As if writing copy were not hard enough, copywriters face the challenge of having to persuade people with their words. Businesses rely on words to attract potential customers, and to bring in a large volume of high-converting traffic. As the demand for high-quality content keeps growing, producing powerful, compelling copy becomes more challenging.
Copywriting is an art. You don't need any formal training to become one. All those rules of writing - the use of proper grammar, punctuation, and different writing styles you may have studied in school - don't apply here. The job of a copywriter is to develop good marketing content that appeals to the common people who, more often than not, don’t care about proper English. For this, the writer has to speak the language of everyday people and associate with them in a way that they feel comfortable with.
When it comes to the success of a business, writing plays a hugely important role. Even without prior knowledge, it is possible for you to become an expert copywriter by constantly developing, refining, and improving your writing skills.
1. Focus on You and Forget About We or Us
When it comes to copywriting, 'you' is perhaps the most powerful word, as you are directly linking the customer to your message. Your content should focus on the customer, not the company or brand. Using 'you' is a great way to put the customer first, and talk to them directly. The use of 'us', 'we', and 'our' are all about the company, which is rather off-putting. So, write about what the customer gets, instead of what your brand offers.
2. Features Only Tell, Whereas Benefits Sell
This is an important point to keep in mind when writing copy. You should sell benefits instead of features. Good copy explains the benefits the customer will get from your product or service, whereas poor copy lists the features without explaining how the customer will benefit from them. You also need to communicate the quantity and quality of these benefits, so the customers get a bigger picture of your services.
3. Avoid the Use of Boring verbs
It's best to avoid using passive voice and passive verbs, as they are boring, long-winded and weaken the message you are trying to convey. Here are some examples that will help you see the difference:
'Our brand was selected to receive an award' vs. 'Our brand received an award.'
'Five new products were developed' vs. 'We developed five new products.'
As you can see, active voices are more persuasive. When it comes to copywriting, be direct and always use active language. Your intentions become obvious to the reader when you communicate clearly, which helps gain their trust.
4. Create Catchy Headlines
Headlines are the most important part of an article or blog post, as most readers decide whether to read the article based on how interesting or persuasive the title is. So, create the most catchy headings and titles possible. Whether it’s the email subject line or the main headline on a landing page, it is important you take the time to come up with a compelling headline.
5. Try to Avoid Clickbait Titles
Although clickbait titles help to attract audience attention and increase your conversion rate, it's not what you want for your business in the long run. Unless your clickbait title is supported by content that is relevant to your readers, it’s most likely you will lose many potential customers. So, promise only what you can deliver, and make sure you deliver what you promise.
6. Be Clear and Concise
Most web users are impatient. For your copy to be effective, it should be both clear and concise. No matter how big an article you are writing, it still needs to be on-point. Avoid unnecessary words and write short, sharp sentences. Break paragraphs with an exclamation. Use as few words as possible to express your thoughts and ideas.
7. Make Your Sentences Shorter
No one wants to read long and boring sentences. Short sentences are not only easy to read, but they are powerful. You don't have to shorten every sentence in your article, but it would be good if you could break up the text into simple readable sentences. Readers prefer short sentences because they are easier to understand and navigate. If you can convey your message in a short and simple sentence, why take the pain to write a long and complex sentence nobody will read?
8. Single Sentence Paragraphs are Powerful
A single sentence paragraph can convey a lot.
Readers are naturally drawn to single sentence paragraphs because they know it is something important. If you want to make your readers read an important message and remember it, express it in a single line paragraph.
9. Use Unique CTAs
The same old CTAs used everywhere, such as “Shop now”, “Click here”, “Join”, etc., have lost their charm, not that they had any charm before. Use a unique CTA to give your readers a different experience. This way your readers know what benefits they will get, which in turn gives them a great reason to try it.
10. Give Important Messages in Bold or Italics
If you want your readers to remember an important message, make it bold or italicize it. Bold text makes it easier to scan web pages.
11. Make Use of the Power of Reason
People feel good when they know they are doing something for a good reason. So, give the readers a reason when you ask them to do something.
12. Don't Hesitate to Use “I”
Many people tend to avoid using I, me, or my in their writing. But the more you use these words, the more trustworthy and personal you get with your readers. Be yourself when you write, and make references to yourself every now and then.
13. Throw in Personal Stories
People love to hear stories. When you are explaining something in the context of a personal story, it will help grab the interest of the readers and keep them engaged. A good article can become an excellent one if you include a personal story in it. People can relate to these stories, which help in building personal connections with you.
14. Use Other People's Stories
Using real-life examples in your writing is a great way to help your readers understand the benefits of your services or products. The success stories of other people let your readers know you are genuine, and prompt them to buy your services.
15. Answer Customer's Questions
Provide the answers to questions your customers are likely to ask. Explain every detail of your product in your copy, so the customer gets all the answers without having to ask any questions.
16. Make a Strong Entry
When it comes to writing good copy, you should always start with a strong message. The first few sentences of the copy determines whether your readers stay to read the whole page, or not. Addressing the various concerns of your readers is a great way to start.
Giving your readers a clear idea of what you are going to address in the copy is another way to attract an audience, and make them want to read on.
17. Read Your Writing Aloud
Reading your copy aloud is a great way to identify areas where the flow of your writing is not that good. This helps you to fix the problem, and develop beautiful free-flowing content.
18. Use a Thesaurus
A thesaurus helps you avoid using the same words many times in your copy. It also helps you find new words to add to your writing. Make sure you use simpler words, instead of complex and sophisticated alternatives.
19. Use Your Reader's Language
Another important tweak that helps improve your copywriting skills is to identify with the readers and speak their language. By using your readers’ language, it becomes easier for them to relate to your writing.
20. Use Subheadings
Use subheadings to create a visual contrast that helps readers read the content easily, and understand it fully. Make sure the subheading outlines the core point described in the section.
21. Use a Combination of Ideas
Combining ideas that are in no way related to each other is an excellent way to gain the curiosity and attention of your readers. It makes them want to read more, and know what you are trying to convey.
22. Include Actionable Tips
Giving actionable tips in your writing increases the seriousness of the content. This gives your readers the feeling you are posting truly genuine information. Try to include many actionable tips throughout your writing so your readers get new advice as they read.
23. Summaries are Important
Good copywriting contains summaries or conclusions to wrap up the whole discussion. You can add a list of the most important facts explained in the article at the end. It is these important points that your readers are most likely to remember.
24. Add a Dash of Humor
We all enjoy a bit of humor every now and then. Adding a dash of humor will help make your article enjoyable to your readers -but make sure not to overdo it. When it comes to humor, less is more!
25. Bookend the Main Points
Talk about the main point of your content both at the beginning and end of a paragraph. Your readers are likely to remember the points better if they read it more than once.
26. Edit without Any Emotion
It is not possible to create excellent copy without editing. It's quite natural to get emotionally attached to your content - after all, it's hours and hours of your hard work. However, to make your article the best, you should be willing to be brutal with the edit. Get rid of the lazy phrases, jargon, and filler words. Shorten those lengthy sentences.
27. Use Transitional Phrases
While going from one topic to another, make a smooth transition by using a transitional phrase or sentence. This helps to avoid confusion, and makes it easier for the readers to digest the content.
28. Avoid Clichés
Although clichés are a common part of everyday conversion, it is not a good choice when it comes to writing. That’s because a cliché doesn't convey anything at all. Better avoid them in your writing.
29. Use Rhetorical Questions
Rhetorical questions, when used the right way, help build a better connection with your readers and increase their curiosity. But make sure not to use it too much because it tends to get boring, and will cause your readers to leave.
30. Use Numbered Lists
Using lists is a great way to organize large sections of data, and present them in the most simple and understandable way. Consider using bullets or numbered lists instead of stuffing all your information into a paragraph.
31. Avoid Heavy Punctuation
While full stops, commas, question marks, and dashes are perfectly fine in copywriting, it is better to avoid using semi-colons and brackets as much as possible. These punctuation marks have a tendency to slow down your sentences, and make your syntax rather too complex.
32. There's No Grade for Grammar
As mentioned in the beginning, good copywriting tends to avoid many conventional rules of grammar. Forget everything you learned at school, because it won’t prepare you to become a great copywriter. Grammar and punctuation are obviously important, but good copywriting is not about following a set of rules.
33. Avoid Using Buzzwords
It's a common practice to use a lot of jargon while writing content, but most of the time it comes across as obscure filler. Simple and direct representation of information is what your readers expect, and that's exactly what you should deliver.
34. Never Deviate from the Main Topic
When you are writing about a particular topic, it's quite natural to mention related topics and then deviate from the main topic. Focus on what information you want to give your readers and stick to it. Even if it is absolutely necessary to talk about something else, make sure to keep it short or else you will lose your readers.
35. End with a Question
The best way to end an article is to ask a question, and allow your readers to interact with you. Make sure to respond to comments. This type of interaction will help you connect with your readers, which in turn helps build a huge follower base.
Becoming an expert copywriter is no easy task. It requires constant hard work and dedication. You need to work on your writing skills in order to make it better every time. Make it a point to write something every day and keep on practicing. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect!
We employ the final tip here now! We hope these 35 tweaks are to your advantage. Why don’t you leave us a comment below?
