No matter what type of marketing you do, your copy needs to sell. Whether it’s a blog, landing page, banner or pop, your words matter and using the right ones at the right time can make a huge difference. That’s why we want to show you 10 copywriting mistakes that can easily be avoided so that you can concentrate on converting!
#1 Proofreading
Proofreading is an absolute must! If you want people to take your product seriously, then make sure that you don’t have any unnecessary typos in your work. The only place it is possible to get away with this is in personal blog writing but, even then, it is best to avoid it.
If English isn’t your first language or you are marketing to a GEO with a language you don’t speak, then try to get everything proofread, at least once, by a native speaker. Remember, all of the best authors in the world have editors for a reason. Pobody’s nerfect, and you will make missteaks! However, you need to address glaring errors as they really do put people off.
#2 Tone
The aim of copy is to sell; however, if you focus the tone of your copy purely around making a sale, then customers might back away. People don’t like having things ‘sold’ to them, but they do like buying things. Therefore, you have to convince the customer to buy your product by highlighting the positive attributes and benefits, while not being too forceful. All of this should then lead to a prominent call-to-action.
Consider to following two examples:
‘Optrex is the world leader in designer prescription glasses. With over 40 years of experience, we know that it’s important to feel good and look even better. That’s why we’ve designed our new Glimmer range with you in mind. To find out more and to get your hands on a limited edition pair, click here.’
‘Optrex glasses are now 40% off! That’s right! And what’s even better is that they now come in 3 different colours. If you buy a pair today, we’ll even send you a limited edition case for FREE! That’s right, absolutely FREE! Click Here to get yours now!’
Both of these approaches can work on different people, but make sure you have an idea of your demographics first. If you’re looking for quick cash without a long-term strategy, then the second can be very effective. However, if you want to keep customers coming back and ensure that they remain faithful to your product, then the first will gain you loyalty.
#3 Negativity
Promotional copy should be positive. It’s a good idea to run through your work at the editing stage to see if there are any negative words or phrases that can be turned around to become positive. For example, the word ‘never’ is used quite often as in ‘make sure you never leave home without your Optrex glasses.’ This can easily be reversed to read ‘Wear Optrex anytime, anywhere.’ This change ensures that the reader goes away having remembered a positive image and reason as to why they should choose your product.
#4 Long-Winded Introductions
In the modern world, where technology is king and information is instant, people tend to be put off by lengthy introductions. If you immediately present someone with a 10,000-word essay about your product, then people are going to be turned off. Instead, pick the most salient points of your pitch and use them as your introduction.
Asking questions can be an excellent way to draw customers in too, without getting carried away with the writing. However, if they are too specific, they will also put people off. This isn’t such a bad thing if you are trying to target accurately, but if you want to reach a much wider audience then make sure you broaden the question. Consider the following:
Broad:
Want to look good and feel even better? Then Optrex have the perfect gift for you!
Narrow:
Tired of fashionable glasses being unpractical?
Want prescription lenses that look as good as designer glasses but won’t cost you an arm and a leg?
Optrex has what you need.
All of the information in your introduction should be as easy to read and digest as possible and should aim to catch the speaker’s attention by targeting their desire.
#4 Form Follows Function
The motto of the early 20th Century German art school, Bauhaus, was ‘Form follows function’ and it’s as true today as it was back then.
Put simply, you should worry about what something does before you focus on how it looks. That is precisely what you should be doing when writing copy for your campaigns.
Before you start writing your next advert, make a list of all of the reasons why someone would want to buy your product and how it will improve their lives. Once you have that, you can target your customers’ needs. Then and only then, should you describe the product. You’ll see quite often that product descriptions are included as additional info at the bottom. This is what Amazon does, and it works!
#5 Neglecting SEO
Always make sure that you keep an eye on your SEO and include it in your copy. Writing fantastic copy is one thing, but it’s no use if no-one can find it to read it.
To improve your SEO with minimal effort, do a quick keyword search on Google by typing in your product name and then see what predictions Google gives you and try to include them in your article. However, make sure they fit there naturally, and keyword stuffing will make your SEO score fall. You can also research other similar products and see what people are searching for and what questions are being asked. If you can directly answer customer queries on Google, then you will fly through the ranks.