Adjusting Copywriting to Different Medium

Copywriting is intricate work. Even the most seasoned writer may find themselves in a new and unfamiliar situation based on the medium that they are writing for. This is especially true with the evolution of the web and the host of new types of writing that have come about as a result. You may have spent your life and career performing copywriting services for a particular medium and then find yourself in unchartered territory leaving you feeling like a novice. It’s important to understand how to adjust your style and tone based on the different mediums out there.

It’s always a great idea within copywriting to stay fresh with your skills. Studying the types of writing that are gaining in popularity and the trends that go along with it can be quite beneficial in keeping your skills fresh. For example, you may have written web copy specifically before, but if you don’t have experience writing blog posts or e-books you will definitely need to brush up. There is no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to copywriting—each medium requires a different tone, style, and type of writing and you as a professional need to adjust accordingly and quickly. Keeping your copywriting skills fresh and trying out different mediums can be an excellent way to be a versatile and well rounded writer.

If you’ve spent your career in an advertising agency writing ad copy then you have likely mastered that medium. While this is great, using the tone and style that is often associated with ad copy won’t fly in web content that often deals in the more factual. It can be helpful to take a course or perform any necessary research so that you’re not caught off guard if you are required to tweak your style to a new and completely different medium. Each type of writing requires a new perspective, new mindset, and of course a whole new way of doing things from the perspective of the writer. You are working to reach your audience in a new and innovative way each time so learning to make the necessary adjustments can mean great success.

If you really want to keep current with the different writing styles, it may be beneficial to take on a freelance assignment within a new medium just to try it out and keep fresh. Sometimes the adjustments may come through trial and error but you will be so happy when you find the proper ways to communicate your message through effective copywriting dependant on the medium which you are faced with. Being a versatile copywriter means being able to adjust to changing trends and new assignments all the time. 

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Copywriting Words to Get the Biggest Buzz

With copywriting, word choice can often mean the difference between a potential sale and an actual sale. The influence of words can actually trigger different subconscious reactions from your readers, which might actually prompt them to buy your product faster than a long pitch about the benefits of a product. The fact is that with the right words to tap into your potential buyer’s subconscious, you’ll get the response you want. When copywriting gurus compare copywriting to being combination art, craft and science, buzz words are an example of that. If you can use the right words to elicit a response, you can help secure a buyer.

So let’s take a look at some of the big buzz words to use in your copy.

1. You – Come on, people. You know that people want to think about what’s in it for them, so tell them. Using the word “You” directly puts your reader right at the centre of the attention.

2. Discount/Savings – Who doesn’t love to save money? In fact, with this economy, that is a complete necessity. So if you can pitch that, people will come running for a bargain.

3. Free – Everyone is all about the price of “Free.” Seriously though, if you can have something for free, you’d rather have that than nothing at all. Besides, if you know that there is a free offer, you will at least look before saying no.

4. Guarantee – Wow, look at that. You used one word to tell people that they have nothing to fear because you are ensuring them of your legitimacy.

5. Risk Free – The fact is that there are more Nigerian 419 Scams out there trying to take your money over the Internet than ever before. If you can, reassure your reader that they can trust you with no risk to themselves.

6. New – Everyone wants to “Keep up with the Joneses”, meaning that they still want the newest and most popular thing. They trust the media that tells them it’s new.

7. Fast/Easy/Simple – Looking at our society, it’s easy to tell that we like convenience. We like luxury. We basically like not having to do anything that we don’t have to. So, if we can have something come along that makes solving a particular problem easy or fast, we’re going to look for it.

And there you have it. Seven simple words that are going to set off a subconscious response from your audience that will encourage your sales! 

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How To Use Call To Action in Copywriting

 If you’ve ever read an effective advertisement, then you know it’s all about the call to action. You want people to read your ad and feel immediately compelled to do something. You have to balance coming on too strong with the fact that you don’t want people to just sit there with your message idle in their minds. Good copywriting within advertising is all about an effective call to action that reaches out and grabs the readers.

If you don’t present the copywriting correctly, you can immediately turn away your reader. Your call to action needs to be powerful but it also needs to be subtle enough that the reader doesn’t feel as though you are shouting at them or directing them to do what you want them to do. People don’t like to be told what to do, so good copywriting within this medium must certainly be compelling but also balanced. It can be quite helpful to think back to advertisements you have experienced which have caused you to feel that you need to get up and act right away—these are excellent examples to mirror.

It can be helpful as you work on copywriting that has a call to action to create a sense of urgency. You don’t necessarily want to go with the cliché sayings such as “while supplies last” but you do want your copywriting to focus on what’s in it for the reader if they act now. This is a very effective call to action as readers feel like they’re getting something for nothing. For example if they were already planning to purchase the given product but through your copywriting they see that they can get a significant discount, this becomes a win-win in their mind. This is a very simple but highly effective call to action as people recognize the importance and the value of acting now and getting a bonus throw in at the same time.

It can be a fine balance and one of the more challenging aspects of copywriting to create an effective call to action that will draw in the reader rather than turn them away. Think of language that you find to be effective and not insulting in the advertisements that you have reacted to. While you don’t want your copywriting to come across as an infomercial, you do want to draw people into acting as quickly as possible and getting something won. 

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Copywriting Secrets an Overview

There’s no doubt in my mind that anyone can become a copywriter. While it does take a certain amount of creativity and craftsmanship, the fact is that most copywriting comes from learning the skills behind the practice. Anyone has the capacity to learn those skills and all it takes is time and focus. In fact, no one says you need to have years and years of training as a professional writer or have a Masters degree in English. You just need to know the basic principles behind the technique and practice. Repetition means success, because through repetition you can reinforce good behaviours and pick out the bad. 

Sometimes, copywriting can be difficult. Writer’s block can hit anyone at any time and you can’t always reach your total audience. Thankfully, if you’re worried about writer’s block, knowing that a few minutes of research on your subject can get your brain firing again. If you’re worried about reaching an audience, then as long as you learn to apply good techniques to your work, you won’t have anything to worry about. By utilising principles that you can integrate into your own writing, you can ensure that you’ll reach a wide audience for whatever you want to tell them.

So what exactly is copywriting? The most relevant way to describe it is that copywriting involves writing an article or an advertisement for the purpose of getting the reader to respond to your offer. Essentially, you are selling a product, service, or even an idea with your words. Some copywriting is more informational in nature, but even those articles typically encourage some sort of action or urge the reader to continue to do research. This comes down to you utilising techniques and using your own passion about any subject to elicit a response. You can do that. Anyone can. 

The last aspect of the copywriting technique involves the editing process. Sometimes, you will be the one writing the articles, and sometimes, you might be editing them. By checking grammar, original content, extra words, spelling errors and even the style, you’re helping yourself in the future. Part of being a working writer means that you understand the editing process, and there are plenty of ways you can learn how to edit works.

Overall, copywriting can be a fun way to make money that puts your personal passions and talents to work. Copywriting doesn’t care what your major in college was. Copywriting cares about your passion for a subject and for your ability to advertise. So if you take the time to learn and practice, I’m sure that you will see how rewarding copywriting can be. 

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