Hey - Dave here. We moved the newsletter from Thursdays to Tuesdays from now on 😊 This week I want to talk about my favorite thing in all of business: Spreadsheets. Just kidding! No that’s not me. My favorite thing in all of business is copywriting. Copywriting is selling at scale (without having to pickup the phone or leave the office, and I like how that sounds). Crafting copy that converts is more art than science. But what if I told you there are a few tricks up my sleeve that could transform your writing from blah to brilliant? I'm about to spill the beans on my 5 non-negotiable rules for copywriting that feels like a chat over coffee rather than a sales pitch. We're talking about writing that's so engaging, your audience can't help but read on. From embracing your inner chatty Kathy (or is it Kevin?) to the magic of pronouns and the power of real examples — these tips are about to be your new best friends. Curious? Good. That's the point. Now: Here are five of my favorite copywriting tips that you can share with your team to improve your writing this week.
- Write like you talk.Not like you as a marketer. But you. The real person. The same way you would write an email to your friend to set up a play date with the kids.
- Write choppy copy.Short sentences work great. Each line should play off of each other. You don’t need to finish every thought in every line. Writing should keep someone’s attention - not lose it. Don’t write an essay. Mix it up. Like this. Short. Then spell it out a bit more. It’s OK to break the rules you learned in school. This is business writing after all ;)
- First line, second line.The goal of your first line of copy is to get people to read the first line. The goal of your second line is to get them to write the third, etc. Ex: This is how I write email. Subject line gets you to open. First line gets you to the second, third, fourth, etc. all the way to the CTA. And the PS reinforces the CTA.
- Loud up with pronouns.Yep. I promise you this is OK. Loud up on you. Me. We. I. Yes. It’s OK to write in the first person. That’s how people talk. And even though you’re in B2B, guess what: you’re still selling to people.
- Fill your copy with real examples.Not stock photos. Not highly manicured images. But real ones. To let people know you’re real. Upload pictures from your iPhone. Take screenshots of tweets. Those will boost up any email, blog post, or landing page.
One other trick I like to use is a little dose of reality. Like, right now - I am writing this email on Friday at 4:17 PM. I told Dan I would get the newsletter copy off to him for next week before the weekend and now I’m scrambling to do it, my son is tugging at my leg asking me to go play and I want to wrap this thing up. See? Now you believe this was really me. I hope you take one of these copywriting tips into your company this week. See you around Exit Five. - Dave P.S. Oh, I forgot to mention. Always use the PS. Reply back and let me know if you have something to add to my list :) |
