What is copywriting? Why do we need to care about copywriting? These are some of the most common questions that come up whenever someone considers pursuing a career in digital marketing. Below, you will find the definitions of copywriting, the purpose of copywriting in digital marketing, and the elements of a winning copy.
What is Copywriting?
Copywriting is a form of advertising that involves crafting “words” (a.k.a. copy) to persuade potential customers to take a certain action. Typically, this action involves purchasing a product or service. To produce effective copy, you need to understand how humans think and how they respond to words and language. For that matter, let’s look at the definitions of copywriting and its two main sub-categories: advertising copy and marketing copy.
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Advertisement Copy
Advertisement copy is the text that appears in ads. The text is usually made up of several paragraphs and is almost always shorter than the typical essay. Because people are more likely to view an advertisement online than they are to read a full-fledged news article, websites often use online advertisements to increase their revenue. So, if you are writing for an advertizing website, you will need to take their perspective into consideration. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind while writing for the digital marketing world:
- Keep the language simple yet engaging.
- Use statistics and data where applicable.
- Articulate the main problem that the product/service you promote will solve. Don’t forget to mention the price.
- Use short, snappy sentences.
- Cut out any unnecessary words. This will increase the readability of your copy.
- Avoid cliches. They are usually ineffective and will reduce your potential to impress your audience.
- Use active rather than passive voice. For example, instead of saying “X will solve Y problem,” try saying “You should X because Y.” This will draw the reader’s attention to the active voice and away from the nouns (i.e. X and Y).
- Craft an interesting headline that will draw the reader into the copy. Remember: advertising is all about drawing interest and keeping it.
- Use a call-to-action (CTA). A call-to-action is a phrase or a sentence that encourages the reader to take some action. For example, “Click here to read more about this topic,” or “Visit our website to find out more.”
- The length of your ad (i.e., the copy) should be between 1,500 and 2,500 words. Shorter than that and it won’t be read thoroughly and longer than that and it’ll be too boring for potential customers.
Marketing Copy
Marketing copy is the text that you use in order to promote a product or service. The copy can be placed in various forms of media, such as a press release, an email campaign, or a website.
The most important thing to keep in mind while writing marketing copy is to focus on creating an engaging story. Whether you are writing for a newspaper, magazine, or website, you need to keep the language simple yet interesting. Sometimes, you will need to draft a few press releases before finding the right voice and style for your particular niche.
Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind while writing for the digital marketing world:
- Make the language easy to understand. It should be a form of English that a person with a high school education can understand.
- Avoid jargon and buzzwords
- Include some statistics and data where applicable
- Use short, snappy sentences
- Cut out any unnecessary words
- Articulate the main problem that the product/service you promote will solve
- Use active rather than passive voice
- Craft an interesting headline that will draw the reader into the copy
- Use a call-to-action (CTA)
- The length of your ad (i.e., the copy) should be between 1,500 and 2,500 words
- Shorter than that and it won’t be read thoroughly and longer than that and it’ll be too boring for potential customers
As you can see, copywriting is a pretty diverse field. Moreover, it is an area that constantly evolves as new technologies emerge and old ones disappear. However, one thing that will never change is that copywriting is always about words. Whether you are writing for a newspaper, magazine, or website, your goal is to persuade someone to take some action by using your words wisely.