Copywriting: You either love it or hate it, and let’s be honest, most people are not huge fans of this particular aspect of marketing. But regardless of how many brain freezes you have when trying to craft that perfect copy, the fact remains that professional copywriting is one of the most essential parts of any marketing initiative.
So why is professional copywriting so important? Many times, the words you have written are the first point of contact a potential customer will have with your business. If they visit your website, how does the home page represent your brand? If they find you on social media, are they compelled to click further? And if they send you an email, how does your response sit with them?
Copywriting doesn’t have to be the most dreaded of the dreaded tasks. Let’s explore just a few ways to simplify content marketing:
Hack #1: Don’t you take that tone with me!
Before you even begin writing for marketing materials, a website, social media, etc., first establish the appropriate tone to use. This tone depends on a few factors, including target audience and demographic, type of industry, overall brand, etc.
One fun way of writing in a certain tone is to assign a relative’s personality to the piece of writing. Scratching your head? Let’s break it down.
If you were to write a generic sentence with no tone, it might sound something like this:
“Stop into our business and explore our products or services.”
Now, say the same type of sentence, but instead write it like it was coming from a warm, loving great-aunt (perhaps if you were writing for a counseling nonprofit):
“Come in, sit down, talk to us. We’re here for you, through life’s ups and downs.”
But if you were writing for a restaurant or amusement center, you might take the tone of everyone’s fun-loving uncle:
“Drop what you’re doing and stop in TODAY. Your weekend plans just got a whole lot better!”
See the difference?
Hack #2: Decide on your goal, get organized and stick to the plan!
Ever taken a vacation where you start with one destination in mind, make a pitstop off route about 200 miles, and then wind up at a landmark on the other side of the map? We’re guessing not, so why would you write the same way?
No matter what you’re writing, plan it like you would a vacation. Map out your overarching goal, decide which points you’d like to hit along the way, and make sure every step you take ties back to that initial goal. Nothing loses a reader faster than confusing them, so keep it focused at all times.
Hack #3: NO. TYPOS. PERIOD.
Why would a potetial client hire you if you cant even spell corectly on your website?? Remember, what you have writttten is oftentimes your first impression, so make it a good one! If a peace of writing is riddled with poor grammar, misspeelings and an overall lack of professional diction, it reduces your credibility treemendously. To be on the safe side, we reccommend using Grammarly (and having a secnd or third set of eyes proofread your writing) before gooing live.
(The above typos were written for your amusement only. Of course we know how to spell – this is a copywriting blog post after all.)
Hack #4: Exchange wordiness for power words.
When it comes to copywriting, word choice is everything. Finding the perfect balance of word quantity is key – say too much and you lose your audience; say too little and your audience is missing information. One way of getting around this catch 22 is to replace wordiness with concise action words so that you can say more with fewer words.
On a similar note, be specific in your copy. You are the expert, so show it by detailing your services, purpose, mission, etc., and avoiding vague clichés. With that being said, though, avoid using a lot of industry-specific jargon.
Bonus Hack: Read it out loud before going live…
…because if it doesn’t sound right when you say it, it won’t sound right when someone else reads it!
And, as always, if copywriting still makes you want to cringe – even after employing these hacks – you know where to find a qualified team that can handle the dirty work for you!
