avoid common copywriting mistakes

3
Avoiding Common Copywriting Mistakes Copywriting is the art of persuading another person to take specific action. It is more than a casual statement. It is attention-grabbing and result-generating. Words are important and content is king. Gripping headlines may get you noticed but it is just the beginning. You may need a provider of professional proofreading and editing services to help you establish that connection with potential clients. You can also use the power of copywriting in other areas. Maybe you are looking at getting a refund. Maybe you are submitting a ticket to customer support regarding a technical difficulty you are facing and you want a quick and positive response. Maybe you have something that needs to be fixed. The best way to get something done to your benefit is to write competently, especially when you want immediate action. Copywriting comes in very handy in these situations. Copywriting may not be as complicated as it sounds. But as you promote and market your product, service or company, you need to watch out for common mistakes that can take you from being a trusted provider to someone unreliable in the industry. Here are some common mistakes you should avoid: 1. The copy is all about the product features It is a general rule: highlight the benefits of the product or service, not its features. Keep in mind that clients always think about what they can get. Rarely do they gush about how extraordinary an item or service is. Moreover, you should always put emphasis on real benefits, not made up ones. People will know the truth and you certainly don’t want to be found lying or misrepresenting your company. When you want to focus on the benefits, you need to understand the power of emotional benefits. Targeting core emotions will engage your prospects. People are drawn to admiration, approval and self-esteem, so if you are selling a drill, for instance, you should focus on the emotional benefits of being able to hang mementos or pictures instead of the powerful capacity of the drill to set a hole in the wall. 2. The copy is all about you

Upload: proofessor

Post on 28-Jul-2016

217 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

Copywriting is the art of persuading another person to take specific action.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Avoid common copywriting mistakes

Avoiding Common Copywriting Mistakes Copywriting is the art of persuading another person to take specific action. It is more than a casual statement. It is attention-grabbing and result-generating. Words are important and content is king. Gripping headlines may get you noticed but it is just the beginning. You may need a provider of professional proofreading and editing services to help you establish that connection with potential clients. You can also use the power of copywriting in other areas. Maybe you are looking at getting a refund. Maybe you are submitting a ticket to customer support regarding a technical difficulty you are facing and you want a quick and positive response. Maybe you have something that needs to be fixed. The best way to get something done to your benefit is to write competently, especially when you want immediate action. Copywriting comes in very handy in these situations. Copywriting may not be as complicated as it sounds. But as you promote and market your product, service or company, you need to watch out for common mistakes that can take you from being a trusted provider to someone unreliable in the industry. Here are some common mistakes you should avoid:

1. The copy is all about the product features It is a general rule: highlight the benefits of the product or service, not its features. Keep in mind that clients always think about what they can get. Rarely do they gush about how extraordinary an item or service is. Moreover, you should always put emphasis on real benefits, not made up ones. People will know the truth and you certainly don’t want to be found lying or misrepresenting your company.

When you want to focus on the benefits, you need to understand the power of emotional benefits. Targeting core emotions will engage your prospects. People are drawn to admiration, approval and self-esteem, so if you are selling a drill, for instance, you should focus on the emotional benefits of being able to hang mementos or pictures instead of the powerful capacity of the drill to set a hole in the wall.

2. The copy is all about you

Page 2: Avoid common copywriting mistakes

When people visit your page or website, their first concern is not how amazing you are but what they can get for themselves. They care about what will make them happy and better. If they click on your site and do not understand what they can get out of it, they will leave. A provider of professional proofreading and editing services will help you understand how to connect with your prospective clients by using language that they are familiar and offer solutions to their potential problems. Good copywriting allows you to hook up with visitors to your site as you show them what they can get out of buying your product or service. Therefore, the copy’s spotlight should be on your client – not on you and your business success nor how amazing your offerings are. Here’s a tip: feed on the need and you will succeed.

3. The copy says too much. Again, the copy should be concise and simple. You don’t need dozens of flowery adjectives. Imagine that you are doing a face-to-face sales pitch: you don’t want to ramble on and on until you lose the client’s interest. You should know when to make a power statement and when to close your spiel. Keep it short, sweet and simple.

4. The copy is too formal. A provider of professional proofreading and editing services may be well-versed in proper grammar but he certainly does not always adhere to stiff and formal copies. You don’t want to sound lifeless and boring. You want your content to be direct, brief and engaging – it should sound as if you are talking to a close friend. You may spoil some grammar rules, but remember that your copy should grab attention and keep it.

5. There is no call to action.

You can make a good copy – simple, engaging, and focused on the prospects and the benefits they can get out of it – but if you don’t have a call to action, then your efforts will go to waste. As you connect with your reader, you want to give them something to respond to. Make sure that there is a phone number, email address or a contact form so that they can go on to the next step. If you want to make things simple by adding a reply button, make sure

Page 3: Avoid common copywriting mistakes

that you steer clear from the basic and lousy “Click Here”. A provider of professional proofreading and editing services will help you be more creative at developing powerful calls to action.