These brands often have an experienced copywriter (or team) with years of tests under their belt. They simply pay for the best and give them the freedom they need to succeed.But, hiring the best isn't always an option. If you're one of the many brands or executives who produce their own copy, here are six tips to help you go from starving writer to advertising powerhouse.
It's all about the process.
Mad Men was a great show, but it reinforced the misguided idea that copywriting is a wholly creative endeavor. Hate to break it to you, but you're not going to find inspiration whilst sat in a chair nursing a glass of whiskey. The best copywriters in the world work to a process which puts the customer at the center of their efforts.
Putting the customer first is the key to crafting great copy. For example, HubSpot implemented a customer-driven copywriting process and increased conversions nearly 100 percent.
The process will differ somewhat for writers and businesses, but the primary steps are the same.
1. Research: Knowledge is power when it comes to crafting effective copy. You have to know exactly who you're targeting, the problems they're facing and the terms used to describe their problem and ideal solution.
2. Find the overlaps: What are the intersections between the ideal user's problems and the solution you offer? Those overlaps are what people will pay for and should be heavily featured in your copy.
3. Wireframe and draft: Start by plotting the major persuasion points of your piece in line with a formula like AIDA: Attention, Interest, Design and Action. Adapt design around your key persuasive copy points. After mapping the overall flow, produce your first draft.
4. Review: Have a section of your target market run through your draft before asking for feedback on unclear statements, clunky structure, poor targeting and non-compelling elements.
5. Polish: Use that feedback to polish the article. Repeat steps four and five until you're happy and you have your first control for future tests.
Good writers copy; great writers steal.
The best copywriters in the world are thieves. They don't look for inspiration or devise new persuasion points on their own. They steal directly from their audience. They know that the only person who truly understands what the consumer wants is the consumer. So they don't even try to write.Skilled copywriters collect the feedback and opinions of the target market and repurpose it into compelling sales copy.When researching your audience, look for the pain points, opinions and benefits they mention and steal them. The more something is mentioned, the more likely it is to have an impact and convert.Joanna Wiebe of Copyhackers used this method to swipe the exact headline she used for rehab center Beachway -- a headline that increased button clicks by over 400 percent: "If you think you need rehab, you do."No one knows what the customer wants better than the customer? Get them sell to themselves for an easy win.