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Copywriting meaning
Copywriting is writing text with the goal of persuading someone. Everything you see online and offline is driven by copywriting. Whether it's video, podcasts, websites, emails or other texts. It's always about the story we want to convey.
What is also characteristic of copywriting is that there is always a clear call to action. So copywriting helps you get your message across to your audience. Only when your message is strong can you start doing everything else.
Why do you need good copywriting?
Copywriting always has two tasks:
- Copywriting should remove barriers: if people are unsure about something or uncertain about something, your job is to reassure them so that they will still take action.
- Copywriting should increase motivation: you want to encourage people to take action. So for example, make a purchase on your web shop, sign up for a webinar, etc.
Good copywriting also makes you better found in the search engines and increases your SEO ranking.
But how do you make sure you motivate the reader (or viewer or listener) and dispel doubts? We give you copywriting tips to optimize your content!
1: Keep your texts simple and readable for your target audience
This is one of the most important things if you want to get your message across well. Especially considering all the impulses and stimuli we get these days (online), we can't process all of this. The simpler your language is, the more likely it is that your message will also arrive.
With a scientific experiment by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman, we show you the essence of simplicity. With this experiment, Daniel Kahnemen wanted to demonstrate how people make decisions.
In the image above, you can read two statements about the birth of Winston Churchill. In this experiment, the majority choose option 1.
The experiment shows that people make decisions based on simplicity. The font of the first option is simpler, making this sentence much easier to read than option 2. So this is the power of simplicity. When your brain can process something more easily it is more likely to be accepted as truth.
Other tips for keeping your text readable are:
- Use short sentences. If you use too long sentences, it often becomes a disjointed story and people drop out.
- Use bullet points. This makes the whole thing clear.
- Avoid technical terms. By using understandable wording, your message enters the reader much better.
- Divide your text into paragraphs. Large pieces of text scare off and cause you to lose your reader's attention.
- Use clear (intermediate) headings so the reader can scan the text and see at a glance what your text is about.
- When writing your text, decide which keywords you want to be found on. This is how to make your text seo-proof!
- Make sure the tone of voice of your text resonates with your target audience.
- Always check your spelling and grammar!
2: Make your content fun
Every marketing message is a story with a purpose. With your text, you want to inspire, influence or spur your target audience into action.
By no means every story achieves its goal. If you only talk about the facts of your product or service, the message will not touch your readers. In doing so, you will also miss the mark.
When do you write a story that is enjoyable and also touches people? Important in conveying your story is that it contains emotion.
As an entrepreneur, you often make a promise. If you sell accounting software, for example, you are playing into the message that accounting takes a lot of time and is complicated. The solution you are selling is that it all goes like clockwork and saves you a lot of time.
A good story also makes a connection. You're not just going to transmit but, as a writer, you show a piece of understanding. That way you connect with your reader.
Perhaps the most important essence of a good story is change. Change is actually in it from the beginning. Just look at the construction of a fairy tale.
This very simple example shows the power of the story. The change creates additional tension and the bridge to the solution.
You can use this fairy tale story as a structure for your pitch.
Once upon a time, there was a social media marketing agency that wanted to help entrepreneurs with their social media marketing. Through an online platform, they tried to inform and activate entrepreneurs about this. Entrepreneurs achieved few results so they eventually gave up.
Until one day the company chose to serve their customers not through an online platform but by offering 1-on-1 help.
This allowed them to serve their customers better, which resulted in their customers achieving more success with their social media marketing and, as a result, staying customers longer.
Since then, it has been easier for this company to acquire new customers and retain their customers.
And why does this structure work? It is because of the structure and construction of the story. In addition, it contains emotion and focuses on change.
So when describing your message, it is important that you not only focus on the facts but wrap your message in a story.
3: Provide temptation in your marketing
Ultimately, your goal as an entrepreneur is always to move the reader to action. Your message can be as simple and fun as it is, but if you can't entice the reader to move to action, everything has been for nothing.
"Seduction" can be applied in several ways.
12 examples of seduction that are not unknown to a good copywriter
1. Visualize the benefit.
❌ Thanks to our app, you keep time.
✅ Thanks to our app, you have more `time for friends and family.
2. Replace abstract with concrete
❌ A bottle of cola contains a lot of sugar
✅ A bottle of cola contains 39 sugar cubes
Concrete in this example also means seeing it before you.
3. Use the "so what?!" test
❌ Remote working places high demands on our IT equipment. Therefore, we are going to upgrade all devices.
✅ To make remote work even easier, you'll get a new laptop next week.
4. Substantiate general claims
❌Our service is fast.
✅We will reply within 24 hours.
5. Refute objections directly
❌Download now
✅Download now without leaving an email address
With just "Download Now," people may wonder if that means they have to leave their data first. Remove that objection immediately by clearly communicating that that is not necessary.
❌Try now
✅Try within 1 minute
With just "Try now," people may think it will take them a long time. Name that objection immediately by clearly communicating that that is not the case.
6. Don't write aloofly
❌People get distracted easily, which reduces their productivity.
✅We get distracted easily, which lowers our productivity.
7. Benefits instead of features
❌2600 BTU cooling capacity (30m2)
✅Your home office cool all day long
8. Write like you talk
❌ Install our app without any contractual obligations.
✅ Try our app for free for two weeks.
9. Make it painful
❌A low energy bill is nice.
✅A high energy bill is throwing money away!
10. Concretize the next step
You can apply this example in the CTA buttons:
❌Next
✅Download free e-book
11. Ask rhetorical questions
❌You probably sometimes have doubts about your marketing strategy
✅Do you ever doubt your marketing strategy?
By asking a question, you automatically trigger the reader's thought process.
12. Use words that justify
✅Choose SMO because....
✅That ..., SMO is a good idea!
Speak the language of your target audience
So when you get started with copywriting for your business, it's important to keep it simple and fun and always provide enticement. Give your message a good structure and use emotion. That way, you can entice your ideal customers to take action and they will convert faster.
Does catchy writing continue to be a challenge for you? Then our experts can help you. With the help of our social media experts, you can learn to write catchy texts for your business. This is guaranteed to increase conversion.
Would you like to get to know us? Schedule a no-obligation consultation to see what we can do for you.
Source: 'Selling with your keyboard' challenge by Social Media Entrepreneur i.s.m. Christ Coolen