Entries Tagged 'copywriting tips' ↓

A short while ago I wrote a post on humour in copywriting, debating whether it was a good thing or not.

My conclusion was that if you did want to use humour, you had to use it with caution because not everyone finds the same things funny.

My attention has today been caught by an article in The Drum that states ‘Copywriters will gain inspiration from top Edinburgh Fringe jokes’:

Copywriters seeking inspiration for a good one-liner have hit a rich vein of inspiration at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, if a top 10 list of the best gags at the Festival is representative.

The annual compilation is this year headed by Rob Auton who dreamed up a sweet one-liner: ‘I heard a rumour that Cadbury is bringing out an oriental chocolate bar. Could be a Chinese Wispa.’

At the other end of the scale was a list of shame featuring groan inducing material such as ‘I thought ex-pats were people who used to be called Pat’.

Compiled by television channel Dave, the list was compiled from 60 shows which presented more than 7,200 gags between them.

These were whittled down to a short list of 30 which were then put to a public vote.

This saw Auton, a former SoHo paintbrush salesman, walk away with 24 per cent of the 2,570 votes cast along with a cash prize.

Commenting on his accolade he said: “I am honoured to receive this award and just pleased that a joke that tackles the serious issue of the invention of a new chocolate bar can be laughed at by the people of Britain.”

The top 10 quips:

1 Rob Auton “I heard a rumour that Cadbury is bringing out an oriental chocolate bar. Could be a Chinese Wispa.”

2 Alex Horne “I used to work in a shoe-recycling shop. It was sole-destroying.”

3 Alfie Moore “I’m in a same-sex marriage… the sex is always the same.”

4 Tim Vine “My friend told me he was going to a fancy dress party as an Italian island. I said to him ‘Don’t be Sicily’.”

5 Gary Delaney “I can give you the cause of anaphylactic shock in a nutshell.”

6 Phil Wang “The Pope is a lot like Doctor Who. He never dies, just keeps being replaced by white men.”

7 Marcus Brigstocke “You know you are fat when you hug a child and it gets lost.”

8 Liam Williams “The universe implodes. No matter.”

9 Bobby Mair “I was adopted at birth and have never met my mum. That makes it very difficult to enjoy any lapdance.”

10 Chris Coltrane “The good thing about lending someone your time machine is that you basically get it back immediately.”

Not entirely convinced I’ll be trying any of those out in my copy.

Over to you

If you’re a copywriter, or write copy for your business, what are your views on using humour?

Are you ever tempted to slip a gag or two into your content? If you have, what reaction did you get?

Leave your comments below.

Copywriting isn’t just about writing – it’s about using the right words, to address the right people, using the right language.

Anyone can string a sentence together, but not everyone can create something so compelling you just have to buy, sign up or download a report.

It’s not enough for your copywriter just to hear that you want a 6-page brochure with 300 words on each page to cover your company history, products, location etc.

Any copywriter worth their salt will also ask you:

Who is your audience?

Before a finger touches the keyboard, they need to know whom they are writing for.

Without that information how can they begin to develop the right message?

Are they male or female?

How old are they?

Are they affluent or on lower incomes?

What are their aspirations?

Why are they coming to you? What is the problem they have that they want solved?

What is your product/service?

They don’t need to know how many colours it comes in, but rather what is its main benefit?

What problem does it solve?

What benefits does it offer?

How will it improve their quality of life?

What would stop people from buying it?

What is its USP?

What is your brand voice?

The next step is to take a look at your company.

Do you already have an established brand?

Do you have a guide as to the language/tone you want to use?

How do you want to be perceived by your customers?

Do you want to come across friendly, approachable, corporate, professional etc?

Are there any words/terms you dislike?

These questions are just the tip of the iceberg because it’s essential your copywriter comes away with an in depth knowledge of you, your business, your customers and your products.

You see, copywriting isn’t just about writing, its about emotion, engagement and persuasion.

Author: Sally Ormond, Copywriter and MD at Briar Copywriting Ltd. Follow her on Twitter and Google+

Whether you need someone to work on an off line or online project, it’s essential the copywriter you choose has certain qualities.

The ability to write is obviously right up there, but being an effective writer goes a lot deeper than being able to string a few sentences together.

Creative

Really? OK, a copywriter rarely gets involved in design, but they must have a creative side to be able to look at your project from a number of different angles. They must be able to come up with concepts that will make your project stand out.

A bit of nous

Because copywriters usually are not industry specific, it is imperative they have the ability to grasp a subject quickly. Frequently, copywriting projects only last a few weeks or months (especially when it is in relation to website copy or brochure content), so they have to get up to speed with your product/service PDQ in order to write about it in an intelligent, coherent and persuasive manner.

Understanding

You’ve undoubtedly heard many copywriters talking about ‘speaking to your audience’. But to make their copy resonate with your customers, they have to show empathy for the issue they have (and the reason why they need to buy what you’re offering). Only when they place themselves in the shoes of your customers can they create copy that will deliver the emotional connection needed to make the sale.

Great listeners

Although your copywriter knows how to write to sell, it’s important they also listen to your goals. After all, riding roughshod over your ideas is hardly going to ingratiate themselves to you.

A good copywriter will listen first, weigh up the project and then provide feedback. After that, the collaborative process begins so a mutually approved course of action if determined.

Organised

Not only do they have to be able to work to deadlines, they also must be able to follow direction, manage multiple tasks and be completely focused on the details of your project.

The last thing you want it to have to be constantly chasing them up to see how far along with the project they are.

Your copywriter should drive the project through to completion.

Not afraid to stand their ground

A copywriter won’t bully you (a good one, anyway), but they have to manage your expectations, so, should you want to take the project in a direction they know won’t work it’s important they have the guts to tell you.

After all, if they follow your instructions like a sheep knowing it’s not going to work, the project will be doomed. And, because they wrote it, it’ll be seen as their fault.

Therefore, any professional writer will point out when you are wrong and tell you why. Listen to them; they know what they’re talking about.

Simple

That needs a bit more explanation. Simple, as in writers of simple language. They’ll steer clear of any jargon or technical mumbo-jumbo and create content that is clear, concise and easy to understand.

They are not there to make you look intelligent by littering your content with long words no one understands.

Consistent

They will also produce content (especially if you commission them for multiple projects) that is consistent in voice and tone, keeping your marketing materials on brand.

Unassuming

When you’re a copywriter there’s no room for ego. Everything you write is for others, so it’s essential it follows the customer’s style and brief. It is essential your write can cut and edit the material without any emotional attachment to it. Its purpose is to sell, not gain kudos for the copywriter.

Understand the web

If your project is an online one, it’s also essential your copywriter understands how to write effectively for the web. That means they understand the use of hyperlinks, internal linking structures, search engine optimisation and how to cultivate a persuasive momentum that will keep the reader hooked.

Other than that, it’s also important you gel with your copywriter. Give them a call and have a chat to get a feel the type of person they are and whether you can work together.

It’s really important the client/copywriter relationship works to get the best out of your project.

Sally Ormond – Briar Copywriting Ltd, Twitter and Google+

How many times have you heard that the best copy focuses on the benefits of your product or service?

It’s true – your customers (and potential customers) are only interested in what you can do for them. They don’t care about you, your company or even what you sell. They just want to know how you’re going to make their life easier.

Mind you, when it comes to actually writing the copy, focusing on the benefits is tricky.

For starters, how do you know what they are?

When it comes to the features and specification of what you’re offering, you’ve got loads to write about, but the benefits? That’s a whole different ball game.

Before you start writing you need to work out who is your ideal customer.

Who are you writing for?

If you could pick your ideal customer, what would they be like?

Think about their age, occupation, likes and dislikes, what keeps them awake at night and what they want to get out of life.

Once you know everything about them, you’ll be able to write to them with passion to engage them in what you’re saying, to convince them their lives would be so much better with your product or service.

What about the benefits?

Once you know whom you’re writing to, it’s time to work out the benefits.

That means it’s time to do some research.

The first stage is to list all the features and specifications of what you’re offering.

Then, take each of these in turn and decide how they benefit your customers. How will they make their life easier etc.?

The next step is to think about the problems you will help them avoid backing up your benefits.

Finally, write down all the buying objections you can think of (e.g. in relation to cost) and how you would address them using the benefits you’ve already identified.

As you can see, writing copy isn’t quite as straightforward as you would think. If you want people to buy, you must:

• Address them directly
• Appeal to their needs and wants
• Demonstrate how your product/service will benefit them directly
• Address all potential buying objections

That’s quite a tall order for anyone, which is why many businesses bring in a professional copywriter.

I once had a client who said they’d hired me as their copywriter because they wanted me to make them look intelligent.

Needless to say, once the content was written, they were most disappointed to see that I’d used simple words.

‘But I thought you were supposed to make me sound intelligent.’

No, a copywriter does not exist to make their clients sound intelligent; they are there to convey the benefits of your product/service simply and clearly so that it can be understood by everyone.

Using ‘big’ words doesn’t make you sound intelligent. All it does is create something that can be difficult to read and looks as though you’ve tried to hard.

Why use the word ‘procure’ when ‘get’ is much clearer. And you don’t have a ‘compulsion’ you have a ‘need’.

Come on guys, it’s not rocket science.

Yes, this is a very short post, but it doesn’t need to be any longer.

Simple words are far more effective. So ditch the thesaurus.

Thanks for listening.