Why Do You Need a Good Copy?
By definition, copy is writing that sells, so it must be compelling to an audience. An effective copy is an essential component in establishing credibility and trust while clearly pushing out important information about a product or service that gets people talking. The copy must be a mixture of art and science combined. Dealing with artistic advertising, the copy has the chance to not only be practical and persuasive, but also aesthetically beautiful and creative. On the other hand, writing an effective copy is considered to be a science due to the rigorous predictability research, trial and error tests, and development tactics that is involved.
The main purpose of a copy is to focus on selling the product and positioning it adequately to a targeted audience. To add on to that statement, even the legend of advertising himself, David Ogilvy, said, “A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.” Therefore, even though there are multiple styles one can implement while writing a copy, they each must follow a few simple steps to make it effective.
1. Use Simple, Everyday Words
To write an effective copy, you must make every single word count. Readers do not want to scrutinize over difficult, lengthy words; instead, they would much rather read a brief paragraph that clearly gets to the point- fast. So free your copy from any hyperbole, fancy words, slang, and abbreviations to make sure the language is clear, universal and understandable to all.
2. Be Clear In Your Communication
Stop flooding your readers with information that they do not need! Being concise with your message of the most important aspects of the product will allow your audience to digest the information easily without confusion. Save the extraneous details for long form advertisements and cut the fluff for an effective copy!
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
Albert Einstein
3. Understand Your Product
In order to write an effective copy, you must be knowledgeable about the product you are trying to highlight and sell. This means that YOU must take the reigns and do some research on your product. This research includes studying the benefits the audience will obtain from using the product and the possible shortcomings they might experience as well.
4. Understand Your Competition
In order to sell your product, you must know what sets it apart from the other sharks in the red ocean. In other words, what unique value does your product bring to the table that your competition cannot offer? Once you weed out your opponents, you will be able to effectively write copy that positions your product in the best light possible.
5. Be Approachable
To write an effective copy, you must not only be a source of relevant information but also a friendly connection. This means that you should regularly engage with your customers in person, over the phone, through social media channels, etc. Remember, in order to establish a loyal audience, you want to build trust through open and personable communication.
Different Types of Copy
Although every effective copy demonstrates both clear communication and simplicity and is knowledgeable and approachable while positioning a product, there are still many different styles of copy. Three of the most common styles include Plain Copy, Conversational Copy, and Storytelling Copy.
Plain Copy
Sometimes the most effective and time efficient way to convey a message is through plain copy. Free of gimmicks, exaggerated language, or noise, plain copy is a basic approach to introduce a product and get the job done without any unnecessary details.
No flare. No pizzazz. Just Facts.
Conversational Copy
Conversational Copy is another straightforward approach, but this time it tries to empathize and relate the reader to the copywriter. It focuses on relatability and a “you and me” conversation. Picture a salesman selling a product and attempting to win over the entire audience – that is conversational copy.
Storytelling Copy
Ah, who doesn’t enjoy a story? We, as a society, are intrigued by the experiences of others and love to relate them to our own. Writing an effective copy through storytelling includes an introduction to a problem, the conflict the protagonist experiences and suffers through, then the ending resolution that solves the initial issue at hand. The resolution is where you have the opportunity to place your product as the ultimate solution to fix the problem. In turn, you are establishing the credibility of your product through creative storytelling.
Overall…
Overall, while writing an effective copy, you must be aware of why you are writing it in the first place- to… INFORM, PERSUADE, AND SELL!
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