Complete Copywriting Guide: How to Craft Copy That Sells

What is copywriting?

Copywriting is writing that’s meant to persuade people to take an action. It could be taking a look at a product, or buying a product, or signing up for a service, or anything else you want someone to do.

Copywriting can be found in almost every area of life. Whether you are promoting a product or business, recruiting for your company, telling people about a cause you believe in, or trying to sell yourself into a job – you will find a copy (copywriting’s result).

A copywriter is your voice. He’s the translator between you and your audience. Copywriters write content to sell products and services. They come up with marketing materials such as website content, advertising copy, sales letters, and email campaigns, etc.

What is a copywriter’s job?

The copywriter’s job is to get a visitor to take action. Most often, this means persuading them to hand over their email address in exchange for a free report or guide.

The copywriter is expected to create something that will sell a product, and without this element, the business in question will be missing out on potential money-making opportunities. A good copywriter understands the psychology of advertising and sales and can make it happen for your business.

What is a copy that sells?

Copy that sells is a text that helps sell a product, service, or idea. It is an attention-grabbing ad, sales letter, landing page, etc. to convince the viewer/reader to take action (buy, investigate further).

Copy that sells is compelling. It’s also concise and easy to scan. Readers want to be engaged, informed, entertained, connected to other people and their problems. Writing copy that sells is a learned skill that anyone can do given the right guidance and practice.

Why is copywriting important?

The quality of your copy is crucial to your brand’s success

Copywriting is the skill of writing sales messages aimed at persuading people to take an action. When you write website copy, commercial emails, brochures, or ads, your goal is to motivate potential customers to buy, click, subscribe or do whatever you want them to do.

Whether you are an established brand or just starting, the quality of your copy is crucial to your success. Everything stems from your company’s central online presence. It represents your business online, and you want it to be the best it can be.

Copywriting engages your audience

The purpose of copywriting is to sell products and services. The purpose of the Web is to deliver information about stuff. To be successful on the Web, you must do both. It’s how you make people notice you.

Your audience is waiting, and they’re hungry for a great message. The best copywriting engages your audience, doesn’t just tell them what you want to say. It uses words that make the point for you. It makes your prospects chuckle, it propels them forward into a buying frame of mind.

Great copy is essential to every business: It’s that simple!

Every business needs a good copy. Whether you have a bunch of products to promote, a service you want to sell, or a website to improve, a well-written copy is how you can do so.

Copywriting isn’t just about words and phrases. It’s about how you use words to evoke emotion in readers so that they will feel compelled to buy a product. Copywriting is used in almost every business, from computer software companies to e-commerce sites to fast-food restaurants.

Creates value-driven content

The content on your website should be value-driven and reflect the problems and desires of your customers. Most people start their content with “Who will read this?” or “What will my readers want to read about?” In fact, it is unlikely that your audience even knows what they are looking for.

The trick is to create content that is relevant but creates value for the visitors. Remember that not all visitors are targeted users and not everyone must take action. Your readers are simply exploring, observing, interacting, visualizing, gaining knowledge, and moving along in their buying process.

Value-driven content is what keeps people coming back to your website.

Increase your revenue

Your business could use help with profit and revenue generation, and writing copy is a good place to start. What does writing copy have to do with increasing your revenue? Basically, it’s how you intend to talk with potential clients and differentiate yourself from your competition.

A consistent message helps consumers understand what you do, why they should buy from you instead of your competitors, how you will deliver on promises, and why they should become repeat customers.

Writing has the power to persuade, influence, and ultimately convince clients that they need what you’re selling more than they need whatever else is out there.

Copywriting that sells: what are the integral parts?

1. Content strategy

Crafting copy that sells begins with a content strategy. Content strategy is the bedrock of any copywriting campaign. This is the process by which you decide what to write and why you’re writing it.

A content strategy is a complete blueprint for all of the content you produce, based on your goals and audience preferences. Understanding your target audience and their pain points is vital before you can begin tailoring your messages to resonate with them.

2. Keywords

Keywords are short phrases or single words that convey the type of information, action, or product you are trying to sell to your customer. Each company will use a certain set of keywords in its product descriptions and on its website to attract customers searching for information.

The more common the keyword, the more competition a business will have for attracting the customers looking for services/products related to that word. The reason for keyword selection is to improve SEO and increase the number of visitors to a site.

Keywords are the primary way your copy is found online, therefore, they are extremely important to include. If you use the right keywords in the right place, you can increase your website ranks and drive an enormous amount of traffic.

Learn more: How to dominate your niche with the best keyword research tools.

3. Organization and style

The organization and style of the text convey the overall quality. When you go to a website or product catalog, you should not be distracted by poorly written marketing text, spelling or grammar errors, bland repetitiveness, or a confusing order of items.

Organization is all about how you structure your writing. Style is all about you and your personality. The correct organization and style help your reader understand what you’re saying, interrupt the flow as little as possible, and give your writing a sense of structure.

In addition, for your writing to have an impact on your target audience, it must be clear and concise.

4. Language – tone of voice

To connect with people, a website needs to be easy to read and understand. Language is the tool that we use to get our meaning across. A site’s tone of voice is the language it uses for this purpose.

You can have the most beautifully written piece of copy in the world. But if your language is dry and unemotional then no one will read it.

The voice is the heart of your text. The tone of voice reflects the speaker’s attitude, emotion, and thoughts. You must decide what sort of personality you want for your brand using what we call ‘tone of voice’.

5. SEO ranking

SEO ranking is the number of times a page appears on search engine results. Websites that appear at the top of search engines receive higher click-throughs. The higher the SEO ranking, the more people will visit a website and see its content (including advertisements).

Learn more: SEO tools that will help you rank high on search engines.

6. Strong call-to-Action

It is common knowledge in copywriting that a good call-to-action is the one thing all our guides have in common. Call-to-action is the final part of your marketing strategy that encourages prospects to act.

The goal of call-to-action is to drive purchase. It gives readers (potential customers) a reason to do something. It is the final command that drives them to take action, such as purchasing a product or booking an appointment.

Quick tips on creating a copy that sells

1. High-quality content is a result of research

The best copy is not only the copy that sells the most, but the copy the reader will remember. High-quality content relies on research and solid foundations. It needs to answer a need, provide a solution or satisfy a question that your readers have.

You can write high-quality content only if you have researched thoroughly. Without proper research, it’s only possible to produce content that is inept, incomplete, and leaves much to be desired.

2. Create a sense of urgency

Copywriting is the art of persuasion, or perhaps influence. A copywriter’s job is to convince readers that they want to buy from you and nobody else. So that they’ll do so as soon as possible.

To do this effectively, the copywriter’s job is to create a sense of urgency, by letting your reader know that you have limited quantities available, or that you will be shutting down production for good.

Different kinds of writing will require slightly different approaches to pushing urgency. In all cases, however, the goal is the same.

3. Don’t forget to include social proof

Once you’ve got your audience’s attention and they’re interested to learn more about your product, build social proof into your copy. Studies, case studies, and customer testimonials are all examples of social proof.

Social proof helps people feel more comfortable with taking a chance on unfamiliar products and services.

4. Break up your content into small parts

When you read something on the Internet, what most likely catches your attention is the title. It is one of the main reasons why the majority of readers click on an article.

So, titles are very important in writing online content because they help you hook your readers and encourage them to read on. What makes it more interesting is that online content today is just made up of small parts.

Breaking up your content into small parts can increase your chances of getting more traffic as it will be easy for visitors to read and scan through.

5. Tell an irresistible story in your copy

Lose the boring. Improve results with compelling copy that uses storytelling techniques to sell your product like a pro. Blog posts, content marketing pages, sales pages, emails – every page of your website should be written with the aim of making a connection with the reader.

The art of copywriting is creating a story that instantly grabs their attention and manages to hold it to your benefit. Readers can be anybody you want. Your friend, stranger, or even yourself – if you have to convince yourself of buying something, then you’re in the right place!

6. Experience and skills in writing

A good copywriter is a person who is experienced. He or she knows how to write a copy that sells. Climbing the corporate ladder from one position to another, he or she has gained communication skills, management skills, and people management skills.

He or she has problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills. Every copywriter will tell you that writing is learned and honed by repetition. While it might be true, it doesn’t preclude aspiring copywriters to read up on general grammar rules and style guides.

Watching videos about the art of copywriting and reading up on different formats might also help.

7. Have some digital marketing and SEO knowledge

The writing process is only half of the solution. To sell as many products as possible you need to learn about some digital marketing skills, such as SEO and understanding how Google works.

Besides, copywriting is a process, and having some knowledge of digital marketing and SEO can help you understand where copywriting fits in. It will also equip you with the skills to know when to tweak your copy for greater performance.

8. Focus on the benefits, not the features

The more you write about a feature, the fewer people will remember it. The key is to focus on how people will get results and benefits. Instead of telling readers what the product does, show them how the product might be used in their current situation.

Most people are wired to respond to benefits rather than features. For instance, if I were to ask you “what’s the best feature of an iPhone?” or “what do you like about an iPhone?”, you’d probably focus on the many features of the iPhone: camera, games, apps…etc.

Yet when it comes time for you to buy an iPhone, you’re not focusing on the features of the iPhone but rather the benefits such as privacy and convenience you’ll get from having one.

9. Know who you are writing for

It is important to know who you are writing for. You should write for your customer’s emotions and wants/needs every time. The clearer your understanding of who your target customer is the easier it will be to connect with them and craft persuasive copy that sells.

The best copywriting is always centered around the reader. You want your readers to understand and feel that you are talking to them directly, and addressing their specific needs. You want to respect their time by saying what needs to be said clearly and helpfully.

10. Edit, edit, and edit

Writing copy is easy, but perfecting it is not. It will take you several attempts to draft your perfect copy. The editing process is the most important part of the copywriting process because it’s the only factor to ensure if your text is going to be a winner or not.

The words you use, their combination, and even positioning should be taken into account in the editing time. Editing ensures that you’ll make sense to the reader, whether it’s a blog post or any form of copy.

What’s the difference between copywriting, blogging, and content marketing?

While the terms copywriting, blogging, and content marketing may be used interchangeably or more to describe similar types of online writing, they are quite different.

Content marketing focuses on creating useful, entertaining, or educational content for the sole purpose of attracting and engaging prospective customers.

Blogging is a form of content marketing that involves publishing regular posts on a specific topic and sharing your thoughts with an audience. Copywriting is the art of capturing your audience’s attention to drive sales.

Are all bloggers copywriters?

No. Not everyone who blogs is a copywriter. For our purposes, we use blogger interchangeably to mean anyone who uses their blog as a platform to promote products or services (and that’s almost all of them these days).

Copywriters, on the other hand, are professionals who write material for a variety of purposes, such as advertisements, brochures, magazines, newspaper articles, and this list goes on. They’re paid to write sales copy that sells products and services.

Nonetheless, some bloggers are great storytellers and don’t need any copywriting chops. But if you want to take blogging “seriously” you’ll need to master the art of writing copy that sells.

Learn more: The nitty-gritty guide on how to vet guest bloggers.

FAQs

What can a copywriter do besides writing?

Copywriters can do a lot more than they’re given credit for. Besides writing the actual copy that your business will use to sell or promote something, you can also be in charge of your company’s copywriting strategy, consultation, and branding.

Copywriters can function as marketers, strategic planners, and many other roles. A copywriter may write content for marketing campaigns—brochures, company overviews, case studies, or direct mail pieces.

They can also write articles, blog posts, and ad copy for your website. They’re also skilled at helping companies design their sales funnels through product descriptions and website content to help move visitors through the sales process.

A good copywriter is a jack-of-all-trades who can create compelling imagery, words, and sales pitches for any size company.

Why do businesses hire copywriters?

Businesses have a few reasons they hire copywriters. Some companies are growing so big that they require professional writers to help them cut through the clutter, move products, and get consumers to notice what they’re selling.

Other companies hire copywriters because they don’t have the budget for an advertising agency, but can use professional writers who charge a per-word or per-hour rate.

Finally, some medium-sized businesses need help from the pros because it’s impossible for regular employees to keep up with all of the content required for their website or blog – content that will generate leads and customers.

Learn more: Benefits of blogging for businesses.

Is copywriting a learnable skill?

Yes, copywriting is a skill that can be learned and mastered, just like any other skill. The right copywriter will tell you that it is 95% psychology and 5% art.

The structure always remains the same – your job is to get the prospect to feel a certain way about your product before they even get it.

What skills should a copywriter have?

A copywriter should have excellent general communication skills, especially writing ability and a confident, charming personality. The person should be able to keep focused on a project from beginning to end while meeting deadlines.

A copywriter should be able to take the information you provide regarding your business and turn it into an enticing sales letter or website text. If you’re hiring someone for a one-time job like writing a brochure, then all these attributes will be particularly important.

Why are headlines and titles so important in creating a copy that sells?

A good headline or title is almost like the starting gun at a race; it gets the reader interested enough to start reading your copy. It is the only thing that convinces the customer to read on.

The rest of your copy may be excellent, but if the headline does not grab attention, readers will scroll past your advertisement and go somewhere else.

Why do copywriters always talk about niches and target audiences?

You want to appeal to a niche and an audience because you will craft copy that is targeted specifically at those individuals.

A niche is a group of people who have something in common with one another. An audience is made up of those with similar interests and who may subscribe to the same magazines or read the same blogs.

The purpose behind niche and audience targeting is simple: you want to become an expert in your field and provide guidance to people in similar situations.

Learn more: Profitable blog niches that will make you a ton of money.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a way to write copy that sells, and there is a way to write copy that doesn’t sell. The purpose of this post is to help you on how to craft copy that sells. Crafting such a copy is simple if you practice what we have discussed above.

Besides, creating copy that sells is not rocket science. If you understand the basic concepts behind copywriting, you will be able to influence your target markets into clicking on your web pages or buying from you regardless of what product or service you are offering.

If you are good at writing and you do that for fun, learn how to get paid for content you create. Also, even copywriters get blackouts from time to time, it’s normal, and you are just human. When this happens, you need to learn how to overcome writer’s block.

Thanks for reading, and please help spread the word by sharing this with your friends.