5 Useful Tips to Become an Expert Copywriter

Writing and copywriting are two different skills, yet people often use the terms synonymously. A writer or journalist writes articles that are fact-based and inherently informative. A copywriter writes advertisements and promotional materials, meaning that their writing is necessarily more persuasive. Copywriters are responsible for the text on billboards, brochures, websites, mobile apps, advertisements, and more.

The idea of copywriting on behalf of a client or even for your personal business can feel overwhelming at first. To help you get started on your journey, we’ve put together our 5 ground rules for copywriting below.

1. Research, research, research!

Understand the product and/or the company you are writing for, inside and out. Don’t stop at the company itself; look further into its competitors to see which campaigns have been successful, and which ones have flopped. Doing so will help jumpstart some of your own ideas. Dig deep!

If you don’t know where to start, try the following research methods:

• Define your target audience through surveys, social listening, or interviews
• Pinpoint your top competitors and take a deep-dive into how they speak to customers
• Identify your client’s unique voice by studying brands with voices that inspire you 

2. Speak your audience’s language

Remember you are writing for your audience, not for you. You must cater to what your audience wants and needs, which is not only to purchase your products but to believe in your brand on a deeper level. If you’re having a hard time, get to know the audience — what they love, what they hate, and what they desire — by observing the way the talk on social media. 

3. Keep it Simple 

You only have a few seconds to capture someone’s attention, so be as concise as possible. Edit, edit again, and then edit some more. Every word of your copy should serve a purpose. To help during the revision process, ask yourself the following questions for each paragraph:

• Does the audience already know this information?
• Is this information valuable to my audience?
• Does this information help my audience solve a problem?

4. Infuse emotion

Copywriting isn’t necessarily about writing well, it’s about strategically using emotionally evocative words that persuade people to take action. According to a study published by the Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, there are four primary emotions: happiness, sadness, fear/surprise, and anger/disgust. Creating a connection rooted in one of those emotions will help grab your audience’s attention.

5. Define your voice

Connect to your audience with your brand’s unique voice. When someone interacts with your brand, they should immediately understand your voice. Brand voice is the backbone of all your brand’s content; it informs the tone and vocabulary of everything you’ll write. Your brand voice can be bold and aggressive, or funny and lighthearted. Whichever type of brand voice you create, be sure to be consistent. 

These tips are crucial for every copywriter, but they’re especially helpful for copywriters who are just starting out.  Implement these tips and you’ll be one step closer to writing copy that resonates with your audience and inspires sales.