7 Tips For Writing Better Marketing Copy
There are a hundred different ways to write marketing copy.
Writing copy is not just about making sure things are coherent and concise. It’s also about establishing trust and authority. It should allow you to build relationships with your audience.
Clear communication is the most important thing to keep in mind. How can you ensure that you get your message across? Crafting copy should always have the goal of engaging your audience and compelling them to act.
The best way to achieve it is by writing with a consistent language and a clear message. So what can you do to make sure that your copy does its job? Here are a few tips.
Get to know your audience
What happens when you don’t adjust your message according to your audience? Some writers make the mistake of not learning about their target prospects before crafting their message. This is one of the reasons why some pieces of content perform better than others — some weren’t written with the audience in mind.
Some marketers push their products and services too blatantly in their copy instead of focusing on their audience’s needs (a.k.a. hard selling). A better way to do it is by highlighting the benefits that your target audience can get out of your product. This way, they can truly engage with your copy. You can learn more about this here.
To start writing better copy, determine the types of problems your audience has, then proceed by showing how your product or service can help solve them.
Write to your reader
It’s a lot easier to write marketing copy when you imagine you’re writing it for a specific person. This way, you’ll be able to craft your message in a way that you’re sure your audience will understand.
Consider your audience’s concerns, struggles, lifestyle, and perspective. Try to see the world through their eyes. Let this guide you in determining what you need to say and how to say it. There is a wealth of data you can access in order to point you towards the right direction.
Remember your purpose for writing a piece of marketing copy. Keep in mind that you are not writing to impress your audience. Focus on giving your audience good content that shows them how valuable your brand can be.
Work from an outline
It’s always best to start writing after you’ve organized your thoughts. You don’t need a very detailed outline before coming up with marketing copy. You just need to give yourself an idea of what you want to achieve with the piece of copy you’re writing. Again, it doesn’t have to be too detailed — but it does have to be specific.
What you can do is list down important points that you need to include in your copy. You can also arrange them in the order that makes the most sense according to your purpose. If you ever come up with any ideas as you go along, refer to this outline to make sure that you stick to what’s important.
Keep things simple
Once you start writing, it can be tempting to show off. Your readers won’t care about your writing prowess if nothing makes sense to them.
Keep in mind that your main goal is to communicate. There’s no better way to do it than to use simple words that your readers understand right away. Don’t use too many phrases that try to impress them — chances are they won’t be.
One important thing to remember is to avoid using technical jargon. Your audience wouldn’t recognize these terms. It will only confuse them. Always use their language to try to get your point across.
Write short sentences
In the same way that you are using simple words, it’s also best to use short sentences. Why? They are easier to digest and understand. However, don’t do this to the point of sounding monotonous. Try to vary the length of your sentences from time to time — this will make your copy more inviting to read.
Every sentence you write should have only one simple thought. Otherwise, your reader might get confused. What can you do instead? Simply write a new one to avoid complexity.
There are different ways to break up sentences. Of course, you can insert a period. But you can also try using a semicolon, or even an em dash. Just make sure everything sounds natural when you read it.
Be specific
Whenever you’re writing a piece of marketing copy, you’ll probably have a lot of information on hand. You have to sift through these materials and find the facts that your audience cares about. Otherwise, your copy won’t mean much to them.
It doesn’t matter if you want to persuade or communicate with your audience. You should only include details that matter in your copy. Always get to the point. It’s easier to just say what you mean. Don’t fall into the trap of discussing the complexities and intricacies of your product in too much detail. Doing so may create a gap between you and your audience.
How can you make sure that you are being specific? Take a piece of copy that you’ve written and substitute your brand name with your competitor’s name. If it still makes sense, you are being too general. Use specific terms and nouns that are related to your brand.
Use a conversational tone
There’s no need to be formal to assert your credibility to your audience. They won’t appreciate that. They want to have a conversation with you, so write in a relaxed tone. There will even be some room for humor, as long as you know how to keep things on-brand.
Aside from using simple words, don’t be afraid to use contractions and colloquial expressions. Read your draft out loud to determine whether it sounds formal, and make corrections. Sounding friendly makes your audience feel that you can relate with them, and that’s important.
Following these tips can help you improve the way you write marketing copy, but there’s no shame in asking for help when you need it.
Besides, marketing copy is best handled by a professional, and hiring an expert to help you can do wonders for your brand.
