Why should you invest your valuable time in reading this article? Because if you want to double or triple the return on your online investments, now is the time to act: high-quality copy generation is an absolute must for any media company. Don't leave the future of your media company at stake. Read this article today and witness dramatic improvements in your sales figures tomorrow!
Effective copywriting is not as simple as writing text for publication. It involves communicating with your target market in the most clear, concise, and creative manner possible. Good copy conveys personality through your writing and establishes a relationship with your visitor that will coax him into remaining at your Website.
The most critical element in your writing quality copy is to genuinely understand your own message. Before you produce any text, you need to truly identify with your business, with the products and services that your business is selling, with your unique selling point, with the market that you are targeting, with the message you are attempting to portray, and, most importantly, with the objective lying behind that message.2 It is of utmost importance that you understand your business and its products or services because the last thing that you want to do is misrepresent these things to potential customers because you're too familiar with your own message.
It is important to study the industry in which your business operates because new marketing approaches often surface among your competition. Remember: some approaches pull better results than others, depending upon your industry and the target market to whom you are selling your product. Obvious as it may seem, different genders, age groups, and personality types respond more avidly to ideas and vocabulary with which they're familiar. If you're selling goods to a niche, use the niche's specific vocabulary to break down barriers and establish an insider tone. An example would be telling a joke referencing "cruise conrol" when addressing an audience of car salesmen.
More importantly still, you need to know exactly why customers buy your product rather than those carried by your competitors. What is your unique selling point, your competitive advantage? This is the quality that must be stressed throughout your copy. Above all, your customers want to know what your product can provide that others can't; why they'll be better off having purchased your product. These unique selling points tie directly into the message that you want to portray. Your message should be compelling. It should convince your readers that your product or service will improve their lives, assure them that they should be enthusiastic about these improvements, and prompt them to act immediately for fear of missing out on the incredible opportunity you're presenting to them.
The objective behind your message is nearly always going to be to sell your product or service, although sometimes the objective is simply to inform or to gather information from your reader. It is critical that you tell the reader what it is that you want him to do as clearly and succinctly as possible. Do you want him to order the product, to send you information, or to change his behavior in some way? Be sure your audience knows what to do.
You need to examine the manner in which you portray your perfected message in order to capitalize on the borderline prospects who would buy your product if only you could convince them. Don't simply deliver a message to your reader: close the sale while you have his short-lived attention. Persuade your reader to take action regarding the contents of your message (this is commonly referred to as a "call to action," which we'll discuss later). As the person selling the message, the intended call to action may be obvious to you, but you can never assume it is obvious to your readers. Once again, be sure your audience knows what to do.
Many writers make the mistake of explaining their companies, products, or even themselves. This is only natural; they care about these things so why shouldn't the rest of the world? The problem with this approach is that Joe Reader doesn't care about the writers, the products, or the companies - he only cares about himself. He wants to know what's in it for him, what effect buying your product will have on his life, and what he might lose if he doesn't act right now.3 Change a product listing such as "Snooze Button" to a description like "Snooze control lets you doze in the morning without missing work" in order to convince the reader of a product benefit. The art of copywriting is mastered through the use of compelling language that will lead the reader to believe that your product is too good to pass up.
Good copy is composed mainly of keywords, calls to action, and entertaining text that involves the reader. Keywords are words that instantly - and often subconsciously - pop the reader's point of view into a tighter context. These are words with concise meanings that contribute to the reader's understanding of the situation you are describing, while at the same time making that situation seem more desirable or more relevant to his personal situation. One example of this is the keyword "you." By using this word, you are relating the situation that you describe to the reader personally, aiding in the process of your reader envisioning himself in that situation. For example, imagine if you were to hear your friends say:
"If you get caught sleeping on the job, then you're in big trouble!"
This may actually cause you to imagine yourself napping and to consider what those consequences might be, whereas if you'd heard your coworkers say:
"If an employee gets caught sleeping on the job, he's in big trouble!"
You might run a list of employees through your head and attempt to decide who on the list would be the most likely to doze off, rather than taking the warning personally.
Similarly, by using the keyword "free", you are allowing your reader to associate the situation that you've described with something such as a free gift or bonus offer. Scattering such keywords throughout your copy will make a big difference to your reader's perception of your offering.
Another form of persuasive language is known as the call to action. Tell your reader what you want him to do and motivate him to do it. This is the place to apply direct selling techniques. Don't make your readers guess what you want from them.4 Verb laden phrases such as "click here", "open me", and "enter now" push your reader towards follow the course of action that you've described. Because your reader is reading your message, it is safe to assume that he is trying to accomplish something. By coaxing your reader to take action you are setting a clearly defined path for him to follow, taking advantage of his urge to move onward through the process, and making a direct request of your reader that is difficult to refuse. All of these factors contribute to an increased response rate.
Another key element in persuasive writing is involving and entertaining your readers. If your readers aren't entertained, or at least mildly interested in what you are trying to tell them, then they aren't going to receive your message. It is very easy to turn readers away from the message that you are trying to portray. An important rule to remember is to grab your reader's attention. Draw attention to the key points throughout your text that you want readers to remember. Do this by making important words stand out. Emphasize words with capitalization, bold weighting, or graphic design.
Another important rule to remember is to begin with an involving introduction. The last thing you want to do is to establish a formal tone right away. Lure your reader into considering your message by asking them a rhetorical question and answering it, by listing actions they could take if they buy your product, or by describing a situation with which you know they'll relate and empathize. Regardless of the technique you choose, beginning on a casual note will assist your reader in relating to your words and becoming involved in the situation you describe. As with any writing, you are trying to establish a relationship with your reader. This is especially important on the Internet where a reader can end relationships with a click of the "back" button. Another rule to remember is to keep your sentences short. Even bulleted lists are to-the-point and more easily remembered than facts spelled out in paragraph form. Above all, your main objective is to make your point. If your reader is bored or bogged down with facts to remember then your message won't come across as clearly.5
One of the easiest ways to arm a reader against what you're trying to tell them is to place the message in a boring package. To take an analogy from direct mail, if the voice of the "envelope" is not heard, then the letter isn't opened at all and your mission has failed.6 You need to provoke interest with the first surface that your reader sees. It is very important that you intrigue your reader to enter your website by posing an interesting offer or asking a provocative question.
Even more importantly, don't tell your whole story on the envelope (or your index page). The entire point of the exercise is to move your reader to another location where you'll be able to fully explain and demonstrate the implications of your message. If your reader beleives that he knows what your message is saying right away, he'll make a decision on the spot without exploring the option further, i.e. giving you the chance to persuade him that he can't live without your product. Be careful, however, not to be indirect. The main section of your explanation must tell the whole story in not so many words because it is the only place that many people, especially those in a hurry, may look. Many people read details only after a quick skim has proven to them that the message they are about to read may hold some value.6 Additionally, once you've coaxed your reader to the order form, you must be very clear and concise. Make it painfully simple to understand the information that you are requiring, repeat the reasons why the reader should order, and give him a discount, free gift, or other good reason to act immediately. One of the easiest ways to lose a reader is to be dishonest or unclear at the point of purchase.
Copywriting, as simple as it seems, is a very delicate art. If done correctly, it can "transform your marketing materials into a virtual sales team - a team that delivers your message and closes the deal".7 If done incorrectly, however, it can effectively drain your advertising budget and you will watch thousands of potential customers pass on your business. Employ the techniques that we've discussed and watch your sales increase immediately.1
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