Core Project
Copywriting
Copywriting
This project focused on the elements involved in good copywriting. In this article, I outline my experience with learning copywriting. Share useful tips and tricks to help you master the power of persuasion in the written form.
Key Summary
Used in advertising or marketing. Copywriting is the art of crafting a clear and concise message that inspires action.
Copywriting is different from writing copy as its main purpose is to persuade or sell.
Know your audience, this pre-work will save you hours in the long run
Define 1-2 success metrics to measure your copy against.
This skill has many facets that can be cross-applied to unexpected areas, such as CV writing.
How the project started
I still remember my introduction to copy/copywriting years ago.
Having started working for my first startup and had no idea that 'copy' in business speak meant text.
I'd been so confused when my boss Laura had asked me to spend time to copy this one Google doc. 4-5 copies of the entire document and a very confused/ funny phone call later I was aware of my mistake 😂.
Suffice to say that my introduction to copy and copywriting had been a bit of a steep learning curve. So I'd like to start this project off by describing the different jargon words.
Copy: A term now interchangeable with the terms "writing" and "text". Originally coined to describe text that appeared in many printed copies. ie newspapers, magazines and prints
Medium: The distribution method of your content and where it's consumed. This could be a platform or social media channel to the more traditional print or spoken word.
Copywriting: Copy that's focused on resonating with the reader. The core aim is to persuade or drive sales through the use of compelling language.
Editorial Copy: Copy that informs, educates or entertains the reader. Often reflecting a distinct viewpoint and narrative to engage and captivate the audience.
Content: is the information and experience(s) directed toward an end-user or audience. Expressed across many mediums.
Messaging: Concise communication that conveys specific information to elicit a response. The styling will differ depending on the medium. This differs from writing, which encompasses a broader range of expressions and forms.
Fascinated by how language can shape ideas, influence people and resolve conflict. I knew Project copywriting was set to be a good one that combined human psychology with the art of writing.
I chose Copywriting as a project due to its versatile nature and wider use case. Selling and persuasion are core skills we all use in all aspects of life to reach specific goals.
From persuading your friends to go to the pub with you on a Friday night, to applying for a new job. Knowing how to guide a reader toward a specific action and keep them engaged is a great skill to have. With unimaginable ripple effects that can elevate your wider life.
My Experience
Copywriting requires a deep understanding of your audience. Their intentions, goals, desires and dreams. Developing a strong consistent voice takes practice, patience and a lot of research.
The most beautiful and clever copy, shared as many times over, but with no conversion is no good. True success is when you convince the reader to action your specific goal.
There are many considerations before you put pen to paper.
These are just a few:
Who are you writing for?
What do they already know about you/ your product/ your service? (stage of knowledge)
What medium are you looking to communicate through, does this fit the message you are trying to send?
What is the primary outcome of your success?
How will you measure this?
Copywriting ties together language, psychology and storytelling and I loved learning it!
"Celebrate failing forward, each experiment will bring you one step closer. It's a gift!"
10 practices to improve your copywriting
Knowing your audience
Understand who is going to be reading your content and why. The more detailed, the easier it is to speak to their needs and keep a consistent tone. Here are some actionable ways to find this:
If you have an existing audience
Note down what problems they talk to you about
Identify content that has performed well in the past, identify:
time posted
style of content
pain point it addressed
top comments or feedback
Create 2-3 user personas
Use focus groups to better understand your most engaged customers (you want more of these!)
Starting afresh
Start talking about your idea and see what problems people like to discuss most
Look at your competitors and where have they positioned themselves. A SWOT analysis is useful here
Create an ideal customer persona (ICP). Consider:
Demographics
Personality types
Stages of life
Character traits
Core values and beliefs
What kind of content do they consume and through what medium
Who is most likely to benefit from your solution? This will be a generalisation but try to get as granular as possible. If you have a person in mind use them, name them and burry down into the why behind how they make decisions.
When looking at copywriting for marketing focus on ONE channel, to begin with. Build a strong messaging foundation, you can expand from there later.
That said so secure the handles/addresses of other platforms you might want to use at a later date.
Focus on the benefits
Highlight the tangible improvements your solution gives to your customers' lives (the benefits). Identify what they care about and double down.
Actionable takeaways:
Write out. a list of all your features and list all the benefits associated with that eg.
Feature: Fast shipping
Benefit: Convenience + customer satisfaction: a prompt delivery saves time and reduces wait
Feature: Expertise and Experience:
Benefit: Peace of mind and confidence: you will receive an efficient, high-quality service.
Feature: High-Resolution Display
Benefit: Crisp and vibrant visuals that show off the best of your photos
Keep it clear and concise:
Use simple, clear and concise language. Don't overcomplicate it.
Avoid jargon and overly complex sentences.
Persuade through emotive language:
Use emotive language that appeals to your reader's desires, fears and aspirations. Write down their pain points and the words they use to describe the situation. Along with this aspirational self-identifiers!
When building The Accountability Crew a lot of my users described feeling:
Suck
Messy
having a different mindset
not always sure where to start
But I also noticed common character traits:
Ambitious
Lots of ideas
Authentic
Kind
Giving
Super smart
Comfortable with who they were
"Do you have 100's of ideas but are unsure where to start? "Unlock your potential with The Accountability Crew to get started! Sign up here 🚀 "
Highlight your unique selling points
What differentiates your product or service from your competitors?
What elements of your brand can help you stand out? These don't always have to be the physical features of your product.
Take for example the bank Monzo, one of their unique selling points is that they relate with their users. Across social media, they connect via commenting on everyday human quirks and challenges. This is their competitive edge. Differentiating them from more formal traditional banks who'd struggle to replicate that style.
Action points:
How can you make your product or marketing unique or better?
List 5 ways you could set yourself apart from your competition.
Direct with a strong call to action (CTA)
There are many calls to action. They are short, simple and to the point:
Subscribe to my email list
buy now
read more
request a quote
book an appointment
upgrade today
Make sure to have one primary call to action. This will avoid decision paralysis and improve follow-through rates.
Tell a Story
Humans have evolved to remember stories rather than stand-alone states and statistics. The context allows us to process information better and to visualise how it can apply to our lives.
Utilise this!
Think about how you can bring users into your story and find points that resonate with them.
For example, I run accountability sessions for those who are self-starters.
Despite each of us having very different goals, we have a shared mindset. The community is action-focused, supportive and understands the difficulties of starting something new.
These are very specific problems that are identifiable to one group. What words resonate with them?
Action items:
What stories or self-narrative does your audience have?
What words would they self-identify with? ie ambitious, rebellious, nerdy, active
Think about how you can weave these words into a narrative to engage the reader and keep them interested.
You could make them the hero.
Rebels Needed! We're looking to disrupt the boring corporate networking ecosystem, are you in?
You could outline a challenge and how they actioned it
Join us for a 30-day content challenge. Say no to imposter syndrome, overwhelm and lack of confidence. We'll support you every step of the way.
Social proof
Most people want to know they are making a good decision and have chosen right. As a species, we look to others to confirm our decisions.
By including statistics, reviews and testimonials you build social trust.
It improves your credibility. Showcasing a backlog of peer-reviewed evidence that proves you effectively solved a problem. It also speaks to the overall buyer experience to expect.
Edit and proofread
Take the time to:
review copy for spelling/ grammatical errors
improve clarity and consistency
Making sure the messaging and tone is on-brand
This will also help your readers build trust.
Some great free tools:
Hemingway Editor: for sentence structure
Grammarly: for spelling
Chat GPT: to critique, advise and prompt new ideas.*
Checking with friends or family: for general feedback
Reviewing your work in a separate session to writing, ideally a day or two later, will help you spot inconsistencies.
If you do miss a mistake often you can change it or it proves you are an authentic human so don't beat yourself up. To be human is to make mistakes
* A word of warning:
With new AI tools being created every day it's important not to rely too heavily on them.
Within web search your company's search engine optimisation (SEO) ie how high up your page is viewed in search results. Will be damaged if you directly copy from AI tools.
The same trend is expected to be seen across social media in the coming months too.
To avoid this view AI as an enabler and not the finished product.
Small touches here or there won't see your content deprioritised. Overall authentically human content is still championed.
Test and iterate
I found this to be the most fun. Copy is an experiment. You only truly get the result once it's out in the world.
It's important to understand what your end goal, CTA or conversion that you want the user to take.
Even the most beautifully crafted copy is bad copywriting if it doesn't convert. a customer.
Within industry, there is a term called A/B testing, used to compare one very small change between pieces of copy.
The trick here is to only change one small thing at a time. You need to keep all other conditions the same. These conditions include:
demographic
timeframe it's displayed
time of day it's shown
rest of sentence
This clinical response is what will help you narrow down what is working for your audience.
An example of this could be putting an exclamation mark instead of a full stop at the end of an email subject line. Or the use of different emojis.
In this experiment, email click-through rate or email sign-up could be the metric you'd measure.
Don't be afraid to experiment with different approaches and see what resonates best with your audience.
You can use the data and feedback to refine your copy over time as you better understand your user behaviours.
Testing what good looks like
Clarity is the aim of the game and the underpinning element of all good copy. If you can answer these questions with your work then you're onto the right track:
Have you got a strong view of who your target reader is?
Is the message you're trying to communicate clear and compelling to that specific audience?
Does your message meet the reader at their level of knowledge?
Do you use emotions and stories to connect with the reader and persuade them to your intended action?
Is there a clear way for your reader to engage with your text with clear next steps or call to action (CTA) laid out?
How consistent is your tone of voice?
Is it the same across all marketing channels and platforms you post in?
Finally, is your copy free from errors? Been double-checked and tested?
Conclusion
Copywriting is half art half science. I enjoyed learning about the phycology and different tips and tricks around it. I will definitely be writing more about sub sections of this topic in future as there are so many nuances to each section. My main takeaway is test, test and then test some more. Have fun with it and keep authentically you. When you know who you are talking to and the audience you want to connect with writing copy becomes 1000X easier.
Special thanks to:
Across all my projects, there were some absolute superstars who helped me along the way. From pushing me to be braver, suggesting resources or even offering their time to help. These are just a few:
- The amazing TPC marketing team particularly: Stephanie, Ella, Lexi and Laura. You were the first to introduce me to the idea copy in general. Before this project, you were the go-to people for all my copy-related questions
- The Copy that! Community + Team. From your YouTube videos to the Discord community, there was always so much to be shared and learned. What you're doing is great!
- Lynn Lee for making me aware of the copywriting workshop
- Bea Wright for delivering such great content.