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SocialMediaMarketingBlog.docxOverview of Marketing Copywriting
What is copywriting?
Copywriting is writing copy with the primary purpose of advertising or marketing. This marketing should be persuasive, but for this to happen, it should be delivered to those who want to respond. It is not just about writing but involves a strategy, too. There should be a good planning first before writing. For instance, the tone should be considered and it should sell to customers. The outcome should also be clear to the writer and the result should achieve that outcome.
The outcome is communicated to customers by a call to action. Grabbing readers attention and making them want to continue is important. It is a handshake and first thing the customer encounters. It should be creative and with great content.
To successfully communicate call to action, the copywriting should do the following:
1. Deliver significance
2. Appeal to just the right niche audience
3. Provide value (return on time invested)
Marketing copywriting can be a creative art. If it doesn’t sell, it is not creative. The writer should balance creativity with a real focus on the call to action. Learning this will grow your business
Types of marketing copywriting
There are different ways that a company wants to talk to customers. This results to different types of marketing copy delivered to customers. The classifications copywriting are the following:
1. By collateral
Examples: brochure, direct mail or email, poster, script, and one liner
2. By medium
Examples: online, print, and radio
3. By style
Examples: teaching, making audience laugh, scaring audience, and hard selling
Preparing yourself to write
Having concentration is an important way in preparing yourself to write, and this requires blocking out noises that can hinder the concentration process. This can be done in many different ways depending on the situation. In any way, the writer should have adequate time to concentrate to be focused on what the copywriting.
Writing Copy
There are tools needed when writing copy, and these tools should be organized before and during the writing process. Meanwhile, the most important tool for writing is the brain. The writer’s brain should be properly engaged in writing so it would produce great content that will catch reader’s attention and achieve the desired outcome.
Aside from the tools, there should be a plan that will guide the writer and show what should be done. It can take about 30 minutes to think what you should be doing. To do this, it is best to consider the audience, the collateral needed, and the style that will work best for the intended audience. For big projects, planning may require more than 2 people. This would mean more time for collaboration. For smaller projects that can be done by one person, planning will depend on the individual style, but it should still consider the audience to know what collateral and style should be used.
There are times that writers experience writer’s block. When this happens, free writing can help to get the writing started. In this phase, there is no need to worry about grammar, spelling, or format. Just write down your thoughts. In the process, this can steer the brain in the right direction.
After finishing the free writing, it is time to write the first draft. This time, it is important to focus on the audience. The dos and don’ts in writing should also be considered. After knowing the style and collateral that will be used, the writer can start writing. It is also advisable to get a timer and set it to 45 to 90 minutes, depending on your preference, and don’t stop writing until the timer stops. There is no need to start with the introduction as you can also opt to write from the inside out. While writing, it would help if the writer has a clear sense of what he/she is writing and why.
There are general rules and tips to help the writer in copywriting. These rules include addressing the audience by using you and your. Another one is worrying more about the quality than quantity. There is also no need to use sarcasm in writing. Aside from that, the writing should be easily understood without the readers needing to interpret what you are really trying to say.
Although there is no perfect template for copywriting, these rules will help in generating copywriting content that makes sense to the readers and, at the same time, will help the business achieve its goals.
After writing the draft, the polishing will start. In this part, it will be great if you can ask other people to proofread your marketing copy. These people will normally find errors you do not find in your own writing. After that, you can also reread your own work and start editing. After editing, you can proofread until you are satisfied with what you have written. Although there is no specific length for copywriting, it would be better to make it brief and precise.
It is important to think of a headline that can catch the attention of the target readers. This headline should be understandable, fully descriptive, but not boring. These headlines are really important so it is necessary to invest time in them. After creating these headlines, they can be tested to see which headlines work best. This can be done by emailing customers with headlines. The email can be split into as many segments as you have headlines. The headlines that gets the most opens is the best headline.
To keep the readers in reading the content, you can entice them with different strategies. One way is by using a fun summary. Another way is to create a table of contents for the readers to know what they are going to see. Another option is to just ask. This means you can just tell them to keep reading and tell them the benefits of doing that.
When writing for print, there is a different set of requirements. First, the context should be considered. Also, since it is in print, there should be careful editing since you can no longer edit it after publishing and distributing the copies. Aside from that, the imagery is also important.
For online readers, the writing should have visual cues that would make the readers want to continue reading. There should be no more than 13 words in a line which improves its scanability and makes it easier for the readers to retain information. There should also be no more than five to six lines in each paragraph. There should also be images in between long paragraphs. Numbers or bullets should be used for lists. The writer can also use links when it is useful.
Rewriting Existing Copy
When writing for existing copy, it is important to know the context. You can check for unnecessary, superfluous words. As much as possible, it should be short but efficient. There should be a balance between brevity and entertainment. It should be clear and direct. After rewriting, it should also be proofread for punctuation, grammar, and other errors.
If rewriting is done for a webpage, the main focus of editing should be for readability. After that, it should also be proofread for grammar, punctuation, and other errors. The format should make the copy good for reading so readers will have a good impression about it and will continue reading until the end.
Benefits to the Company I Wish to Work For
Copywriting will benefit any company when it is used well. In my case, I want to work for hotels like Marriott Hotel. With the fierce competition in the market, especially now with the presence of Airbnb, it is important to write a copy for readers to position the services of the business in a way that will appeal to the customers the most. With great copywriting, the customers can realize the many benefits of going to Marriott Hotel instead of other hotels or inns.
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Clink on this link to see a video showing 6 Copywriting Tips for Beginners.
