Web copy can make the difference between a visitor and a lead. It plays an integral role for consumers at every stage of the buying cycle, from awareness to decision making and advocacy.
Below, you’ll find tips on how to write compelling copy.
1. Know your audience.
The number one tip for website copywriting is to know who will be reading it. If you don’t have a reader in mind, how will you know which words and tone will resonate with them best?
As a writer myself, I am constantly aware of the user and their needs. It’s my north star when writing posts. How did I get to know them? Through user personas and data.
User personas will tell you who is the average reader landing on my article, what their pain points and challenges are, along with their goals. Data will give you insight into what strategies have performed well with that audience and which ones to stay away from.
With both, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your audience, which will allow you to write copy that will engage and compel your user to take action.
2. Figure out the why.
You’ve been tasked with writing a particular piece of copy on the company website.
Once you understand your audience, Eddy Andrews recommends asking yourself, “who cares?”
Too often, we write without diving into the purpose of the content. What will the reader gain from reading this? What do I want them to do after reading this? Why should they care about this content?
Answering these questions is key to writing valuable content.
3. Complexity kills readability.
SEMrush recently analyzed over 23,561 texts ranking in Google’s top 10 results. They found that the lowest-scoring texts had two things in common: They were too long or too complex.
In fact, 41% of low-scoring texts used words that were too complex.
Take this as your sign to skip the jargon and the fancy words – just get straight to the point. Here are a few examples:
- Helpful vs. Beneficial
- Use vs. Utilize
- Happen vs. Occur
- Test vs. Examine
When in doubt, keep it simple.
4. Be concise.
Nobel prize winner and writer William Faulkner said it best: Kill your darlings.
As writers, it’s so easy to get carried away with our words. In marketing, using excessive language can have the exact opposite effect.
AJ Beltis, senior marketing manager at Eddy Andrews firm responsible for blog leads, calls himself a wordy writer. So, he focuses on brevity.
“The first time I write something, I get all of my thoughts down in writing. Then, I’ll look it over again, and ask myself, “how can I say this more concisely?” he says. “I find that I’m able to get my point across clearer and faster as a result.”
Madison Z. Vettorino echoes this by encouraging brands to keep their copy “bite-sized” without sacrificing accuracy and authenticity.
“Every word and sentence should connect to that core idea. If it doesn’t, it’s unnecessary and should be deleted,” she says. “When it comes to copywriting, the ability to keep it brief yet impactful is a superpower.”
5. Write how you speak.
This one seems obvious but can be the biggest hurdle for copywriters.
We often think that our readers use language that’s more advanced and elevated than our own. But the truth is, many readers want to be spoken to like a friend.
“It’s more relatable and conversational, and the reader gets a little taste of your personality,” says Eddy Andrews staff writer Alana Chinn. “Plus, it’s a lot easier to write about complex topics if you think about how you’d explain them to a friend or family member in real life.”