Copywriting: Words Spur Action
“The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be.”
Copywriting is persuasive writing at its finest. Remember back in third grade when you learned the art of persuasion? (No? Just me? Former teacher problems, I guess.)
When my teaching partner and I would teach through units of persuasive writing, one of the favorite activities was having students brainstorm all the reasons on either side of a topic. Then we’d line up “yays” on one side of the room and “nays” on the other. We teachers would facilitate a debate volley with our 8-year-olds. The goal? To change the other side’s mind.
Now, as adults, we’re no longer disillusioned enough to think that a simple and friendly banter-style debate will change the mind of our opponent. (#2020 permanently set us straight there.)
BUT. We aren’t marketing to everybody. So chances are, you’re not directly addressing (or trying to appeal to) an audience that thinks way differently than you. You’re talking to people with similar problems as yours. An audience who already at least partially believes in what you’re going for.
The copywriting task in front of you is to get mostly like-minded people on board enough that they take action.
Copy + Content: The Dream Team
Wait. Didn’t I write about this last post? It’s such a slight difference, and they get confused all the time. No, this isn’t the same topic I posted here.
Copywriting. Content writing. Here’s a little secret: when I got started on my writing journey, I didn’t know the difference. I used them interchangeably.
To briefly set the record straight: content writing aims to build relationships; copywriting’s aim is to get readers to take direct and specific action. See the difference?
For brevity and to save words, I’m tempted to end the post there. But we’ll elaborate a little bit. After all, you’re a small-business owner, and copywriting applies to you too.
A Brief Lesson in Business + Economy
As a small business, you have to find your niche in the market. This means addressing your ideal client’s problem and being the solution to that problem. This is how the economy works. There are needs. And there are people, businesses, and resources to fill those needs.
Ideally, you’ll be offering solutions to an audience that already has faith in you. This is called a warm lead. You get that by building relationships and establishing your business as trustworthy. This is the job of content writing (note the emphasis)...it continually warms up your audience.
Sometimes you have to agitate your client’s problem a little bit. Remind him of his need. This helps him not only look for solutions but remember that you are there with and for him.
It’s a fine balance of being relatable, trustworthy, and useful.
Copywriting Examples
Copywriting strikes this balance. The goal of copywriting is to spur a reader to action. One. Specific. Action.
Through good storytelling, a trustworthy reputation, sympathetically addressing a problem, and empathetically offering a solution, copywriting finds its role in the business world.
Copywriting comes in many forms. And there is some overlap with content writing. But sometimes the goals of the two overlap as well. After all, business always has one overarching goal: to make a living by filling a need.
Some examples of copywriting include email funnels, sales pages, ads (ya know, the annoying ones on the right side of your screen that slow down a page loading?), calls to action (again, the ones that frustratingly pop up and block you from the page you were just trying to get to), product descriptions, and more.
Copy is everywhere.
I Have Favorites.
Small, Independent Schools, I’m Talking to You
I got into professional writing for a reason.
It takes a lot of time, and the people who do the groundwork simply don’t have the time to devote to this.
Copy and content writing work together. I believe schools and educationally-minded businesses have the most important message to share. It’s the future of our kids, after all.
The beauty of this is that now you also have an audience that is listening with rapt attention.
Building those relationships (through good content) and spurring readers on to action (through good copy) has never seen a more open window. I’m here to come alongside you, provide you with resources, and - if you want - even write for you to make sure that the word gets out.
So again, I urge you: Look sharp! It’s time to make sure your words are in order. Max them out. Make them resonate. Make them count. Let them breathe life into your brand and speak to your people.