Are you good at convincing people? And you think you have the ability to be their guru and to guide them in making decisions? Oh we see you, you are another copywriter!
We all have been aware of the fact – to sell any product, you have to bring the sense of urgency and increase the demand of the product between the audience.
But the fun-fact is, this has been done by salesperson on a daily basis. If you go to malls to buy one useful thing, you end up buying 5 different products. Why? Because of the persuasive way of salesperson!
As we are shifting towards cyberspace, the demand for content writing and copywriting has been increasing. Many home-based business, agencies, and corporates are searching for copywriters to write exceptional copy for their content. Why? It’s simple – it can be sold widely!
So if you are thinking to start working as a freelance writer, why not you start freelance copywriting? In this complete guide, we will clear all your confusions regarding a copywriter and copywriting! Hop on to our beginner’s guide and let us have a ride together! WEEEE!!!!
What is Copywriting?
Copywriting is a major part of on-point advertising and marketing.
It is “the words that have power” to grab the attention of buyers. And these buyers can further take an action once they have heard or read the sales-copy.
Copywriting is basically a call-to-action that allows people to either search your brand or slogan on Google or to feel the words you have written. It must be short, fluent and catchy and allow readers to feel it and respond to it!
Copywriting can include:
- Sales pages
- Social media posts
- Blog posts
- Emails
- Product descriptions
- Landing pages
- Brochures and etc.
Do not get confused between writing articles or blogs as the purpose of copy is to sell products unlike writing blogs or articles. Writing a sales copy solely means to put readers towards call-to-action. It can be buying a product from you or downloading a free report but it has a magic to grab your readers’ attention and to convince them, your product is “The One!”
Taking further example, if we talk about product descriptions – you have to convince the readers the product they are buying is just like a lost shoe of Cinderella, and it will fit perfectly to them. If we discuss about the landing pages, then although the purpose of writing the sales-copy is to tell audience about a business, products, and features or services you offer but the main purpose here is, why readers should buy that product from you?
Do not straight away tell your readers why they should buy from you. Instead grab their attention to the fullest and first highlight their problem and then provide a solution to it offering your product.
3 Qualities of good copywriting.
1. It changes your point of view
An effective copy has the power to have an impact on minds. It might not make a great difference but it must be powerful enough to get a slight crack on the glass. The purpose of copy is to standout from other products having an influential effect on the minds of readers.
You are not writing a copy just to sell products – but your goal is to target the troubles a person is facing and how greatly your product can minimize those issues. Do not focus on writing a powerful message to convey to your audience. Instead write a story that melts the hearts, captifies the minds of readers and lead their fingers to tap on “add to cart”.
2. Creativity finds connections
Being creative means creating a connection between things. Creativity is novelty for many who may take time to digest it! But it delivers the perfect meaning adding colors – opening a creative door for the world to enter into.
Let us talk about sneakers from Nike. What copy will you write for it? You may describe how attractive the color is, comfortable to wear, stretchy long-enough laces and perfectly designed. Right?
But what Nike did was an exceptional job. It related Nike sneakers with utmost comfort that one wants in life. This sales-copy above shows how a person can run towards a better way of life wearing it. From a stressful life towards peace and tranquility.
And that is how we want you to write copy. Being a freelancer, if you can get a command over writing copy then everything can get easier for you as copywriting is the trickiest part. It is a hit or miss kind of writing that demands to be perfectly skilled, not missing its target for once. And if you are skilled in copywriting then you can surely provide services like exam writing, ghostwriting, and cheap essay writing service to your audience as well.
3. Listen to your audience
One of the copy blogger Robert Bruce asked the copywriters to be humble and serve the audience. He says it is important to listen to the needs and desires of your audience and hear the language they are using for your product or other similar products in the market.
And then you know what to do? HIT them right away with the products they need, fulfilling their demands by providing solutions to their problems.
Uniqueness is not in making your product extra-ordinary. Your product will stand out if you listen to your audience providing them a path to follow.
What Skills Do You Need to Be a Copywriter?
As we are living in the 21st century, the world has started spinning fast. Due to the pandemic that has struck us recently, we can see a huge change in our way of living. We have moved towards a virtual world.
Everything is getting on our fingertips. Office meetings to Zoom app, friends’ get-together is getting limited to WhatsApp group call. Even we can see children moving towards a virtual world. Shockingly reports show Google searches went up from 3.5 billion to 6 billion in just a year.
With all this shift, we can see a huge demand in freelance career for USA writings. If you want to start your career as a copywriter, then this is your chance to touch a rock and turn it into gold, if only you are skilled. The best part is, we have listed below 5 skills that a copywriter needs. Why? It will help him/her to become a top copywriter. So take out a few minutes to go through these skills and be an expert of copywriting world!
1. Be true to your audience.
BUY BUY BUY BUY – we usually get irritated seeing this much “buy” in ads on social media or if we come across this sort of hard selling.
We often cringe and change our lane or quickly switch to another tab, skipping the previous page. Why? Because you cannot force anyone to buy anything from you.
Yes, but what you can do is – be true to your audience. Tell them the real benefits it provides a person, solving the problem faced by a buyer. Your tone should not be salesy instead try to have a formal yet friendly tone.
The way you get easily convinced when your friend tells you something regarding a product. And what you do after that? You grab your phone and search it right away on Google. Right? You go through all the benefits of the product your friend told you about. That is what you need to learn and do with your audience! Build a friendly connection between them, and gain their trust!
2. Learn how to search engine optimize.
Copywriting is not your average television ads, selling some food items!
It is much more than that! Copywriting surely is selling of products but this time, the medium is different! It is delivering the message through words.
Copywriters are asked to follow SEO guidelines to come up with some amazing copy, which is essential in bringing x100 more traffic due to SEO-optimized copy.
3. Learning content strategy is important
If you have no idea how to address someone then it’ll be like you talking to them in Japanese and they being alien to the language you are communicating in.
It requires to learn content strategy so you can convince your readers, convey your message, captivate their attention and finally you can see them buying the product from you!
You need to understand various types of audience personas and how you can stay consistent in your conversations with them.
4. Develop Understanding
The best quality of professional sales copy is, it does not trick people. It is not about having a clearance sale. It is not about to shove a product down the throats of your buyers. Instead it is about building a connection between them that is based on understanding.
Your job is to showcase a product that will help in making lives of people easier by buying it. They should not regret on what they have purchased from you because the copy you have written is completely based on lies!
But make sure you write a sales-copy that hits directly the hearts of audience. Be as truer as you can. Feel their problems as your own, and then provide solution to it by offering your products to them!
5. Be a Storyteller
Copywriting is not about filling a landing page or product description by using heavy ranking words or adding stats to grab attention of your readers just to rank better on Google.
To be a successful copywriter, you must master how to alter a dull, stale sales copy into something creative. You’ll build a relationship with your audience if they agree, laugh, and grieve with you together. Create a bond with them in such a way that they’ll know you’re on their side!
Copywriting tips
Copywriters love playing with images and words to convince the audience through their persuasive way to buy the products they are selling. We are listing below a few of the tips that will help copywriters to perform better.
- Keep it short. Brief information and dividing it into smaller paragraphs will help readers to process the information in their minds.
- Keep it fluent. Use an active voice in your sentences with strong verbs. It will help you to develop a flow in writing and bring fluency in reading.
- You can use subheadings to improve readability of the information you are providing. It will look more visually appealing.
- You can add some accurate facts too. Adding facts give a logical appeal to the readers.
- Use everyday language. It will help your sales-copy to be understood by majority. As you are using language of everyday-life providing all the necessary information – which readers can easily get a grip off!
Their brains, instead of getting up all noodles, upon seeing a problem may remember your product. And it (solution) can simply pop up on their minds at the time of need.
How Do I Become a Copywriter?
We know by now you have learnt almost everything regarding copywriting.
And so you want to select copywriting as a career. You are all ready to start copywriting. And you are aware of the fact that copywriting requires skills but not a degree!
Although a degree in writing, marketing, marketing research or journalism can help you be an effective copywriter. But again what matters the most is, your skills and how you use them.
We have penned down some tips for you that can help you to be (an all-rounder) one of the professional copywriters!
- Copywriters’ duty is not only to sell products. It is much more than that! It requires a deep understanding of your customer’s psychology and needs. And then fulfilling it by giving a worthy solution to it. It must have the ability to grab the attention of audience through powerful words, attractive visuals and call-to-action elements.
- To have an effective marketing plan you need to be aware of your targeted audience. Understand why people hire copywriters. Many of these companies, businesses, and other organization want to create a good amount of authentic, original and relatable content for their audience. Once you are able to understand the needs of the targeted audience, you can deliver what they need and how they need it!
- Create a portfolio for yourself. This portfolio consists of your sample work according to the interests of your clients. It is generally 200-400 words in length. It shows the tone and the way of your writing. And whether your client finds it perfect and can relate with it or not!
- Stay hydrated with the knowledge to brand yourself. Learn the upcoming trends following in the market. As a copywriter you must learn how to target audience, increase brand identity and learn product placement through marketing strategies.
Wrapping up
Copywriters are wizards of online world with wands in their hands. And copywriting is like pixie-dust as they cast a spell on their written words to fly and reach the hearts of readers.
Copywriters must have a persuasive way. It can be promotional yet informational. A basic understanding of grammar, proofreading, sentence making and there you go!
Keeping on mind, copywriting is slightly different when you do it online and when you simply write it for brochures. For online copywriting, understand proper SEO guidelines provided for copywriting. Learn how to target the readers. By working on these important tips you can not only be able to sell your product but you will also gain trust of your readers if you stay true to them!
Happy copywriting!