Copywriting 101, how to turn words into opportunities

This is the story of an incredibly effective marketing tool called copywriting! It is already widely used and well-established in Europe and is just starting to gain popularity here in Canada.

Still, your business could reap huge benefits from this marketing approach.

Let's explore together everything you should know about this technique, which is taking up more and more space on the web:

• What is copywriting?
• What is the difference between editing and copywriting?
• How can your business benefit from copywriting?
• What are the steps behind the technique?
• Before and after, because a picture is worth a thousand words.

Copywriting, the true art of persuasion, skillfully combines engaging writing and marketing expertise to influence readers and encourage them to act. This specific skill lies in manipulating words to create captivating and motivating content.

Copywriters, masters of written communication, excel in convincing, whether to encourage a purchase, promote a service or encourage a specific action.

But what is the difference between a copywriter and an editor? Do they have the same expertise?

The fundamental distinction between the two processes lies in their distinct objectives and approaches. Many find this difference challenging, but here is a compelling analogy to help you understand better.

Let's take a cook and a pastry chef: both are in the culinary field, but each has their unique specialty. The cook can concoct delicious chocolate éclairs, but never as exquisite as those of the pastry chef! Although both are good, the pastry chefs are simply divine. It's a bit like the difference between "good" and "delicious" - a subtlety that makes all the difference.

Here are some additional specifications that differentiate the writer from the copywriter:

Standard writing

Writing Style: Focuses on an informative, narrative, or descriptive style, depending on the type of content. Standard writing generally follows a more formal style.

The Objective: Mainly aims to inform, educate or entertain the reader. It is often used in articles, reports, academic papers, etc.

Target Audience: Readers are generally looking for informative or entertaining content.

Example: A magazine article that explains the benefits of a healthy diet.

Copywriting

Writing Style: Favors a more persuasive and emotional style. It uses persuasion tactics, such as calls to action (CTAs), promotes benefits, and creates a feeling of urgency or exclusivity (beware of FOMO - Fear of missing out).

The Objective: Persuade the reader to take a specific action, such as purchasing a product, subscribing to a newsletter, filling out a form, etc. Its goal is to convince and convert.

Target Audience: Copywriting motivates a specific audience to act. It is aimed at potential customers or prospects who are ready to take the next step.

Examples: A sales page, the texts of a website, an email sequence, and a slogan.

It offers many benefits to businesses across all industries. Using persuasive and engaging techniques, copywriting can help your business capture the attention of your target audience, communicate your message effectively, and inspire potential customers to take action.

It can also improve your brand's visibility, increase conversions, and strengthen your relationship with customers. By investing in a solid strategy, your business can stand out in the market and successfully achieve its goals.

Here are the different advantages of developing a strategy based on copywriting:

• Marketing Impact: Its ability to generate concrete results in marketing. Well-written texts can increase visibility, sales and brand awareness.
• Emotional Connection: It can establish a direct emotional connection with customers. Well-chosen words can evoke emotions, strengthening the connection between the brand and the audience.
• Competitive Advantage: It can set a company apart from its competitors. Impactful and unique messages attract attention in a saturated market.
• Improved Conversions: Its ability to convert potential customers. Effective calls to action and compelling sales pitches are essential to this process.
• Profitability: Investing in quality copywriting can pay off in the long term. Well-written texts continue to produce results over an extended period.
• Flexibility: Its versatility is a powerful asset. It can be adapted to various platforms, such as websites, social media, advertisements, newsletters, brochures, and emails.
• Expertise and Creativity: Copywriting offers unparalleled expertise and creativity. Experienced copywriters understand how to target diverse audiences and create attention-grabbing messages.

A true art of persuasion, copywriting represents a powerful and versatile skill. It can be deployed in various contexts to influence readers, convince them, and inspire them to take specific actions.

Copywriting plays an essential role in any 360 marketing strategy, whether in the creation of:

• online advertisements;
• sales pages;
• website;
• slogans;
• titles;
• traditional advertising campaigns (print);
• email marketing;
• email sequences;
• landing pages;
• web content.

In each of these contexts, it goes well beyond simple writing. It requires a deep understanding of consumer psychology, the ability to create persuasive and relevant messages, the judicious use of effective calls to action, and the ability to tailor tone and style to the intended target audience.

By mastering these techniques, your business can maximize the impact of its communications and achieve remarkable results in its marketing efforts.

A fundamental truth of copywriting is that preliminary research is the decisive point on which the entire process rests. It is, above all, a research exercise, representing 80% of the work for only 20% of writing. When research is carried out carefully and meticulously, writing the text becomes a formality because the data and information collected naturally guide the creative process.

Understanding your target audience is the crucial first step. This understanding not only adapts the tone and style of the content but also determines the intended audience's needs, wants and motivations. At the same time, researching relevant keywords optimizes content for search engines, thus increasing its visibility and relevance for Internet users.

Once the framework is established, defining a unique and relevant angle becomes essential. This distinctive angle gives the content a unique perspective that stands out from the competition and grabs the audience's attention. By integrating effective calls to action (CTAs), the copywriter guides the reader toward the desired action, whether purchasing a product, subscribing to a newsletter, or requesting additional information.

Finally, highlighting the advantages and solutions offered by the product or service constitutes the central point of the content. By highlighting the tangible benefits for the potential customer, the copywriter reinforces the perceived value and further motivates the audience to take action.

These systematic and strategic steps ensure that the written content achieves its ultimate objective and inspires the target audience to take the desired actions, thereby promoting the success of marketing initiatives.

Copywriting is a process that requires a deep understanding of human psychology, as well as the motivations and needs of the target audience. Here are some of the best practices in copywriting for creating persuasive and impactful content:

1. Know your Target Audience: The key lies in deeply understanding your audience. This involves knowing who the potential readers are and what their needs, wants, fears, and motivations are.
2. Use Clear and Convincing Language: It must be concise, precise and easy to understand. Avoid technical jargon or complex sentences that might lose the reader's attention. Use simple, direct language to convey your message effectively.
3. Highlight the Benefits: Instead of focusing only on a product or service's characteristics, you must highlight its benefits to the customer. We must clearly explain how the offer can solve problems or meet the target audience's needs.
4. Use Social Proof: Testimonials, customer reviews, case studies, and statistics reinforce the message's credibility. Social proof helps reassure readers and convince them of the offer's effectiveness.
5. Create Compelling Calls to Action (CTAs): CTAs are essential for getting readers to take action. You need to ensure the CTAs are clear, direct and attractive. Use strong action verbs to encourage readers to take a specific action, such as “Buy now,” “Sign up today,” or “Contact us.”

Whether for advertisements, sales pages, marketing emails, or web content, well-executed copywriting can make all the difference in a marketing initiative's success.

The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” expresses the power of visual communication. Here are four before-and-after examples to concretely demonstrate the power of copywriting!

Before: “How to Improve your Writing Skills”
After: “Master the Art of Copywriting: Become an Influential Content Writer”

Before: “Cooking for Beginners”
After: "The Art of Cooking for Beginners: Become a Chef in Your Kitchen"

Before: "Learn Computer Programming."
After: "Master Computer Programming: From Novice to Expert with One Click"

Before: Wireless headphones
After: Premium wireless headphones, immersive sound, ultimate comfort and limitless freedom

In conclusion, copywriting is an influential art and precise science that requires a deep understanding of the target audience, persuasion techniques and business goals.

By integrating copywriting best practices into your marketing strategy, you can create captivating, persuasive, and compelling content that drives tangible results for your business. So, don’t hesitate to contact us about your project!