The online world is awash in copywriting right now. You may think copywriting doesn’t apply to you, but I’m here to tell you it does.
Why? Because most of our communication is trending towards the constraints and creativity inherent with copywriting.
When we talk, our attention span is decreasing.
When we read a post, our decision to continue is made by the end the first paragraph.
To be honest, we scan more than we actually read. How do we respond? Where does that leave us?
Enter Copywriting
I think people are in the same place we’ve always been. Full of opportunity, flexible to reality, and dedicated to a purpose. I encourage you to think of yourself as a developing brand. You have to find out what matters to you, why you get out of bed in the morning and get to work. Why you work doesn’t change. But how you communicate, and what the work looks like, that may change with the times, tools, and attention spans available.
That’s what I want to share with you. Why copywriting matters to you, and how to improve today. Let’s get started.
Be Clear and Concise
It’s difficult to be clear and concise in writing and speaking. When I speak, my presentations can tend to be verbose. It’s a coping mechanism I struggle with. In my subconscious, more words = perceived expertise. Sometimes it helps, but many times it’s unclear. The worst is losing myself in an answer, and then throwing more words at the problem. Not good.
Writing is easier. We have time to review and cut the fluff. But the temptation to equate an increase in word quantity and length with expertise won’t work. Copywriting is critical here. Think of copywriting in the traditional sense. You have clear boundaries for the content. A single (or half) page in a magazine, or 30 seconds in a commercial. There’s no room for fluff, and the call to action must be clear.
Do this today
Pick a food or drink you consume most days (coffee, tea, bread, bacon). Write a 100 word copy with 12-15 sentences (8-10 words per sentence). Read it aloud.Are you intrigued by this product? Compelled by the story? Try again.
If this strikes you as unnecessary and “salesy”, I implore you to try it. Because when we share ideas online, we are in effect selling our ideas. People make purchases with their time and attention as much as with their money. If you have an idea or story worth sharing, you owe it to your readers to communicate as clearly as possible.
Helpful Tools & Resources
What’s the Problem?
Part of why I write is to help solve problems. Many times, they are problems I’ve faced (or are facing). Many bloggers turn their lessons learned in to entire careers (Pat Flynn and Nathan Barry are good examples). The important issue is to identify the problem your post will solve. Your work should be centered around solving a problem for people. Identify the crucial issue, and how to overcome it. I would argue that most businesses are set up to solve problems, and the more problems they can solve, the better.
The primary problem I want to help readers overcome?
Personal Growth and Development
Within that problem, I tackle how we build relationships, work through pain, do work that matters, and many more issues. But each related problem must have a clear relationship to growth and development.
Returning to the coffee ad, what is the problem that drives people to coffee? At first, it’s just to help them walk up! But it may also be a boost of energy in the afternoon, or the relationships built at the coffee shop. We may also want to do good by purchasing fair trade coffee or supporting a well in Africa.
You can see how the initial problem solving mission sparks a number of other problems, but they all relate back to the primary issue.
Do this today
Here is an easy question to visualize, but can be tough to execute. One of the first questions we ask a person is “what do you do?”. Come up with a a clear, concise answer description (1-2 sentences) describing how your blog or work helps people overcome a challenge or solve a problem. Make this a part of your blog’s landing page or about me page.
Helpful Tools & Resources
Use Compelling Images
How often have you browsed a magazine or website, when a striking image caught your attention? It happens all the time for me. In copywriting, the image helps tell the rest of the story your words cannot. Instead of a verbose description, show a compelling image or graphic, and drive the point home.
For example, I bet you retained more attention-span data from the infographic above, than the text supporting the data. Am I wrong?
Images are powerful and help draw in the readers. You can use photographs, graphics, sketches, and much more.
Do this today
Go through your recent posts. If you don’t have a blog, go through your recent social media posts. I guarantee many of them could be helped by an image or graphic! Resist the urge to make everything perfect, and get an image online for your next post. My first effort is to simply find an image that relates to the story I’m telling.
Helpful Tools & Resources
- Canva (my new favorite)
- Buffer 53+ Free Image Sources
- Sprout Social Social Media Image Sizes
What’s Next
Continue to apply these lessons in your writing, speaking, and interactions with people. Copywriting is more than a practice for salespeople and journalists, but a quick and compelling way of getting our ideas across to more people. Believe me, ideas are going to spread one way or another. Let’s make sure they’re the right ideas.
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image credits: TheBriefLab.com (infographic) and The Knight Foundation (featured image).