When it comes to the selling of your creations, nothing is more powerful than the words you choose to showcase your business. Copywriting, also known as all of the written material you create to promote your products to the world, isn’t just about writing. Every word has influence, and the copy you create accomplishes more than you may realize!
Copywriting is storytelling. Whether it’s your business origin story, the “Why” behind your products, or the small details that make your creations yours, copy is here to communicate it all! Having strong copy for your business can prove beneficial in many ways. Copy that’s engaging builds your brand in a way that not only keeps customers coming back for the products they love, but also to support a business they love.
Ask yourself, when making your masterpieces in the kitchen, which part takes the longest? If you answered “prep,” then you already understand the most time-consuming part of creating beautiful copy. Just like with cooking, getting prepared is the longest (and most tedious) part of copywriting.
That’s why copywriter Frankie Guzek has compiled these copywriting hacks to help you, whether you’re writing for social media, your website, emails, or something else. Through her expertise, you will discover how to define your brand identity, quickly catch and hold the attention of your customers with catchy taglines and statements, create the perfect product descriptions, and change the way you approach your social media captions all while staying true to your brand.
Building Your Base: Brand Identity
When creating your copy, it’s important to keep in mind that your biggest priority should be telling your audience who you are, what you do, and what your business is all about. It’s telling your story as short and sweet as possible. But to do that, you need to know your brand identity.
Not sure what your brand identity is or where to begin? (It’s more than just how your brand looks.) Here we have an easy way for you to get clear on who you are as a brand. This Brand Communication Formula, while perhaps a bit daunting, is your key to knocking out the longest part of your copy efforts: the prep. This formula can be used as a building block for all of your brand communications. Staying consistent across all platforms and showing up as the brand you are is easy when you begin with this base.
Fill it out once, and the brand communication formula will work not only as your foundation for brand communications, but also as a vault for your brand. Need a refresher on your brand identity from time to time? This formula will be your treasure trove for brand identity (and all copy) in the future.
Harness The Power of Your Headlines
Catching the attention of your consumer is no easy feat, and copy with a strong headline is key! A recent study from Hubspot found that 55% of website visitors spent less than 15 seconds on the average webpage.
Strong copy starts with strong headlines. To maximize the effect of your headlines on your visitors, we recommend the following:
- It’s Time to Rhyme - Rhymes are memorable and persuasive in a way that helps your copy “sing” and stick with visitors
- Brevity is Best - Be brief with your headings. Websites and the majority of your copy content should be mostly visual with words as compliments to the images. Let the visuals of your creations speak for themselves as much as possible!
- Rely on Your Subheader - This space is perfect for saying what you cannot briefly convey in a heading
Not sure where to begin with potential subheadings and other copy branding sentences? “So You Can” statements can help!
A “So You Can” statement is another way that you can highlight the key benefits of your product while describing what the product is at the same time. Sit for 10 minutes and generate as many “So You Can” statements as possible using this model:
- “We [ _______ ], so you can [ _______].
- In the first spot, highlight something that your business does.
- In the second spot, describe an intangible benefit that differentiates your product from others or conveys your brand value.
- Example for a bakery: “We make great cakes, so you can make every celebration sweet.”
Once this copywriting prep is complete, the rest of your copy creation process becomes a piece of cake. These statements and foundations can be used everywhere, from social media captions and email marketing to Castiron web pages and product descriptions.
Take Product Descriptions Beyond the Product
With endless options and decisions around every corner for customers nowadays, your business isn’t simply about your product. While someone may buy your product for the first time because they desire the product itself, customers continue buying products because of the “intangibles” they give more than the product itself.
Curious about how this impacts your copy? Including details of your intangibles (a.k.a. how your product adds value beyond being a delicious creation) in product description helps potential customers understand the value of your product better. It also develops a stronger connection between you, your business, and your customers. With the benefits of your products already highlighted in your “So You Can” statements, you can transform your product descriptions from generic product statements to a piece of copy that develops the value of your product in the eyes of the customer!
Here’s how you do it:
- Begin with what the product actually is
- What is the intangible it delivers? (Ex. Does it bring joy? Or save time? Or deliver indulgence? There are an endless amount of options here!)
- When or how is it used/applied/eaten/drank? (Ex. Is it used for parties? As a gift? Is it consumed in the morning? Evening? When you’re busy or on the go?)
Scoring with Social Media Captions
With the basics you have built for your copy and brand identity, copy can be leveraged to improve your social media presence too. Your social media goes beyond your professional website to connect you to customers, and can depict your business the way a personal brand magazine would. Keep the copy on your social profiles relevant and brief, and don’t be scared to get creative with how you use your copy!
Intangible benefits you have already defined can be used in tandem with common quotes, idioms, or pop culture phrases your audience relates to. This can build a relationship between them and your business in a clever way.
Do the strategies shared above have you craving more copywriting tips? Watch the full Camp Castiron session with Frankie Guzek for more examples of creating your own copywriting and pro advice on curating copy that counts.
