Did you know on average visitors only read 20% of the content on a web page? This means if you’re looking to capture visitors’ attention, you need to know how to write engaging copy.
By effectively communicating how your product can help your customers, you can earn their trust and make them more likely to purchase your products. Simply put: you need to learn how to write words that sell.
So, how do you craft copy that engages your target audience and motivates them to push the “Buy” button? Follow our top 4 copywriting techniques:
1. Write like a human, not a robot
Consumers want to read easy, simple copy that sounds like a human – not something that drags on like a dusty library book.
If they are on your website, they want to hear from you. When you let your personality shine, you are more likely to earn your customers’ trust.
Consider this: digital marketing experts estimate that most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 ads per day (if you count packaging and other everyday marketing we’ve become so accustomed to.) So, how do you stand out? By using your own unique voice, rather than trying to emulate another brand. Readers will appreciate how your business comes across as genuine.
Make sure the style you use is in-line with your brand personality. The voice, style, word choices, and unique selling proposition should be chosen for a reason and appeal to your target audience.
2. Know who you are writing for
To achieve the best results and gain new customers, your copywriting should focus on your target audience.
Your business should do market research and create buyer personas to nail down exactly who your target audience is. Start by giving your personas names. Then move into their genders, occupations, ages, and interests. Use data from surveys, keyword and search term analytics, or questionnaires to find out this information. Once you’ve identified your personas, you’ll have a better understanding of your target audience’s fears and desires. This will help you have a good idea of how to write copy in a way that’s relatable to your ideal customers.
3. Offer solutions to your audience’s problems
“Talk about what your product ‘does’, not ‘is’ – and demonstrate this.” – Eugene Schwartz
A great copywriting technique for attracting and converting customers is offering solutions to their problems.
Explain in detail the benefits of buying your products or services instead of paying too much attention to the features. For example, instead of only saying, “24 Watt Stainless Steel Mug Warmer,” the copy should focus on the benefits of a mug warmer and how it solves the customers’ pain points. Which one are you more likely to buy?
- Amazing 24 Watt Mug Warmer
- Tired of taking a sip of luke-warm coffee around 10 AM? Try our 24 Watt Mug Warmer for a steamy cup of coffee at any time of the day.
By detailing the benefits of the products, customers can now imagine how the product will fit into and improve their own lives. The formula looks like this:
Address your customers’ common problems + use facts/evidence to show they don’t need to worry = customers realize they need your product to make their lives better
4. Draw upon emotions
Do you know what conquers logic? Emotions. That’s why you need to incorporate emotion into your copy to draw in new customers.
Answer this question: what is the one thing my prospective customer can’t live without? Then think about how you can use emotions to play into this desire. Some of the most intense emotions you can to appeal are fear, guilt, anger, exclusively, and flattery.
Moosejaw, an outdoor apparel outlet, does a fantastic job of using emotions in its copywriting.
(Image from Moosejaw)
Take a look at this image and copywriting on Moosejaw’s website. It states, “Bad days happen” as the customers’ problem and offers its products as the solution “at least your stuff will be dry [with our backpack].” By acknowledging its prospective customers’ have bad days, the brand seems sensitive to its customers’ hard times and appeals to their emotion of worry.
(Image from Moosejaw)
Moosejaw also likes to use humor as a way to appeal to their target audience. As you can see in the copy and photo above, the company uses playful copy to make its prospective customers laugh and see the brand as more human, instead of a business trying to take their money. When customers find your brand funny and relatable, they will be more interested in buying your products.
By using emotions to appeal to your target audience, you are showing them empathy. After they recognize you understand how they feel, they’ll want to learn more about your products and see how you can help them. This is how you win new customers with engaging, emotion-inducing words.
Does your business need someone who can write words that sell? Reach out to us today and learn about how we can create compelling copy that engages and converts your prospective customers.