Anthony Martin

[Meta title:] The 5 Commandments of Copywriting | That Copy Guy [Meta description:] Say goodbye to shoddy copy with this value-packed post about the commandments of writing great copy. You owe it to yourself. The 5 Commandments of Copywriting Picture the scene… You’ve just sat down after a long day at work, about to tune in to your favourite show. You take a sip of that sweet tea you just made, mentally preparing to forget the daily grind. Next minute, a dazzling Nike ad comes on and you’re glued to the screen, watching some Greek God gracefully running down the road like a swan gliding across a lake. The ad finishes with their world-famous ‘Just Do It’ slogan, but something weird is happening. You’ve abandoned your tea and find yourself heading to the bedroom to change into your running gear! WHAT? Yup. Within minutes you’re out there, doing laps of the block. Nike running shoes and all. So what happened? Great marketing, that’s what. Which got us thinking about some of the key commandments of copywriting. This blog will look at some of the most important rules that explain the secret sauce of writing compelling copy! So strap on in… 1. Write a great headline Sounds obvious, right? Well you wouldn’t believe the amount of businesses that don’t put enough effort into this seemingly simple rule. A great headline can be the difference between a prospect reading on and potentially buying your product, or hitting the dreaded back button on their browser. The aim of the game is to hook your readers like you’re out salmon fishing. Don’t settle for a safe, mundane title. Your prospects will simply move on. So the next time you decide that your potential customers will be impressed with your nice, neat headline, ask yourself this: Is your headline that diamond in the rough that is going to stand out? Newsflash: Without serious work, it won’t be. 2. Benefits, not features Ooooh, 24 gigabytes of RAM? Boooorrrrring. You probably remember Apple’s ‘Get a Mac’ campaign from a few years back, right? Two guys engaged in witty banter, one personified as a Mac, the other a PC. The ad was super-successful as it highlighted the benefits of using a Mac versus a PC, showing prospecs exactly how the Mac could make their lives easier. Marketing gold. Getting straight to the point of what your product can do for your prospect will make it much more relevant to them. And increase sales. Forget features. Focus on benefits. 3. Write. With. Clarity. See what I’ve done there? How many times have you flicked through a book only to be confronted with a block of text? Like that tedious Friday afternoon work meeting, you’re instantly going to zone out. Clarity trumps creativity. In this day and age, copywriters are competing with a ton of distractions, all vying for our prospect’s attention. So try to: - Use simple words and sentences. - Use active voice. - Use headings, subheadings and bullet points. - Use your head. Cut out unnecessary fluff. This. White space. Is your friend. 4. Social Proof Remember the last time you walked past a crowded bar to go and sit in the empty one next door? No, neither do I. I mean, you’ve probably heard the phrase ‘monkey see, monkey do”? As Social Proof godfather Robert Cialdini, author of ‘Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion’ (which you can find here) says, people use each other to decide what to believe or how to behave in most situations. This means that you should, without doubt, include examples of social proof in your copy. Such as: - Customer reviews and ratings Testimonials Influencer endorsements Social Media shares - User generated content Like sheep following the flock, prospects are willing to trust in what others are doing. 5. Include a clear Call To Action Imagine this: You’ve just read a great blog about how to improve your copywriting. It’s full of handy tips and tricks and you decide you simply can’t live without following the creative genius behind the piece. But there’s a problem… There’s no way to follow said author and nowhere to sign up for a newsletter. Huge mistake. Every piece of copy should have a clear Call to Action (CTA), urging the reader to immediately take their next steps. So before you rush off to tell your copywriting pals all about how great this blog piece is, ask yourself this question: Do you want to learn more great copywriting techniques? Then sign up for your weekly newsletter below… TELL ME EVERYTHING!