9 Essential Copywriting Guidelines to Convert Your Readers
January 29, 2008 - Written by Gyutae Park
Effective copywriting is absolutely huge in online publishing. It’s usually what separates the big writers and bloggers from the rest and makes a world of difference in determining success. Are you writing engaging copy to attract readers and to develop a loyal following? In this article I will outline the main components of effective copywriting that will help you to convert your readers.
1. Let your personality shine through
Unless you have something truly revolutionary to share, the way in which you relay information will usually stand out more than the content itself. People are attracted to the opinions and mindsets of other influential people. Without personality, all you have are a bunch of boring facts and theories. Be sure to write with your own individual and personal style. You’ll be much more likely to get the attention of readers by doing so.
2. Have sound structure (and a purpose)
What’s your purpose for writing? Clearly lay out your main points and supporting arguments in a way that is easily understandable for readers. You can write amazing prose, but without sound structure and purpose it will hardly get your main ideas across. In a previous post, I wrote some tips for structuring a blog post that may help you get started. Read it here: 7 Essential Components of a Winning Blog Post
3. Know your audience
The cardinal rule of copywriting is to know your audience and to relate to them in your writing. Is your site targeted towards young entrepreneurs? Then write in a manner that appeals to them while using applicable jargon and language. For example, an Internet-savvy marketer might know what SEO means but an average Joe may not have a clue. Know your audience, their demographics, their interests, and their skillsets. You’ll do much better in your writing if you know who you’re dealing with.
4. Hit on emotions, needs and desires
You may have heard the common marketing teaching: “Your customers don’t want a drill, they want a hole.” In the say way, it’s important to know what drives your readers and why they’re reading in the first place. By understanding motives, you are better able to cater to the needs of your readers and convert them into loyal customers.
5. Be consistent
Keep your copy consistent. Don’t waffle on important issues and be sure to use the same voice (preferably active voice) throughout. Set a tone and mood for your copy and stick with it.
6. Use calls to action
Most of the time you’ll want your readers to perform a certain action when they’re on your site. Whether it be a sale, a subscription, a newsletter, or a comment, you want to explicitly use calls to action to encourage readers. A simple “click here” or “subscribe now” can make all the difference.
7. Be persuasive
Again, you want to support your claims with valid reasoning and persuasive arguments. Above all else, have passion for what you are saying and it will show in your presentation.
8. Accent your strengths
What’s your unique selling proposition? Why should readers buy from you or stick around to subscribe to your feed? When writing copy, highlight your strengths and clearly define what separates you from the rest of the pack.
9. Optimize for SEO
And of course we can’t forget the SEO aspect of copywriting. In order to achieve high search engine rankings for the most profitable keywords, it’s important to optimize your on-page copy accordingly. Use keyword tools such as Wordtracker and Keyword Discovery to find relevant keywords which have the most traffic potential. Then incorporate those keywords naturally into the copy on the page. 3-5 keywords per page is optimal with a density of about 3-7% for each. This will vary page to page and is not a rule to follow, but rather a guideline to help you get started.
So there you have it. 9 copywriting guidelines to help you write engaging content for your websites. What are you thoughts on this? Which of the guidelines do you think is the most important? Any others that should be added? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
If you like this post, subscribe to the RSS feed. Get the latest updates delivered straight to your email or news reader.
Nice post Gyutae. Letting personality shine through is a big factor when looking to attract a large reader base.
Hey Andrew,
Personality should be part of a blog by definition. Without it it’s harder to connect with readers and attract a base.
Although I am a freelance writer for so many websites, this post made me to think twice before writing an article to a website. Hope I’ll give quality content after reading this unique post in this blog. Keep posting such articles for the benefit of your visitors…
Thanks Jack. I’m glad it could be of use for your freelance writing endeavors. Anything you think I’m missing?
Nice post Gyutae. I think the most important ingredient in copywriting is knowing your audience.Without knowing who your audience are, it can be hard to keep your posts consistent.
Thanks Bruce. Knowing your audience should be something you do even before you start writing. Good call.
Great points Gyutae. Felt like I was reading CopyBlogger here.
I particularly liked number four – `hit on emotions, needs, and desires`
Keep it up,
Hafiz Dhanani
Hey Hafiz,
Brian Clark of Copyblogger is in a league of his own.
I think hitting on emotions and needs is the essence of marketing. Do that and people will flock to you.
You`re too modest.
Hey GyuTae
Great stuff, I never thought of blogging that way although I failed miserably in high school english, I feel like reading a blog post by my teacher. Lol
Anyways great post and thanks for the t shirt I am wearing it two days in a row now.
Hey Max,
High school English and copywriting are completely different things. You can still be a good copywriter without knowing the literary arts of Shakespeare.
Glad you like the shirt!
This is Awesome!! I’m a newbie to this environment. This is just like my public speeking course(which was fun for me).I have been “stumbling” and “crawling” and searching for in depth, rich, and stimulating sources for sound advice and pointers. Keep the good stuff coming.
Thanks for the kind words Nick. I’m glad the post was useful to you. Copywriting is a lot like public speaking in way. You have to be clear, concise, and connect with the audience using the power of persuasion. Good luck.