With the new year already started, it’s time to review what we’ve accomplished and what we’ve learned in the previous year. One area in which we’ve made a lot of progress is our use of technology to improve productivity and lower costs. We’re now able to accomplish tasks that were never possible before – like having a team of people working remotely while staying connected through video conferencing and shared documents. And the savings gained from these technology improvements have been passed on to our clients, resulting in increased productivity and higher profits. This is great news for all of our clients, but it makes us wonder, “What else can technology do for copywriters and content strategists?”
To learn more, we reached out to Lillian Chou, account manager at CopperChic Consulting, who shares her thoughts on the future of copywriting and how technology can be used to better the industry.
Spiral in Copywriting
“Spiral in Copywriting” is a term used when a part of a piece of writing – usually the first paragraph – is repeated multiple times throughout the piece, generating more interest, curiosity and/or questions from the reader. Designers, marketers and social media managers have used this technique for years, and recently, copywriters have started using it as well. The idea is to keep the reader interested and engaged in your content.
Why is this technique called “Spiral”? The repeated, cyclical repetition of text creates the illusion that the reader is engaging with the text and following a clear and logical progression from one idea to the next. This makes the reader more comfortable and engaged with the content – even if they aren’t necessarily following the content as written.
There are several benefits to using this technique. By repeating the same information throughout the content, you make the content more accessible to the reader. This improves comprehension and makes the content more memorable. The technique also makes the content more credible and reduces the number of questions the reader has about the content after reading it — which improves the overall reader experience. This is especially important when the content is marketing-related, as your target audience may not always have the most experience with your product or service. They may not immediately know what you’re trying to sell them and may have questions about how the product or service will benefit them. By using the spiral technique, you reduce these questions and make them more comfortable with your content and offering.
How to Use Spiral Technique
So how can you use the spiral technique in your copywriting? The general formula is to start with a hook. Like most other types of content, a good hook will make the reader interested in the rest of the content. In the case of the spiral technique, the hook should answer the question, “What is this content even about?” While it’s great to give the reader a general idea of what the content is about, you should never actually give the answer to the question. Leave the answer to the end of the piece, and then lead the reader down a logical progression to the answer.
The general formula for a good hook is:
- a question
- a need (also referred to as a desire)
- an action
- a benefit
- a feature
- an example
- a comparison
- a challenge
- an option
- a question
- another question
- another need (again, desire)
- another action
- another benefit
- another feature
- another example
- another comparison
- another challenge
- another option
- and so on…
When you’ve got a really cool question or need that you want to write about, it’s time to do some research. The first step is to identify all of the relevant key performance indicators (KPIs). These are measurements that can be used to determine the efficacy of your marketing campaign. For example, did your emails generate the expected number of sales? Did blog posts drive traffic to your website? Are people engaging with your social media platforms based on your strategy?
Once you’ve got your list of KPIs, it’s time to take a step back and examine which of the KPIs are most relevant to your question. Which ones matter the most in your case? Once you’ve determined the most important KPIs, it’s time to look into the numbers and determine whether or not you’re making the right progress.
To use the spiral technique effectively, you need to follow a specific formula that will help you produce an ideal piece of content. Begin by taking your most relevant KPI and breaking it down into its component parts. Let’s say that your KPI is “customer satisfaction”. You might end up with a statement like, “Satisfied customers are the best customers”. While this is a perfectly acceptable beginning point for a piece of content, it doesn’t quite fit into the spiral format yet. To turn this statement into a full-blown article that will engage your reader, include more detailed information on what makes for a satisfied customer.
Next, take a piece of paper and write out the following list:
- The question
- The need
- The action
- The benefit
- The feature
- The comparison
- The challenge
- The option
- Another question
- Another need
- Another action
- Another benefit
- Another feature
- Another comparison
- Another challenge
- Another option
- And so on…
The above list, although seemingly long, is actually quite short – it only includes the material that will help you write the best possible piece of content. When you follow this formula, the results will be a string of engaging copy that is perfect for bringing in the sales.
The Future of Copywriting
With every new year that comes, we can look back and see how much the industry has changed. In 2019, we saw the rise of content strategists and digital marketing experts who work with in-house creative teams to produce content that will drive leads and sales. We also saw the rise of content marketers, who are typically software engineers, product managers or marketing managers with a background in writing. Thanks to technology and the internet, information is at our fingertips, and marketing and sales teams can easily access content produced by experts in their fields.
While it’s great to see the industry changing and adapting to new ways of working and communicating, it makes us wonder how much it can change in the coming years. Will the best freelance copywriters and content strategists be able to adapt and change with the times – or will they become extinct, replaced by automated writing software?
Luckily, we’ve discovered tools that can help make writing for commerce as easy and accessible as possible. As a copywriter myself, I’m particularly proud to announce that I’ve been able to bring my expertise in digital marketing and content strategy to bear in creating these tools. With the right strategy and a little bit of elbow grease, it’s possible to take any written piece – be it an article, survey or case study – and turn it into an engaging piece of digital content that will draw in a potential customer, convert them into a lead and eventually, grow your business.
Thanks for reading! We hope this article has helped you gain a better understanding of the spiral technique and how it can be applied in your copywriting. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop us a line in the box below!