powerful copy

Have you ever played a game entitled “Good Copy, Bad Copy”? The rules are simple. Oh wait; there is actually just one rule: you have to create good copy to promote your online business and stay far away from bad copy that can compromise your image, make you lose prospects and help you put a smile on your competitors’ faces. Most people will sigh and exclaim: “if only things were that simple…” They are. Even though you may think about copywriting and picture a rainbow of colors and flying unicorns, things are really black and white when it comes to creating fantastic copy: you’re either good at it because your copy sells or you’re not and your copy is a mere waste of time and money. The bad news is that good copy that is also persuasive requires lots of things, including excellent writing skills, extensive knowledge, patience, passion, research and empathy. The good news is that as long as you play by the book and do everything in your power to boost your copywriting skills, you can actually obtain excellent results in the long run. But what exactly should you work on to be able to see the first signs of improvements in the long run? The Good, the Bad and the Damn Ugly of Copywriting So we’re clear, copy overstuffed with keywords is not good copy. As a matter of fact, first-class copy should reflect your creativity, originality and ability to see things from a different perspective. If should accentuate your desire to resonate with a large, diverse audience and your ability to address the specific needs and requirements of all your categories of readers. Moreover, it should indicate the fact that you have a vast knowledge and can anticipate, analyze and explain new trends and concepts faster and better than any of your main rivals. In short, great copy shows that you’re good with words and you know it. On the other hand, bad copy is a clear indicator of the fact that you are lazy, sloppy, ignorant, unmotivated, untalented or all of the above. Bad copy is web writing with absolutely no value, which doesn’t stimulate the curiosity and the interest of your readers and doesn’t make them want to land on your page a second time. You may be wondering: how could I improve my copywriting efforts? According to an article published by Search Engine Land, sometimes SEO rules are meant to be broken. An obsessive focus on SEO can kill your copy. You have to ignore or your current SEO strategies at least when it comes to developing: A)      Titles and Magnetic Headlines Can you actually create compelling, magnetic, attention-grabbing headlines and still include as many keywords as you want in them, to attain your optimization goals? It’s possible, but very unlikely. Readers are very savvy and know how to distinguish high-value content from what appears to be a piece of cleverly disguised written trash. B)     Shareable Content Can you actually ask a team of writers to come up with insanely creative, readable, original, client-focused content and still force them to incorporate a huge number of keywords in it? Obviously, the answer is no. Great copy goes beyond keywords. Naturally, great copy is built around popular queries, to anticipate and address the needs, expectations and demands of a certain audience, but it does not employ aggressive SEO strategies that are visible to the naked eye. Here are a few rules that you may want to follow, to come up with fabulous, shareable copy: a)      Be engaging, transparent and empathetic to favor an emotional response from your readers b)      “Write tight” This means that you should keep it short and simple; organize your content piece into small well-organized paragraphs to improve readability. Otherwise, your readers will get bored to death, no matter how amazing your copy really is c)      Ditch second-hand material that you were planning to recycle one more time and conduct expensive research to spot new info and the most influential trends. You can rely on social media networking sites and special tools (Twitter, Facebook, Google Trends) to keep yourself up-to-date with things and facts that may interest you d)      Turn your posts into visual masterpieces by adding a fair amount of quality, relevant images, while preserving an ideal balance between text and images. Make no mistake: your refusal to upgrade your copy writing skills will cost you. According to an infographic introduced by Ragan.com, site performance, keywords and content are 3 of the most important factors that influence your SEO rankings. According to the same source, companies that blog obtain up to 50% more traffic than the ones that do not count on this strategy. 7 Reasons Why Fabulously Good Copy Really Matters We have managed to come up with 7 great reasons why good copy is an incredibly powerful ally for all people who run any kind of business on an online market. 1)      Good Copy Sells. First-class copy tells an enchanting story. It entertains the readers, resonates with them but also compels them to take action. Good copy gives you the opportunity to promote your products in a highly effective manner in front of a vast audience that is ready to listen to what you have to say. A successful copywriter has amazing selling skills and could probably convince an Eskimo to buy a bathing suit. Different writers employ different selling tactics. The only way to find out which ones would work best for you is through a trial-and-error process. Test different selling methods and see which ones are the best bait for your prospects. 2)      Good Copy Creates a Long-Lasting Bond with Your Audience. Great copy gives you the chance to improve your relationship with your visitors, by responding to their questions, needs and concerns and by cultivating their feedback. Whether they are looking forward to buying a luxurious 8-bedroom mansion or a box of cereals, consumers want to feel that their seller strives to be on the … Read more