A Complete Copywriting Guide for Anyone Who’s Not a Copywriter
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Copywriting is an integral part of any business because it plays a big role in directing attention to your product. But some of us copywriting can be one of the hardest parts of the project.
Even if writing isn’t your strength, you can still create great content without agonizing over the process. Don’t waste weeks in a project timeline with a client because of copy! Here are 3 pro tips for creating copy efficiently and effectively.
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1. Define the Goal of the Website
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Start with a clear reason as to why you’re building this site. Once you’ve clarified your reason, tie it to your main call to action, which could be booking a consultation, buying a product, contacting you, visiting a location, or another CTA.
Your entire website should be geared around your primary CTA goal.
The Clearer Your Goal, The Clearer the Content Will Be.
Websites used to be informational; now they are directional. Everything must point people in a clear direction. When it comes to creating content, recognizing the power of being directional will help you craft more effective content.
When you know the final goal, you can imbue every section of your website with a clear purpose that ties to that goal.
2. Draft Content Quickly
Once you have a clear goal to work with, the second tip for writing great content for your Squarespace site is to draft content quickly by giving yourself a limited time to write. This technique can work well for you or your client—whoever is doing the writing.
When you sit down to write content for your site, set a timer and work quickly, giving yourself 10 to 15 minutes to finish the first draft of a section.
If you’ve ever heard an author talk about writing a book, they always say that the first draft is bad. In that first draft, they don’t aim for perfection—they just want to get the main concepts down.
Don’t try to sound cool. Just get the words on paper. Keep thoughts simple, as if you’re writing to a caveman! Use simple terms and make things super clear.
Before publishing your content, you’ll be making edits and adjustments. That’s where you get to really polish everything up and make it as professional as possible. But writing and editing are two separate processes.
First, get the words out as fast as possible. And then, either later that day or even the next day, go back to edit your writing and improve your message. Even if it involves two steps, this method is far more efficient than spending an hour or more writing the first draft of one section.
3. Speak to Success
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This third tip will really take you to the next level in your copywriting, because now you will get to define everything by the success OF the customer, the client, and the user.
Speak to the success of the project.
This step is accomplished in three parts:
Talk about the success bucket.
Answer all important questions.
Find connecting points.
The Success Bucket
If you’re a therapist, for example, and you’re talking about your services, you’ll want to speak about the success bucket, which includes things like having healthier relationships, experiencing greater inner peace, and other results your clients might be looking for.
On your website, whatever your business is, you don’t simply want to talk about what you do. You want to emphasize who your customer will be—and how they will benefit—at the end of engaging with you or using your products and services.
Answering Questions
Put yourself in the customer’s place; what questions would they ask? What would they want to know about the products or services offered?
If you’re providing a software product, for example, common questions might be related to specific features, pricing, cancellation policies, and compatibility with other apps.
Anticipate your clients’ questions and make sure you provide answers in the content you’re writing.
Find Connecting Points
These are things that help the client feel connected to the business. Bringing out the human side of a business by talking about the charities or causes the business is involved with is one way to create a connection.
Additional ways to connect with your audience is to point out what differentiates you from others. For example, does your company specialize in designing Squarespace sites? Renovating homes within a month? Offering bilingual services?
In your content, provide specific details about how you solve problems and make the world a better place to create the connecting points that will draw customers to you.
Need More Help?
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