Copywriting

What is Copy Writing?

Copywriters write copy, or content that is used to persuade people to buy a product or service or otherwise influence their beliefs.  The majority of copy writing involves writing for advertisement or marketing purposes.  Copywriters create direct mail solicitations, advertisement jingles and scripts, online and print advertisements, website content, and other forms of marketing communications.  Creating persuasive content for a variety of projects requires creativity and command of the written language.  While the tasks assigned to a copywriter by a business can change from one assignment to the next, quality copy writing should consistently feature the following characteristics:

The copy should be broken up into manageable chunks which are easy to understand and navigate.  No visitor to your site is going to want to wade through a dissertation on the product or service you are trying to sell. 

Good copy will be pithy and easy to follow, providing the highlights of the product or service and answering common questions which may arise.

Headlines should sufficiently hook the reader into continuing to read the content.  If you headline fails to not only interest the reader, but draw them in, then it is over before it started.

The overall message of the content should be apparent to a casual reader after superficially gleaning over the content.  If your potential client is having to wade through the text to figure out what you are talking about, your chances of making the sale are slim to none.

The copy must not be dull and jargon should be kept to a minimum.  Again, your copy should not read like it came from a peer-reviewed medical journal.  Good copy should engage the reader and speak to them in lay terms they can understand.

The copy should highlight the benefits as well as the features of the product or service.  What the product does and how it is made may be interesting to you, but the client is going to be most interested in what the product is going to do for them.  Good copy will not neglect to include this information.

The copy should include compelling reasons to buy the product or service, such as guarantees, testimonials, etc. and conclude with a clear call to action.  Remember, you want the reader to do something after they read your copy. Good copy will tell the reader what that something is.

The links provided in the copy should all be functional.  Functional links are necessary to enable clients to navigate to the additional information they are seeking.  Make sure the links on your copy are functional to ensure your copy is working for you as efficiently as possible.

Style should be consistent throughout the copy, and spelling and punctuation should be immaculate.  Grammar reflects on the quality of the business in the eyes of your client.  Make sure your copy is error free so it screams competence to your potential customers.

All important details relevant to the product or service should be included in the copy, especially contact and purchase information.  If your copy sells the product, but your customer does not know how to purchase it or how to reach you, then all is for naught.

Quality copy writing can be worth its weight in gold if you know what to look for, and now you do!