotes from actual users who had success or failure with the product, and then describe what they did differently than other people who didn’t experience the same results.
You can also use these customer quotes to illustrate how easy it was for them to achieve their goals, which will help potential customers understand why they should buy your product.
Just make sure that you choose appropriate and interesting quotes it doesn’t make sense to use a long quote if all of it isn’t relevant or interesting for readers!
Identify your ideal customer: There are many ways to identify your target audience so that you can create content specifically for them (e.g., through surveys).
Once you have identified your ideal customer, make sure that any content you create is highly relevant to them otherwise there’s no point in writing about topics related only indirectly related
6. Decide On An Optimal Length
Deciding on the optimal length for your copy is a tough task because it depends on several factors:
What are you trying to say? Decide what kind of content you’re writing and who you’re speaking to. This will help determine the scope and focus of your message.
How long can readers tolerate reading? The average American reads at an eighth-grade level (or lower), which means they don’t have much patience for long sentences or paragraphs that go nowhere fast.
How much information can readers take in at once? While it’s true that people tend to favor shorter messages over longer ones.
There’s also research that shows longer messages are more likely to engage users’ interest and get them involved in engagement strategies like commenting, liking or sharing posts on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
What medium do I want my readers to use? If I’m reaching out through email newsletters or blog posts on Medium instead of via text message or Instagram stories (or whatever other social media platform might be relevant).
Then having shorter paragraphs makes sense since these platforms allow only so much space available per post before needing some sort of break/divider between paragraphs—which would likely happen automatically if my paragraphs were too long anyway!
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7. Use Compelling Visuals
When it comes to communicating your message, you need to think beyond words. If you want your copy to be compelling and memorable, you must use visuals.
Use images to help readers visualize your message. Images are a great way for readers to see what’s happening in their minds’ eyes.
For example, an image of a lawnmower is much more effective at conveying the message “I can mow my lawn faster” than any amount of text could ever achieve on its own!
Use images that convey information quickly and clearly without being overwhelming or confusing.
You don’t want people thinking they’re reading an essay instead of reading copy because there’s so much text on the page that it looks like a wall instead of something inviting them closer into reading more about what interests them most about purchasing whatever product or service you’re offering today!
8. Create A Killer Headline
You know that feeling when you read a headline and it just jumps out at you? You can’t help but click or share it. That’s because headlines are the most important part of your copy. It’s what makes people want to read more.
Here are some tips for writing killer headlines:
- Keep it short and to the point (no more than 25 characters)
- Be specific, and relevant, and make sure your headline conveys information that is important to the reader
- Make sure your headline is catchy! If people aren’t drawn in by your headline they probably won’t read any further.
o, make sure yours stands out from all of the other thousands of newsletter titles floating around in their inboxes (I know this one might sound obvious but I’ve seen so many newsletters with boring headlines).
9. Be Aware Of Pathos, Ethos & Logos
Pathos, ethos, and logos are three types of appeals that you can use to make an argument.
• Pathos is the appeal to the audience’s emotions. It goes beyond logic and reason and makes people feel moved or inspired by your message. In other words, it’s emotional persuasion.
People often think pathos is only used in marketing when promoting products or services, but it can be used any time you want readers to take action on your call-to-action (CTA).
Ethos is the appeal to the audience’s sense of right and wrong.
This form of persuasion tries to convince readers that something is right or wrong based on how well you know them or how much they trust what you say because they know your background, education level/expertise, etc…
Logos is the appeal to the audience’s logic:
A logos argument focuses on providing logical reasoning for why someone should do something. When building a case for anything from buying something from a company (logic), doing something else instead (logic), voting for candidate X over candidate Y…you name it!
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10. Write With Specificity And Concreteness
When you’re writing copy, specificity is key. The more specific you can be, the better your message will be received. This is because people tend to remember things that are concrete and specific much more easily than those that are general and vague.
That’s why it’s important to use sensory words when describing an object or situation words such as “crunchy,” “alive,” or “warm” evoke a sensory experience for your reader that helps them visualize exactly how something feels or tastes (and thus remember it).
If possible, even include an example of what you’re describing so that your reader has something tangible to relate their experience to. For example:
“When I saw [this product], I could feel my heart beat faster.”
Using concrete examples and analogies also helps people imagine themselves in the situation you’re describing:
11. Avoid Clichés And Overused Phrases
Clichés are overused phrases that make you sound like a robot and are hard to remember, but they’re also boring and predictable. They can be subtle or obvious, but they’re almost always bad news when it comes to copywriting. You should avoid them at all costs.
A cliché is a statement that has been used so often in the past that it no longer sounds new or interesting.
It might be clichéd because it’s something people have said before, or because it just sounds like something people say in fact, some clichés aren’t even original statements (for example: “it’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey”).
But regardless of their origin, clichés are boring and predictable, which makes them hard to remember and therefore terrible for advertising purposes!
If you find yourself writing any of these phrases into your copy (or if someone else suggests they should go there), try to think up an alternative way of saying them instead:
Clichés usually come across as super cheesy since they’ve been repeated over and over again by everyone who’s ever written anything before!
12. Use Analogies And Metaphors Properly
Of course, if you are a writer for a tech publication, it’s important to use analogies and metaphors sparingly. If you’re writing about how Instagram filters make people feel, don’t try to explain this with an extended metaphor about the sun rising or the moon setting.
You don’t want your readers thinking that they’ve stumbled onto The Economist instead of Cracked!
As with any kind of comparison in your copy, make sure that what you’re comparing is appropriate. For example: “Instagram filters make people feel like they’re wearing sunglasses at night.”
It gets across the point without being too abstract or obvious; it cannot be easily confused with other things people might wear at night (e.g., masks);
And it hits on another idea sunset that adds interest by drawing in an unexpected element from our collective cultural consciousness (even if we don’t consciously think about sunsets often).
On the flip side, avoid metaphors that are too literal or complicated (like comparing Instagram filters to prescription glasses), because they risk being confusing or distracting rather than clarifying concepts.
13. Don’t Sacrifice Personality For Objectivity
You are a unique human being, and that makes you an incomparable writer. You have quirks, personality traits, and preferences that will shine through in your copy. Don’t be afraid to express those!
For example: if you are funny, let some of that humor into your writing. If you know how to write with a strong point-of-view (and there’s nothing wrong with having one), let it show up in your product descriptions.
And if you’re shy? Well then by all means, practice being more outgoing when expressing yourself on the page even if it means asking for feedback from loved ones first before sharing what you wrote publicly or professionally.
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Conclusion
All in all, the point of this post is to show you how writing copy can be made easier by following these tips.
This isn’t meant to be a list of rules that you must follow rigidly or else suffer the wrath of infernal grammar demons; instead, it’s meant as a guide to help make your writing better.
We encourage you to take what works for you, mix it with what already know and start applying these techniques today!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to help you delve deeper into the art of writing copy that converts:
16 Copywriting Tips for Writing Copy that Converts: Discover expert insights and practical tips to enhance your copywriting skills for driving conversions.
B2C Copywriting: How to Write Copy that Converts: Learn the nuances of B2C copywriting and gain valuable strategies for crafting persuasive content that resonates with your audience.
How to Write Copy that Sells: 7 Proven Tips: Dive into proven techniques for creating copy that drives sales and engagement, backed by practical examples and industry wisdom.
FAQs
What are the key elements of effective copywriting?
Effective copywriting involves understanding your target audience, crafting compelling headlines, focusing on benefits, using persuasive language, and including clear calls to action.
How can I write copy that resonates with B2C audiences?
To write copy that resonates with B2C audiences, focus on addressing their needs and desires, using relatable language, telling stories, and showcasing the value your product or service brings to their lives.
What role does SEO play in copywriting?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) ensures your copy is discoverable by search engines and your target audience. Integrating relevant keywords, optimizing meta tags, and creating high-quality content all contribute to effective SEO copywriting.
How can I make my copy more persuasive?
To make your copy more persuasive, emphasize benefits over features, use social proof and testimonials, create a sense of urgency, and address potential objections your audience might have.
What are some common mistakes to avoid in copywriting?
Common copywriting mistakes include being too vague, neglecting the target audience, using jargon, lacking a clear call to action, and failing to edit and proofread for errors.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
