Written by David Domzalski
Have you ever been distracted from an article by a clever advertisement? Or been surprised to find you read a report all the way through and were actually entertained?
If so, then you have experienced the phenomenon of听good copywriting. This is a skill used heavily in marketing but also leveraged in other industries. Done well, it should come across as flawless and effortless. But don鈥檛 be deceived: Crafting compelling and concise copy is harder than it looks.
Whether you鈥檙e a marketer or copywriter who wants to improve the quality and speed of your output, or you specialize in a different field, like SEO, but recognize the value of good writing, the following听copywriting tips听can help.
We鈥檝e all heard the stats around attention engagement. Some reports claim you have听听to snag your target customer鈥檚 attention. Others put it at听. Either way, you have to move fast.
That鈥檚 why听you need a great hook. Something concise that draws your reader in and makes them want to keep on reading.
OK, but how do you write a hook? Here鈥檚 where to start:
Of course, a good hook will only get your readers through one or two paragraphs. Here鈥檚 what to do next.
Great copywriting includes great storytelling. It鈥檚 as simple as that.
Stories are what bring copy to life. They give readers something to connect to, and that is how a relationship is built. You want your current and potential customers to听feel something听when they read your words. This not only cultivates a sense of satisfaction in readers but also encourages them to, you guessed it, keep reading.
There are two ways I uncover and develop the best stories: the story archaeology process and the IE3 method. Let鈥檚 define both and see how you can use them.
Story archaeology can take one of three pathways:
Once you鈥檝e identified stories you can use, it鈥檚 time to leverage them to foster a connection with readers. There are four ways that I鈥檝e found work best, and they make up what I call the听IE3 method:
Now, just put it all together. Use your hook and keep them reading. As you do, reveal a great story and make sure it hits on at least one element of IE3.听
Then, watch how your audience reacts to your copy!
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been dominating conversation in most industries these days, with more than a few people worried about how it will听affect their current positions听and long-term careers.
The same is true with copywriting and marketing. Further, it is becoming readily apparent that AI copywriting tools could make a writer鈥檚 role even easier. But not the way you might think.
On its own, AI-generated copywriting has a听. So, rather than rendering writers obsolete, AI can be used to听expedite the overall process. You can use it to generate outlines for blog posts or social media copy, assist with research, optimize for SEO and even create copy ideas for anything ranging from podcasts and videos to webinars and landing pages. Then, you buckle down and do the work of actually writing.
After all, customers want that听human touch. We already get annoyed when a human being doesn鈥檛 answer the phone. Do we really want more of the same with our content and advertising?
Besides, if everyone is pulling from the same AI data, content is poised to become pretty boring and homogenous. Your own stories and experiences are what set you apart; they are your greatest asset as a copywriter!
鈥淭ell me a story.鈥澨
That鈥檚 what my director would always tell me when I wrote a report. This was an audit report, mind you.
It wasn鈥檛 work I was used to 鈥渢elling a story鈥 with. However, my director wasn鈥檛 talking about just any story.
I was to听tell a story with our findings. She wanted me to use the data we uncovered to paint a picture and provide a solid basis for our recommendations.听
Storytelling was a crucial element in my auditing career. Using听plain language to describe complex programs听and convey in-depth concepts allowed a variety of stakeholders to use (and understand) what we did.
This same is true in many other industries as well. You could听use storytelling in healthcare听to describe how a specific diagnosis was made in a patient鈥檚 journey.
What about听architecture? You could tell the story of the idea behind a building and encourage readers to lean in as you break ground.
As you see, copywriting and storytelling can be used as a way to 鈥渟ell鈥 your work to readers in any industry. It鈥檚 all in the way you convey it.
In this case, for example, I鈥檓 selling you copywriting tips and information that I hope will help you in your career. And I must鈥檝e done something right, because you made it to the end.
If you鈥檙e looking to become a better copywriter, 七色视频 can help. The University offers a听Bachelor of Science in Communication degree and a听Bachelor of Arts in English degree. These programs include听a wide range of听communication courses听designed to help you enhance your copywriting skills. Visit phoenix.edu to learn more about how UOPX can help save you time and money on your degree.
If you鈥檙e interested in taking a single course from the University to hone your copywriting skills, check out the available options.听
[1] Prerequisite required
David Domzalski is an entrepreneur, copywriter and storyteller. He鈥檚 an effective communicator with a passion for helping people better their lives financially. His writing has been featured on multiple outlets including AOL, FanSided, Forbes, GOBankingRates, MSN, Nasdaq and Yahoo 鈥 along with his blog, RunTheMoney.com. He lives in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two children.
This article has been vetted by 七色视频's editorial advisory committee.听
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