Vault – Marketing Tip – Effective Copywriting

Marketing Tip:
‘Back to School’ Guide For Writing Effective Copy

If you’ve been in business very long, you know that powerful, effective writing is essential to your marketing efforts.  However, most entrepreneurs would rather do anything else than sit down and write marketing campaigns.

But…if you can master 5 basic techniques for writing good copy, you can crank out killer content within a few minutes. And then you’ll be free to do other wonderful things for your business.

#1 Be Real
If you can TALK about your company, then you can easily write an effective marketing piece.

Writing doesn’t have to be difficult. Just pretend you’re having a conversation with a good friend and write it down. If you write your copy the way you talk, not only will you’re copy be engaging, but your prospects will feel as if they really know and trust you.

Don’t try too hard to be impressive or polished. Let your excitement speak for itself. The harder people try to convey the perfect message, the more confined it becomes. Have fun with it, and don’t be too technical.

#2 Know Your Prospects
One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make is trying to market to the masses. The business owner has a product or a service to sell, so they send out mass mailers or emails to anybody and everybody for whom they have an address.

Rather than becoming a mass marketer, take a few minutes, pull out a sheet of paper, and write down everything you know about your prospect. How old are they? Are they male or female? What is their education level? Household income? Interests? What do they most want out of life? The more you know about a prospect, the easier and more effective writing your copy will be.

Don’t waste your time or marketing budget on vague messaging. Speak directly to your prospects’ pain, interests, hopes, or beliefs.

#3 Write Powerful Headlines/Subject Lines
The most important element of EVERY marketing piece is the headline and subject line. You only have a few seconds to engage your prospect in your message. 80% of the prospect’s decision to continue reading is based on the headline. Similarly, a poor subject line could be the difference between a prospect opening an email and instantly deleting it.

There are several elements that contribute to effective headlines and subject lines. First, your headline should be attention grabbing. Remember, your prospect must have a reason to continue reading. Give them one. Second, your headline should be informative. People do not like to be fooled. Don’t use scare tactics of vague headlines to force your prospect to read more. Third, your headline should convey urgency. Your goal is to have your contact read your message right now!
Write as many headlines as necessary until you create one that is attention grabbing, informative, and conveys a sense of urgency.

#4 Appeal to Your Prospect’s Emotional Side
People buy products and services for an emotional reason. They rarely make purchases because they need something. If you truly understand your prospect, you will be able to sell to their emotional needs.

Try to focus on the benefits of your product or service, not its features. There is a natural tendency to talk about durability, unique structure, and abilities. Focus instead on what this product or service will do for your contact. How will they feel, look, act, or what will they achieve because they have your product?

Point out the pain, boredom, and difficulty of their life without your product or service. Share the excitement, happiness, and pleasure they will receive with it. Win your prospects over emotionally, and you’ll be a lot closer to making the sale. 

#5 Make a Strong Call to Action
The difference between marketing and advertising is the call to action. When you send a marketing message, your primary goal should be to make the sale. If you neglect to ask your contact to buy your product or service, you’re not marketing!

The call to action comes after you’ve used your copy to sell to your prospect. They’ve read your message, liked it, and they want to buy. But you still need to get them to act now.

After all, things happen. People get sidetracked. And, as anxious as somebody is to have your product, they may not be motivated enough to get up and do something about it. And, if they don’t act on your offer right away, chances are…you’ve lost them. With a strong call to action, you’ll be ten times more likely to land the sale.

The best part of writing copy is that it becomes second nature. Once you truly understand your prospects, you learn to sell benefits not features, and you know how to connect emotionally, you’re copy will be sharp, effective…and take you no time at all!

Tags: Advertising, Business, Marketing and Advertising, Small business