How to Make your Copy Convert!
Writing compelling copy isn’t easy. You’ve got to capture the attention of your audience, providing them with a unique experience in exchange for their time. Simultaneously your copy usually needs to encourage your reader to complete a desired action (e.g. making a purchase from your website or signing up to a newsletter). All this needs to be instinctive for the reader, if things are too complicated they may lose interest and stop reading, so it’s vital to bear this in mind with all the copy you create.
Luckily for you, we’ve compiled 5 key tips to help you get started on the journey towards excellent copy.
1. Make your Copy Clear and Easy to Understand
Any copy you create needs to be clear, to the point and scannable, as well as being interesting to read. Your reader needs to be able to find the information they are looking for quickly, otherwise they will become bored and move on. To create this type of user-friendly copy, blocks of text need to be broken up into small sections, making key information prominent and easy to find. Headings, subheadings, and bullet points are all useful ways to do this. Keep your copy short and relevant and avoid using unnecessary, complicated jargon that may confuse readers. By giving your reader just enough information to pique their interest you’ll make them want to keep reading to find out more.
2. Know your Audience
The copy you create must resonate with your reader so it’s important to keep in mind who you are writing for and use the appropriate language and tone. When creating online copy, including relevant keywords and optimising your content for common search terms is valuable, as this will help your target audience find and click through to your page. Think about the voice of the reader and focus on their wants and needs, using language such as ‘you’ rather than ‘we’. This will show your reader that you are on their level, understand their problem and have a solution for them.
3. Focus on Benefits over Features
When writing copy about products or services it’s helpful to emphasise the benefits to the customer over individual features. People engage better when they can see how a product can improve their lives over simply reading a list of features. By leading with the benefits, you are answering your customers’ most important questions and detailing how your product can solve their problem, therefore enticing them to buy.
4. Test Everything
You can’t really know how well something performs unless you test it against a competitor’s copy or create an A/B test. This will give you a clear idea of what type of copy works best for the brand you’re writing for. Regularly conducting A/B tests will mean you can ensure your copy is always of the highest standards.
5. Have a Clear Call to Action
Whatever the copy you’re creating it’s useful to have a clear goal. Think about the reader’s journey and what you want them to do next. By making it as easy as possible for your reader to achieve this call to action, you are increasing your chances that they will actually do it!
One Final Tip
Check and re-check your work! You don’t want to end up with copy that looks unprofessional due to spelling and grammatical errors. Tools such as the ‘Read Aloud’ feature on Word can be helpful to draw attention to any mistakes and it’s also a good idea to get someone else to proof-read your work before it goes live.
Writing copy that converts can be difficult but by following these simple steps you’ll be able to create a much more relevant, engaging and actionable experience for your readers. If you need any more advice on how to optimise your copy, get in touch with our marketing experts today.
