Award winning
entrepreneur and marketing expert Waseem Saddique, discusses four essential
requirements to remember when writing copy for consumer consumption.
- Copy is King
Waseem
Saddique states: “What you say and how you say it creates the first impression
of your business. If your content is lifeless, tired and complex, consumers
will ‘switch off’ and turn their attention elsewhere.”
The most
important principle to remember when constructing copy is that ‘Copy is King’,
it’s the most persuasive weapon in the marketer’s arsenal. Whether you’re
writing for a website, social media, an online marketing campaign, print media
or any other communication platform that requires words, copy applies the
‘voice’ and will ultimately affect the decision making process of consumers.
When used
correctly alongside other content features, such as videos and images, copy can
be immensely powerful. It has the ability to provoke feelings and emotions and
good copy should always focus on the reader ‘make it about the consumer’. This
is the key to the ‘Copy is King’ principle.
- Captivate
Before your
copy does anything else, it needs to captivate the consumer, drawing them into
a story that they can immerse themselves in. If your copy can achieve this then
much of the battle is won, as you've held their attention, but more importantly
they are giving up their time to ‘read into’ what you have to say.
Quality copy
can captivate by creating curiosity, Waseem Saddique comments: “Don’t launch
into an extensive overview that’s all about your business, appeal to the
consumer instantly. What you have to offer should create a ‘buzz’ and ‘frenzy’.”
In the modern
age of online marketing, businesses only have a limited slot to capture the
attention of the consumer audience. Social Media platforms, such as Facebook
and Twitter, restrict content characters; therefore, your copy has to act
instantly to grab the attention of time short audiences.
Website copy
needs to be digestible, so short, snappy and to the point are the key
requirements for successful website copy. Websites are the ‘doorway’ that
create that vital first impression when it comes to online marketing, but it’s
up to the power of your copy to convince them to enter through that ‘doorway’.
- Convince
Once your
copy has captured the attention of the consumer, its purpose then becomes to
convince. The art of persuasion is what copy is all about as it’s the first
step on the journey to leading a consumer towards a purchase or use of your
services.
At this stage
this is where your business should highlight what you can offer the customer,
what differentiates you from your competitors; basically, highlight the unique
selling points of your company.
The great
thing about copy is that it’s transferable, adaptable and contemporary.
Companies are able to explore what works. For example, a different style of
copy will be required for Social Media purposes than the style of copy produced
on a company website.
Waseem
Saddique states: “Copy with the power to convince can be adapted for all online
marketing platforms, whether it be blogging, social media, article marketing or
other forms. This means that copy has the power to convince via a variety of
communication channels.”
Convincing
copy ultimately convicts people to take action and from a business perspective
this can lead to increased viral marketing and effectively, brand awareness is
spread by the consumers themselves. This is the power that convincing copy has.
- Compel
Once
captivated and convinced by what your company has to offer, the role of your
copy is to compel them into taking action, making that final step that leads to
a sale. Your copy should not give them a reason to backtrack; it should lay out
the ‘red carpet’ helping them to cross the threshold.
Copy that
compels usually comes in the form of a ‘call to action’ statement, providing
the consumer with a summary snippet, before requesting some form of
interaction. Keep the copy relevant to the journey you've brought the consumer
on so far, don’t stray away from the topic at the final hurdle.
Waseem
Saddique says: “Compelling copy is what ultimately leads to the sale of a
product or service as it asks something of the consumer. Copy that can
influence the decision making process and take the customer into the ‘point of
sale’ stage has done its job.”
On whatever
platform a business produces copy, as long as these four key principles are
addressed and are at the forefront of your copywriting strategy, then any
online marketing campaign will be a success.
