One of the main problems of copywriters today is to attract and sell more through the texts they create.
“Persuasive Copywriting” is an ideal book for experienced copywriters, but especially for beginning copywriters, marketing and sales professionals, and writers who just want to attract more readers.
Whichever of the above categories you fall into, the tips and ideas in this book are sure to become a valuable resource for you.
The 6 main lessons presented in this book are:
- Good copy arouses the reader’s emotions, not the writer’s
- Creative copy requires a lot of reading and practice, but also a letting go of rigid thinking
- Copy for mobile platforms and social media for marketing purposes requires special attention
- Effective ways to engage readers rely on curiosity, secrets and stories
- Using appreciative words for readers is a plus
- Avoiding common copywriting pitfalls and neglecting grammar
If you’re a little fuzzy yourself, don’t worry. We’ve outlined each of these lessons below, so that you understand what the author meant in the book and can more easily apply them to your texts.
- Good copy arouses the reader’s emotions, not the writer’s
While a lot has changed recently in terms of copywriting, social media and social platforms popping up overnight, the good news is that one thing has remained the same: fundamentally, people have stayed the same. Today’s customers have many of the same emotions, fears and desires that their predecessors had 50 or even 100 years ago. Good copy thus manages to appeal to readers’ emotions first and foremost. In this respect, copywriting hasn’t changed that much.
The reason why good copy appeals to the emotions of the readers to whom it is addressed is that emotions are at the heart of every human’s motivations. Every copywriter wants their reader to take an action: to make a purchase, to make a donation, or simply to subscribe to a newsletter. Thus, the goal of every copywriter is to get close to the emotion that will motivate the reader to take that action: this is empathetic copywriting.
Empathic copywriting is about persuading your readers to spend their time or money in a certain way. Therefore, your emotions as a writer are irrelevant when it comes to good copy.
- Creative copy requires a lot of reading and practice, but also a surrender to rigid thinking
Attracting a client to read the entire piece of copy you’ve written is much more than a catchy headline with exclusive offers and miracle tips.
A good copywriter manages to keep their readers’ attention until the end. This is made possible through wordplay, humour and, not least, creativity. True creativity involves solving problems that clients have, only through imagination and improvisation.
- Texts for mobile platforms and social media for marketing purposes need special attention
Regardless of the type of copy you need to write, a good copywriter makes sure they get a full brief beforehand.
When it comes to social media or mobile platforms, the aim of a copy is essentially the same: a text that connects with the customer’s emotions. However, a good copywriter needs to consider how their content will look on readers’ screens. For example, a paragraph that looks good on a piece of paper may seem endless on a smartphone screen. Also, the tone of the text needs to be different on social media: a personal and natural tone is appropriate here. However, the identity of the organisation for which a text is written should not be ignored.
- Effective ways to engage readers are based on curiosity, secrets and stories
Surely you’ve wondered, at least once, if there is a successful formula for engaging copy. Well, the truth is that there are many such formulas.
One of the best known of these formulas is AIDA. It stands for attention, interest, desire and action. Good copy grabs the reader’s attention, holds their interest, captures their desire and persuades them to act.
The author also presents another personal formula he uses: TIPS. This stands for temptation, influence, persuasiveness and selling.
Another successful way of writing successful copy is through secrets: when a text suggests the presence of new, exclusive information, few readers will resist refraining from reading it.
Another way to engage the reader is through texts that are based on stories. You can read more about this in the book “Building a Storybrand” by Donald Miller.
- Using words of appreciation for readers is a plus
Some of the most powerful emotions a copywriter can touch are those that come from a person’s ego. A good copywriter is not afraid to use language that subtly touches the egos of his readers. This is a way to immediately achieve an emotional connection with the reader, as it succeeds in making the reader feel special.
- Avoiding common copywriting pitfalls and neglecting grammar
Good copy is always enjoyable and easy to read. Many techniques have been developed over the years: rhythm, rhyme, musicality, imagery. The more you read and write, the more you will master these valuable techniques.
If you find the information in this book useful for your projects, you can order it HERE.
