What differences copywriting, or persuasive writing, from normal writing is that language is used in a very specific way for the reader to fulfill an objective. There are many proven techniques that can easily help you create more appealing content.
I mean really appealing content that would be fully read by your client because they find it deeply valuable. On a long term basis, this can improve the engagement of your audience and increase the sale figures.
Here I share with you 10 errors that I usually find on the websites and can be solved in a simple way. Can’t you believe? Just try them out and tell me about in the comments.
1. Writing for everyone
Even if you want that all the people feel included in your speech, writing for everyone is almost like writing for no one. When the reader does not identify with the message it is easy for them to just disconnect.
Knowing your audience helps you create connections. It works in a similar way with your own friends, the more you know a person, the easier the way to understand each other and resonate together. The next step is trust.
2. A lot about me and very little about you
Even if you need to tell your story and describe your product benefits, remember that your client is not interested in you or your product. Your client is just interested in answering their two main questions:
- Is there anything for me in this website?
- Why (your story/product/service) is useful for me?
Try to answer both questions even when you talk in the first person and increase the use of the second person.
3. Sell the features instead of the benefits
The emotional component is always relevant when you buy an article. Any article. Even toilet paper. Of course you probably do not think about, but it is part of every decision you take. This is why brands tend to emphasize the benefits of consuming your product to capture your interest.
In general, your client connects emotionally through the benefits of the product or service and then rationally justifies the purchase through its features.
For example, in the case of a mattress, it is more appealing if you sell a good rest instead of the manufacturing material. However the material can be crucial when comparing with other mattresses in the market.
4. Overwrite
Sometimes, in order to be crystal clear, we tend to explain the same thing over and over again.
Saying everything once is enough, although depending on the format, if it is a sales letter, for example, it may be useful to make a small final summary with the most important can be helpful for the reader.
The limits of what is good and what is too much, sometimes are thin. Therefore, remember that the reader has little time and will appreciate your conciseness: the good things, when short, twice as good.
5. Forget SEO
Without getting into major technical complications, using SEO strategies it is possible to help your article being better positioned on Google.
The process is simple, you need to identify the main keyword that you want to positionate and then introducing it inside the article together with many other long tail variants. The result should sound natural.
You can use the freetool Ubersuggest to find the keywords and Google Search Console to evaluate the performance of your indexation and increase visibility.
6. Do not include calls to action with simple and respectful purchasing processes
Do not take anything for granted. You may think that something is obvious, but actually you don’t know.
If you want the customer to follow a path, lead them, make it easy and respect his decisions.
7. Using empty or abstract words
The problem with empty, abstract or grandiloquent words is that they can be evocative, they may sound good, but they say nothing.
They do not generate concrete images in the head and tend to create noise, yes, that type of noise that you probably don’t want for your brand.
Try to be as concrete as possible and avoid, for example, words or expressions such as: thing, everything, 360º, integral service, move on to the next level, etc.
8. Too much exclamations or emphatic elements
It seems that when we need to emphasize our favorite resource is using many exclamations or emphatic elements such as “the best”, “very” or “awesome”.
As a general rule, the more emphatic elements you use, the less power they have. Therefore, try to use less, but very powerful. A good way to reduce emphasizers is substituting them for a concrete adjective.
9. Assume that what your competitor writes, says or does is the right thing
Sometimes the so-called impostor syndrome arises and you think that what you are doing is worth nothing, that your knowledge is not enough… and you start looking at your competitor as the perfect role model to follow.
The first good news is that this syndrome comes and goes and the second is that nobody has the power of truth in their being.
Although the professionals with whom you are comparing yourself try to do their best, we all make mistakes and our businesses evolve as we learn from them and improve our techniques.
Checking out what others do is a good way to be aware of what’s happening in your sector, learn from what others did or share your ideas. However when it comes to develop your own offerings, focus on yourself and create if from the power of your own heart.
10. Create false expectations about your offerings
It may be tempting to exaggerate the benefits or features of your product, but it is absolutely ineffective and absurd since the customer will be disappointed as soon as they buy and realise.
The same happens with the titles of your content. A good title should be attractive, but always related to the actual content that the reader will find.
Excellence is achieved with practice
If you have identified some of these questions in your own content you have an opportunity to continue improving.
In case you want more, you may be interested in these articles:
- SEO Copywriting
- Improve the style
Have you tried any of the points?
Tell me your doubts! In this house we believe that alone you can go faster, but accompanied you go further.