Companies will hire copywriters to do something important, connect with their consumers. Today’s marketing space is highly interactive. Good copywriters will cater to the expectations of modern patrons with content that compels, educates and/or entertains. Most importantly, the copywriter will create content that begins and deepens relationships between different brands and consumers.
These carefully cultivated relationships are proportionate to tangible business objectives like lead growth, revenue increase and brand reach. So therefore good copywriting is not just appreciated by the user, it also generates measurable lifts in a company’s key metrics. This is what makes good copywriting valuable.
Unfortunately, sometimes copywriting fails to achieve its desired goals and objectives. The question then becomes why. Here are three (of many) possible contributing reasons why copywriting sometimes fails.
Wrong Tone
Gone are the days of “talking at” consumers. The key really is “talking with” the consumers. They should be engaged, not sold. The consumer should be educated, not bossed. One’s tone matters.
Writers have a limited window for catching and keeping the attention of online readers. They also have a brief opportunity to form the desired brand impression. Most of the time, stuffy, verbose writing just will not cut it. It tends to distance readers rather than draw them in. It is all about a conversational tone that respects the intelligence and time of the reader.
Copywriting fails when the wrong voice is used. One should aim for a tone that is friendly, clear and sincere.
Undefined Goals
You do not build a skyscraper without the blueprints, and you do not achieve writing greatness without a strategy. Every piece of writing needs a goal or an objective.
Bringing this level of focus and intention to copywriting helps to ensure a deliberate outcome. Examples of copywriting goals are: to generate interest, to capture email signups, to trigger product sales, to secure in-store traffic or to create virility. With a plan in place, these goals become much more likely.
Copywriting fails to convert where there is no goal. Define goals at the outset and analyze effectiveness throughout the writing process. After the writing process, review analytics and assess opportunities for improvement for next time.
Shallow Content
At the end of the day, nothing tops quality content. All the best ideas, keyword research and planning cannot overcome lackluster content. For content to succeed, it must reach deep and draw out meaningful information.
This might look a bit different in different scenarios, but the elicited reaction is always the same: reader appreciation. Creating content a reader appreciates, because it is useful, interesting or educational is certainly one hallmark of copywriting success.
Copywriting fails when readers refuse to read it. Understand the target audiences’ interests and challenges. Match their natural inclinations with the appropriate subject matter.
While there are many different factors that comprise what makes good copywriting, from ad psychology to language theory, there are some definite mistakes to avoid at all costs. These three copywriting mistakes are a good place to start.
Opinion by Elizabeth Miller
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NOTE: All original work and ideas based on writer’s experience. No sources cited directly or indirectly.
Photo by louveclennes – Flickr License
