Every business needs to communicate with its customers and other audiences, so a copywriter is a business's frontline communicator. Essentially copywriting involves writing copy: text which persuades and sells.
Copywriting is a broad field. It includes writing advertising, publicity copy, and copy for Web sites. Although copywriting is easy to learn, it's also a field in which you never stop learning.
The fundamentals of copywriting are a century old and are based on the knowledge of human nature. So the more a copywriter knows how people think and act, the more successful he will be.
Here are my top five tips for copywriting success.
1. Research the product or service - the more you know, the better
When you accept a copywriting project, your first vital step is research. You need to know and understand the product, why people buy it, and also what differentiates your particular product from other similar products.
Researching the product includes researching the people who buy the product.
2. Discover the required response, and what triggers a purchase
The copywriter's most important task is to get a response. To get customers to make a phone call, purchase online, or ask for a free sample.
Every word of copy you write must lead to the customer making that response. In the copywriter's AIDA formula (Attract, Inform, Desire and Act), the response is the ACT of the formula. If the customer acts, you've succeeded.
Spend time thinking about your customers, and what triggers them to make a response
3. Get creative, but remember that the response means success or failure
New copywriters often feel they must be "creative". Indeed you must, however you need to remember that you must get a response. If you don't get a response, your copy may be highly creative, but it will also be a failure.
4. Remember keywords are vital for copy success online
Many copywriters now work exclusively online, and online, keywords rule.
You'll need to discover what keywords customers actually use. Many of your clients will use industry jargon, which their customers never use, so keyword research always needs to be at the back of your mind when you're writing advertising and other copy for the Web.
5. Focus on building your portfolio - it's your primary sales tool
As a copywriter, your portfolio - the copy you've written for your clients - is your primary sales tool for your copywriting services.
Your prospective clients want to see what you've written for others, and how effectively you can write.
So take some time each week to maintain your portfolio and add your latest best copy to it.
So there you have five tips which will build your copywriting skills and will contribute to your success.
