Some Things to Remember When Your Copy Fails

     If your blog post titles or sales copy isn't working, here are some things to remember

 

   Headline: The Most Important Part of Copy

    Have you ever picked up a book or flipped through a magazine after reading one of the cover headlines? Chances are, if you’re like most people, something has snagged your attention enough for further investigation. 

    This is the main goal for professional writers. For you, the consumer, to grab their magazine, or click the link to their blog post. And it makes sense, since the headline alone will either make or break their entire writing effort. After all, if no one clicks the link, who will read the article?

    If you’re not getting the clicks you desire, practice writing headlines and test them thoroughly. By testing them, I mean that you should write around twenty for each post, and test your top choices until you find which one is best. 

    Keep in mind that your headline should also be relevant to the inside text as well. No one wants to see “50 Amazing Ways to Make Apple Pie”, only to find an article describing how to make brownies. While this is a massive over-exaggeration, just make sure your headlines match the content.

    As for clickbait, it often comes down to how deceptive it is, and how much value you’re adding with the content. It’s forgivable if you’re exaggerating to an extent, as long as the readers are coming away with positive, beneficial experiences. 

    But, if you’re using clickbait and offering the bare minimum in terms of value, then don’t be surprised when your readership drops off. This is even more important in sales copy, where flat-out lying about a certain product or service could ruin the entire business’s reputation.

Copy Content: Adding Value

    As stated up above, your copy should add value. Most people are limited on time, and are intrigued to find an article that’s short, simple, and to the point. Now, none of those are difficult to achieve, but you have to understand how much value it’s adding. Just because Google likes when businesses add a page to their website each month, doesn’t mean you turn into a content mill to boost SEO. Search for what consumers are having trouble with and help them. You’re the expert, right?

    Basically, put yourself in the reader’s shoes, and pretend that you need to find that information. Scroll through your post and see what you think. Is the post answering people’s questions or could it use a boost in the useful department. Sometimes, we’re more concerned with posting the content than with offering a great experience for users. And users will appreciate your extra effort!

    In sales copy, your paragraphs should ooze like warm butter, and all effort should be made to maximize persuasion. Use descriptive words that tingle the human senses, such as smells, texture, tastes, and sound, for example. These paint a picture in the reader’s head and offer a much better experience. Don’t go too overboard, though. You can overdo descriptions, and you’ll sound like a novelist from 1850s London. 

Voice: Communicating in Short Copy

    How you speak or write to people makes a difference. If you have trouble writing in a way that sounds fluid and natural, try writing each post or sales piece to one specific person. Now, this person could be a random face you saw at the grocery store, or it could be a friend or family member. Consider how you would write to them if you needed to send them a letter. 

    In fact, it might help to tape a photo of someone behind your computer monitor. Whenever you start writing too robotic or even too “salesy”, just look at the picture and remind yourself that you’re only writing to them.

    So why does it matter? Well, as someone who worked in retail, there was a huge difference between using the store’s generic, robotic greeting vs speaking how I would with a neighbor I’d knew my entire life. That casual way of conversing made customers feel comfortable, and seemed like just another casual conversation, not a generic, repetitive sales greeting.

    Basically, if all else fails, write to your best friend. Everything gets easier that way. (Just make sure you don’t include inside jokes or use slang words only you and your friend would understand.)

In conclusion,

    Although this is all beginner information, even as a professional, I sometimes forget I’m writing to other humans and not just usernames on a computer screen. They all have their goals, dreams, good days, bad days, all searching for ways to make their lives better.

    Most people, possibly you, don’t have time to read every headline in the world, nor read every sales letter, no matter how good you think it is. Still, to maximize your chances of customers clicking on your post, opening your sales email, or grabbing that magazine off the rack, your headline needs to be grab their instincts so strong, they’d have to physically run away to avoid it. That takes time and tons of practice. (I’m still practicing myself.)

    As for voice, just write how you speak. The more natural it sounds, the less it’ll sound like a sales pitch and more like a regular conversation. And these days, with all the sales copy people are exposed to, no one wants to read another sales pitch promising them the world but failing to meet even minimal expectations.