If it’s not money, it’s certainly time. Great copywriting means showing off your passion. It means not just entertaining, but converting readers. That’s no easy feat.
The Process For Writing Great Copy
- Always be receptive to ideas. This means carrying a notebook, or using a note taking app on your smart phone or tablet. The point is when you read something, hear something, or see something, you need to be ready. Most ideas are found, not manufactured. What you do with them after discovery is up to you.
- Conduct thorough research. You’ve made your mind up to pursue a specific idea for your marketing copy. Understanding the process, and having concrete information to back up your argument always makes your writing stronger. A simple Google search works wonders. If worse comes to worse, most towns have buildings that house information called libraries.
- Formulate a plan. This works differently for everybody, but it’s important to find a method that will keep you on track. Whether it’s an outline, a mind map, or just jotting down your main point, you have to keep the train on the tracks. It’s important to have an idea about your destination before you get there.
- Letting the words flow. Yes, it’s time for a first draft. Don’t put exorbitant amounts of pressure on yourself. At this point, you’re just writing to put an idea on paper. It’s time to let it flow and not worry about what it looks like.
- Edit. When you’re done, edit again. Make sure that what you say is exactly what you intended to say.
Notice I didn’t write publish yet. In the past I’ve written about how the job of great marketing content is not just to entertain, but convert as well.
This means diving deeper than just entertaining. You have to persuade. You have to convince your readers to take whatever action you want them to take.
What does that mean exactly?
Show your audience value.
The technical specs of whatever you sell is just geek speak. It’s something that industry nerds can gather and talk about.
What is the true value of your product or service? That’s what will matter to the people who are debating purchase. If you can communicate that value in a quicker and simpler sense than your competition, well, then you have something.
Don’t hide behind formal.
It’s easy to look at your writing and mistake formal for professional. Here’s the truth to the matter though: you don’t need to be formal to be professional.
There are lots of successful companies where employees wear jeans and a tee shirt. Creative copy can help you stand out from a crowded field.
If your company does business in a formal matter because your customer base tends to be more formal, don’t sweat it. But here’s the thing: if your company does business in a formal manner because it’s easier than showing a little personality, it’s time to stop.
Tell us who you really are. Take a risk. Be intentional.
Optimize your content.
What are the phrases that your customers use to find you? They better be in your copy. If you’re not sure what they are, it’s good to do some keyword research.
A powerful call to action is a necessary step.
You know what you want your readers to do. Unless you tell them, they may not know. Sure, you always want the sale. But if you’re writing informative, entertaining blog posts, maybe you just want your readers’ input on a subject.
Try ending a blog with a question or telling your readers to add their experience with an issue in the comment section below. Sometimes the direct approach pays off.
What’s the takeaway?
It’s easy to look at content as a chore. It’s easy to go through the motions and produce something lifeless, that won’t keep people engaged. It may have value, but we’ll never know because it’s written in a way that’s painstaking to read.
This is the easy way out. We know that you care greatly about your business. Tell your customers why they should too. You only have a few quick seconds to show your customers why you matter more than the competition. It’s time to show them why you care.
Once the rest of this is established, and only after the rest of this is established, is it OK to hit the publish button. Make sure that your marketing and your copywriting are true to who you are.
What else do you value in great copywriting? Please tell me in the comment section below.
Matt Brennan is a Chicago-area marketing writer and copy editor. He is also the author of Write Right-Sell Now.
