So what is copywriting?
Copywriting is writing with a job to do – writing with a practical purpose. Usually, that purpose is to make the reader think, feel or act differently from the way they did before.
Most copy is written to sell products or services. But you could also be aiming to provide information, explain ideas or build support for a cause. If so, you’re trying to get the reader to buy in rather than buy.
As copywriting legend Howard Luck Gossage said, ‘People read what interests them, and sometimes it’s an ad.’ The copywriter’s job is to hit that sweet spot where your message meets readers’ interest – and turn that interest into action.
Copy appears in adverts, marketing material, websites, social media, articles and other types of content like video scripts and infographics. Wherever words are making things happen for businesses and organisations, that’s copywriting.
Know the product and its benefits
The first step in any copywriting project is to understand what you’re writing about. For most copywriters, it would be a commercial product, but if you’re a researcher, it could be an idea, innovation, initiative, project or finding that you want to publicise.
Whatever the subject is, you need to understand what it is and why people might be interested in it. What does it do? How can they use it? How would it help them?
Marketers have a saying: ‘sell the sizzle, not the sausage’. It means that what really sells is the experience of a product, rather than the product itself. People buy because of something they want to happen.
Copywriters draw a distinction between features, or what the product is, and benefits, or what it does. To make a product appealing, they focus on how it will make the reader’s life better, rather than simply describing it. That can have both tangible and intangible sides – for example, a pair of jeans keeps you warm (tangible) but also makes you look cool (intangible).
Know your reader
Most copy isn’t broadcast to the entire world, but targeted at a certain group of readers. You can define your reader in three ways: how they live, what they want and what they feel.
‘How they live’ reflects real-world characteristics like job, location, age and so on. ‘What they want’ is about problems, priorities and preferences – the things reader want to change about their lives. And finally, ‘what they feel’ is about hopes, dreams, threats and the reader’s self-image.
Once you know your reader, you also need to define your aim: what you want them to think, feel or do when they hear your message.
Now you know product, benefits, reader and aim, you have the core elements of your copywriting project.
Headlines and structures
Five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy, so it’s worth spending time on it. Sometimes, a simple factual heading works well, but other approaches may be more powerful. The options include setting a theme, offering a benefit, creating intrigue, asking a question, offering news and giving the reader a command (like ‘Just do it’).
How you structure the rest of your copy depends on what you want to say. Formulas like AIDA (attention, interest, desire, action) often work well, but for longer copy, you might do well with a list format, or a step-by-step structure. Also, bear in mind that the best way to convey information might be visual rather than verbal, through a diagram, table, timeline and so on.
Use the same words the reader uses
The best copy works like a conversation with the reader. So to keep the conversation flowing, use the same words they use.
Matching the reader’s language obviously helps them understand you. But it also shows that you understand them. It says that you like them, you respect them and you’re both on the same level. It shows that you really care about the conversation, and you want it to work.
It’s OK to use more unusual language – like academic terms – as long as the reader will definitely understand them. By using them correctly, you demonstrate understanding.
Make it simple
With copy, simpler is nearly always better. Simple words are strong, honest and clear. They’re easier to understand, so using simple words shows respect for the reader.
By writing simply, you’re saying, ‘I know you’re busy, and you didn’t ask for this message. So I’ve done my best to make it easy to read, to save you time and effort.’
You also make sure your message can be understood by the broadest possible audience, regardless of their background and language ability.
Check it over
Once you’re copy’s written, you need to check it and revise it until your 100% happy. Get feedback from a trusted colleague, or someone who fits the typical reader profile. Also, read your copy out loud and you’ll soon pick up what needs to change.
Tom Albrighton is a freelance copywriter and the author of Copywriting Made Simple.
