What is copywriting?
Copywriting is combining words that will compel both current and potential users to take an action like; making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter or trusting you enough with their contact details, etc.
According to Michael Aagaard, In order to get a conversion, the process has to end with your potential customers agreeing that what they will get in return is worth more than they have to part with.
Writing words to convince people to do what you want them to do isn’t as easy as it seems but it is possible. Whether you’re a beginner or expert in copywriting, tendencies are, you will make mistakes but what matters most is knowing the mistakes and not repeating them.
Here are a few mistakes that you could be making in your present copy without paying heed to them. Note them and do some tweaks where necessary.
Writing for the wrong person
There is no mistake more costly than writing for the wrong audience. That’s like selling socks for a man without feet. He doesn’t need it, invariably, you are wasting time, energy, and resources. You must make sure that you have done adequate research to know who your audience is because those are the people willing to stop and listen to you because you have something they need.
Too long sales copy
You have to capture the attention of your audience in less than your 30s, that’s the HOOK. Today’s readers often skim through contents these days so having an unnecessary long copy might not do the trick for you. Long sales copy was a thing of the past, today you have to be a good writer to keep your readers engaged with your content.
That does not rule out the efficacy of long copies, but if you have tested the long copy and it doesn’t convert it has a high bounce rate, why not switch to something short. Keep testing your copies to know the one that works for you.
Skipping SEO
It is not just enough to write content, you must keep basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in view. Make use of keywords, search terms, words that your customers use to search for your products. Using these points will help keep your visibility to a great extent.
K.I.S.S
The rule is to “Keep it Simple Stupid”. Avoid complicating your copy. Avoid too many details. You can always edit your copy to keep it simple. Make it brief and explanatory.
Assuming they’ll know the problem you’re solving
Never Assume and do not expect your readers to assume what problem you are solving, you must clearly list them out for clarity’s sake.
Do not write bulky content that is not is hitting any pain point expecting them to find out what your intents are. If you must, separate your points into paragraphs or bullets, or numbered lists to clearly emphasize the topical issue.
Using too many technical terms
I know you want to position yourself as an expert in your industry so it’s easy to let the “big terms” in your industry consume your content. It is always advised to use simple words in your copy, doing this is not to imply that your audience is not smart but to use simpler words to explain your concepts.
Focusing too much on your product
Your copy must be 80% people-based, as it is for your audience. The audience must feel that you’re concerned about them and not just about you shoveling your product in their face.
Writing For Everybody
Do not try to write for everybody, know who your customers are, what they are feeling, what problem they are facing and what they are looking for.
This is to guide you in writing for them. And when you write, do not write as if you’re writing for a group of people, instead, write as if you’re talking to a friend of yours.
Lacking Emotional Connection
Humans are emotional beings, almost everything is based on emotions including purchasing things. Your copy must appeal to them, their emotions.
You must always have it in mind that the reader is another emotional being and he’s reading this based on the fact that you can solve a problem of his. You must appeal not only to his common sense but his emotions.
No Call-to-Action
A copy without a Call To Action (CTA) is like a very beautiful house without doors or windows; You can only admire it, you cannot go inside. Your call to action is to get your potential customers to proceed to the next step after giving them all the information and making them interested in you.
Copies are to drive conversions and to lead your potential customers up to the next step in becoming customers, so you must give them a clear CTA. You can place your CTA at the end of your copy or if your copy is long, you can position it at different places in the copy.
Too long headlines
I know you want your headline to be intriguing and impactful but most times, it is very important to make them short and straight to the point. Your headline is the most single important part of your copy as only 20% of readers will read it before going on to read your text.
To make your headlines more efficient, use CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer. It analyzes your headlines and gives them a rating on a scale from 1 to 100, along with suggestions on how to make them more impactful. There are many more tools and while they make give you suggestions, you could also trust your instincts.
Making claims without social proof
Your copy’s objective is to get your potential customers to trust you enough to carry out whatever action you want them to take. Do not make boneless claims without proof as this will lead you to lose them completely. Some ways of backing up your claims are via; social media testimonials, reviews from past/current users, statistics, even money-back guarantees. This will make your product more real and your copy more effective.
Being vague
Robert Collier said, “Decide the effect you want to produce in your reader”. Before you begin to write, have a specific goal for your copy, make sure that the objective is well established as this will guide you in determining the tone of your copy. If you would need their contact details, you know you need to sound persuasive.
False links
Hyperlinks are supposed to take your readers to another location and are mostly denoted by underlined colored texts. Online readers are often used to this system and may get frustrated if your “links” don’t lead anywhere or worse still, they don’t know the difference between your normal texts and linked texts.
Obvious advertising
Your audience does not like to be sold to, they want to have control over the sales; whether they will buy or not. Do not make your copy all about selling, Remember, it’s to address their problems and how your product can solve them.
Slow at getting to the point
Most online readers and potential customers are skimmers- that is they scan through the content. When your copy is slow at getting to the point, they will quickly lose interest and move on. So your plan is to make your copy interesting and straight to the point to avoid losing their attention.
Using weak language instead of numbers
For your copy to be successful, use statistics, numbers to hold your audience’s attention. For example, if you’re into health, instead of telling them the consequences of not getting treated, you can use “5 dangers of untreated infection“. Don’t mention your “tips and tricks” — instead, talk about your five nutritional laws for weight loss. – Amine Rahal, Regal Assets.
Conclusion
Putting all these tips in mind can be a little “impossible” but it is possible, the plan is to get better, write better copies and get more conversions. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, what matters is your ability to go over your mistakes and correct them.
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