Let’s Zhuzh Up Your Copywriting
Copywriting is an absolute necessity for any business, but it's also one of the most challenging parts of creating content. In fact, many people don't even realize they need to improve their copywriting until they start seeing lower conversion rates, poor engagement on social, confused employees, and other worrying signs that their copy isn't doing its job.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to make sure your copy is as compelling as possible to reach your audiences (both internal and external), while still aligning with the rest of your brand’s messaging and voice.
Here are five tips to help you zhuzh up your copy the right way:
Step1: Read the room!
Before you start writing, you need to know your audience. Who are you trying to reach? What do they want? What motivates them? You might think it’s enough that you create something you personally like, but your audience is not you; at the end of the day, you must put your audience's needs ahead of your own. This applies whether you’re writing internal emails to your team or drafting Instagram posts.
Begin by using your listening and your customer discovery skills to answer questions like, "Is my audience looking for information about how to buy a service from me?" or "Do they come to my website for news updates or job openings?" or "Are there specific questions my audience asks when they fill out my online forms?" By analyzing how your audience interacts with your brand and what questions they might be asking that you haven’t yet answered, you can prioritize the right topics when you create content.
If you do nothing else or stop reading this blog here, this step alone will tremendously improve your copy.
Step 2: Do a little window shopping.
Now that you have an idea of what to say, let's get inspired in terms of style! Look at writing and content from other brands in your industry or brands that you admire. You can learn a lot from looking at what's popular with your competitors and industry leaders. It can give you an idea of how other businesses show up with different tones and voices, and which ones are working well and which ones… aren’t.
There are even blogs and sites that curate copy examples in one place. Our favorites are the Very Good Copy newsletter and Just Good Copy (for email writing).
Step 3: Reflect on past wins.
Sometimes, the best copy is right under our noses. There may be an internal email or memo your organization drafted a while back that succinctly describes everything you do or what sets you apart, and perfectly encapsulates how you want to write all the time.
Look through all the different ways that your organization communicates—in Slack messages and emails, on your website and blog posts, and through social media channels like Twitter or Facebook. Even if not all of it is great, there will be some parts of those communications that are excellent examples of how your brand should be communicating.
You don't always have to start over. Be open-minded; even a quick set of Slack messages can contain pearls of inspiration!
Step 4: Write first, edit second.
Writing freely is an excellent way to get past potential writer’s block, and to get over your fear of something being less-than-perfect. If you try to write and edit together in one sitting, the creative process of writing might quickly get overshadowed by thoughts of whether you need a comma in that sentence, or whether that word is the perfect semantic choice.
Let the creative part of your brain breathe for a bit, and just write, write, write in the most natural way you can, without stopping to edit. It takes some practice, but later, when you’re in editing mode, you’ll be less burdened with worry and more free to dig through the thesaurus for the perfect synonym.
The same principle applies for social media posts, too; write your posts first with no character limits or word counts in mind, and then trim them down later.
Step 5: Wave the white flag and ask for help.
If you're unsure how to write in your organization’s voice at all, that's okay! There are plenty of resources out there to help you.
Try delegating some writing to another member of your organization, or consider hiring a freelance writer (we know a lot of great ones!). Or, check out the many copywriting tools available (see some of our favorites below). You could even take a copywriting course if you have the time.
🚨 Tool Alert 🚨
Whether you want to improve your copywriting or beat writer's block back into the dark, forbidding void it came from, here are some suggestions:
Grammarly: From grammar and spelling to style and tone, Grammarly's suggestions are comprehensive, helping you communicate effectively and as you intend.
Hemingway Editor: The app highlights lengthy, complex sentences, and common errors. It even lets you know which grade level you're writing at, so you can ensure your copy is as bold and clear as possible.
Copy.Ai: This is a marketing game changer. This app can cut your writer's block significantly by getting words in the tone of your choosing down on the page for you. You simply submit your ideas, title, or keywords you want to be mentioned, and the app gets a draft started for you.
Coschedule Headline Analyzer: An oldie but a goodie, this app from Coschedule lets you know how compelling your headlines, titles, and subject lines are.
No matter how you do it, the key is to ensure that every piece of content you write creates value for your audience—otherwise, it’s not worth reading!
