Web copywriters are like the mad men of the Internet. Their tasks include marketing products, presenting ideas and helping businesses attract customers with copy that’s well-written and engaging. At the same time, a Web copywriter translates for the marketer and helps get the brand’s message out to the target audience.
With the development of Web copywriting role, copywriters have become agents for improving the lives of consumers by providing the essential information needed to make an informed decision. With the omnipresence of content marketing, the roles of skilled Web copywriters are increasingly of value to the consumers who turn to them for answers.
How to Write Content that Makes a Difference
The job of a Web copywriter is about more than just relaying information and influencing an action. To make a difference, your writing has to make the consumer feel informed and empowered. According to Erin Kissane on the site A List Apart, the most effective type of copywriting is the kind that “works for a living.”
Content writing that makes a difference is like a strong, confident handshake that makes a brilliant impression. Here’s how you can do the same.
Write with a goal.
Writing simply to sell is weak—like a limp, awkward handshake. Before you even start punching the keys, take a breath and remember the point of you copy. Perhaps it’s to encourage readers to make a purchase, click on a link or submit an email address. Then think about the goal of the company selling the product. When you write copy with a goal, you align the company’s purpose with the purpose of the content.
Keep it simple.
When you describe a product in your copy, use everyday words that paint a clear picture. Keep in mind that you’re not writing to impress; you’re writing to encourage an action. So, save your clever big words, jargons and fancy adjectives for cocktail parties.
Know your target.
A Web copywriter knows who the target audience is and directly speaks them. The way that you write should clearly let your non-target readers know that you aren’t addressing them. For example, if you’re writing about a resort-like retirement community, make it clear to those under the age of 60 that you aren’t talking about the next vacation hotspot.
Address a need and offer a solution.
Ineffective Web copy discusses a product’s benefits and primary features. On the other hand, copy that makes a difference tells the reader about how the product addresses their needs. You inform and empower instead of brag. When you address the consumer’s problem and offer a solution, you add value to your copy. Instead of pushing a sale, you’re offering the reader a way to take control of their life.
Be trustworthy.
It’s simple for a Web copywriter to pull words out of thin air. Effective writing that makes a difference offers evidence from relevant, expert sources. When a trusted source backs up your claims, you give your copy power, making the readers more likely to trust your words and take the action requested.
Be smart with SEO.
The evolution of search engine optimization (SEO) no longer lets a Web copywriter stuff keywords obscurely throughout a piece. According to Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, quality, interesting, unique and engaging writing is the first step to boosting your content’s recognition online. Then use the words that your target audience might use in a search engine to find the content that you wrote.
For example, if your content is about a tutoring service, you may incorporate natural keywords like “homework help” or “math tutor.” Use the keywords in a way that sounds natural, as if you were having a conversation with another person.
Opt for chunky-style.
In school, long paragraphs looked impressive. On the Web, they look tedious, intimidating and boring. In an article for Web Design Ledger, Sally Jacobs shares that the organization of your writing is just as important as the words you choose and the word count. A successful Web copywriter breaks up his or her writing in a manner that’s logical, easy on the eyes and simple to digest. In an age where readers want quick information, bullet points and subheads are more inviting and simple to scan than plain paragraphs without any headings.
Jacobs also reminds you to keep screen sizes in mind. Mobile devices and tablets can do funny things to websites, so make the most important information eye-catching and simple to see.
A web copywriter who makes a difference goes past deft praise and writing theatrics to have a real conversation with the reader.
