When it comes to copywriting, we have to understand that we’re not talking about content writing. They are not the same. However they are connected!
Copywriting is the most important part of Content Writing. When we mention Copywriting, it means that we want to sell our Brand, Product or Service. But when we talk about Content Writing, we are promoting our brand, add value to it and disseminating it.
Here are some very important and simple tips.
- The most important thing always comes first. What the public should retain has to come first, so that we can capture their attention and keep them reading the remaining content. They have to realize immediately what we are talking about, and not have with the idea that we sell oranges, when in fact we sell orange juice. Be clear and do not waste time beating around the bush. Be honest!
- Be concise and brief. Use the simple way to express what you want to say Long texts will not be read by most people. Explicit information is demanded. Use underlining, caps lock, bold and different colors to highlight the essential parts and keywords. It will give a professional air and make the text more appealing to read.
- Use symbols to facilitate understanding of the text. They should follow everything you say. Direct the reader to where you want it to go. Use arrows, circles, etc.
- Add value with images, videos or other links you may want. Use single images created by you, and not images that are available for everyone on the Internet, that most of your readers have seen several times. Using data base images will only make the reader think that you did not spend time creating content relevant to him and instead chose the easiest way.
- Offer good content. The essence of the content should be a rich experience. If you want to sell a particular course, book, lecture, or other type of product, do not try to sell so directly. Recommend and advise!
- Add multiple links for other websites, that can explain help your article. Forward them there, eg “visit this site to understand products that helped me learn more.”
- Format the content. After writing the text, it will be necessary to format the content in order to make it more desirable to read. One of the things I hate is unformatted text. Even if the content is the best, I will not read more than the first two sentences, because it is hard to read when not formatted correctly.
- Never forget the title. The title content is one of the most important parts of any writing. Without an interesting and intriguing title, it won’t entice someone to read it.
- Choose to focus on helping your audience, instead of trying to sell your services/products. Sometimes you must help your audience for free, so you can earn their trust. That is really important! Do not forget that without your audience you are nothing. They can help you grow in 1 year, but they can kill you in 1 minute.
The above are the main tips that I find essential for any copywriter. But never forget, content is king!
About the author: Tiago Nogueira
Tiago Nogueira has a bachelor degree in Business Communication at the Institute of Accounting and Administration of Porto, with 16 points. He is currently a master’s student in communication sciences at the University of Porto. Working in the School of Music, Art and Performance, at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, in the Secretariat, Administration and Communication area. Ambassador at the World Startup Report in Oporto. Developed activities at the Center for Research and Innovation at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, where he was awarded a scholarship for academic merit. Loves Marketing, Communication and the Digital area. Always open for new challenges!”
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I’m confused. On one hand the article promised to show the difference between content and ad copy. While I genuinely believe your intentions with this tip sheet are noble, it is evident that your experience as a copywriter is limited at best. And what I read said very little about content writing which is just the new name for strategically written body copy.
You’re largely offer up devices that, in certain circumstances, verge on being gimmicks. But to say that copywriting is about selling things while content is more about the brand is way too generalized. In fact any experienced copywriter will feel let down by this information because it is simply a bunch of statements, offered as laws, that don’t appear in any meaningful order. It’s like you are generalizing so that children or geriatrics can understand but, it doesn’t come close to explaining the difference between copywriting and content writing. Each requires an experienced writer
Copywriting is the craft of persuasion, sometimes with a call to action, sometimes not. Great copywriting can be sublime, explosive, lyrical, hilarious, serious, poetic but not prosaic, even sombre at times. Regardless of the stylistic nuances that are guided by the creative brief you will have received in advance of doing the job. Because by knowing the objective of the writing, choosing the tone and and creative (but still strategic!) approach to what you’re going to do is going to be dictated by objective.
In opening a written piece designed to subtly or overtly inform and thereby persuade a consumer, you state something that most in your targeted demographic agrees with. You then whittle away until you’ve achieved an incontrovertible conclusion. If, after making your case, you’re obliged to attach a call to action you do so without breaking from the style established with your headline and opening sentence.
Now let me tell you how this is going to affect you. Right now you ought to feel anger towards me – I haven’t been particularly kind. Once over the resentment there’s a part of you that knows I’ve told you the truth. You will come back to read this again seeking to really understand what I’ve said. And you’ll conclude that tis wasn’t about you in particular but about a craft that is more and more misunderstood.
Would you also like to remind me to sharpen my pencil and sit in a comfortable chair? Because like your list, those two tips are also basic and useless.
Copywriting is about selling things. “Content” is about collecting likes, views, click-throughs, friends. follows, and the other forms of self-gratifying “metrics.”
Nothing wrong with entertaining people (and yourself) as long as you understand what it is you’re doing. But — my take on it — one day clients will realize that “:Emperor Content” has no clothes and will demand that the marketing industry go back to selling products.
And be careful about criticizing other people’s “basic, useless” tips if you’re going to publish your own.