Do you copy?
Everybody can write, right? Hmm, not necessarily..
When it comes to writing content that is aimed at a specific audience and is engaging, relevant and conveys the message and action you want, it isn’t as easy as just picking up a pen and jotting a few words down on paper.
Whether it’s writing a blog for your website to help improve SEO rankings, social media posts, a press release about your business achievements or an awards entry, it can be a daunting prospect for many people who don’t regularly produce written content for public consumption.
But fear not, here’s my top tips to developing your copy writing skills!
1) Start with why
It’s vital that before you put pen to paper, or in most cases hands poised over the keyboard, you know what the purpose of the copy is. Is it to educate? Is it to encourage engagement or entertain? Dedicating time to do a basic plan of the purpose and desired outcome of the copy will give you a focus and motivation from the onset.
2) Define your reader and platform
Part of knowing why, is also knowing who the copy is intended for and how it will be consumed. Knowing the audience and also the intended medium, will play a big part in style, tone and content. The approach for a blog post to be shared on social media would be very different to the content of a white paper or award entry, for example; Writing for a trade or academic outlet, would have a very different tone and vocabulary than a piece that would be aimed at a more consumer friendly, light hearted publication.
3) Research and Read
It’s definitely worth checking out examples of what others have written, especially in the publications and outlets you intend to use. What approach do they favour? How long is the copy? What themes or topics are popular? What is the competition doing? Answers to these questions, will all give you an insight into the style and approach, as well as ideas if stuck on what to write.
4) Get feedback
It is always a good idea to get another person to read over what you have written, not least to help spot those pesky typos and unnecessary use of business jargon! Finding someone who represents the audience you are writing for would be fantastic, but in the absence of that, someone who will give you an honest, constructive opinion is often useful feedback to learn from. Practice will definitely help develop your skills and confidence.
5) Outsource
You know your business better than anyone but conveying that through the written word isn’t easy. Your time is precious, and although you might actually start to enjoy coming up with content ideas and writing the copy, time won’t necessarily always allow for this to happen. In that instance, it’s wise to have a good contact you can call on to use their expertise and outsource your request.
Good look with the copy!