Writing Copy: 10 Tips to Master Copy That Works

Good copywriting is the art of writing persuasive and engaging text.

Copywriters need to be able to connect with their audience, understand what they are looking for, and deliver on that promise. The best copywriters can do this in a way that feels natural and authentic.

So, how do you write copy that influences people?

This article will give you our top ten tips for writing fantastic copy.

How to Write Good Copy

Without further ado, here are our best tips for how to write good copy.

Tip 1: Know Your Target Audience

Writing great copy is all about getting inside your target audience’s head and writing to their fears, desires, problems, wants, and needs.

To understand how your ideal prospect or target thinks, you need to go where they hang out, whether it's online or off.

First things first, find out the basic demographics of your target audience:

• Gender
• Age
• Marital status
• Children
• Occupation/industry
• Income range
• Residence

Let’s say your target audience is millennials. You can Google “millennial occupations” or “where are millennials living,” and look up Census Bureau or Department of Labor statistics to find out occupations and income, etc.

Next, use your creative research skills to dig deeper.

• What TV shows do they watch?
• Do they listen to particular podcasts, music, audiobooks, etc.?
• Who are their role models?
• What books or magazines do they read?
• Who do they follow on social media?

Understanding your audience is critical for being able to write great copy. That way, you can approach your marketing plan from the customer’s perspective.

Tip 2: Define Your Objective First

Before you start writing, make sure you know what you want your copy to achieve.

Good sales copy can serve a variety of different goals for your organization or brand.

Do you want to persuade the reader to make a purchase? Encourage them to sign up for a newsletter on your company’s website? Leave them with a positive impression of a certain product, company, or business?

The objective of each piece of copy shouldn’t be squeezed in at the end of the writing process—instead, it needs to drive your idea from the very beginning.

Clearly defining your objective will help you focus your message and ensure that it’s aligned with the overall goals of your marketing campaign or project.

Tip 3: Employ Storytelling Techniques

People are more likely to remember and be influenced by stories, so try to incorporate storytelling elements into your copy.

Whether you’re working on a blog post, a landing page, or a print advertisement, there are countless ways you can use storytelling techniques to create content that resonates.

For example, you can try using anecdotes to illustrate your points. You can probably think of at least one example of TV advertising that uses a customer’s real-life anecdote to hook the viewer in.

You can also use storytelling techniques, such as including a hero or conflict in your message. People naturally gravitate toward heroes they can root for or conflicts that tug at their heartstrings.

Many writers are pros at telling stories that engage readers. Doing this in your copywriting can help you make your message more engaging and memorable.

Tip 4: Strike the Right Tone

Every copywriter writes in a different voice and style. It’s important to let your personality shine through, but you should also be intentional about tailoring your style to suit the brand you're working for.

Think carefully about the tone of voice you want to use each time you’re writing copy. The ideal tone will depend on who you are targeting with your content.

For example, if you’re targeting a younger audience, then it is best if you use a more casual tone of voice. On the other hand, if you’re targeting an older audience, then it might be best to use a formal tone of voice.

If you’re not sure what tone to write in, try to write in the same tone as the target audience would use. Effective copywriting should feel relatable and real to potential customers.

Tip 5: Write Copy That’s Clear and Concise

Good copywriting should be easy to understand and free of jargon or unnecessary technical language. This rule also holds true for good writing in general, but it’s especially true when you write copy.

Keep your sentences short, and use the active voice to make your message more engaging.

One useful tip is to try to write with your eraser as much as you write with your pencil. A major component of editing is about cutting redundant words and choosing more concise sentence structures.

Remember that every word counts. People remember short, snappy slogans like Nike’s “Just do it” or McDonalds’ “I’m lovin’ it” more than they remember long advertisements.

Even if you’re writing a long blog post, you want to get to the point in as few words as possible so each word can stick in the reader’s mind.

Tip 6: Learn to Write Magnetic Headlines

Powerful headlines grab your reader’s attention and move them forward through your content.

In fact, most readers will read only the headlines and not the body copy. It’s crucial to make sure your headlines are engaging and informative and, most importantly, full of long-tail keywords.

Make each word in a headline count. Your main headlines and body headlines should be cohesive from beginning to end and must impart something of value to readers.

Here are some quick tips for writing headlines:

• Promise to fix a problem
• Use specific numbers
• Include a “focus keyword” to help with SEO

Also, make sure your headline accurately reflects the content of your copy. You don’t want to mislead readers and leave them feeling duped into reading your blog articles.

Tip 7: Use Bullet Points and Subheadings

Bullet points and subheadings can help break up your copy and make it easier to read.

If you’re working on a blog article, you should definitely look for any long or clunky sections and try to break them into multiple subheadings.

Bullet points also help highlight key points and make it easier for the reader to scan the content.

Use every formatting tool you can to organize the valuable information in your copy so it’s easy to read and remember.

Tip 8: Make Search Engines Happy

You want search engines like Google to rank your content well, ideally on the first few pages, so people will find it quickly.

SEO, which stands for search engine optimization, is a major component of content marketing.

For example, it’s important to make sure you match keyword intent, which is the reason someone is searching for the keyword you want to target.

Are they looking for information on a topic or searching for a specific web page? Are they looking to buy a product or service?

If you mismatch keyword intent—such as by targeting “managing remote workers” with a product page about “home office furniture”—you won’t perform well in organic results.

Once again, this all boils down to understanding your audience. You need to know your audience and what they’re likely to be searching for online to properly optimize your content.

Tip 9: Incorporate Media in Each Blog Post

If you’re writing web copy, such as blogs, you might have the leeway to incorporate images and video.

Copywriting is a term that focuses on written words. But don’t overlook the importance of using images as well.

Stock photos aren’t generally that helpful—Google prefers more interesting pictures like screenshots, graphs and charts, or infographics.

Done well, images and videos can draw a reader’s eye to key points and takeaways, as well as keeping them interested.

By breaking up the blocks of text, you’ll increase a reader’s time on each page and increase your rankings. Charts and infographics can also help your reader understand the points you're trying to communicate.

Tip 10: Edit and Proofread Carefully

It’s important to carefully proofread your copy to ensure it’s error free and effective.

This includes checking for spelling and grammar errors, as well as ensuring the overall message is clear and compelling.

It’s always a good idea to have someone else review your copy, as a fresh set of eyes can often catch mistakes you may have missed.

A grammar checker like ProWritingAid will ensure your copy is clear and error free before you show it to future customers. Run your work through ProWritingAid to spot potential weaknesses in your work.

Conclusion on Writing Good Copy

Copywriting is about more than just words on a page. It’s about understanding your audience, knowing what they want, and communicating effectively.

If you follow all our tips, you’ll be well on your way to writing clear and convincing copy that will impress small businesses and large organizations alike.

Good luck, and happy writing!