Have you ever sat down to draft an ad copy for your products or services but experienced writer's block? Well, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we have compiled 8 strategies to help you create an engaging copy that keeps your readers interested.
Understand your audience
Creativity, proficiency, and extensive research are required to produce effective copywriting. Knowing your audience is the first step in making an impression with your words. Understanding their perspective will enable you to "speak their language" and establish a genuine connection leading them to click, subscribe or buy. Therefore, one of the most important goals you should work toward is recognizing your target audience.
Treat your readers as friends
The key to a good article or ad copy is to keep the readers interested from beginning to end. How do we do that? Treat your readers as friends. Employ pronouns such as "I" and "you" to make the copy seem more personal. For example, instead of saying ‘The couch will be delivered to your doorstep within 24 hours of orders being placed’, use ‘This time, tomorrow you may be sitting on your brand new couch.’ Keep in mind that although the first copy highlights your business, the second one is more customer-centric and addresses potential clients directly. To help your audience easily relate your copy's themes to their own experiences and give them a sense of personalization. Additionally, writing in a conversational tone also offers your audience the sense that you are speaking directly to them, which will persuade them into becoming consumers.
Urgency
Use this technique wisely and it will work out in your favor. Customers tend to procrastinate when they know the product, service or discount is always there. How do we combat this? Describe how the offer is time-limited or how the product is a special edition. This will increase the sense of urgency or fear of missing out (FOMO) and lead to a sale.
Simplicity is key
Many individuals, including copywriters, have the erroneous impression that copywriting is wholly about using flowery language. Well, that's not necessarily the most effective approach when it comes to speaking to your audience. The key to good copywriting is to make it as digestible as possible for your readers. Keep it simple and direct. Address any concerns your readers may have. Writing at a level that is too high may result in your target audience not understanding your copy. They may struggle with your intricate sentence structure and unfamiliar words. Not to mention that it may rank very poorly on Google because common keywords are most likely being utilized sparingly.
Headlines
Headlines are the first thing people see when they come across a website or an article. Ensure that your headline is compelling enough to draw readers in and encourage them to click on it. Be concise and straight to the point.
Call to action
A call to action is a phrase that instructs visitors to perform a particular task. Always end your copy with a call to action. For example: What are you waiting for? Head on to our official website today!’ It also helps to link your products/services to make it easier for interested customers to locate them.
Formatting
Be honest, have you ever skimmed through an article because it was too wordy? Well, that brings us to formatting.
To avoid overwhelming readers, we advise copywriters to use paragraphs and headings. They may feel it is too much for them to read if there are too many words in one paragraph. Instead, divide up your content so it appears more logically organized and palatable. In order to keep your content engaging, you may also include photographs, charts, or videos.
Proofread
Proofreading your copy after writing is essential. Allowing grammar or spelling problems to emerge in your advertisement or marketing materials is one of the easiest ways to lose credibility in advertising. Customers tend to interpret carelessness in advertising as carelessness in the delivery of goods and services. If you don't give your advertising content the attention it deserves, your clients won't likely receive that level of attention either. Professional companies create ads copy of a high caliber, which implies that the material has been well-proofread and is error-free.
To conclude, copywriting is both an art and a skill. However, it doesn’t have to be complicated. With lots of practice and proper implementation of the approaches listed above, you’re guaranteed to generate an excellent copy for your customers to read! Happy writing!