Learn vital Copywriting skills
Copywriting is vital to any business. Oftentimes it’s the primary means by which you advertise and sell your products. Even video marketing often comes with captions for people to read. And after every webinar, guess what you see? A sales page full of long-form copy to read.
Maybe you feel confident in your writing ability and feel you don’t need to hire a writer, but what if your copy isn’t actually working? Do you ever stop to ask
If things aren’t looking as good as you’d hoped, help is on the way. We’re going to share some great tips to help you improve your copywriting skills so that you can connect and engage with your audience.
What is website copy and why does your business need it?
Website copy is
Sometimes the line burrs when it comes to “web copy” and “web content”. Here’s the difference between the two:
Web copy
When someone lands on your website, you only have a few seconds to convince them that this is the place they should be. If people don’t like what they see they immediately bounce off your page to check out your competitors.
Web copy is the main content found on business websites. These include the “about us” pages, “services pages”, and “landing pages” for example. This type of copy is used to sell products and tell readers about the business.
For this reason, it has to also contain CTAs (call to actions) to help motivate the reader, or potential customer, to buy the product or service.
It’s important that your copy remains on-brand. The tone, vocabulary and style of writing must be consistent across all the pages, otherwise, you will be sending mixed messages.
Web content
Web content, on the other hand, is used to tell readers about the brand, services, and products, but unlike web copy, it isn’t a direct sales approach. This copy can include newsletters and business blogs.
The more you keep your audience informed and grab their attention, the more likely they will be to engage with your content. Great content is often shared on social media and by doing so, you’ll gain exposure to other prospective clients and people will begin to trust you and your brand.
How to improve your copywriting – try these simple changes
Don’t make the writing “stiff” and hard to read
The problem with content and SEO is the fact that sometimes people forget that it’s important to write for their audience (who aren’t machines). While machines can notice things like repetitive phrases and keywords, such content comes across as hard to read (to humans). Write for your human audience and be as natural as you can. We’re not saying that you should skip out on the keywords, but don’t stuff your content with it, as this ruins readability.
Don’t let your reader drift away
If your content is boring or hard to read, the chances to maintain your reader’s attention becomes slim. Compelling content is always interesting and it demands attention.
Once they took the time to stop, and read your post, make it count in their favour. Readers are looking for answers; this is why so they end up searching through search engines like Google. They will find your website if you’ve remembered to optimize it accordingly.
Make it worth their time to take action
After providing your reader with thought-provoking content, it’s now time to close the deal with a strong call to action. Think of the call to action and the finishing trimmings on a cake, it’s satisfying and worthwhile. So, it has to convince your reader to take action and subscribe, purchase, or contact amongst other “do it” actions.
Establish your brand’s voice
You’ve probably heard of the term “brand voice” many times throughout your digital marketing endevours, but do you understand what it is?
A brand voice is a unique way in which you phrase your words in your content and it may even have a formal nature to it or a more casual, humorous one. It’s important to establish your brand’s voice as this will result in creating a character that your readers want to relate to.
It also creates a sense of uniformity throughout your platforms. In other words, how you speak in your business blog, will have the same style in the way you speak on your social media and various other communication channels.
Your brand must relate to your business and at the same time be something your customers can identify your company with when they hear it. Take for example Nike’s slogan “just do it” it expresses bravery, energy, and the will to achieve, which is why it’s the perfect choice for their athletic and sportswear brand.
Watch out for signs that spell “two steps back” for your business
Simply put, if the content isn’t done right, your readers and potential customers won’t bother to read any of your articles. So, how do you know if your content is doing enough to convert readers into customers?
Here’s how you can tell if your copy sucks:
- Website visitors may find your content boring so they bounce
- Your social media content doesn’t create engagement
- Email open rates remain dismally low
- You haven’t put much thought or time into what you’re creating (intention matters!)
- The business brand isn’t shining through: content lacks consistency across channels
- People simply aren’t following your company on Facebook or Instagram
- You stuff your posts with keywords
Those are just a few of the copywriting
Tips to keep acing your copy
Set a focus point
If you’re skilled at many trades then fair enough. However, creating a website or brand that talks about everything and not focused on one niche can cause a degree of confusion with your readers. Readers won’t know how to associate you with one of the many niches that you practice.
Show your generosity and appreciation to your readers
Rewarding your readers with something for having subscribed or a percentage off their first purchase is a great way to acknowledge that they mean something to you and your business. This is something that people cannot easily forget and it makes dealing with your business more special than going to your competitors. Rewards give them a reason to stay and support you, especially if they like your product.
Don’t leave your content unfinished
Unfinished content can mean anything from not having a call to actions, a conclusion, or worse content filled with grammatical and spelling errors. People don’t like to read content that is incorrect, it puts them off and makes you look incompetent.
Grab their attention
Again, as mentioned before, your reader’s attention is very crucial and will determine whether they’re going to stay or leave ASAP!
Add some pictures and make it easy to read
People have short attention spans when it comes to reading and when your content is hard to read because there are no breaks it will become frustrating.
Make sure that you divide your content into paragraphs with a subheading and short sentences. Adding pictures encourages reading and makes it less “wordy”.
Don’t use industry jargon
If you’re not addressing other businesses in the same niche, then try and speak in plain English. Some readers will find it hard to understand various industry jargon. The moment your content is filled with technical terms, it can discourage your readers from staying on your site.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
When all else fails, call on the pros.
It’s not a bad thing or uncommon not to know the “tricks of the trade.” Many entrepreneurs struggle to keep up with the demands of digital marketing, let alone the ever-changing rules that govern search engines. Hiring an expert will help free up your time.
The Takeaway
Having a solid grasp on copywriting skills is essential to be able to sell your product or services. Copy that stands out from the competition will win you more customers as well as be beneficial to your business goals.
on’t give up because your content sucks. Instead, take the time to discover your brand voice and then practice writing for your target audience.
Strategize the copy on your website and social media to create a strong brand image, and diligently work on mastering the craft of copy writing.