Sometimes copywriting is hard. You have a new product or feature to announce, you know why it matters, but the words won't come. How do you get your readers as excited as you are?
The short answer: keep it simple. Present the benefits clearly and concisely, and conversions follow. Here's how to put that into practice.
1. Have a single audience
You cannot appeal to everyone, and trying to will leave you appealing to no one. Pick a specific person in your audience and write for them. Think about what matters to them, what language they use, and what would actually get their attention.
Put this into action
Say you run an online clothing store that has just started stocking jewellery. Instead of blasting your whole list with "hey, we sell necklaces now", segment it. Target your male subscribers. Write a headline about buying jewellery for someone they love, use images they can relate to, and speak their language.
Narrowing your focus like this makes your copy feel personal, which increases relevance and, in turn, conversions.
2. Have a single goal
Before you write a word, decide what you want this campaign to do. One goal, set upfront. That single decision cuts the fluff and keeps your copy focused.
If you are trying to pull readers in three directions at once, they will go nowhere.
Put this into action
Want to educate potential customers about a new product? Focus on the features. Want to drive sales? Build everything around a clear call to action. Pick one, and stick to it.
3. Have a conversation
You would not describe your company to a friend as "a cutting-edge, world-leading bulk message distribution platform". You would say you work for an email marketing company. Same information, far easier to understand, and it does not sound like a sales pitch.
Write your campaigns the same way. Think about how you would explain this to a friend, then write that down.
Put this into action
Read your copy out loud. If it sounds stiff, pompous, or hard to follow, it needs another pass. This blog post is written the same way, light, direct, easy to read. That is the tone to aim for.
4. Have an editor
Most marketers suffer from what is sometimes called "the curse of knowledge". You know your product so well that it is easy to forget your audience does not share that background. You might write copy that makes perfect sense to you and loses everyone else.
Editing fixes this, and it works best in two stages.
Self-editing: Write down exactly what you want to say, then cut the word count in half and rewrite it. This forces you to get to the point.
Outside editing: Get someone who is less close to the product to read your copy. They will spot anything that is unclear or assumes too much knowledge.
Put this into action
Compare these two lines:
- Our all-new template designer creates responsive HTML designs
- Our all-new template designer creates mobile-friendly email designs
The only difference is "responsive" versus "mobile-friendly". To a developer or experienced digital marketer, "responsive" is clear shorthand for a design that scales correctly across devices. To a broader audience, it means very little. "Mobile-friendly" says the same thing in a way anyone can understand.
That is the level of clarity to aim for.
Keep it simple
One audience, one goal, plain language, and a proper edit. Take each step in turn and your next campaign will be clearer, tighter, and more effective than the last.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I know which audience segment to target in an email campaign?
- Start with the specific benefit your product or feature offers, then work backwards to the group most likely to want it. If you are announcing jewellery to a clothing list, male subscribers looking for gift ideas are a more useful target than your full database. Segment by behaviour, purchase history, or demographics to get there.
- Why should an email campaign have only one goal?
- Multiple goals split your reader's attention. If your copy is pointing them towards a product page, a blog post, and a social follow at the same time, most will do nothing. One clear goal means one clear call to action, which makes it easier for readers to respond.
- How do I remove jargon from my email copy?
- Read your copy out loud and ask whether a non-specialist would follow it. If you hesitate at any word or phrase, swap it for a plain alternative. 'Mobile-friendly' instead of 'responsive'. 'Email marketing platform' instead of 'multi-channel customer engagement solution'. When in doubt, simpler is better.
- What is the fastest way to self-edit email copy?
- Write your first draft without constraints, then cut the word count in half before you rewrite it. The constraint forces you to decide what actually matters and strip out anything that does not move the reader towards your goal.