If you’re like many people, you rush through your daily tasks, jumping from one task to the next, barely giving each bit of writing or speaking a thought. But what if I told you that there was a way to write that would allow you to grow as a person and become a better professional? What if I also told you that this type of writing dramatically increases your odds of getting results?
It’s not a far-fetched idea. Transformative writing, or what I like to call long form copywriting, is the art and practice of writing website content, marketing materials, and persuasive emails that can change the way you think and act. When you write long form copy, you’re not writing short paragraphs that have a clear beginning and end. Instead, you’re crafting long, single- or multi-page essays that are closer to a full-fledged novel in length.
While I’m not saying you’ll become a professional novelist at the expense of your other writing skills, long form copywriting does require a different mindset than your typical copywriting exercise. You won’t be able to crank out 500 words as quickly as you can on your daily grind. Instead, you’ll have to take the time to examine your work and consider the effect it will have on your reader. In this article, I’ll introduce you to the theory and practice of long form copywriting, as well as highlight three specific examples of long form copywriting that you can use to transform your business and career.
The Difference In Quality And Length
When you compare traditional short-form copywriting to long form copywriting, you’ll notice that the latter often presents a higher quality product. In a nutshell, short-form copywriting is what you’d get if you turned off the formatting tools and word-processing features in your copywriting app or website. The results are what matter, and these days, they don’t have to be pretty. In fact, oftentimes, the ugliest website or app can become the most successful if it provides a higher value to the user.
As a copywriter, you’ll typically start with a brief and then flesh out the rest of the content based on the information provided in the first part. So while you don’t have the luxury of bloating a 2000-word blog post with additional details, a 300- to 500-word essay can be an excellent starting point for expanding on a topic further. For example, if the blog post is about marketing, you might end up with a 2000-word article; but if the essay is about web design, you could end up with a 3000-word article. In this way, the more you write, the better you get at it. You aren’t forced to limit yourself or rush the process.
Single-Minded Versus Multi-Talented
If you’re a high-quality solo entrepreneur, product owner, or sole trader, you might be used to working single-mindedly to bring in the sales and make your business thrive. This is the type of person long form copywriting was made for. But if you’re a team member or part of a larger organization, things get a little more complicated. You’ll have to work with others to get your single project (in this case, a website or marketing piece) completed.
In a nutshell, single-mindedness means doing one thing at a time and ignoring outside distractions. It can be a good thing, like when you’re focusing on building a brand or product, conducting market research, and coming up with ideas for the business or project. But sometimes, being single-minded can also lead you to rush the process and compromise your work. This is why I recommend against it and instead embrace multitasking and working with a team. Having a diverse group of people with different skill sets involved in your projects can help you come up with the best answers for your customers, potential customers, and other relevant audiences. When you work with a team, you don’t have to be isolated from your coworkers and can instead benefit from their input and collaboration.
As a copywriter, you’re typically working on your own, but you’re not necessarily restricted to doing so. You might be brought on as part of a larger team to write web content for a large organization. Or you could end up partnering with an agency to come up with strategic copy for a brand. In either case, being able to write long form copy is beneficial, as you’ll be able to take your time and produce a high-quality product that will make a difference.
The Importance Of Character
As a copywriter, you’re tasked with marketing a product or service to the general public. But how will you do so effectively if you don’t have a character? Or to put it another way, how will you write in a way that portrays your subject matter in the most positive light possible?
If you want to write something that will be effective and memorable, you need to take the time to develop your character before you start writing. Ask yourself questions about who you are and what you believe in. What are your values and principles? What makes you different from other writers/speakers/entrepreneurs? What would your ideal customer look like and how would he/she act? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself before you start writing so that you can develop your character for the story you are about to tell.
In the same way you would want to develop a persona for the blog post you are writing, you will want to do the same for your copy. The questions above will help you get there. Without a clear idea of who you are, the reader will have a hard time relating to what you’re writing. It’s like trying to watch TV without the sound on. Your character will make all the difference in the world!
To flesh out your character, think about the following:
- Your strengths and weaknesses
- What are your hobbies and interests?
- How do you relax and de-stress?
- Your attitude towards money and success
- What makes you special?
- Your story
- Your history
- What would your best friend(s) say about you?
Three Specific Examples Of Long Form Copywriting
Now that you have the theory behind long form copywriting down, let’s look at three specific examples of this type of writing.
1. Technical vs. Commercial
When you’re writing a marketing piece for a commercial enterprise, you are adhering to a certain set of rules and expectations. You will want to tailor your language and approach to suit the target audience. However, in many cases, the way you approach the subject matter will be far different from how you’d speak with a friend or colleague about the same topic.
For example, if your friend has a background in computer science and is an absolute noob when it comes to marketing, you will most likely end up guiding her through the whole process. Or if you’re writing for a commercial audience, you’ll want to keep jargon-free and simple language.
2. Brand vs. Product
When you work for a brand, you are typically adhering to a set of guidelines and rules laid out by marketing or communications people further up in the organization. For example, if you are tasked with writing press material for a new product from a brand, you will want to keep the product in mind at all times when you’re writing. You’ll also want to portray the brand in the most positive light possible, which often means the product will have to take a backseat.
In many cases, you’ll be asked to write the copy for a trade show booth or a website. In these scenarios, it’s important to keep in mind that the readers of these materials are commercial buyers who have considerable influence over purchasing decisions. This doesn’t mean that you have to dumb down your language or the complexity of the material, but you do need to cater the content to the audience. For example, if the product is BizEaze’s ebook The Art of Selling Yourself OnLINE, you will want to write for commercial audiences, even though the material is highly beneficial to businesses and candidates alike.
3. Pitch vs. Strategy
When you work for an agency, you are typically expected to write a pitch for a particular piece of work. However, a pitch is simply a one-page overview of the project; it might include some background information about the client, a summary of the project, and a few key points that the agency believes will make the piece of work interesting and, hopefully, effective.