According to Forbes, in 2020, the average person encounters anywhere between 4,000 to 10,000 ads every day. With that said, it’s becoming more and more challenging for brands to stand out from the crowd and connect with their audience, whether it’s through a banner ad on a website or a billboard on a busy highway. Even if a strong strategy and proper placement back your ads, it all boils down to this: does your copy drive action? Our team dives into the fundamentals of effective copywriting and how you can build your skills to earn more clicks, page views, and overall conversions for your brand.

Grammar

How trustworthy is a copywriter that publishes content with errors? Copy that isn’t up to grammatical standards could bruise a brand, product, or service’s image. While mistakes are inevitable, they shouldn’t be swept under the rug.

Whether it’s a long-form blog or a short header on a banner, the proofreading process is crucial to preserving a reputable brand image in marketing. This could be as simple as having a second pair of eyes to review or using a digital writing assistance tool like Grammarly to help detect potential grammar, word choice, and style mistakes within your copy.   

Attention Grabber

Did you know 55% of all page views get less than 15 seconds of attention? A strong lead could determine a make or break moment for capturing your audience. And with a strong lead should come a strong follow-up and so on—this ripple effect keeps your audience engaged and can convert a potential customer to a loyal one.

Buzzfeed reigns powerful in this space, using the best-kept secrets to captivate an audience to click even the most absurd articles or quizzes. Their headlines, laced with mystery, shock, and humor, spark curiosity in an audience that otherwise might’ve scrolled past their post. Buzzfeed’s ability to craft click-worthy copy earned them 64 million unique page visitors in February 2020 alone.

Jargon

A common struggle for copywriters, beginners and experienced, is the overuse of jargon and filler words to get the point across. While industry-specific vernacular is appropriate for some, like B2B brands, B2C audiences will get lost in translation and you may lose the chance to feel a connection. That’s why business-to-consumer brands should produce easily digestible content, even if it means taking a complex subject matter and simplifying it to a 5th-grade reading level. 

Persuasion

It’s no secret that persuasion is the bottom-line goal of every marketing strategy. With a little technique and the right phrasing, your persuasive copywriting skills can help guide customers through the buying journey with confidence. But what differentiates persuasive copy from the rest? It’s all about resonating with your audience beyond a surface level.

By digging deeper and uncovering what moves your audience, you can drive action. Whether it’s by telling a story that inspires or appeals to emotion, a persuasive copy should be moving but backed with logic. This essential marketing skill can transform a product for sale into a product worth buying.

Strong Call-to-Action

Now that you’ve enticed your audience with a strong lead and a touch of persuasion, what’s next? That’s where a strong call-to-action ties the marketing package together.

So, suppose you are a financial institution looking to increase applications for car loans. In that case, your ads should not only capture your audience with an attention-grabbing header and promotion, but they should also encourage them to start an application immediately. Your audience must understand your product or services before they reach this point, and it’s crucial that your call-to-action (CTA) is strong, short, and drives conversions.

SEO Friendly

An element of copywriting exclusive to digital marketing and goes beyond elementary knowledge of copy is the integration of search engine optimization. Website copy must be backed by robust search engine optimization, otherwise known as SEO. This is keyword research that helps you write copy based on search-friendly content. In turn, these strong keywords lead to higher ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

While keyword research is the foundation of creating SEO-friendly content, it’s not the only factor to consider. You can learn more about search engine marketing and how they affect search results in our Go-To Guide to Google Core Updates.

Audience

Your audience plays a significant role in many facets of your marketing strategy—with the copy being one of them. This segment ultimately determines your brand style, voice, and which platforms to use to target them effectively. This means that every copywriting decision should be made with your audience at the forefront. For example, our client Do Orlando North upholds a brand image that targets families, couples, and solo travelers looking for new, fun, and adventurous things to do in Seminole County. This guides the brand’s voice toward a light-hearted, energetic tone through everything from their website to social media presence.

Good copywriting takes time and talent, but with a little technique and mindfulness, you can not only reach your intended audience but drive action. Implement these seven elements as a foundation and work your way toward standing above the crowd.

“The secret of all effective advertising is not the creation of new and tricky words and pictures, but one of putting familiar words and pictures into new relationships.”

Leo Burnett, Founder of Burnett Worldwide