Home Kitchen Cooks and Stay at Home Moms know how to read and write. That's why copywriting is so attractive to those who want to stuff more dollars and cents into the family cookie jar. Here are a few writing tips good to know.
Professional copywriters know that the number one rule is to write your
copy specifically for one reader -- as if you're speaking to that one
person -- and this is especially important when writing sales and
marketing communications.
Picture someone you know in your mind before you begin the first draft
of your text message. It's not difficult to do. Use your dream state.
Focus. Concentrate. You want to get your reader involved in your message
and make him or her believe it. So get a clear vision of who that one
reader is.
Forget what you learned in English class about sentence structure. Professional sales and marketing copywriting has its own style, which does not necessarily follow school house grammar, syntax or punctuation. For example, sales copy often includes the use of fragments. Incomplete sentences. Short phrases.
Fragments emphasize a point, keep your word count down and add rhythm to copy's readability. Don't hesitate to use fragmented sentences (short phrases). Stay away from long, convoluted sentences: They weaken your sales message. Use these nine copywriting tips to write power messages, letters, brochures and direct mail. Avoid copy nonos:
1. Write in the present tense
2. Write in the second person (you)
3. Use contractions (can't - won't - don't)
4. Plan graphic visuals and write a caption for every one
5. It's okay to start sentences with a conjunction. In fact, "and, but, or, for" demonstrate good copy writing style allowing for a smooth transition from thought to thought
6. It's also okay to end a sentence with a preposition to help copy flow like the spoken word
7. Divide long text into short copy blocks with subheads
8. Use bullets and underlines to emphasize sales points
9. Edit the copy two or three times until it's perfect
Include endorsements and testimonials, if you can, to help you prove your point. Be sure your quoted copy is flanked by quotation marks or some other indicator that sets the quote apart from your own writing.
Make sure the quote is attributed to a person. Although often done, unattributed quotes don't have as much impact. Good copy generates a positive response, and a freelance copywriter is worth every dime and dollar.