In the digital age we live in, copy must be clear, concise, interesting, relevant and meaningful to be engaging. That’s a lot to keep in mind, but remember consumers are being bombarded with messages from different brands every single day.
The words you choose for your messaging need to stand out and break through the noise. Attention spans are getting shorter, as our world spins at a mile a minute, with infinite distractions at our fingertips. Learn how to give your copywriting an adrenaline boost so your audience stays engaged.
Don’t Be Too Wordy
Your first sentence needs to grab the audience’s attention, while the following sentences should reel them in further. If you give them too much information too soon (especially extraneous details) their attention falls off and they become uninterested.
Related: Why is No One Clicking Your CTA?
Tell a Story
People love to read a story and draw their own conclusions, and you can tell a story using minimal copy. Stories add emotional appeal and can give your business more personality. What is more effective? Telling someone not to touch a hot stove or telling them a story about a time when you accidentally set your arm down on a hot stove and had to go to Urgent Care?
Add Visual Appeal
Like it or not, we live in a visual-first world now. Instagram, for example, was built around the idea of sharing photos with minimal text. People enjoy seeing photographs and videos. Try adding a compelling photograph to your article or turn an idea or concept into an infographic instead of just copywriting.
Organize Your Text
Break up large paragraphs and use headers to organize your story (it’s great for SEO too). Make your headers different sizes and use bullet points when you can. Your audience can become overwhelmed when they just see large blocks of text. You want your copy to be easily digestible and to flow naturally from one point or concept to another.
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Trim the Fat
Make every word count and get rid of any unnecessary words. People are busy, often checking their emails and social media on the go. They want to read concise copy without fillers. Write your ideas out first, then start trimming it down and getting directly to the point. In 99% of cases, with copywriting, less is more.
Proofread
If your consumer catches a spelling mistake, they will immediately have a less professional opinion of your business. Read your copy out loud to catch additional mistakes. When you read silently, you often auto-correct mistakes in your head.
Related: What Is a Multi-Touch Campaign and Why Do You Need One?
Personality Plus
Consumers today expect businesses to seem human. Your copy needs to personify your business, so give it a story with personality. Your consumers want to know who you (your business) is. Your copy shouldn’t be cold and unfeeling, it needs to be exciting and feel real. Consumers love transparency and honesty.
Sell Your Brand
When you are writing sales copy, you are not just selling a product, you are selling the idea of the company. Consumers make purchase choices to reflect who they are. There’s an endless supply of companies selling the same product, and consumers often buy the brand, not the product itself. Your copy should have an angle to tell your customers why you are different than your competitors.
Copy is the voice of a brand; it is how a business can “speak” to its customers. Every single word that is written by a business paints a picture of who they are. Your copy needs to be grabbing and exciting, without being over the top and sales-y. It needs to tell a story with emotional appeal. And it needs to stick out against all of the other messages your audience is being exposed to.
When you master the art of copywriting, you master the art of sales, branding and marketing. If your website, print, or social media copy needs an overhaul, contact our marketing experts at Ironmark today.
