Copywriting is one of the most lucrative skills out there. In fact, copywriters make thousands of dollars with this skill, even from the comfort of their homes. Freelance copywriters can earn as much as $250 an hour and roughly $100,000 a year.
Well, who would not invest in such a promotion? A copy is a certain way to drive traffic and leads that will convert to sales.
Another good thing about copywriting is that you don’t need a degree in writing to make a good copy. This is a skill you can acquire through learning using different modalities.
Essentially, what you need to learn are the techniques to move people to action. And, guess what? These techniques are not too complicated to learn. Even a third-grader can learn these techniques and make a good copy.
But of course, if you desire to make your copy effective, increase conversion rates, and even monetize your copywriting service then you need to invest time to know all of these techniques and sort them out.
What is Copywriting?
So, what is copywriting? Well, copywriting is the art and science of strategically delivering content that persuades people to take action. It is an art because it involves various creative styles and mediums. It is a science because it is designed to help people make purchasing decisions and the tactics used are measured against a set of goals.
Other sources define copywriting this way:
“Copywriting is the art and science of strategically delivering words (whether written or spoken) that get people to take some form of action.” – Copyblogger
“Copywriting consists of the words, either written or spoken, marketers use to try to get people to take an action after reading or hearing them.” – Hubspot
Copywriting is not just limited to printed materials. You can find it when you open your inbox, browse the web, or go on Facebook. You can also find it in advertisements on televisions, and radios. Yes, the actual script of the tv and radio personalities could be written by a copywriter.
Most of these articles or output have a built-in psychological trigger that is tailored from certain facts about your products and services to eventually convince people to take any action that you want them to take.
Thus, whether it is a product or a service, any entrepreneur would invest in copywriting to promote their business, especially in this very competitive era.
Do you want to make your content work? If you do, then here is the beginner’s guide to copywriting.
These are the five basic steps that you can follow and let your target market put their money out.
Know the Product and Service
The most important copywriting guide is to know the product and service you are selling. Why?
First, it is because prospects should find you trustworthy and credible. This is the main reason why copywriters carefully research more information before they write content.
A piece of certain evidence that would make them reliable like the truth about the product’s benefits and features, about what makes the offer better than the competitor’s, about the technical, financial, and medical claims it has, and lastly, any scientific study and findings relevant to use of the product or service.
Copywriters and influencers often receive promotional products before going public about them. The majority would say it is easier to talk about something you know and have experienced first hand. This privilege, if possible, should not be denied by entrepreneurs because in reality, once these endorsers promote a product or a service, they’re actually putting their name at stake.
Understand Your Audience
Another practical tip for effective copywriting is understanding your audience. This step is the key to high conversion rates. It will ensure that your copy is fresh, engaging, and relevant to your prospects because it puts the interest and needs of your audience above anything else.
This mini-infographic provides you with a list of the basic things that must know about your target audience:
In order to gather information about your target audience, you must conduct research, analyze your market, and define your ideal customer or audience.
In defining your target audience, you may start with your current customers. How were you able to attract these customers? What are their usual purchases? What led them to buy from you? What type of customer are they? These are just some of the questions you need to consider in your analysis so you can identify the characteristics of your ideal customer or buyer.
Most copywriters find Quora, Reddit threads, social media, Amazon reviews, client interviews, and surveys very helpful. They take note of their target customer’s complaints, and use positive reviews, and highlight them.
Beyond any doubt, it should directly communicate with your target audience. Therefore, you should niche down and know certain topics that are relatable and valuable to them. Tailor your content to what is necessary and beneficial for them.
Remember that a good sales copy is crafted strategically for your ideal clients to take action.
Articulate Your Message
Articulating your message clearly is also vital in copywriting. It is a guaranteed tactic to reach your ideal customers.
You should convey your message well by knowing your brand. Be specific about what you are selling and to whom you are selling it. Your brand objectives and goals should work alongside the flow and type of language you use in your copy.
Statistics show that the majority of the readers only read headlines. Another data shows that people are more compelled to skim because of headers and visuals. This is the chief reason why you should spend more time creating engaging headlines.
Other factors to consider in articulating your message are cohesiveness, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. To convey your message properly and achieve your business goal, you should remember to check these elements. Actually, another data from Real Business reveals that 74% of readers are very particular with the spelling and grammar of the copy.
You should use simple vocabulary and make sure that your content is jargon-free. Boomerang affirms that messages that are understandable by a third-grade level will obtain 36% more conversion rates.
So strive to articulate your message clearly without any sophistication so that you can reach your target market
Highlight the Key Selling Points
Basically, if you desire to make an impact on your readers, then you should highlight your key selling points.
And what are your key selling points? These are the unique features and benefits of your services or products. It is what makes you different from the crowd and what makes you stand out from your competitors.
An effective guide to copywriting is to tease your audience with your key selling points being emphasized in your content without giving away everything.
Include a Call to Action
Just like any other project, copywriting has its own objectives to achieve a certain goal. And one of its objectives is to convince the target audience to take action. Whether it is signing up for a webinar, an email subscription, or buying a product, it is still a conversion that results from a great copy.
As a guide to copywriting, you should learn to identify emotions to evoke from the readers and strategically accompany them with the right keywords and contents to trigger an action. Use evidence like testimonies and statistical data. Use visual content and audio podcasts. Persuade them why they should purchase your service or your product. Promote it across your social media channels.
And don’t forget to push their emotional buttons out.
Perhaps, with this basic guide to copywriting, you are now interested in making one for your business. Don’t hesitate to be creative and remember, know your product well, understand your audience, articulate your message, highlight your key selling points, and don’t forget to include a call to action.
