I’m often asked how I go about writing copy for websites and blogs. The truth is, it’s a combination of both lucky and skilled instincts that help me come up with ideas, and a little bit of trial and error.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to begin the copywriting process for a busy marketer.
Brainstorm
Before you begin writing, you need to brainstorm. What do you have to say? Think of everything—from a blog post to an email subject line to a salesletter headline. It’s important to come up with as many ideas as you can, because this is how you’ll generate all the ideas you need for your copy. You can’t write something original if you haven’t thought of everything already. It’s like building a house on a foundation of bricks that aren’t laid properly—the structure will never stand.
As you brainstorm, you’ll notice that some ideas are better than others. Don’t worry about this; it’s all part of the process. The important thing is to come up with as many unique ideas as possible. You can always go back and edit or rewrite an idea later.
Choose One
After you’ve had enough brainstorms, it’s time to choose one. You might be tempted to pick the idea that you just wrote down, but don’t. It’s crucial to take your time and go through each idea thoroughly. Choose the one that feels the most natural to you and the one that you think will resonate with your readers the most. Remember: the goal is to create compelling content that will encourage your readers to act or think in a certain way.
Make a list of all the benefits and features of your chosen product or service. If you have a shopping cart website, you might want to write a quick guide to help your customers navigate the process of purchasing items from your site. Or if you’re an email marketer, you might want to write a quick guide on how to choose the right gifts for the recipients on your list.
Reread
After you’ve chosen a topic, it’s time to reread. This step is critical because it sets the tone for your entire piece. You want to make sure that everything you write is consistent with your goal of convincing your audience to take a certain action or think a certain way. To do this, go back and reread what you’ve written. Look for any words or phrases that don’t flow naturally and try to find new words or phrases that will help you create the right tone for your content. You’re looking for the right words and phrases to use, the order in which they’re written, and the relationship your words will have to each other.
Editing
Once you’ve reread what you’ve written, it’s time to go back and edit. If you’re writing for the web, chances are your first draft isn’t perfect. You’ll want to go back and rework it until it’s concise, interesting, and well-written. The first step is to go through the article and correct any spelling errors or formatting issues. Keep in mind that any content you write for the web will eventually be edited and laid out in a way that makes it more appealing to readers.
From there, you can continue to make it more concise, using any of the following tools:
- Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature to easily see all the changes you’ve made
- Redpen.com to get feedback from friends and colleagues about your content
- Revisionista to quickly make changes and correct errors while retaining the essence of what you wrote
- Ackr to get feedback within minutes, and see changes instantly
- Buzzsumo to find the most popular content across all industries and channels
- Squidoo to find the most popular content on any subject, and follow the links to find more information
- HubSpot to create and share content that will inspire conversation
- Content marketing Platforms like Constant Contact and Thrive to easily create professional emails that will make your contacts happy
Proofreading
After you’ve edited your content, it’s time to proofread. This step is important because it ensures that everything you write is error-free. Go through the article one final time to make sure that the tone is consistent and that all the words and phrases you’ve chosen are appropriate. Spell-check and grammar check the article and then read it over one more time. Don’t worry, this is a common step and many writers and editorial staff members will go through this whole process several times before publishing a piece.
Sometimes the most effective way of encouraging people to take a certain action or think a certain way isn’t necessarily the most obvious choice. You might have to think outside the box to come up with unique ideas for compelling content. And don’t be afraid to put yourself in your content—just remember, the more you put in it, the more you get out of it.
Publishing
To publish your content, you’ll need to pick one of the following:
- An online publication like a website or blog
- A print newspaper or magazine
- A radio show
- A TV news show
- A podcast
Once you’ve published your content, it’s important to remember to promote it. You’ll want to put in the work to get the word out and build a following. You can do this through social media channels like Twitter and Facebook, as well as Google+. If you’ve ever shopped at Nordstrom, you’ll know that they’re a popular brand known for promoting products through their social media channels. The same concept goes for your product or service. Create social media platforms for your business and start sharing content regularly. If you’re struggling to come up with content ideas, use online tools to come up with themed blog posts around a variety of topics.
The Results
The results of all your hard work will be worth it once you’ve finished the copywriting process. You’ll have a well-written piece that accurately conveys the benefits and features of your product or service. The article will spark interest and action in your audience, and compel them to take further action. You can measure the success of your copywriting efforts by looking at the numbers—did the article get lots of views and/or clicks? Is it gaining a following on social media?
With the above steps, you’ll get to write your way to effective copy that will grow your business.