How do you feel about yourself as a copywriter? Chances are it’s not your favourite part of running own business! But the thing is, most of us have to sort of be our own copywriters when we’re starting out, so it’s a skill worth learning and improving as you go.

The good news

The good news is that these days; you don’t have to be an experienced writer or a genius with words to write effective and compelling copy for your website or social media – people are totally ok with you just being you.

We’ve put together 5 fundamental areas of focus to keep in mind when using copy to engage with your customers. Read on, and lets get you feeling more confident with your copy by the end of this post!

“When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative’. I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product” – David Ogilvy

1. Copywriting isn’t all about being clever with words.

You don’t have to be clever with words to produce good copy.

Yes of course, we all remember those catchy slogans from big brands, but quite frankly you don’t have the team or the budget to go there! Instead of trying to be clever, lower your creative sights and focus on another c-word: Clarity.

Effective copy is all about being clear. You don’t have to be clever – CLARITY IS KEY!

As demonstrated in this super clear and concise blog on the subject.

2. Put yourself in your customers shoes.

The creative aspect of copywriting you should be focusing on, is your ability to put yourself in your customer’s shoes…

Always remember that your customer’s number one thought is ‘WHAT’S IN THIS FOR ME’?

As customers, we are always motivated by self-interest.

Stop for a moment and ask yourself what problems you’re solving or what needs you’re meeting. Once you’ve figured out what’s in it for your customer, expand that into your headline and use it as the basis for your copy.

3. Benefits over features.

When promoting your product or service, make sure to focus on the benefits, rather than the features.

What does that mean?!

Here’s an example.

When selling dog food, we could say that it contains omegas and loads of vitamins and minerals. Sounds impressive; but what does it mean for you or your dog?!

By contrast, we could tell you that our dog food contains all the ingredients your dog needs to stay healthy and strong with a shiny coat and waggy tail, and you won’t need to buy anything else to supplement their diet.

Those are the benefits. See the difference?

This is a tricky one that we know many of you struggle with, so take a look at this article, which does a pretty good job of explaining the difference between the two.

“For your call-to-actions to be successful, they must be noticeable, enticing and well-defined.” – Stevens Tate

4. Include Calls to Action (CTAs) to get attention.

Us humans like clear directions. So whilst your beautifully written post might be nice to read; it’s missing the mark if it’s not encouraging your audience to take action in some way.

‘Click here’, ‘Subscribe below’ or ‘Buy now’ are all commonly-used examples, but why stop there? The options for interesting calls to action are endless once you get a little creative.

Here’s a great article with some CTA inspiration.

5. Keep your brand tone of voice in mind.

Does what you’re saying sound authentic to you?

As a micro business, you can’t help but infuse yourself into your brand, which means that, like it or not, people are buying YOU as much as they’re buying your product or service.

Have a good think about all the things that you stand for and value and believe in, and make sure you’re infusing that ‘real-ness’ into your copy.

As Brian Kurian says in this highly recommended article, when you write from a place of authenticity, rather than trying follow a formula or using something you’ve seen other people have success with, your reader will sense that ‘real-ness’, and you’ll build a much deeper connection with your audience.