Become a Copywriting Rockstar

While being blessed with writing talent can certainly give you a leg up on becoming a successful copywriter, it’s not enough to be a standout in the field. Unfortunately, becoming exceptional at copywriting, much like any other discipline, requires practice and perseverance.

Whether you choose to attend college, take online courses, get professional coaching, or learn about copywriting on your own, you have a lot to learn. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of blogs, books and websites dedicated to teaching you how to write.

For that reason, so I’m only going to touch on a few points here, focusing on how to write web copy and become an effective online copywriter.

To become a copywriting rockstar, you’ll need to practice your craft and continually be improving.

How should you approach writing web copy, such as to promote a product or service?

Realize that when it comes to purchasing products or services on the web, most people don’t care what company they buy from. They are seeking a solution to a problem. If you can persuade visitors that your product meets their needs and they can trust your claims, then they’ll buy from you.

What should you include in your copy?

Write web copy that does the following:

• Identifies your prospect’s problem or desire
• Shows you understand their needs
• Explains your solution
• Describes its features
• Highlights its benefits
• Overcomes any objections prospects may have
• Builds your credibility as their best resource
• Persuades the prospect to act now with clear instructions on how to proceed

How should I start?

You can’t toss random content on your site like a basket full of clean laundry that needs to be sorted.  Readers won’t sift through the mess.  The disorganized pile becomes an overwhelming deterrent, and the visitor will hit the back key to search for another website that’s easier to read.

To be effective in your web copy, you need to carefully organize the information, employing words and an order that will make sense to the reader.

It’s often good practice to outline your key ideas before you begin writing copy.

Much like you probably did in English class, a good place to start is with an outline. What key points or topics do you want to cover? How should you arrange them? Use a logical organization so the reader can easily follow the flow of your copy.

What’s a good guideline as to how much information I should include on a website page?

Of course, the answer will depend on what you’re trying to accomplish with your copy as well as the complexity of the subject matter. But here are some basic guidelines:

Provide facts, not fluff –  Give the information customers seek and that ultimately compels them to take action. Forget the flowery imagery and be straightforward in your delivery.

Consider the sophistication level of the reader – How much are they likely to already know on the subject? Are you targeting novices or experts?

Limit each paragraph to one main idea – Provide the right amount of information, enough to satisfy the readers’ questions, but not so much that they’ll be overwhelmed.

Clarity and tone are critical to impact – Website copy should be conversational, written as if the author were actually speaking one-on-one to the visitor. It should be easy to understand. Use simple sentences. Informal, down-to-earth language and a friendly manner will help you connect with your reader.

Let your personality shine through – Copy that reads like an impersonal term paper or legal brief is boring and hard to comprehend. Even humor has a role in business websites.

Write for readers and scanners (people who scan vs. read pages in their entirety) – Many of your visitors will want to glean the essence of your copy with a mere glance. Use headlines, subheads and bullets to make your copy scannable. Strip away all the filler content to create clean, lean content that focuses on exactly what your customers care about most.

Good copy goes hand-in-hand with good design to create an effective web page.

How important is the design of a web page?

Applying some simple design practices can help your copy look as good as it sounds. They will make your pages more readable, including:

• Incorporate white space to let your copy breathe.
• Add subheads that keep the reader engaged and moving down the page.
• Sprinkle bullets to catch the eye.
• Select colors that work well together.
• Choose a font that’s easy to read.
• Use graphics and photographs to complement the text.
• Include captions on images, written with your visitor in mind.
• Be concise. Be useful. Be functional.

Your website’s design should go hand-in-hand with its copy. Together, they must send a cohesive message that resonates with visitors.

How can I be sure the copy is effective?

Too many businesses make the mistake of creating content that works for them, rather than the customer. The user experience is important. You’ll want to test your ideas and get feedback. 

Ask friends or coworkers to read your copy and give you their impression.

Share your copy with others and ask them to evaluate it as though they were prospective customers. Get answers to questions like these:

• What’s their first impression?
• Do the headline and subheads capture their attention?  
• Does the copy make sense and progress logically through the key points?
• Are they able to find answers to their questions?  
• Do they feel they can trust the claims made on your website?
• Would they feel comfortable buying from you?

Finally, does it motivate them to take the desired action, whether that’s request more information, schedule an appointment, subscribe or make a purchase?

Getting real feedback is an invaluable way to determine which parts of your web copy work and which don’t. A positive user experience is imperative if you want people to return to your site, purchase your product or service, and refer your business to friends.

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To become an in-demand copywriter these days, you need to understand search engine optimization. Learn about SEO in the next blog post in this series, SEO Copywriting and Why It’s Important.