A huge challenge for any company creating a website is that of copy.
It seems that everyone in a company, from the office cat upwards will have strong ideas about all sorts of ideas (often very bizarre, outdated, ill-informed, incorrect.impossible, stupid etc. etc. etc.) about various aspects of their website ... apart from the copy.
Today, I found an excellent article that I hope (I'm pretty sure) will help. Here it is, copied from its original location. (Blog posts and websites come and go and I don't want to lose this! The link to the original is at the bottom of this page.)
___________
Those who believe that content and copy (i.e. “copywriting”, using words to sell) are two separate entities have this to say:
“Providing content on your website is for the purpose of information and not necessarily to sell a product.”
“On the other hand, writing copy is definitely to sell products to potential customers.”
If you think this way, then consider the following points:
When potential customers come to your website, you don’t just want them to look; you want them to do something. Your content is versatile in that it can build a relationship with the prospect and, at the same time, it can call them TO DO something.
If your copy is good, it will not only convince customers to buy but will build a solid relationship as it informs them of what you have to offer and why it is better.
Both copy and content have similar goals. You can use both to inform and to call your customers and potential customers to action. No, it doesn’t mean that you have to turn your content into a sales letter, but you can tweak it a bit so that customers are inspired to buy.
Here Are Some Tips to Bring More Copy (Results) to Your Content:
Don’t neglect your headlines. Here is where you will be grabbing your reader’s attention. You want them to have a hard, almost impossible time looking away.
Know what you want to accomplish with your content and then call the customer to action. What is it you want your words to do? If you want them to sign up for a mailing list for a free product or newsletter, then say that in your article. This is no time for subliminal messages. Including keywords that link to other pages on your site is not good enough to direct them. Use the keywords by all means, but also be specific with your words.
Show your confidence through your writing. When you waver on a point in your article, customers may lose faith. Know what you are talking about and pass your confidence on to the prospect.
Connect with your audience. Let them know that you are speaking directly to each of them with words like “you” and “your.” To many group pronouns like “we” and “they” may lead them to think that they don’t need your product and you are not talking to them. Say something like: “You are probably one of those moms who are too tired in the evening to always cook dinner;” instead of “Many mothers don’t have the energy to cook for their families.” Don’t miss the opportunity to be direct with the audience.
For the best results you can get, craft your content with an end goal in mind. Engage the reader with headlines that hook and invite them to read more. Be confident and direct, telling the audience what action they are to perform after reading your piece. If you don’t, no one will necessarily buy your products even if they are the best in the world.
Alice Seba is a full-time online entrepreneur that loves to help others achieve the same career status. With a focus on using content to create relationships, loyalty and results from the written word, she co-owns both a ghostwriting service and a private label content business.
Comments