AN ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SMART COPYWRITING

What exactly is copywriting? In simple words, it is writing that is intended to sell. If you’ve ever seen a product offer online and immediately added the product to your shopping cart, it is clear that something about the offer compelled you to take action and make a purchase. That “something” is copywriting. It is like hiring an all-in-one salesman who can reach out to every customer through websites, sales pages, advertisements, billboards, and more. 

It’s easy to think of copywriting as mere words on a page, but it is actually a professional communication skill that can sometimes take you years to master. When done well, it can boost sales and create a positive impression of your brand; if done badly, it can drive away prospective customers and potentially ruin your brand’s reputation. But no pressure – becoming an expert copywriter is 100% achievable and can be done quicker than you think.

Without further delay, as promised, here’s your ultimate guide to smart copywriting:

This is the foundational and most important step for any budding or any experienced copywriter. Make sure that you know your product inside and out, including its many features and benefits. The best way to achieve this would be to create a product (or service) description. With this information available on your fingertips, the process of copywriting will be easier, quicker and infinitely more efficient. 

In your product description, make sure that you have a clear idea of what your product is, what its foundational features are, and what its key benefits are. You will be able to use the last point to identify your USP: your unique selling proposition, a must-have for any product or service.

You should also understand your customers who they are, what they want, and everything in between. This is crucial as it determines how you sell your product. A candy business targeting race-car lovers would be a disaster in the making, a product aimed at business executives but writing to preschool children is a guaranteed flop – you get the idea. Make sure you conduct proper customer research: identity who should buy your product, what a typical customer looks like, and what customers like or ideally should like about your product. For example, BMW owners care deeply about their self-image and know that their customers want cars that look elite and successful; therefore, this is what they focus on in their copy.

This is a make-or-break factor in copywriting. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing these for landing pages or Facebook posts – a headline must immediately capture your reader’s attention, and you only get one chance to make that happen. Make sure your headlines are unique and, more importantly, make sure that they are extremely specific. Avoid ambiguous or generic phrases like the plague – your headline must immediately tell your audience exactly what they should expect to receive from your product or your service, no doubts raised or questions asked.

For instance, the copywriting headline for Avocode is simple, seamless and straightforward. It tells you exactly what you can do with its site, its subheading gives you more details in a single flawless sentence, and it welcomes you to request an invite. It also gives you a small “Questions and Answers” link in case you have any remaining doubts. Thus, it’s reliable, informative and easily convincing.

WRITE PERSUASIVELY:

Here is the true secret of good copywriting: you need to be persuasive. Being a literary genius or an English PHD-holder means nothing if you can’t convince your readers that your product or service is worth buying. 

The specific ways in which you persuade your audience will vary from company to company and from target audience to target audience, but it’s necessary to make it as gripping and convincing as possible. To give you an idea of what’s at stake, research from Nielsen Norman Group suggests that you only have 20 seconds to grab a reader’s attention when they visit your page before they either leave or decide to buy your product. So make sure you do your job well.

The first order of business is to emphasize the value proposition of your product or service by making sure that it’s simple and straightforward. After that, we come to the make-or-break aspect of copywriting: make sure you focus on the benefits of your product or service rather than its features. When you’re writing about a brand-new car, incessantly focusing on the factual technicalities of its design is a recipe for disaster. Instead, you should focus on the advantageous experiences your customers will have in the car, although the specifics may vary: for instance, you could focus on how smooth and comfortable or how thrilling and exciting the car ride will be. These benefits need to necessarily be unique or singular, but they must absolutely be compelling and convincing. You can explain the features after the benefits, but make sure your explanation is not too long-winded or confusing.

Your first draft is not going to be perfect, especially if you’re a budding copywriter. Don’t be afraid to create multiple drafts, rewrite elements that don’t work, and try out different versions to see what works best for your company and your target audience. Editing is a natural and fundamental part of every writing process, and copywriting is no different.

So, there you have it – here is your ultimate guide to smart copywriting.

The most important thing that you need to do is stay calm and not panic. Copywriting is extremely important and takes time to master, but it’s also relatively straightforward. Once you understand the basics, you will be able to create a successful copy quicker than you can say “abracadabra”.