Writing marketing copy and effective sales copy is a challenging task that often entails radical simplification. As satisfying as a beautiful website or perfectly delivered marketing campaign might be, effective copy is ultimately what informs and drives customer behavior. With this in mind, here are a few tips on how to write effective marketing copy for your next campaign:
#1. Craft a compelling one-liner
I know, I know – easier said than done. The thing is, all successful businesses know how to communicate what they do, who they reach, and what they offer clearly and concisely in just a few sentences. Your company one-liner should be a short and compelling summary that boils your business down to its most basic parts. If a potential customer or client can’t discern what it is that you offer in the first 5-10 seconds of encountering your brand or website, you’ve failed and they have likely already moved on. You might not use your one-liner on every page of your website, or in every piece of marketing collateral you develop, but once finalized, it should be used to guide and inform every piece of copy you write and campaign you launch. If you’ve already crafted a one-liner for your business, it might be time to give it another look. Does it simplify your business to its most basic parts and make what you do easily understandable to a potential customer? Do you avoid industry jargon and other complex vocabularies that might confuse your message? An effective one-liner informs every other piece of marketing you put out into the world and unifies your internal team under one idea.
#2. Consider your audience
Who are you trying to communicate with? Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. What are their major concerns, pain points, and considerations? Most businesses spend too much time communicating points and ideas that their audience doesn’t care about. Maybe you really do have the largest manufacturing plant amongst your competitors, but if it doesn’t help your customers get their products cheaper, better, or faster, they are unlikely to care or identify with the message you are trying to communicate. These types of messages are best left out of your primary marketing efforts. Maybe you also need to consider multiple, different audiences. Not all of them will care about the same things or resonate with the story you tell. Understanding what is important to each of them directly informs the strategy you take when marketing and messaging to them. In other words, what things should you be sure to emphasize in your messaging for each audience you wish to communicate with?
#3. Tell a story
Story is one of the most effective means for making ideas and messages stick. In their book, “Made to Stick” by Dan and Chip Heath, the Heath brothers’ break down what makes for lasting ideas. Story, they argue, is one of the “stickiest” ways of getting your message to land, resonate, and continue to be memorable long after it has been delivered. Stories provide stimulation that drives action and helps customers see how a situation or existing problem might be able to change. Nowadays, too many companies position themselves as the hero in their customer’s stories. Instead, we should be crafting stories that make our customer the hero. If our business’ story is communicating that: “we are the industry leader” or “we can increase your revenue”, they won’t be very effective. Instead, companies need to position their products or services in a way that communicates how a customer or client could leverage them to get ahead. In other words, your story should feature your business as the guide who ultimately helps the hero (your customer) reach some desired outcome.
#4. Provide 3rd party validation
Virtually every business believes they offer something that is superior to anyone or anything else on the market. While that might very well be true, your customers are unlikely to believe it unless you have proof to back it up. Are you trying to convince your customers or clients of a specific problem you hope to help them solve? Provide 3rd party statistics and data that lend credibility to the existence of the problem itself. Are you in a highly competitive industry or trying to differentiate your level of service? Provide testimonials and quotes from former clients and customers. Are you a thought and/or market leader? Provide proof of awards and recognition your business has received over the years.
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to crafting effective and compelling copy. Remembering these quick tips will help ensure your message continues to land with customers and is relevant for their current challenges and concerns.
If you’d like to discuss how TribalVision can help revamp your marketing copy, drop us a line. We’d love to chat!
