16 Apr How to write better copy for your business

How to write better copy for your business

How to write better copy for your business

Effective copywriting is about far more than just words. Yet many business leaders don’t understand this. They simply throw some words onto their website, socials and emails describing themselves and their products and services… and wonder why people don’t engage. Powerful copywriting goes beyond that, and touches on what really matters to your audience. 

Copywriting is using words to forge a connection with your audience in such a way that they respond to you. And business owners who understand that (like you, we hope) care about the messages their business puts out there, and want to be able to do communicate well. And that’s who this article is for.

You could fill a library with all the books on copywriting, so we couldn’t possibly cover everything here. But after reading this, you’ll have a better understanding of the key principles, philosophies and techniques copywriters use to make words work for your business.

Key principles of copywriting

1. Research, research, research

Understanding your ideal customer shapes everything you do, from the language you use to the platforms you choose. So research your audience. Listen to them, read what they’re saying in reviews and online forums, analyse data from your digital marketing tools. 

This is the only way to understand their problems, desires and goals. And when you understand these, you’re 10x more likely to strike a chord with them through your marketing messages. 

Research your market, too. Don’t just know your own product inside out. Know your competitors’ products too. Then you can identify what makes yours better and communicate it effectively.

All effective copywriting begins with thorough research.

2. The rule of one

One purpose. Are you trying to get the reader to make an immediate purchase? Or are you aiming to educate them so they can make a better-informed decision at a later date? Or do you simply want to capture their attention and entertain them so they won’t forget about your business? Whatever it is, stick to that purpose, as trying to do everything at once overwhelms your reader.

One reader. Write as if you are speaking to a single person – your ideal customer. It’s more powerful than if it’s addressed to a collective. Use the word ‘you’ a lot, as it makes the reader feel more involved.

One message. Every sentence should be one complete idea. Each paragraph should stick to one theme. Mixed messages are harder to understand, and a confused reader is unlikely to stick around long enough to become a customer. If you have a lot to say, spread it out across several sections, pages, emails or posts so it’s easy to digest.

3. Keep it short, keep it simple, keep it real

People reading online have short attention spans. They simply won’t bother with anything that’s hard to read. So avoid walls of text, and try to keep paragraphs to around three sentences max. 

Forget what your English teachers told you about using fancy words. Keep them as short and simple as possible. Don’t say ‘utilise’ when ‘use’ would work perfectly well. 

Many businesses make the mistake of filling their copy with jargon and meaningless buzzwords. For example, a financial consultancy might say something like, ‘We utilise innovative fiscal solutions to facilitate enhanced asset procurement.’ What a mouthful.

What’s more, it’s hard to visualise what that actually means, so it loses power. The person who wrote it would probably never say that in normal conversation. They’d perhaps say something like, ‘We help you buy the things you think you can’t afford.’ Doesn’t that make the benefit much clearer?

4. Think, ‘So what?’

Too many companies make the mistake of simply describing themselves and their products. They fail to mention how the reader actually benefits. You need to paint a picture of the tangible, specific ways your product makes a difference to your customers’ lives. 

For example, if you’re a SaaS company that provides project management software, don’t just talk about all the cool techy stuff you do. That’s not really what people care about. Instead, highlight how your software helps companies increase profits by 10% due to increased productivity.

How do you know which benefits to highlight? You go back to point 1. What is it that your audience really wants from your product?

5. Back it up

Often, the most powerful and persuasive tools copywriters use are the words of others. Social proof removes some of the fear of purchase for potential customers – ‘If it worked for them, it’ll work for me, right.’ In sales-focused copywriting such as landing pages, emails and ads, including testimonials and reviews from happy clients is a great way to overcome objections and increase conversions.

Today’s consumers are more savvy and sceptical. For example, 95% of them read product reviews before purchasing, and 58% of them will pay more for products that have good reviews (Global Newswire). So whenever you make a grand claim or promise, use some form of evidence to back it up. Reviews, statistics, research studies, credible news articles and quotes from experts can build trust and credibility.

6. Capture attention

Whether, it’s a webpage, email or social ad, no matter how powerful and effective your body copy is, if the first line doesn’t capture attention, nobody will ever see it. With marketing emails, paid ads, website homepages, blog posts, you name it, the headline makes or breaks whether people give it a chance. 

There are no set rules for writing an effective headline. But there are some key principles, and you must achieve one or more of them to capture your audience’s interest. They should:

• Call out your reader’s key problems
• Offer clear value or benefit to the reader
• Create curiosity and intrigue
• Give some indication of what the content is about (avoid misleading ‘clickbait’ headlines – they are bad for your reputation)
• Where appropriate, use numbers like 3x or 27% to make it more specific and credible

With marketing emails, search ads and social ads, you should test different headlines to see what resonates best with your audience.

Ethics in copywriting

Copywriting is a powerful tool, and like all powerful tools, it can be used the wrong way. 

While the best copywriting connects with people on an emotional level, it’s important not to abuse this by making people feel excessive shame, fear or doubt just so that they’ll spend some money with you.

Copywriters often talk about the ‘pain points’ of customers – what are the biggest problems they need solving?

Sometimes, highlighting these problems is legitimate – particularly in the B2B world. Let’s say you provide software that helps healthcare providers manage patient data more efficiently. You’d be within your rights to point out that when doctors can’t easily access patient data, there’s a higher risk of inaccurate diagnoses. This leads to delays in treatment, poorer outcomes and a greater strain on healthcare systems. These are all facts.

However, encouraging people to buy your beauty products by making them feel shame about their appearance is simply wrong.

Copywriting for your business

We hope this has enlightened you as to the power of copywriting, and perhaps made you feel more confident about developing your marketing messages. It’s useful for small businesses with tight budgets to be able to do some of this stuff yourselves. 

But of course, there is the issue of time. As we’ve seen, doing the research and crafting powerful messages doesn’t happen in minutes. 

This is why many businesses have seen fit to use AI writing tools like ChatGPT. However, use caution here. While AI tools are useful for researching and planning, they lack the human element that’s so crucial in connecting with your audience. 

They rely on outdated information – it’s been well-reported how often they provide vague and inaccurate responses. And people are becoming more able to recognise the robotic, repetitive manner of AI-generated content. 

Your other option is to outsource copywriting to a marketing agency. At Big Voice, we have a network of writers who can provide copywriting services across your digital marketing. We provide engaging copy for your, paid ads, blogs, emails, website, social media posts and more. 

If you need some help crafting marketing messages that engage your audience, get in touch today.