Copywriting: the critical factor in content marketing

In a previous blog we wrote about the importance of design for the success of content marketing. The content with which you approach your target audience is at least as important. The success of a campaign stands or falls with the power to trigger readers with a text, to ultimately convert them into customers. We are happy to share three useful copywriting tips, which will help you to engage customers with your story.

Companies are creating more and more online content, which makes them easier to find and increases involvement. In practice, however, writing content often proves to be more difficult than previously thought. The idea is there, but really good content needs more than that.

Three golden copywriting tips

Whether it concerns e-books, blogs, whitepapers, infographics, articles or scripts, it is wise to keep the following guidelines in mind when writing content.

1. Get into the reader’s head
A design can be gorgeous, but if the reader does not find what he is looking for, you will lose him. Therefore, empathize with your target audience. What engages the reader and what challenges does he face? Be unique and provide content that really helps him. Additional research into the trends and developments within the subject can be useful, and allows you to substantiate your story with relevant facts and figures.

Also check which tone of voice the reader prefers. And not entirely unimportant: how much does he already know about the subject? The answer on this question helps you to determine whether or not you should use jargon. Defining a good buyer persona can help you clarify your target audience.

2. Write according to a structure
You have a beautiful product or an interesting service, and are eager to tell the rest of the world about it. It is tempting to start elaborating on a good idea as soon as possible. However, take it easy and first think about the structure. What is it exactly that you want to convey and which subjects are important? Make sure you have a clear outline, before you start writing. This rough draft helps you to elaborate on your idea more easily and can always be extended later. This focus will prevent you from drifting too far off-topic

3. Keep the text clear and concise
The first impression is even more important for online content than it is for offline content. Within five to ten seconds readers decide whether the text is interesting enough to read.

Therefore, use catchy subheadings that clearly state what the paragraph is about, so the reader can scan it within the blink of an eye to find out why it’s relevant for them. In addition, write in an active way by avoiding worlds like ‘will’ and ‘become’ and deleting all superfluous words. Finally, always let someone else read your text to make sure it is written smoothly and free of any textual or grammatical errors.

These tips together provide a good basis for writing successful content. Do you want to be sure that your organization has professional content? Then consider outsourcing it to an external party.

Copywriting is a specialism, in which we engage every day at ContentXperience. Would you like advice on copywriting or on content marketing in general? Do not hesitate to contact us!

Would you like to read more about content marketing? Then download the whitepaper: ‘How to write an ebook’ by filling in the form on the right.