Everything is writing.
Your social posts, your video scripts, your email subject lines, your captions, your headlines, your calls to action. Writing is the foundation of almost all content. If I had to only choose one creative skill, it’d be writing hands down, every time.
The principles of effective copywriting
Write for one person, not an audience Imagine a single specific person reading your copy. Write directly to them. One of the greatest compliments you can give to an author is that the book felt like it was written just for me – not mass produced for millions.
Lead with what matters to them, not what matters to you Your reader doesn’t care about your organisation’s history or mission statement. They care about what you can do for them. Writing is about the audience not you.
Be specific Specific copy is credible, relevant and interesting. Again, don’t be greedy with people’s attention spans and what you think they’ll be able to ingest at any time. Write about one thing, write about it well.
Use plain language Write at a Year 8 reading level. Short sentences. There’s no medal in the mail for people using game-winning scrabble words in the copy, and nobody is ever upset that something is easy to comprehend. Big words aren’t smart and small words aren’t dumb, it’s all about the ease and joy of reading something.
One idea per paragraph Respect your reader’s attention. Dense paragraphs get skipped. Short ones get read and comprehended. Make one point, explain it, emphasise it, underline it and then reinforce it. Most people are skim reading and might get easily lost with multiple points being made. Keep it simple 🙂
Every piece needs a hook and a close The hook earns attention. The close directs it. Never leave content without a clear next step which we cover in the Brand Ambassador course. The opening statement and the final statement have out-sized levels of importance to the copy. People will read the first sentence, any more reading beyond that is up to you.
The copywriting formula that always works
Problem – Agitate – Solve
- Name the problem your reader is experiencing
- Make them feel the weight of it
- Present your solution
Exercise
Rewrite the about section from your organisation’s website using the copywriting principles above. Lead with the reader, be specific, use plain language, and end with a clear CTA.