The purpose of this blog post is to teach you the dos and don’ts of copywriting, in order for you to write the best possible sales letter, press release, or website content possible. First things first, let’s examine the role of the copywriter.
The Role Of The Copywriter
As the name would suggest, a copywriter is one who has taken the role of writing copy for various marketing and advertising purposes. From simple marketing emails to website content and sales letters, the copywriter’s role is to ensure that the text is consistent, relevant, and interesting. In many cases, the copywriter works either independently or in collaboration with a marketing or advertising manager to come up with creative marketing and sales copy that will capture the attention of potential customers and compel them to make a purchase or visit a website. For complex corporate websites, the copywriter may be asked to develop content for various platforms such as SEO, social media, and email marketing campaigns. A talented copywriter can also take on the role of an editor, reviewing and polishing the text before it is deployed.
The Dos And Don’ts Of Copywriting
Now that we have established the role of the copywriter, let’s examine some of the fundamental dos and don’ts of creating effective marketing and sales copy.
Focus On The Customer
While you were doing your best to write compelling copy that will compel your reader to take action, you should have been focusing on your customer. The person reading your copy, whether they are a business or industry professional, a potential customer, or anyone else. This is also known as the POV (point of view) of the copy. When writing copy for marketing and sales, it is a good idea to write from the perspective of a typical customer. You can also choose to write from the perspective of a specific customer if you have one in mind (i.e. a doctor, lawyer, or airline pilot).
Craft A Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
A unique selling proposition (USP) is a description of your product or service that will make your target audience understand what you are offering and how it is different than what is already available in the marketplace. It is usually presented as a short, snappy phrase that will inspire and convince your audience to purchase your product or service. For example, JetBlue’s USP is “No Rush, No Hassle, No Excuses. We’ll Get You Where You Need To Be.”
To come up with a compelling USP for your product or service, first you will need to define it. What is it that you are offering that is different from what your competitors offer? Begin by brainstorming as many ideas as possible. From there, you can organize your ideas into specific categories or groups. You will want to select one group of ideas to work on and develop a clear, concise message around. Once you have your group selected, you can begin to flesh out the unique selling proposition.
Examine The Competition
Now that you have a clear idea of what you are trying to sell, you can examine the competition. First, you will want to understand what the competition is doing and why it is doing it. How are they attracting their target audience? What makes them stand out from the rest? These are all important questions that you should be asking yourself and will help you make your copy more effective.
Create A Credible Scenario
One of the primary roles of the copywriter is to create a credible scenario. When writing marketing and sales copy, you are selling an idea or solution to a problem. While the intended audience may understand the concept behind your offering, potential customers may need some convincing that it is worth their time and money. One of the primary roles of the copywriter is to craft a scenario in which they can believe will happen. Whether it is a problem, challenge, or opportunity that you are addressing in your copy, you will need to create a scenario in which the reader will say “Yeah, that’s a good problem. I can definitely see myself handling that situation.”
Use Keywords And Phrases In The Copy
When crafting your unique selling proposition, you will want to use keywords and phrases that are relevant to the target audience. Using the right keywords and phrases can help Google and other search engines find your content. The more relevant and descriptive the text is, the better. When developing keyword lists, it is important to remember that the search engines favor content that is short and concise. Long, rambling blogs and websites will likely appear low in the search engines, unless they include lots of relevant keywords and phrases. In some cases, keyword stuffing (implying the use of many, often extremely long keywords) can actually hurt an SEO-optimized website, as it can appear “spammy.” For best results, use shorter, more optimized keywords whenever possible.
Avoid The Clutter
While you were brainstorming unique selling propositions, you may have generated a lot of ideas. After you select one to work on, you will need to begin the process of putting your ideas into a concise, easy-to-read format. This will help you avoid the clutter and focus on creating the best possible sales letter, website content, or press release that you can.
The more focused you are, the better. Before you send your copy to a company or individual for review, take a step back and rework it. Then, follow up with a quick call to make sure that they are still interested in working with you. Additionally, you may want to ask them some questions about what they thought about the piece and whether or not it was effective. With any luck, you can continue the process and develop another lucrative project.