The Essence of Copywriting

Introduction
Copywriting is an art and a science. It is a mental process which includes thinking, imagining, conceptualizing, framing, and much more. In fact, it is an intricate process of stimulating the customers’ mind to read your entire copy and undertake the desired action. You can create a great copy for a print ad or TV ad or ads on social media by studying the following points.

I) Understanding the product
First and foremost you must thoroughly and clearly understand the nature of the product/service you are offering to the customers. Gaining an in-depth and specific knowledge helps you to point out the specific and unique benefits your customers will derive from buying the product and this can become a great selling point.

II) Understanding your customers
It is not advisable to target a copy that sells skateboards towards senior citizens because senior citizens are hardly looking out for skateboards. Here lies the secret. It is of utmost importance that you offer the right product to the right customers.

In-depth knowledge of your target customers’ age, gender, occupation helps you to understand what would prompt them to buy from you.

Appeal to their emotions.
Give them the logic that would justify their buying decisions.
Highlight the problems your product/service will solve for them.

When you do this customers are more than happy to buy from you. Study your customers with a microscopic vision so that you can reconcile the products with customers’ needs.

III) Resonate with your audience
You need to write a copy in a conversational tone. Your copy must ask questions in a manner a salesman would ask the prospects. When you ask questions whose answers are in the affirmative you create a buying environment, for e.g. “Isn’t the price rise killing the public”, “Aren’t you worried about your health”, “Don’t you want to lose 5kg in 5 days”. When the customers say, ‘YES’ in their minds, you have struck a chord with them.

IV) Raise & resolve objections
A direct salesperson has the advantage that the customers ask questions and he resolves it but in a copy, you need to anticipate the questions and provide credible answers. Raising and resolving objections in the copy itself make your customers feel confident and they are very likely to exchange their hard-earned money for your product or service.

V) Count benefits, not features
What interests the customers is what is for them in your copy. You must make the customers aware of how each outstanding feature can help them. What change would come in their lives by purchasing from you? Do not count features but describe the benefits that the customers would enjoy.

This wrangler jeans ad clearly portrays what benefits the customers would derive because of its various feature.

VI) Style of the copy
You need to keep your copy short, simple, crisp, and clean. Use paragraph headings so that the copy does not seem imposing to the reader. Use a variation of long and short sentences.

A copy short or long is read until the end if it is interesting.

The sole purpose of the catchy headline, colors, fonts, pictures, the first sentence, the second sentence, paragraph headings, the layout must be to encourage the reader to read the entire copy. This is described as, ‘The slippery slide’ by renowned copywriter Joe Sugarman.

It is also considered that if your product/service is a commonly used one describe it in a complicated manner to highlight the unique features that set it apart from the competitors.

On the other hand, explain something that is new in a simple way so that the customers do not feel intimidated but feel savvy about the product.

VII) Call to action
When you have taken your readers to the end of the copy push them to press the buttons.

While stimulating your customers to take the desired action don’t be too aggressive or too shy. Be clear, standard, and simple. Give the logic to purchase from you.

At this juncture giving a guarantee, trial period, money back policy proves very beneficial.

VIII) The emotional angle
Customers buy because your product or service satisfies one of their emotions. Hence emotional appeal and persuasion are the topmost winners for a copy. The Nike ad has an extremely emotionally charged message which pricks the masculine prowess in the customers’ mind.

You must tickle the emotional aspects of the customers’ minds by using ‘The You Approach’.

Words like ‘FREE, YOU, NEW, BECAUSE, INSTANTLY’ are great emotional chargers.

Prick the greedy glands of your customers by providing offers, discounts, coupons, to seal the deal.

Make the customers feel the experience of using the product by using the word imagery. Using phrases such as

• Hold the product and feel its soft touch
• Press the knob and enjoy resounding music
• Open the box and inhale the soothing fragrance

Conjures pictures in the customers’ minds. They start experiencing the benefits of the product even before buying them.

You have moved the thoughts of the customers within the buying environment you have created with your words. In the end do not leave them to decide for themselves. Push them gently. Use phrases such as ‘Pick up your phone’, ‘Order now’, ‘Grab your copy today’, such phrases create urgency and stimulate the customers to take immediate action.

Conclusion
Let me wrap up for you the most essential elements that make a great copy.

You need to gain knowledge about every minute detail of your product/service to enable you to point out its unique features.

Study your customers’ needs and aspirations.

Create an interesting and informative copy that not only has a striking headline but that magnetizes the readers till the end.

Persuade and appeal to your customers’ emotional angle and secure the deal with a clear call to action.