Okay, So What is Copywriting Anyway? Let’s Dumb It Down

From a very young age, my older sister told me that if you cannot explain something to a six year old and have them understand it, then you don’t understand it yourself. She probably did mention that it’s a quote by Albert Einstein but I just assumed she made it up.

So, that is exactly what my profession is all about too — ‘dumbing down’ everything to make it easier for readers to digest and actually take action. Let’s talk about copywriting…

Copywriting is basically the strategy of creating written content with the sole purpose of persuading the reader to take some sort of action — that could be subscribing to a newsletter, buying a product or service, making a call or merely clicking a link. Yes, copywriters are more so like salespeople to a certain extent.

You know when you see:

“Join for a free month”
“Find out how”
“Become an exclusive member”
“While stocks last”
“Download now”
“Book your free consultation”

Those are all called “Call-to-Action” (CTA), every single copy absolutely has to have one because again, the point is to convince the reader to do what you want them to do through strategic use of words. Copywriting is literally everywhere and we just do not pay much attention to it.

At the supermarket, what makes you grab a different type of cereal? The content written on it — “non GMO, sugar-free, gluten free, eco-friendly packaging…” all those words are strategically put there (typically in ALL-CAPS and bold) to make you take the action of buying it. So, that too is considered copywriting even though it didn’t have ‘BUY ME NOW!’ all across the packaging. Instead, they gave you reasons to buy it.

There it is, the critical part of copywriting — highlighting the benefits over features. Let me paint a picture for you real’ quick with a simple example… There are 2 new companies that just launched which are both selling the same eyewear and their posters are as follows:

A. Our brand new eyewear is sealed with real platinum all around the frame giving them a slick aesthetic look

B. Our brand new eyewear is lab tested to ensure that you see clear as day even at night

Which one sparked your interest? One is talking about themselves and the other is talking about what they can do for you/how they can help. I mean, even if you are not in the market for eyewear, we can’t deny that B sort of convinces you that you are.

The whole point of copywriting is to grab the attention of your target, increase brand awareness, generate leads that can increase revenue and help you acquire new customers who will also stay loyal to your brand.

All this is done through good copywriting! So now, let’s talk about that — how to actually write copy that converts…

✷ Reel them in with your titles

“When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”
David Ogilvy (the father of Advertising)

This is not only important when it comes to being discoverable through search engines but your titles also determine whether your audience will hear you out or just scroll right past. Sometimes we don’t know we need something until someone tells us about it. We can find shoes at every retail store but why should we stop in our tracks and explore what you have to offer? A punchy title will do — play around with different formats. Be straightforward, be unconventional, be unexpected and they will spend sometime looking into what you have for them.

✷ Know who you are talking to

Now I know this may sound a bit weird because as a business, you are talking to thousands of people from different backgrounds and demographics. But one of the critical steps to writing copy that brings the results you want is by creating a buyer persona. What this essentially is, is a specific person you are trying to target. Just one. This is a fictional character that will help you stay focused on your mission and what help you provide. Who are they, their sex, their job, their location, their interests and hobbies, their main stressors. All of this will help you approach them in a way that gives them comfort and makes them take action.

✷ Tell them stories that they can relate to

In a world where AI is poppin’ and making it a norm to talk to a robot, it has been hard for consumers to build connections and meaningful relationships with brands. This is where you come in and make them feel heard and understood because essentially, that is what matters most to us. Tell us what inspired you to start your business, why you want to help them and guide them on how they can use your products and services for optimal benefits! Storytelling is also the perfect way to attract attention and engagement from the people you are targeting.

✷ Do your research and prove it

Anyone can come up to us and tell us that drinking 6 cups of coffee each day is actually good for your health — there, I’ve just said it myself. But if you are a brand selling coffee beans, we are not just going to take that statement and ride with it, you will have to convince us a bit more (especially about something so bizarre)! Collect data and information from reliable sources that will help you backup your claim. This will entice your target to try it out themselves (and honestly, sometimes the placebo effect gets ahold of us, so long as there is some sort of ‘proof’ that something works).

✷ Highlight the benefits and the experiences expected

Yes, your product may look aesthetically pleasing and although that matters to the younger generation, at the end of the day, we all still want something that will offer convenience and ultimately improve the quality of our lives. So, talk about it — how is this product and/or service going to change our lives, how quickly can we start seeing results, how easily can we get this? The best part about delivering on the experiences you promise is that it’s guaranteed to boost your brand awareness as more and more people will voluntarily start talking about it.

Copywriting is absolutely important for the growth and success of your business! Invest in a good copywriter because they can either make or break your business. Words are all around us every single day and whether we are aware of it or not, we are exposed to 4000 – 10 000 ads a day. They come in different sizes and formats, but in most cases, they are in the words we read. All those words are carefully crafted by copywriters… the more you know!