Copywriting

Create Content That Promotes Action

What We’ll Be Talking AboutHave you ever read a really bad marketing piece?  Have you ever looked at the copy on your website and thought “who wrote that garbage?”  In this class we’ll share some tips from our copywriting team to help you create amazing content that gets people to act.  You’ll learn about:•Push vs. pull marketing•Readability•Persuasion principles•Tone and voice•Retaining your personality

Push vs. Pull Marketing

• Push Marketing – you are bringing the message to your prospects and customers– Examples: Radio and TV ads

• Pull Marketing – you are bringing your prospects and customers to the message– Examples: Content Marketing and Social Media

Readability

• Readable = Understandable

• Don’t talk above or below your audience’s reading comprehension level

• For most people that means 9th – 10th grade reading level

• The higher the reading level, the less people will understand it

http://www.readability-score.com

Example 1:

Average Score: 10.1

Example 2: ImitrexIMITREX Tablets contain sumatriptan (as the succinate), a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine1 receptor subtype agonist. Sumatriptan succinate is chemically designated as 3-[2- (dimethylamino)ethyl]-N-methyl-indole-5-methanesulfonamide succinate (1:1), and it has the following structure:

The empirical formula is C14H21N3O2S•C4H6O4, representing a molecular weight of 413.5. Sumatriptan succinate is a white to off-white powder that is readily soluble in water and in saline. Each IMITREX Tablet for oral administration contains 35, 70, or 140 mg of sumatriptan succinate equivalent to 25, 50, or 100 mg of sumatriptan, respectively. Each tablet also contains the inactive ingredients croscarmellose sodium, dibasic calcium phosphate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, and sodium bicarbonate. Each 100-mg tablet also contains hypromellose, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and triacetin.

Average Score: 16.7

Example 3: The Little Engine That Could

A little steam engine had a long train of cars to pull. She went alongvery well till she came to a steep hill. But then, no matter how hard shetried, she could not move the long train of cars. She pulled and shepulled. She puffed and she puffed. She backed and started off again.Choo! Choo! But no! The cars would not go up the hill. At last she left the train and started up the track alone. Do you think she had stopped working? No, indeed! She was going for help. "Surely I can find someone to help me," she thought.

Average Score: 2.9

Persuasion Principles

1. Reciprocation – The IOU principle

2. Commitment and Consistency – Justification comes after the

decision

3. Social Proof– We want to find out what other people think is

right

Persuasion Principles

4. Liking– We are more likely to buy from someone we

like than someone we don’t know

5. Authority– We are more likely to do something when we

are told to by an authority figure

Persuasion Principles

What’s this worth?

$1,700,000

Scarcity

• The perception or reality that something isn’t readily available

• We are more likely to act when we are told we might be losing something than if we are told we are gaining something

Tone and Voice

• The personality of your brand conveyed in the written word

• Things to consider:– Are you being consistent in your tone– Is your tone appropriate for the audience– What is the “personality” of your business?

• If someone else is writing the copy take it and make it your own

Proofread

Proofread

Proofread

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTI FIC STUDY COMBINED WITH

THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS..

How many F’s are in this sentence?

6

Commas Save Lives

"Let's Eat Grandma"

- OR -

"Let's Eat, Grandma"

Hyphens Make All The Difference

"Beware: Man-eating shark!”

- OR -

"Beware: Man eating shark!"

Stuff That Won’t Show Up In Spell Check

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling

Copy Reviews

Work by yourself or with a partner