In this article, we will discuss how copywriting affects consumers, including why it is important to have a good grasp on this concept before heading into any kind of content strategy or copywriting project.
Why Copywriting?
If you’re reading this, it means you’re probably thinking about doing some kind of content marketing or advertising and want to know more about copywriting. Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered on this front. Let’s dive into the basics of copywriting first, shall we?
What Is Copywriting?
Copywriting is a form of writing used in advertising and marketing to persuade potential buyers to take a specific action or make a purchase. This type of writing focuses mostly on the product or service being promoted and aims to make the reader emotionally connect with the brand or product.
What makes up good copywriting? First, make sure your writing is clear and concise. Remember, your reader is still busy and may not have the time to wade through lengthy paragraphs. A clear head and easy-to-follow writing style will greatly increase the effectiveness of your copy.
Another important consideration is using words that will make your reader feel a connection with the brand or product. When crafting copy for an ad campaign, you are usually aiming for something that will make the reader feel relaxed or confident in the brand or product – usually without using too many big words or complicated phrases. You don’t want to confuse your readers by using jargon that is not familiar to them.
This style of writing is also known as “elevated prose” and can be quite tricky to pull off. If you want to write a convincing ad, you must familiarize yourself with various writing techniques that will help you do that. With that being said, let’s take a quick look at each part of a traditional ad and how you can improve upon it.
Traditional Advertising
As the name implies, traditional advertising is just that – traditional. Many advertisers still use the tried-and-true tactics of print and radio ads to generate interest and make a sale. While the form of these ads may change, the goals remain the same.
These types of ads use words that are familiar to most people and rely heavily on visuals to make their point. It is always important to analyze the end goal of an ad campaign when assessing its success. Were you aiming to make a sale? Did you want to increase web traffic? Did you want to improve brand awareness or just to establish brand identity? Only then can you determine if a particular campaign was a success or a failure. In many cases, you may not even know if an ad had been successful until you measure the results of the campaign itself. Of course, you could always run a test ad campaign to gauge its impact before taking the leap and increasing your investment.
Modern Advertising
Though there are still people who prefer to rely on print and radio ads for their marketing needs, the digital revolution has led to many changes in the way we advertise. More and more people are turning to social media to find out about products and services and to simply have a conversation with companies they admire or respect.
This trend has made its way to offline marketing as well. Many advertisers are creating videos to promote their products or establish connections with potential customers. These ads usually follow a similar theme as their printed or radio counterparts but, instead of using text, they opt for an audio-visual approach.
Viral marketing, which heavily relies on digital platforms for word-of-mouth advertising, has also changed the way we do business. Many companies now benefit from “viral marketing”, in which a brand initiates contact with a potentially interested party (a consumer) who then passes on the message to others (“word of mouth” marketing).
Whether you’re advertising on the web or outside of it, using effective copywriting is a sure-fire way to make the whole process more appealing and, ultimately, more successful.