In the realm of business and sales, writing an effective advertising or a marketing copy is as important as having a great PR or an ad team. A powerful marketing message can do wonders for a business owner through the power of words as it can help generate certain emotions and feelings in a prospective customer which people generally assume only visual ads can achieve. No wonder, successful organizations have a dedicated team of copywriters who are extremely adept in their line of work. Although, if you are one of those who want to write your own ad copies there are certain things that have to be dealt with before you venture into the world of copywriting especially with regard to ads and marketing copies. In this article, we will be covering seven habits that can kill the potential of your copies and ways to tackle them.
1.Writing to the Point: A common mistake many writers commit during their writing is using too many filler words or beating around the bush without actually getting to the point. This especially discourages people from reading the entirety of your copy as people generally have a low attention span. Most readers appreciate it when the writers get to the point quickly in a simple and straightforward manner. To avoid this mistake, re-reading your draft is the first step you can take as this will help you recognize parts where filler words can be removed and as a result, the finished product will be much quicker to read. Also, while preparing ideas ensure that only stories that are relevant to the topic are covered.
2. Make it Crisp: Similar to the above point, writing long articles that go beyond 4 or 5 minutes of reading time is asking a lot from the reader, especially at an age when short videos and reels are the most popular content. Considering the fact that we are a generation with attention spans that are barely a few minutes, keeping your copies short and simple is the best way forward. Take a look at the example below to understand the difference.
Bad: “There’s nothing like sitting outside and enjoying the sights and smells that a garden in full bloom has to offer. You’ve probably slaved for weeks and even months to enjoy the fruits of your labors. But you couldn’t have done it without the proper gardening tools. Buying the right tools can make or break your garden – so make sure you make the right choice!”
Good: “Buying the right tools for your garden can make all the difference. Browse our collection of gardening tools right here.”
3. Proper Punctuation: Using the wrong punctuation or worse not using it at all is a guaranteed way to lose sales and even drive away potential customers. It makes your ad look unprofessional and hastily done. To avoid this trap, reviewing your draft multiple times yourself or letting someone review it for you will help minimize errors and create a well-written and error-free copy. Here is an example to understand how punctuation can completely switch the meaning of a sentence.
Bad: “I find inspiration in cooking my family and my dog.”
Good: “I find inspiration in cooking, my family, and my dog.”
4. Use Active Voice: It is advisable to use active voice whenever possible and minimize the use of passive voice in your sentences. Although there is nothing essentially wrong, passive voice might fail in eliciting a response from the reader as compared to an active voice which has more to do with the action being taken. The solution to this problem again lies in reviewing and replacing passive voices wherever possible as this adds a sense of urgency to your writing which eventually might push the reader into committing to your brand.
5. Use Triggers: By triggers, we mean emotional ones, especially the ones that evoke feelings of trust or happiness or for that matter anything that can help you deliver your message to the reader on a deeper level. Every successful ad utilizes this effectively and numerous examples can be seen in every nook and corner in today’s world. Most purchases are ruled by emotions and if your copy can generate these feelings, it will be more effective and as a result, it will boost sales as well. To achieve this, researching customer behaviour and then using storytelling to trigger specific emotions is the best way forward. Determining the benefits of a product and service and relaying them with emotions is not an easy task but can be achieved given some time.
6. Have a Clearly Defined Goal: No matter how great your copywriting skills are, if you cannot define the goal of your ads, it will most certainly be perceived the same by the reader. Similar to the above points, using too many words and beating around the bush without clearly stating the objective is a complete waste of time for both the writer as well as the reader. To tackle this problem, set your goal before you start writing and be open to the possibility that boring and to-the-point copies might be more effective than innovative and creative ones.
7. Follow a Structure: A structure or process is the most crucial aspect of writing anything and a lack of it usually makes the end product look and sound haphazard. Start by asking yourself relevant questions and create a systematic process that you can follow through on consistently. A benefit of this is that you could most probably use this process for future copies as well. Make sure you also add data from your specific audience wherever necessary and just don’t rely on formulas or tactics.
Conclusion
Although writing copies requires a set of skills, and organizations usually hire high-end copywriters for their ad and marketing work but given time and experience, you too can pick up the necessary skills and implement them in creating innovative and effective ad copies for your brand. Make sure you avoid the above-mentioned common mistakes while writing and you are good to go !
