Tag: creative content

These copywriting secrets can help you grow your business. It can be challenging to craft your own message, but when you get it right, your marketing can work wonders. Every business wants a website that brings in new customers, but not everyone gets there. 

This is how. By implementing these easy copywriting secrets into your copy, you can drastically improve results. 

11 Copywriting Secrets to Learn 

No Such Thing as Writer’s Block – A lot of people new to writing talk about writer’s block, and the difficulty of overcoming it. Here’s a little secret. Treat yourself like you don’t have the luxury of getting stuck. When you feel unsure, just write. You have a job to do. That job is to provide the type of content that turns casual readers into customers. 

That may mean walking away for 10 minutes before your head explodes. It may mean writing down ideas when you’re away from the computer. It may also mean just doing what you set out to do – write. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. You can always edit or determine what’s publishable later. 

Try setting a marginal goal for yourself – even if it’s something like 200 average words a day. That way there is minimal pressure. 

Write with Your Customer in Mind – Sometimes it’s hard to get out of our own heads when we write our website copy or blogs, and that can be a problem. There’s something at play here called the knowledge gap. You may think what you’re storing away in that brain of yours is uninteresting or dull. You may think everyone knows what you know. But the truth is, if you’ve gone into business, you’ve probably accumulated a significant amount of specialized knowledge along the way. 

Your customers will find that interesting as they shop in your industry. But there is a catch. It needs to be written in a way that appeals to them. Picture yourself out for coffee with a prospect. You’re not going to bore them with $10 industry terms. You won’t spend too much time on inside baseball concepts. You’ll talk to them in a clear and concise manner, about the benefits they’ll see from your service. You’ll do this because of the immediate feedback of their eyes glossing over if you slip into industry mode. 

While the feedback isn’t immediate in your writing, you can picture yourself in a similar situation as you put your words down. Write to that ideal customer. Do it in a way that will appeal to them. 

Read Everything You Can Get Your Hands On – Chances are you can find highly repetitive blog posts, articles or copywriting within your industry. People are regurgitating the same boring tips, tricks and industry factoids left and right. Some of it is popular because it’s true. But if you’re not offering anything different, your reader may move on. 

Hopefully, you’re still passionate about what you’re working on. The way to keep that passion flowing is to read everything you can get your hands on – both inside your industry and out. This is where new ideas flow from. This is what gives you the ability to stand out and differentiate yourself in a meaningful manner. 

Reading and applying that information allows you to connect useful ideas. 

Solve Problems and Provide Value – Your customer comes to you with a very specific problem in mind, and they are looking for a solution. If you’re not directly addressing that problem, they may move on to someone who is. This can mean a few things when writing your marketing copy. 

First, in your website copy, it’s always good to identify the problem in the first few sentences. This shows that you understand. You know that it can be difficult. But it’s not enough to just identify. You’ll have to position yourself as the solution. Make sure the reader understands whatever product or service you’re selling is the perfect way to solve their problem. 

You can also identify problems and provide value in your blog posts. What are some of the routine problems your customers might face? Your blog can be filled with specific tips, tricks, and strategies to help them solve these problems. 

Take Pride in Your Work – It’s not enough to provide a prolific amount of content. That content needs to be useful and valuable. It needs to be well-written enough that your customers can easily read it. Take your time. Do it right… 

Spelling and grammar count. The countless grammar mistakes, spelling errors and typos may not mean much to you, but they’ll distract from your ultimate message. You don’t want readers walking away with any other thought in their head, but “How do I buy?” 

Your marketing content can become a reader’s first impression of your business. Make it a good one. Improving your spelling and grammar is one of the more unglamorous copywriting secrets out there, but it’s one of the most critical. 

Make it Different – It doesn’t really matter what industry you’re in. The web is more crowded than it’s ever been before – and that includes your industry. If your stuff is just like everyone else’s how do you plan on grabbing your readers’ attention? 

Implementing new ideas is one way to differentiate, as I mentioned above. Another method to improve your blog posts is to include appropriate personal anecdotes. Let your readers get to know you a little bit. It’s ok to be the business obsessed with Cubs baseball (it’s even socially acceptable now!). It’s ok to mention that you’re a dad, a dog owner, or an avid music fan. Drop these things where you see appropriate. 

Too many businesses and business owners feel like they have to be 100 percent formal all the time. Sharing these personal details establish likability and trust. They allow for the potential of a more meaningful relationship. That’s always a good thing. This is how you stand out. 

  Utilize Calls to Action – Whether you’re writing website content, blogs or landing pages, your copy should never just end. Even though this is considered marketing, the goal is still to sell. If your blog post was well written, your readers aren’t going to get angry about a promotional line at the end. 

If you’re writing a web page or landing page, it’s time to go deeper with your calls to action. Remind your reader of your best benefit or selling point. Maybe the way they are doing things today is ok, but it could truly be better with what you provide. 

A strong call to action gives people an emotional push. It makes it 100-percent clear what you want them to do. You’re in business. Calls to action help you make the most of your copy. 

Write a Thought-Provoking Headline – Your headline is what people will use to determine whether or not they want to read your copy. You can have the best material you’ve ever written, and if falls below a subpar headline, no one’s going to read it. Spend some time writing a headline that catches people’s attention. 

You can grab people by mentioning your strongest benefit, or provoking their curiosity. You can grab them by making a commanding promise (but then you better keep it). There are several strategies out there for writing a headline that sells. While it’s a small amount of real estate, it’s the most important part. This is a skill that it literally pays to learn. This is one of the most important copywriting secrets for your business. 

Choose Your Words Carefully – It’s been proven that readers are attracted to certain words. Free is a powerful word. So is new. Make sure you understand the words that will provide an emotional charge for your readers, and use them in your headlines and in your copy. 

There are also phrases that can be extremely powerful. Deep down, people want to feel supported and connected. They want to know that the problem that drove them to seek help is not unique to them. Because of that, the phrase “You are not alone” is one of the most powerful phrases you can work into your copy. 

Test New Material – While writing great copy is an art that can be mastered, determining the most effective results can be a science. There are plenty of great resources out there to give you insight on how to A/B test your copy. The basic idea is that you can test two versions of your copy against each other to determine the most effective. 

Try out different headlines or calls to action. You can try out different graphics or writing styles. Virtually anything is testable. Here’s a word of caution, however. Test one thing at a time. If you throw too many variables into the mix, you’ll never know exactly what your readers found more attractive. When you can be precise in the differences, the more successful approach is repeatable. 

You Can Always Hire a Copywriter – It can be complicated to create a message that resonates with your customers. You can keep working on the craft, or you can hire an experienced copywriter who has worked many projects just like yours.