George Arun A

22.04.2023

Every industry needs copywriters as they communicate ideas effectively and influence audiences to act in their employers’ interest. Copywriting is a skill that anyone can learn to put their flair for expression to fruitful professional use but there’s more to the art than first meets the eye. We go over the profession’s basic requirements and provide insider tips to help you master the foundational skills and practical techniques used by experts.

What is copywriting?

Copywriting is the activity of writing texts for advertisements or other promotional material. A key component of content marketing, copywriting combines the art of the written word with the science of advertising.

Think about copywriting as a call-to-action but on a larger scale. The goal of copywriting is to evoke emotions in potential customers that compel them to buy or learn about your product or service.

Copywriting appears across a wide range of marketing and branding assets. This includes online ads (think website banners, pop-ups and social media ads), website content, email newsletters, print ads, physical advertising spaces and landing pages. It’s also the backbone of scripted, auditory marketing materials, such as promotional content on radio, TV and podcasts.

A good copywriter demonstrates a deep understanding of a business’s target audience, delving into their psychology and learning how to persuade them with the written word. Copywriters can either be part of a marketing department within an organization, work for an advertising agency, operate independently as a freelancer.

01. Craft a compelling headline

Your first order of business is to craft a headline that will grab your audience’s interest. Arguably, your headline is the most important part of your copy. Statistics have shown that about 80% of people read headline copy, but only 20% will read the rest.

To create the best possible headline, start with the four U’s:

• Useful: Lead with a benefit that your audience won’t be able to ignore.

• Urgent: Show your audience why they need to take advantage of your offer right away.

• Unique: Tickle your reader’s curiosity by explaining why your solution is one-of-a-kind.

• Ultra-specific: Use numbers in your title, as they build credibility and are proven to boost conversions.

This case study by Content Verve shows just how critical headlines really are. A simple tweak to the landing page headline of a local Scandinavian gym led to a 38.46% increase in memberships.

02. Avoid the wimpy verbs—is and be.

These “do-little” verbs only occupy space and state that something exists. So don’t write “There is one simple omission that can transform a sentence from boring to brilliant.” Do write “One simple omission can transform a sentence from boring to brilliant.” Similarly, avoid “We will be running the new program from our Soft Earth Education.” Instead, opt for “We will run the new program from our Soft Earth Education.”

03. Use single verbs to avoid doublespeak.

Single verbs can often do the work of two similar verbs. Instead of “The computer was operating and running smoothly,” go for “The computer was running smoothly.” Or, instead of “He was empty and ran out of gas,” go for the more direct “He ran out of gas.”

04. Set a Word Count

Before you get started writing copy, set a proper word count. While copywriting tips such as this might seem obvious, they are extremely important. When you set a word count for yourself, you will be able to plan your copy more thoroughly.

When you have a clear plan for your copy, you will be able to articulate it better and maintain a smoother flow. This translates into a better reading experience for your readers. If it doesn't flow well, you’ll lose the interest of your reader and thus, lose a potential customer.

People don’t spend a lot of time reading copy. So your copy should be crisp and to the point. For this reason, your word count should not be too high. The content should explain everything clearly but concisely. That’s one of the best copywriting tips to help you frame excellent copy for your business.

05. Place the longest item at the end of a series.

Start with the simple and work toward the complex. It’s less confusing and makes a more memorable ending to the sentence. If you have a series like “He was always later that Joan, loud and boring.” opt for “He was loud, boring and always later that Joan.”

06. Vary sentence length.

A string of sentences all the same length can be boring. Start with a short sentence or at least a medium-length one, then go long, short, medium or any combination thereof. Imagine a person talking in sentences that are all the same length. Robotic.

07. Write from a fresh perspective.

With so many marketing messages coming at us from every possible direction, consumers are accustomed to blocking them out. That’s why brilliant copy has to surprise the reader by using different approaches and angles that they didn’t see coming.

Readers tend to predominantly focus on the first two paragraphs they see and read in a horizontal movement—what is termed as an F-shaped pattern. For that reason, effective copy should include the most important points at the very beginning. Use the first few lines of your copy to jolt your audience with a fresh perspective and infuse your content with emotion to show them why they should care.

08. Write Short Paragraphs

Whenever you’re writing copy, you should make sure that your paragraphs are short. Think of a long web page filled with long paragraphs and walls of text. You’ll most probably end up losing interest and abandoning the website.

To hold your readers’ attention, you should improve the readability of your content using copywriting tips.

Writing shorter paragraphs makes it easy for the reader to skim through your copy. It also makes the copy look shorter and not text intensive.

You need to learn to embrace the empty spaces and not fill them up with words. This makes it easier for people to read the content and process the information within a few short minutes.

As a rule of thumb, you should try to keep your paragraphs about 3-4 lines long. You should also print your copy to closely review it again. Draw a line after every unique statement that you have made and separate them into different paragraphs.

Better yet, turn some of those statements into bullet points wherever applicable. This will make your copy even easier to read. You should stick to these copywriting tips if you want to attract and engage your prospects.

09. Write Crisp Sentences

The best copywriting tips emphasize the importance of writing short and crisp sentences, just as much as of writing short paragraphs.

Just like long paragraphs, long sentences can be a pain to read. The longer the sentence, the more complicated it becomes for the readers to understand what you’re trying to say. It is easy to get lost in a sentence that’s 2-3 lines long.

This is why it’s a great practice to keep your sentences short and to the point. Such copywriting tips ensure that your content is easier to read, and that the information is easier to understand.

Shorter sentences will ensure that they do read at least a few sentences and understand their complete meaning. This is one of the most basic factors to consider in a content marketing strategy.

10. Divide the Copy

Well-written copy with short paragraphs and crisp sentences is not enough. You need to simplify your copy even further.

You should divide your content by using subheadings. Each subheading should give the gist of what is elaborated in the section.

This is one of the most important copywriting tips that can help you make the reading experience even better.

Your readers can just read a single line and understand what you’re talking about under that line.

If it is interesting for them, they will read it. But if it isn’t, they can easily scroll to the next point without wasting time. This gives them a good reading experience.

Such copywriting tips can help you keep readers engaged with your content. They will not feel that they have to be dragged through it.

11. Specifics are more convincing.

Unless you must for legal reasons, don’t use words like many, several, approximately, nearly and other such mushy weasel modifiers. Specifics tell your audience that you know what your product can do based on tests, research, results, etc.

12. Don’t overstate the obvious.

Redundancy is good for space travel, but not for clear writing. Phrases like "anticipate in advance," "totally finished," or "vital essentials" will drive your readers crazy and communicate very little. The same goes for stringing two or more synonyms together like "thoughts and ideas" or "actions and behavior.” It makes readers wonder if you really meant to say two different things or just wanted to reinforce one word with a needless synonym.

13. Know your target audience.

According to the legendary British advertising executive, David Ogilvy, “advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals." A copywriter can’t simply trust their gut instinct. They have to employ a data-oriented approach and have a thorough understanding of who their customer is and how the product solves their problems.

When dreaming up website content ideas, try to get into your customers’ minds and see from their perspective. One helpful way to do this is by creating buyer personas, or fictional representations of your ideal customers. Your buyer personas should include details such as demographic information, geographic location and career. This will give you a better understanding of the kinds of people you’re targeting with your product, also known as your target audience.

Once you form a deep understanding of your audience, you’ll be better equipped to tap into their wants, passions and dreams. That way, you’ll be able to create copy that directly speaks to their needs. This not only includes offering them solutions relevant to their interests and lifestyles, but also using language and cultural references that are familiar to them.

14. Modify thy neighbor.

Neighboring clause, that is. Make sure your modifiers apply directly to the pertinent clause in question. Do this and you’ll avoid such gaffes as “I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way. (The truck wasn’t coming the other way, it was stationary.) Better to tell the judge “I was coming the other way and collided with a stationary truck.” (You’ll still pay the penalty for running into a truck, but at least you’ll come across as sober.)

15. Use Facts

There’s nothing worse than writing things that are generic. You should make it a practice to substantiate every claim that you make with facts. This will give your content more credibility as well.

Obviously, you shouldn’t just add random facts. Make sure they’re relevant to the content and supported by reliable sources. Adding relevant facts and statistics to your content can be one of the most effective copywriting tips to help your content perform better.

You should even try to use numbers as much as possible in your copy.

For instance, “2000+ local businesses use our services” sounds better than “Thousands of local businesses use our services.”

Take for example, how Bitdefender showcases the number of users on their homepage copy.

16. Tell a Story

• Storytelling is an art that is learned over time. But storytelling is not just for books. It also works well for business content.

• You need to create stories that your readers can relate to. This will give you a better chance to position your product in a way that will resonate with your audience.

• Storytelling makes your brand more memorable for the readers. You don’t need long copy to create a story. A few short sentences can be more effective.

• You need to first create a hero and a villain in your story. These need not be real characters. They could be something as simple as detergents and stains.

• Take your readers on a journey and tell them a story. Show them that you'll help them overcome a challenge using your product.

• Leveraging this type of storytelling is an effective copywriting tip that will help people relate to your product and better understand its value.

• Take for example how Handy tells a compelling story by addressing pain points and mentioning specific situations that visitors will be able to relate to.

17. Choose Your Fonts Well

Copywriting tips also involve improving the look of your content. You may come up with well-written copy, but don't forget about the fonts. These are basically clothing for your content.

Your actual content matters, but so does its appearance. If your copy doesn’t look appealing, people may not even read it.

Not only should it be readable, but the font should also help you come across as a respected brand. It should be consistent with your brand’s identity and shouldn’t look spammy.

The fonts used by Jenna Lam Events, for instance, are clean and elegant – perfect for a firm that plans weddings.

You should skim through fonts and make a list of ones that seem most relevant to your brand. You can also check the websites of other reputable brands to see the kind of fonts they use. This will give you a better idea of what kind of fonts will work for you.

18. Use Everyday Language

When you have a business, you need to reach out to as large an audience as possible. In order to do this, your content must connect with the masses. They need to feel that your brand is talking to them when they read it.

You don’t necessarily need to be cute, clever, or even a literary genius while writing content. You should write it in simple language. Try not to use complicated words that can make it difficult for a layman to understand.

A majority of copywriting tips emphasize two things – improving readability and making it easier to understand.

Additionally, everyday language is more casual and can help make people feel more connected to your brand. Starbucks, for instance, talks to their audience in a casual manner using simple, everyday language.

In order to write this way, you should first write your first draft and then read it over. Omit the parts that seem like ones you wouldn’t use in day-to-day communication.

It helps to have a partner or editor to help you with this. This will give you even more insights into improving your copy. Such copywriting tips can help you reach a wider audience.

19. Prioritize benefits over features.

A big mistake people make when selling a product is focusing on the product’s features rather than its benefits. Don’t simply describe the product in your copy. Instead, explain what your product can do for customers and how it can better their lives.

Then, connect that to the experience of using the product. Contextualize your product’s features by directly tying them to the benefits.

20. Use the AIDA model.

Developed in the late 19th century, the AIDA model is used to describe the steps a customer goes through when purchasing a product. This is a useful formula to consider when you’re trying to get past writer’s block as you create your copy.

The acronym AIDA stands for:

• Awareness: Begin each piece of copy by grabbing customers’ attention with an eye-catching headline or opening sentence. Explain what your product does and make your value proposition clear from the beginning.

• Interest: Then, pique your prospect’s interest in the product or service that you’re selling so that they keep reading. For example, you might provide a compelling statistic.

• Desire: Next, build their desire to purchase your offering. Show your audience how badly they need your product or service, and how it will change their lives for the better. A great way to do this is by providing a clear list of the product’s benefits.

• Action: At this point, make it easy for customers to close to the sale or otherwise convert. For example, you might have a CTA that takes them directly to a product page or signup form.

Follow these steps with all your copy, and you'll be creating evergreen content for your audience to enjoy for years to come.

21. Avoid Grammatical Errors and Mistakes

The last thing that you want is your content to be filled with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. If your readers notice that there are many errors and mistakes, they may see your brand as sloppy and unreliable.

In some cases, they may even leave your website for your competitor’s. You need to take care of every single detail in your content. Thoroughly proofread your copy before it goes online.

You can also use online tools like Grammarly and the Hemingway App to spot mistakes and resolve them.

You should ideally have someone else edit the content that you’ve written. This can help you spot more mistakes and make further improvements.

Following this copywriting tip can help you protect your brand’s authority and credibility.

22. Write Original Content

The best copywriting tips also include checking that your content is unique and authentic. You want to gain the trust of your audience through your content.

It is only when people trust your brand that they may consider making a purchase from you. This is why it should be a top priority to be honest, authentic, and trustworthy.

Your web content should help you attract new customers and win their trust with your originality. But if you’re copying content from other websites, it can hurt your brand’s reputation.

You should also show your ethics behind your brand on your website’s “About” page. Tell your brand's story and list some of the factors that make your brand unique such as your values and purpose.

So the next time you’re struggling with that sales letter, mailer or web page, follow these simple rules. They’ll help you communicate your message more clearly and with greater selling power. Remember, there are 26 letters in the English alphabet. Use them wisely.