Copywriting is essential to the success of any business, especially accounting firms. If your copy is off-target, you could attract the wrong customer or not make enough sales.
Compelling copy is what makes your brand stand out from the competition and converts eyeballs into clients. Here are the fundamentals of copywriting that every business owner needs to know to give their business a boost online.
Copywriting Defined
Different from content like blog articles, copywriting is words crafted to elicit action and result in conversions. Conversions could be registrations, email capture, traffic or sales, but if they don't click, your copy may not be working.
Here are just some of the ways your company could use copy:
- On your website
- Email marketing
- SMS marketing
- Sales page or funnel
- Landing page
- Social media ads
If you’re selling something, you're using copywriting. But does it actually work? Let's review my top copywriting fundamentals to set you up for online success.
Copywriting Fundamentals
Good copywriting will have at least a basic understanding of the psyche of the target buyer. It uses empathy, fear, ambition, and desire language to pack a punch with every line.
Target Your Ideal Customer
You cannot sell to everyone, or you will be appealing to no one and diluting your message. You want your target audience to feel you're talking directly to them.
What do they do for a living? What age or stage of life are they in? What are their hobbies? What do they need? What obstacles do they face? What are their wins? Why do they need your product or service?
These are all simple but crucial questions to ask yourself about who your audience really is. Craft copywriting that acts like a mirror where your ideal customer looks and sees themselves.
No Textbook Language Talk
The industry or cultural references you make should be relatable to your ideal buyer. Avoid industry jargon and overcomplicated terms. Copy is not a job application.
There are many schoolroom grammar and language rules you can toss out the window for copywriting. Except for the Oxford comma, keep that.
Direct response copywriting is a huge departure from term papers and textbooks. It's casual and conversational. Write your brand copy just how you would speak to your customers. It might be tough for the rule followers, but you can do it. Keep it simple.
You want your ideal customer to be comfortable with what you're communicating and to understand it immediately. If they have to whip out a dictionary, you're doing it wrong.
This does not mean short and simple writing is easy to create, only that it's simpler to understand. You may find it more difficult to be succinct but stay strong. Resist the urge to over-explain.
Emphasize Benefits, Not Features
A feature is what your product has or how it functions. The benefit of a product is how the user or recipient's like is changed for the better because of your product.
Stop writing about all the cool features your product or service offers and focus on what it does for your customer. It is not a tree trimmer; it is a view enhancer. It is not just coffee; it's fuel to finish your day. It is not just a stiletto; it is a date magnate.
Give your customer a picture of what their life looks like now and how much better it will be after they benefit from what you offer.
Boost Your Business Online: Leverage Expert Copywriting
Trained and experienced copywriters have taken pains to comprehend the nuances of a client's voice and target audience psychology. And they have the writing skills to pull it all together.
Want to learn more about copywriting? Here’s a list of the best copywriting books to learn more.
Liz Slyman has worked on campaigns for some of the biggest brands you know––and breakout brands that you will. As founder and CEO of an award-winning copywriting agency, Liz turns over a decade of copywriting experience into copywriting courses, coaching, tools, and resources for new and established copywriters.
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