Copy writing is one of our favorite subjects here at SMN. Everything starts with your copy. Learning tips for how to do it better is a good investment of your valuable time. John Parks provides some good tips on how to write better copy.
Copywriting Tips: How to Write Killer Copy
- By John Parkes, www.clickfunnels.com
- View Original
Name one thing which is the foundation of your marketing. Any guesses? It’s a killer copy. Let’s talk about the new buzz in the ad industry, shall we?
So what is copywriting all about? In simple words, copywriting is a tool that helps you motivate your visitors to buy your product or services.
Copywriting is a form of storytelling where, instead
of ending your story with “lesson or moral, ” you motivate readers to
take the desired action. But killer copy doesn’t have to be embellished
with fancy, too-difficult-to-pronounce words. After all, your visitors
are unlikely to be experts in Shakespearean English!
There are many different ways of marketing. Facebook
posts, Instagram ads, and email campaigns play an important role in
marketing a product. However, there is one thing that connects these
different types of marketing campaigns: good copywriting.
To convert a first-time visitor into a recurring
customer, you have to produce copy that holds the reader’s attention
until the very last word. Use your powerful words and turn them into
higher conversions.
Here are some tips that will help you create copy that will hook your visitors right till the very end.
What Is Modern Copywriting?
Before we delve into what kind of copy you should write, we need to understand the exact meaning of the word “copywriting.”
Copywriting is a bridge between a service provider or a
manufacturer and the targeted audience. It helps in spreading the
company’s message to new potential consumers.
Copywriters help a company reach out to its customer
base through creative concepts. A well-written copy will use punchy
lines and statements and strong visuals to explain the company’s idea to
its targeted audience.
You have to come up with well-crafted lines that will
keep your audience reading, regardless of wherever you are. An easier
way of marketing is to tell customers what to do and ask them to click
on the buy button if they want to use the best product in town.
This approach, however, is not long-lasting. This
style of diction will not help you develop a relationship and connection
with your prospective client. On the other hand, modern copywriting
helps you get into the head of your customers (more on this later). The
communication now is on a more interpersonal level.
Copywriters have to be mindful of the tone. They have
to be humorous, informative, relatable, clever, light-hearted,
inspiring, and funny. The copy should also reflect the brand’s image and
contain complete information.
What Is Conversion Copywriting?
Imagine this: You observe that there are so many
startups with interesting business models that fail to grab investors’
attention. Having had experience in this field, you decide to offer
online courses on “How To Prepare The Perfect Pitch.”
Now what? While you may have already posted the ad on
different platforms, your job is not done. Your ads are likely to tell
that this is your initiative and that you have several years of
experience. You think that your ad is perfect. But have you ever thought
about how your ad is being perceived by your targeted audience?
In all honesty, they are scrolling down and digital
platforms are riddled with people selling their products. Make a quick
search and you will know what we’re talking about. If you type, say,
shoe products in the search bar, you will find tens of pages and
accounts that are offering good shoes. However, only a few have a large
customer base.
If you analyze their marketing strategies, you will
see that these brands mostly tell their audience why they should buy
their product. Let us go back to our example. If you are offering an
online course that is designed for startups, you have to help your
audience understand why they should come to you.
For that, you have to try to understand your audience – their needs and expectations. You should run a brief survey to find out what problems do young startups face when making the pitch and what are the areas where they lack. On the basis of this information, you will design your course.
The next step is to market your product. For that, you
have to write a copy that connects with your target audience. Through
your words, your targeted audience should realize that you understand
their problems and that your course will try to resolve them.
Copywriting doesn’t necessarily have to be artful. You
can write a Shakespearean-style text and your visitors will still not
hit the purchase button. Instead of telling your customers that they
should buy a product, you should focus on ‘the why’ (why should a person
make the purchase? What benefits will he/she get out of it?)
You need to start your introduction by telling your
visitors about the challenges new startups face and what benefits they
will receive if they enroll in your course. These benefits will have to
be in line with your audience’s needs.
These carefully-written, specific copies are what make
your visitors hit the buy button. And this is what conversion
copywriting is all about – motivate readers/page visitors to become your
customers.
How to Become a Copywriter
There
is no universal formula for us to offer to you that will help you
explain how to write copy. However, to write effective copy, a
copywriter must focus on what we call the AIDA formula. Here is what the
formula is all about:
A – Attention: The
opening that will grab your potential customer’s attention and will
quickly tell what’s in it for him or her. Before focusing on the
opening, you should come up with an equally good headline that will
compel your customer to click on the link and read the content.
I – Interest: This is
where you have to connect with your customer. You can tell your
customers that you know what their challenges are and that you have a
solution that will help them get what they wish for.
D – Desire: Your
headline and the opening of your article has already increased your
visitor’s curiosity, now is the time to strike while “the curiosity” is
still hot. Make an offer and let your visitor know how your
product/service will help him/her.
A – Action: At last, invite your reader to take action (click on the link to purchase the product, download here, etc)
We have already explained to you what conversion
strategy you can adopt. Now, we will focus on “the hows.” What follows
are the tips for effective copywriting.
Crafting Headlines That Grab People’s Attention
It may come as a surprise but weak headlines
cost businesses in terms of lost revenue. Let us focus on the example
of your online course. Your visitors will not click on the link just
because you tell them “How to Prepare for Pitch.” You have to choose
words that grab visitors’ interest. For example, “5 Tips For a Pitch
That Will Land You $10,000” may grab more eyeballs. This headline
doesn’t only grab your readers’ interest but also promise them specific
results.
Write A Benefit-Driven Introductory Paragraph
Your visitors don’t want to read about the year which
saw the rise of startups and why startups pose a serious threat to the
corporate world. If your visitors are running startups, they already
know the glaring differences between the two.
The conversion strategy that you can use in your
introductory paragraph is the benefit-driven filter. You have to tell
your visitors why they should choose your product/service. The reader
should know what’s in it for him in the article otherwise he or she will
take only seconds to leave your site. Keep your intro short and don’t
fill up space with unnecessary details.
Sell Your Brand
Give more details about your product or service. Jot
down the list of benefits that your product can provide to your
prospective client. These benefits will create a raging desire in your
visitors’ heart and motivate users to take action that you desire. This
is your chance to ask readers to click on the link or hit the subscribe
button.
The Final Word
Copywriting is more of science than art. You need to be mindful of a few things and voila you are on your way to converting your traffic into your customers.
