Copywriting is really copy*thinking*. The actual writing is just capturing the results of that process.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Sometimes, different groups use the same product in different ways, or get different benefits from it. Your copy may need different messages for each group. For example, Uber needs to appeal to both drivers and passengers.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Well-known sayings can be persuasive, because they express things that 'everybody' knows to be true.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Use a metaphor to say 'if this then that' with a powerful image: 'You wouldn't try to fill a bucket if it had a hole. But that's what business owners do when they try to boost revenues without thinking about customer retention.'

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

No tool is right for every job. You may not want to use copywriting formulas every time, or obey them too slavishly. But they can still help you remember what you need to include, or give you a basic structure to build on.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

In general, verbs (doing words) are more powerful than adjectives and adverbs (describing words). Look through your descriptions and ask yourself: would it be better say what something does, instead of what it's like?

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

People may never express the emotions that make them buy a product. They'll give a rational answer if you ask them, but it may not be true. So it's important to consider what they do, as well as what they say.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Strong calls to action can be powerful, but they're not 'get out of jail free' cards. They won't magically spur the reader into action if you haven't built up a strong case in the rest of your copy.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Intriguing headlines are a risk. You're gambling short-term relevance in the hope of winning longer-term interest. If the gamble pays off, they'll be more absorbed and curious upfront than they might have been otherwise.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Build a benefit into your call to action to turn it into an offer of a deal – 'do this and you'll get that'. For example: 'To start earning this unbeatable rate of interest, open your account today.'

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

When readers come to a piece of copy for the first time, they're thinking, 'What's in this for me?' – not the product, but just reading the ad. So your headline is the 'ad for the ad', in the same way as a cover is the ad for a book.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Verbs write the reader's future by making future events real. Use them in preference to adjectives, adverbs or abstract nouns.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Background info is great, but the more product knowledge you have, the easier it is to 'go native' and start seeing things from the client's viewpoint rather than the reader's.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Put your benefits to the 'so what?' test. For any feature, keep asking 'so what?' until you get to a clear benefit. If there's no good answer, you probably shouldn't write about that feature.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

There's no harm in writing down the brief, even if you're working completely alone. It's a very good way to focus your thoughts and mobilise your mental resources.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Companies sometimes emphasise the unique points of their products even though they don't particularly help their customers. Make sure a USP justifies its place with true benefits.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Think of your reader as an individual person rather than a group. Some of the best copy works like a conversation between writer and reader.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Use 'if this then that' to make a direct logical link between the reader's situation and how they want to change it: 'If you own a fast-growing business, you need a sure-fire way to keep clients coming back for more.'

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Benefits are a promise of value. They're the good things that will happen when your reader buys and uses the product.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

One way to turn features into benefits is to play the role of the reader and ask why different features mean benefits for you. Ask really basic questions like 'How does this product help me?' or 'Why do I need it?

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk

Provocative copy can shock the reader, shake them out of complacency and make them want to read on.

#Copywriting #tips
@CopywritersDesk