Copywriting: the power of words

The art of copywriting

The strength of your brand or campaign is (partly) determined by powerful copy. Whether it’s about one-liners or the content of your website, a copywriter is crucial for your business’s success. However, it’s sometimes underestimated that you need to allocate time and budget for this. It’s a missed opportunity because focusing on copy can enhance the impact of your marketing and communication.

Marlous van de Wiel | Senior Communications Advisor | E-mail Marlous

Hiring a Copywriter: The Key to Effective Communication

One of the most effective ways to increase traffic to your website and engage visitors for longer is to hire a copywriter. Your website and offline advertising materials are your company’s calling card, making the first impression. As you know, you only have one chance to make a first impression. If the copy is not good, this might also be the last impression.

Copywriting is a specialized skill, and copywriters often don’t receive enough credit. This is unfair because a good copywriter ensures that your story is told in the right words and in an engaging way. While you know your story better than anyone else, you have different talents.

Design might be the star of the show, but don’t neglect your copy

One common pitfall many companies fall into is spending too much time and money on design and not enough on text. If a potential customer can’t find the information they’re looking for, they’ll go to your competitor. When this happens, it becomes more challenging to regain their attention.

For example, if you want to learn Russian and are searching for an online language course, you land on a beautiful website. However, when you read the text, you’re left scratching your head. “We do good language lessons. Buy, buy today. You won’t regret it.” The rest of the text is equally confusing. Would you sign up for this course or quickly exit the website? This example is exaggerated, but it illustrates the impact of good copy.

A Good Story, Short and Sweet

We’ve all heard famous slogans like “Yes we can” by Obama, “Got Milk?” by the American Dairy Association, and “Craftsmanship is mastery” by Grolsch. In today’s world, with numerous companies and distractions, you have a small window of opportunity to capture someone’s attention. You need to quickly and clearly convey your message or vision. This is the essence of persuasive copy, which is a specialized skill.

What Makes Good Copy?

Can a copywriter write about your company better than you? It may sound strange, but yes! A good copywriter can translate your story into a ‘solution’ for what your customer is looking for. Copywriters are objective and can filter out the right information from all your content. When you write about your own company, everything probably seems essential to you because it’s your ‘baby.’ You’ve built something, and you’d like to share every aspect of your company with pride.

However, your target audience cares less about these details than you do. Your (potential) customers want to know why you, your service, or your product is worth their money. A copywriter is like a ruthless editor who trims away everything that doesn’t resonate with your audience. Since most people scan rather than read content these days, the story also needs to be short, easy to understand, and to the point.

Copywriters Know Tricks of the Trade

And they know what sells. Except for sex. Did you know that there are text tricks that can increase the selling power of your content? A copywriter knows these tricks. Copywriters know when to use long texts and when it’s better to keep it short and concise.

Words can create a fast and exciting language or a slow, deliberate message that appeals to specific emotions. Copywriters can turn a curious reader into an enthusiastic customer or make your company a household name. The right choice of words can significantly affect the success of your message. Think about how slogans like “I AMSTERDAM,” “Where everyone turns right, Eliza turns left,” “Hema makes the ordinary special,” and “That’s what I say: Gamma” impact people. A small amount of text with a big effect.

A copywriter can play with words to influence emotions

Everyone has heard clichés like “Service is our top priority” or “We are your one-stop shop for…,” right? These are clichés that a good copywriter tries to avoid. A good copywriter doesn’t just broadcast but also creates a connection with the reader. They establish recognizability and encourage the visitor to read further. A good copywriter knows the pain points and needs of your customers and can translate them into personal, effective content that can lead to new customers or leads.

Creating content for both the reader and the search engine

You have a great product or service and a website. But where do those new customers come from? Online. From the search engine! And we all secretly want our website to appear as the first result when someone types a query. However, search engine optimization (SEO) is not straightforward.

Since the rollout of Google’s Panda and Penguin algorithm updates, the search engine now prioritizes high-quality content. This doesn’t mean stuffing your text with the right number of keywords. Brilliantly written, relevant, valuable, and engaging content attracts new customers. Along with the effective use of keywords. But effective keyword usage is not always easy. It needs to be done in a way that preserves the original message. Writing good, SEO-friendly content requires a certain finesse and a lot of practice.

An SEO copywriter possesses the talent to make your website easily discoverable in search engines without the need for advertising. Additionally, a good SEO copywriter conducts research to determine which words match your service or product and are frequently searched for. Let those new customers roll in! Now, search engine optimization is not an exact science, and a well-written text alone doesn’t guarantee a spot on the first page. One thing that’s certain, though, is that poor, non-SEO-friendly content will limit the traffic to your site.

What a text magician can conjure up for you

And so, the circle is complete. Everything depends on good copy. It’s the specialty of the wordsmith and text magician, also known as, you guessed it, the copywriter. There are countless ways to reach people both online and offline. Don’t let bad copy limit you in these efforts. Copy is essential for most businesses, whether it’s for flyers, posters, job postings, newsletters, websites, apps, brochures, or advertisements. In short, it’s all about communicating with your (potential) customers. Embrace the talents of a copywriter for this purpose. The beauty is that copywriters can quickly prove their worth. Effective copy produces immediate results: more visitors, more downloads, more pageviews, more quote requests, more sales, more engagement, and more… everything you dream of.

Ready to boost your brand with powerful copywriting?

Connect with Tanya at tanya@effectgroep.nl and let’s elevate your message together. Get started today!