You’ve probably heard the expression “copywriting”. Essentially, copywriting is the art of converting words into compelling content that is both easy to understand and memorable. Many big businesses, including HubSpot, engage the services of freelance writers to produce compelling content for websites, blog posts, and advertisements. But what exactly is copywriting and where do I begin?
The Basics Of Writing Copy
To write compelling copy, you need to understand the basics of good writing. Every piece of content you produce, whether it’s an email pitch, brochure, blog post, or social media campaign, needs to follow a few basic guidelines.
As a start, try to use words and phrases that are easy to understand and memorable. Your prose should always be concise and to the point. You must use the active voice. Finally, you need to avoid clichés and overuse of words and phrases.
The Difference Between Fact And Opinion
Whether you’re writing for an online encyclopedia or a blog post, you need to make sure that the content you produce is factually accurate. Factual errors should never be listed as marketing or advertising copy, and you should never claim that your product is the best when there’s no good reason to believe it. Instead, you can use words like “people say” or “we believe”.
When it comes to marketing and advertising, the line between fact and opinion is often blurred. For example, does Apple’s “iPhones are great because..” tagline qualify as fact or opinion? When pitching an article to a magazine, are you presenting the facts about the product or your own opinions about it? Remember: your opinion will never be fact, so take extra care when you’re writing about topics that are inherently subjective.
Plan Your Writing Process
When you’re just starting out, it’s a good idea to plan your writing process. Just like with any other form of creative work, you need to approach your marketing and advertising writing in a certain way. To begin with, set aside a regular block of time every week to work on your writing. The most effective techniques for writing effective marketing and advertising copy are not difficult to learn but instead require some focus and determination. If you want to improve your sales, start by improving your copy. Don’t expect to generate interest in your product or service by spamming people with unsolicited emails; instead, develop content that is interesting and engaging to potential customers. If you want to become a better writer, focus on how you can improve the way you plan and produce your content; this will inevitably lead you to discover more effective approaches to writing. Finally, work on establishing relationships with journalists, bloggers, and other writers whose opinion you value.
Find Your Voice
In addition to following the basics of good writing, you also need to find your voice. Just like with any other form of literary work, you need to consider the platform you’re working on. Ultimately, you need to figure out what will make your writing special and memorable. To achieve this, you can either choose a style that is suited to the platform you’re working on, or you can find a topic that interests you and then develop your voice around it. For example, if you’ve chosen to write for an online encyclopedia, you might choose to write in the style of an encyclopedia. Alternatively, you could research the topic of your product or service and then explore the various perspectives that surround it. Think of famous writers such as William Shakespeare or Benjamin Franklin who were known for their prose and for their ability to inform and incite action through their writing.
As you develop your skills as a copywriter, take time to publish your work online. Just like with any other form of creative work, if you want to improve your sales, start by improving your copy. Don’t expect to generate interest in your product or service by spamming people with unsolicited emails; instead, develop content that is interesting and engaging to potential customers and then build from there. If you want to become a better writer, focus on how you can improve the way you plan and produce your content; this will inevitably lead you to discover more effective approaches to writing. Finally, work on establishing relationships with journalists, bloggers, and other writers whose opinion you value.
To write compelling copy, you need to understand the basics of good writing. Every piece of content you produce, whether it’s an email pitch, website copy, or social media campaign, needs to follow a few basic guidelines.
As a start, try to use words and phrases that are easy to understand and memorable. Your prose should always be concise and to the point. You must use the active voice. Finally, you need to avoid clichés and overuse of words and phrases.