What is copywriting?

Although most people define copywriting as ‘using words to encourage an action’, a good copywriter does the majority of the persuasion through the subtext. 

Nonetheless, despite its mysterious and secretive nature, this blog will demystify the art of copywriting and teach you everything you need to know about one of the world’s most powerful skills…

“The written word is the strongest source of power in the entire universe” – Gary Halbert

Whether you realise it or not, copy is all around us and influences lots of our decisions on a subconscious level. While it can take many forms, the basic principles of persuasion remain the same.

 So let’s dive in…

 Fundamentals of good copy 

So, as I previously stated, copywriting is simply the use of words to elicit action. Whether it’s the script for your favourite ads, sales pages for your favourite products, or emails from your favourite brands, copywriting is used to guide the reader on a psychological journey from reader to customer.

Sure, different forms of copy serve many different purposes but its main focus is to catch your attention, direct you to a controlled buying environment, convert you to a customer and encourage the next step. However, if it’s conducted in a robotic formula as per the description above then it is destined to fail.  

Why?

Because you are talking to humans. Humans have stories, emotions, and needs. Which means the best copywriters are those who can relate to the reader on the deepest level while focusing purely on benefiting their lives.  

Without copywriting, companies would be battling for attention in a realm of chaos. For example, would you buy a car from a random guy in a busy town square? Obviously not; you need to be guided into the showroom and led through the sales process before you even consider pulling out your card. 

Which brings me on to a common question that I get asked on a regular basis…

What’s the difference between copywriting and normal writing?

Simply put, the effect on the reader. Normal writing does not address your dreams, fears, or pains, nor does it guide you to the life you’ve always desired. Whereas copywriting has the potential to turn a life around with nothing but the power of persuasion,

So, what makes it so powerful?

How to write effective copy

In my experience, the difference between a copywriter that can barely spark a thought and one who prints millions for companies all over the world comes down to their research.

Even research into the target market, avatar, product, and human motivators is only scratching the surface. Plus, researching the avatar alone could be a blog post in and of itself, so I’ll leave that for another day. Once you’re armed with your research, you can focus on the principles that you need to include, such as:

• Value trading
• Know, like and trust factors
• ‘The value equation’ – Alex Hormozi 
• Power of comparison
• Attention, intrigue, curiosity 
• Much much more…

To highlight the difference between effective copy and copy that just encourages you to stop reading, I’m going to give you two examples below.

But first, imagine you’re out of shape and looking for a personal trainer to help you on your fitness journey. You’ve just opened up your inbox to an email from two well-known PT’s, both credible, successful, and known for delivering results. The only thing separating them is their communication…

One email ends by saying:

“Join now to get started on chasing your goals.”

 The other says:

“So if you want to drop 5kg in just 2 weeks…

 And become the man who walks with confidence in all areas of life…

Then join our community of like-minded individuals on the journey to optimal health.

P.S. Your kids will thank you for it!”

Clearly, one has been exaggerated to illustrate my point; however, you can clearly see how one speaks to the reader on a subconscious level while the other barely catches his attention. However, both of them are considered CTAs (calls to action).

We could spend hours diving into what makes the second so powerful but again, I’ll save that for another day. So, that example hinted at the end of an email, but where else might one come across copywriting?

A sneak peek at the various types of copy

Copywriting is literally everywhere and can take many different forms; however, you can break them down into two main categories: short-form copy (SFC) and long-form copy (LFC). 

Examples of SFC:

• Emails 
• Opt-in pages
• Social media ads
• Google ads
• Social media captions
• Headlines
• Text messages 
• + much more

Examples of LFC:

• Sales pages
• Website copy
• Landing pages
• VSL’s
• Case studies
• Tutorials
• E-books
• Articles
• + much more

Each form serves a distinct purpose and aims to perform a distinct function at various stages of the sales funnel. Some are simply designed to get the click, while others are used to do the heavy lifting of persuasion.

But is it one size fits all?

Unfortunately not and here’s why:

The secret to writing for different audiences. 

Remember how I said a good copywriter can be defined by his research? Well this area really highlights that point…

Everyone is built differently as a result of various experiences that form various emotions, pains, fears, dreams, desires, obstacles, values, prejudices, and so on. People are either running away from pain or running towards pleasure, but how you address this can make or break the effectiveness of your copy.

It goes deeper than just talking about men vs women. Different niches respond to different tones, and different people respond to different motivators. So where do you even start?

RESEARCH!!!

Without it you’re just relying on hope. Hope doesn’t revolutionise a sales funnel, and hope won’t make you a million. You need strategic research, planning, and execution of the proven principles.

In an attempt to clear this up further, let me give you an example. In fact, let’s run with our PT example from before…

Put yourself in the shoes of someone looking to start their fitness journey.

They’re probably self-conscious, intimidated, and doubtful that it will work for them. So if you go in heavy on the pain points, you’ll likely turn them away forever. Instead, relate to their struggles with empathy and provide them with a hopeful vision of their future. Now they’re excited, motivated, and eager to pay you!

Moreover, your communication with the audience reflects the brand you’re representing.

Mastering brand voice and tone  

Every copywriter has their own’style”; however, so does the brand they’re writing for. This brings me back to the importance of research!

If you come in all guns blazing to an audience of gentle readers, you won’t be working for that brand for very long. Businesses spend years developing their voice, tone, image, and relationships. It’s the writer’s responsibility to do their research and match their style with the brand. Understanding a brand’s voice and tone is crucial for a copywriter’s success.

Conclusion 

Hopefully you’re now one step closer to understanding the art of copywriting. Mastering it however, is a lifelong journey, and there are always new and effective ways to persuade the reader to take action. The main takeaway should be the importance of research and maintaining a positive relationship with the reader.

Ultimately, a copywriter should improve the life of the reader by guiding them towards positive life changes.

If you have any questions or want to find out what effective copywriting can do for your business, then feel free to shoot me an email at morgan@beyondtouch.co.uk