7 Secrets to Make Your Copy Sing

Inundated with media messages from every direction, consumers and B2B prospects have become adept at eluding or ignoring ads. And “sell by not selling” has become the latest marketing mantra. What could traditional copywriting possibly offer your business in today's digital age?

Fortunately, the death knell for copywriting has not been sounded yet. Successful ad campaigns will always make use of powerful copywriting. Whether it's website copy, product descriptions, marketing emails, brochures, or other collateral, copy that grabs your audience's attention and holds their interest will always be crucial for your brand.

But that doesn't mean you can breathe easy because the traditional marketing formats you've always used still work. Your copy has to be better than ever before. What are the secrets to effective copywriting in today's marketplace? Here are a few of our top copywriting tips:

1. Establish relevancy

Know your audience. Always place yourself in the mind of your intended audience and ask, “Why this, why me, why now?” Begin with the value proposition for your customer or client. Talk about specific, attractive, tangible benefits and advantages. Don't talk about features. This Shinola ad hits the bull's-eye, on several levels.

2. Use language that will galvanize action

The ultimate goal of copywriting is to get the reader to take action, whether it's making a purchase, opting-in, or otherwise engaging with a product or service. To accomplish this goal, keep the language simple and lively. Use words and phrases that are potent in capturing attention and eliciting your desired response. The pitch that begins with “Don’t miss out…” will probably be more effective than one starting with “Purchase tickets by….” The imperative must always offer value for the recipient.

3. Write compelling openers

Effective copywriting coaxes the reader into taking action, but openers are the gatekeepers that catch their interest in the first place. When eyes wander, dynamic headlines and subheads make them snap to attention and re-engage. If key phrases are lifeless or lack interest, your guests won’t stay long — and in the case of email/drip campaigns, they’ll never even enter. Dull or weak subject lines mean unopened messages. Check out the compelling opener in this press release.

4. Streamline dedicated messages

Just as openers need to be succinct and energetic, so does the rest of your copy. Make it clean, crisp, and concise. Avoid the common pitfall of trying to list every feature or benefit in a printed marketing piece or message. Every piece, every message, including your website, needs to be engaging and succinct, leaning into the reader’s value proposition — not yours. Think of your content as romancing your audience, slowly but surely revealing all that you have to offer. This BMW e-brochure combines pitch-perfect copy with alluring images to sway car buyers.

5. Be consistent across your media

Many people associate “consistency” with graphic design elements. And yes, visual impact matters, but even more critical is consistency of content. This doesn’t mean repeating your best copy in multiple pieces. Every marketing piece, every campaign, should have a specific goal, a standalone purpose. But the voice, tone, style, essence, and quality of your content must remain consistent from piece to piece across the various delivery channels. For example, Trello has a consistent voice in all of the copy promoting its product management tool.

6. Pay attention to emotional appeal

Effective copywriting grabs attention and courts emotional buy-in, without being obvious or cloying. Emotional responses capture people’s interest but can also generate sales. This product description expertly uses words related to emotions — aroma, comfort, simple  — to trigger a warm response in its readers.The correct graphics further empower your copy. Consider the value proposition of your intended audience and ask yourself, “Can they identify with that image, and how will that feel?”

7. Keep it evergreen

Explosive growth in online marketing media has changed the way businesses and organizations think about content. It’s easy to refresh and update messages for relevancy in multiple interactions across various platforms. In the past, printed materials were designed for a long shelf life. Today, digital printing options are enabling content strategists to consider shorter, more affordable runs of timely marketing communications for quicker returns.

Regardless of your marketing strategy or your value proposition, the ultimate success of your communications begins with effective copy. Consumers and prospects are easily overwhelmed by a glut of information in a world screaming for their attention. Great copy makes people stop and think first, then behave differently by taking action. That’s where Prose Media can help. Sign up to gain free access to our platform today —  we'd love to see what you have in mind.