Your Crash Course In Copywriting

Copywriting is not actually writing – it’s selling with words. A good advertisement is a like a salesperson in print. Like a salesperson, it grabs the reader’s attention, appeals to their emotions, and tells them exactly what they need to do in order to improve their lives.
There are books and books on the subject of copywriting. We can’t tackle everything here, but here are the basic elements of good copy and how they work to make you sales.
Copy Is Tested
The first rule of ad copy is that there is no such thing as a good or bad ad. There are effective and ineffective ads. An effective ad converts into sales. People visit the site, read it, and buy. When you’re learning how to write ads, you should always test two different versions to see which is more effective. It’s more of a science than an art. If you’ve tested and analyzed the results, you’ll know exactly how to craft an effective ad that makes you sales.
Focus On The Reader
Ad copy should always speak directly to the reader. You should use ‘you’ often and avoid ‘he,’ ‘she,’ or ‘we.’ Likewise, avoid referring to yourself or your company as ‘I’ or ‘we.’ In general, it should be written like you’re talking to an old friend. The tone should have that personal feel and should not be bookish, contrived, or overly formal.
Benefits, Not Features
When you’re describing your product or service to the reader, do it in such a way that it still seems like you’re talking about them. In other words, don’t emphasize the features you’re offering; instead, discuss how these features benefit the reader. You want them to picture how much better their life is going to be when they purchase your products or services.
Appeal To Emotions
It’s a fact that we rarely buy things out of true need or pure practicality. Most of our purchase decisions are motivated by our inner emotions. Psychological studies have shown this over and over. For example, a person buys a certain type of car not because of the car’s quality, but because of how they’ll look and feel driving it. For this reason, you really have to understand your customers’ deepest emotions and motivations. Speak to those instead of their practical, conscious mind.
Back It Up
Your ads will make claims about your product, but you need to do more. Copywriting involves a dual strategy: first, appeal to their emotions; then, back it up with proof. Show them that what you’re saying about the product is backed up by objective fact. You can do this by supplying facts and figures, or testimonials from people who have used the product or service before.
Say It Fast
Finally, there’s no room in ad copy for plodding or rambling. You’ve got mere seconds to grab the readers’ attention. If you fail to do that, they’ll move on. This is why it’s essential to use eye-catching headers and sub-headers. You also need to make paragraphs short so that they can be easily skimmed. Say everything as quickly and concisely as possible.