You may be familiar with the phrase ‘copywriter’, whether you are a publisher, an SEO specialist, or a content marketer. A copywriter is responsible for creating compelling content that will entice an audience to make a purchase or to interact with a brand or website.
While you may not need a formal degree in copywriting, you do need to understand the basics of good writing in order to become a successful copywriter. Learning how to write copy is not as difficult as you may think it is. With a little bit of time and effort, you can master the art of writing compelling copy that will engage your audience and convince them to take a specific action.
Focus On The Reader
When writing, you have a choice of two people – your reader and yourself. You want to make sure that you are carefully considering what the reader wants and needs in order to have a successful interaction between your brand and customer. When writing, you should be aware of what the reader is looking for and, more importantly, what you are looking for as a writer. You should be aware of how you can satisfy this reader and encourage them to continue interacting with you in the future.
Make Points
A point, in linguistics, is the smallest unit of meaning within a sentence. Your goal as a copywriter is to use words effectively to convince the reader to take a certain action. In order to achieve this, you must consider how many points you want to make and how you want to make them. You may have an entire paragraph, a section, or even an entire article dedicated to one point – make sure that this point is made effectively and persuasively. Every sentence you write should make your case and lead to the desired action. There should be no wasted words or phrases.
Use Action Verbs
When writing, you need to consider the readership of your intended audience. If you are writing for a general audience, you may choose your verbs (verbs are the words or phrases expressing an action) wisely to provoke the desired responses. If you are writing for a more specialized audience, you may want to consider using action verbs more sparingly. Action verbs suggest the nature of the action – be it ‘buy’, ‘use’, ‘try’, ‘visit’, or ‘read’ – and they allow the reader to form and picture in their mind’s eye what the action entails. If you want to encourage the reader to visit a certain site or make a purchase, use the verb ‘visit’ rather than the verb ‘read’ to suggest the act of exploring a company or brand’s website.
Use Short And Sweet
Long, complicated sentences often signify a lack of care on the part of the writer. When you are writing, you should consider your reader and the time you have to engage them. If your written piece is longer than three or four sentences, you are taking too much time and, in some cases, distracting the reader with your verbosity.
The same goes for the content you are creating for the web. If users can’t easily navigate your content or if they get bored by your verbose writing, you are losing them. Your writing should be easy to understand and accessible.
Watch The Numbers
While you are developing your argument and trying to establish a case, you should keep track of the numbers. What do the numbers tell you? What are the results of your efforts? How many people did you convince to do what you wanted them to do? How much money – in terms of conversions or sales – did you ultimately generate?
These questions should not be difficult to answer if, at the end of the day, you want to determine the success of your efforts. Learning to write better copy can not only increase your income but also allow you to accomplish more with less effort. In today’s world, who has the time to waste writing mediocre content when you can be creating content that will help your business grow. You may not need to become a seasoned academic to excel as a copywriter, but you do need to be willing to learn and willing to put in the necessary work.