One reason why you might feel stressed when you’re trying to write copy for a sales page is that you’ve got all sorts of rules in your mind about how to write. The truth is, though, for most writing online and especially copywriting, it’s perfectly okay to break certain rules that would cause your English teacher to mark down your grade.
Having said that, there are also a few rules you shouldn’t break. Here are 5 key do’s and don’ts to become a better copywriter.
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5 Do’s To Becoming A Better Copywriter
#1: Your Product Is Less Important Than the Problem It Solves
You’re thrilled with the product or service you’ve created, and rightly so. It does a lot for your ideal client. But what it does is more important than what it is. Focus your copy on the benefits it provides and the problems it solves rather than the product itself.
#2: Write Mostly in Second Person
The reason you want to write most of your copy in second person is because it’s about the audience and not about you. One reason most online content you read uses personal pronouns like “you” is because that’s the best way to make the viewer feel included. When you talk too much about yourself, it can turn them off. Try to focus 80-90% of the copy in second person, while the rest can be in first person if you’re telling your story in a way that relates.
#3: It’s OK to Use Colloquialisms and Slang Words
Everyday sayings and slang words should be used by you to attract the audience that uses them. You’re writing for them, not for yourself. Sometimes these types of terms impact the audience more than you think, since they feel heard when reading them from you.
#4: Review, Test, and Tweak
Once you’ve finished writing the copy, you should always test it before delivering it full to the entire audience. Randomly test it, tweak it, then repeat. Keep doing it until you learn what your audience prefers.
#5: Write Persuasively and Include a CTA
Copywriting is persuasive writing, and due to that should always include a call to action (CTA). Your call to action needs to be designed in a way that attracts your ideal audience and compels them to act. To become a better copywriter you may need to practice seeing what your audience prefers. Do they like a big button? Do they like you to use humor in your CTA, or do they prefer the old “buy now” option? Only testing will reveal the truth.
5 Don’ts To Becoming A Better Copywriter
#1: It’s OK to Use Contractions
A contraction is a shortened form of a word that omits certain letters (for example, ‘cannot’ becomes ‘can’t’). Your English teacher didn’t want you to use contractions in academic work but let go of that rule now. You can’t write copy that is hard to read and grasp by avoiding contractions, and still expect results. Your audience uses contractions in their speech and will react better if you do too.
#2: Don’t Worry About Ending Sentences with Prepositions
A preposition is a word that tells you where or when something is in relation to something else. They include words like after, before, on, under, inside and out. For example “Click here before time runs out!”. Formal writing says not to finish a sentence with a preposition, but it’s the way your audience speaks and talks. We all talk that way and because of that, writing sales copy that way feels more natural to the reader.
#3: It’s OK to Use Sentence Fragments
While a proper sentence includes a subject and a verb. But you can let that go for copywriting because people understand your message better when the style is conversational. When you talk, you don’t always use complete sentences, but it still communicates your message. The creativity you use to get across your message is more important than whether you use a fragment or not.
#4: Don’t Avoid One-Sentence Paragraphs
A persuasive paragraph that is a sentence which points to what is essential in the words you share with your audience, can help you add visual interest and white space to your website, brochures, and sales pages in a way that forcing more words won’t do. Fewer words are almost always better.
#5: Don’t Use Big Words and Jargon – Keep It Simple
A funny thing happens to many people when they sit down to write. They suddenly forget how they talk. They use words they can’t even pronounce and start reverting to using jargon instead of speaking directly to the audience who needs the solution, using the type of language they need for understanding.
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The most important thing is that you get to know your audience so that you know exactly how they want the content you create designed and delivered to them. Writing good content is all about following a process that helps you cover all the arguments your audience may have in their mind about the solution you’re recommending. To help you become a better copywriter, download the free checklist, The 5 Step Content Strategy to discover the key content marketing tactics used by the most successful online entrepreneurs.