In 1904, publicist John E. Kennedy said, “Copywriting is the art of selling in print.” Today, whether you’re advertising, writing an email, or leaving a voicemail, his words matter to everything you do to market your home business. It all starts with a good copy.
You can learn how and where to place ads on Google, Facebook, or even print, but if you don’t have the right keywords, you won’t be successful. You will be wasting money.
There are so many things that require good writing, but for this article let’s focus on ads, headlines (for your blog, for example), and email subject lines.
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To sell your product or service, you need to be persuasive, more convincing. You must stand out from the crowd.
Before you start writing, determine what direction you want to go in order to capture someone’s attention, touch their pain, or arouse their curiosity. Are you asking a question to make them think? Are you increasing their interest?
Here are some details to show you what I mean.
1. Curiosity
Talk like you are having a conversation with friends. If you arouse curiosity, people want to know more. Be a little loud, to really stand out. Make them curious to click.
“Don’t let them fool you again”
– Who are they’? When was I cheated on and why?
2. Compelling questions
These can make your reader think about whether or not they have the correct answer. You can grab their attention.
The best topics are topics that can weigh heavily on your reader’s mind. Believe it or not, it’s great to get them to stop, think, and consider an answer.
“The economy is getting worse. Are you ready?”
– What do I need to be prepared for?
3. Controversy
This is usually the most effective direction. Like a boxing match, it’s human nature to watch controversy unfold. People are absolutely fascinated with controversy and drama. This is how we are connected.
“Flu Treatment That Could Kill You”
– I’m always nervous about the flu. What is all this?
The highest-paid copywriters are waiting in line to work at the National Enquirer. The newspaper’s entire business model is based on controversy and drama. Not really my thing, but it’s one of the only national publications in the US that hasn’t closed since the 2008 market crash.
4. Do you qualify?
This is where a marketing expert can get someone to take action. Feed them a few sneak peeks about the numbers left, the time left, the urgency. Highlight features.
“Only 11 people will qualify. Are you next?”
– If it is limited it must be special. I’m sure I can qualify.
So now that you have an idea on how to get started, get creative. Take ideas from other industries. You can easily get stuck in your own market and just write like everyone else. There are more approaches, but I’ll have to cover them in another article. Enjoy your writing!