In this month's blog, we take a look at some copywriting mistakes that we see time and time again. Don't worry, we make mistakes too. That's why we're in a prime position to help make sure you don't make the same mistake twice.
Give yourself time
Most copywriters work to a strict deadline, and dedicating time to thoroughly research, prepare and plan may seem to eat into valuable writing time.
While it might be tempting to dive straight into producing the copy, don’t. Not only does lack of research and preparation lead to poor structure, but valuable points which have the opportunity to be emphasised may be missed. You may also find yourself staring at a blank screen awaiting some inspiration before you even start writing. We've all been there!
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Obviously
To produce engaging and persuasive copy which is guaranteed to be a hit with your readers (and client) we advise the following steps:
Yes, you’ve guessed it. Start with research. Gather all the vital information and make sure you understand your target market.
Plan your copy. Set yourself a strong intro to hook your audience in. Also arrange your points from most important to least important and plan a strong conclusion. A clear structure will keep the audience engaged on the page.
Proofread and edit. If you’ve thoroughly planned your copy it shouldn’t take you too long to type up. Once finished, dedicate plenty of time to read through and edit. Ensure tone of voice, tense and person remain the same, along with checking for spelling and grammar errors.
Review how your copy flows and looks. For the last part, we suggest reading out loud to check the fluidity of your copy. If it doesn’t naturally flow for yourself it definitely won’t for your reader. Long paragraphs are also a turn off, so do make sure you edit some spaces in.
By following these steps, we guarantee you'll be on the right track to producing some great content.
Not everything is a sales pitch
Of course, the purpose of copywriting is to sell a product or service. However it’s important to not switch off your audience by going down the dreaded sales pitch route.
Instead showcase your company's knowledge, and how your product or service can benefit your reader’s life. This could make them happier, healthier and less stressed – or make them more productive and creative, the list goes on.
Once you’ve carried out vigorous research, you should have a clear understanding of the target customer, along with their needs and desires.
To ensure the copy doesn’t become too wishy washy and overwhelming for the reader, we advise you to define the main benefit for the stereotypical customer. Clearly set out the user’s problem and how the product/service provides a solution – leaving them to feel as though they would be crazy to not make a purchase.
By focusing on just one point, you will strengthen your argument, keep readers hooked and ultimately generate more sales.
Keywords are, you guessed it, key
As the Internet continues to play a vital role in the success of businesses worldwide, competition between copywriters and content marketers is increasing. Your copy is guaranteed to be up against multiple rivals who offer similar products, therefore it's more important than ever for your copy to rank high on Google to achieve maximum click rate.
While it might be tempting to produce copy and publish to page asap, do make sure you’ve done SEO checks beforehand. Stellar copy is useless without vital keywords. Be sure to use the search term and review the phrases potential customers use to look and find your product. These keywords and phrases can then be used throughout your copy to boost the visits to the page.
Subheadings speak for themselves
As a copywriter, it's super easy to get carried away and forget your audience. Remember you are writing for your target customer, not yourself. Readers can easily switch off if they're greeted by lots of text, leaving them compelled to click off the page. A quick hack to increase dwell time is to include subheadings to ensure readers can easily follow your content. Subheadings also provide the opportunity for plenty of keywords, so really, it's a win win.
If this all looks a bit much, or you don't have a clue where to start, don't worry. We offer bespoke copywriting, press, PR, and social media packages to help give your business a voice. Find out more about what we can do for you by clicking here.