Tag: how to write good copy

5 Golden Rules of Web Copy

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , ,

Ten seconds.

That is all you have to grab the attention of a website visitor and convince them that your content is what they need. And 70 percent of people who leave your page halfway through will not return. Bottom line: in addition to design, website copy has no room for error. It must be informative and magnetic.

So where to begin? With these five golden rules for writing web copy.

1. Thou shalt know thy audience.

This the first cardinal rule in any marketing strategy, and it applies whole-hog here. Sixty-eight percent of users say if they don’t find what they want right away on a mobile site, they move to another website. Specifically identify what your audience is seeking on your landing page and ensure this information is easily found in the top few lines. This may differ with things like targeted campaigns for a certain buyer segment as well.

2. Thou shalt make all things skimmable.

First, stats.

  • According to HubSpot, 43 percent of people admit to skimming blog posts.
  • While 80 percent will pause to read a headline, only 20 percent will pause to read the rest.

Use the good ‘ole inverted pyramid to include the must-know information at the top of the page to show your reader that this page contains the info they need … (and entice them to read more). Employ headlines, bold text (as appropriate within your design and style guidelines), short paragraphs and phrases that lend themselves to “skimmability.”

3. Blessed are the brief, for they shall be heard again.

Related to Golden Rule #2. Write like you would speak: relatable phrases rather than lengthy jargon-packed paragraphs. Oh, and PS: good grammar actually matters to the reader. And in the spirit of brevity, that’s all I’ll say.

4. Thou shalt focus on the reader.

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, self-esteem is near the top. Cast the spotlight on your customer by using “you” words; rather than “we the company can” or “I the consultant will,” say things like “you will … you can … imagine yourself.” Pepper the copy with messages that point to the reader’s success and completion of the goal that is driving them to your website.

5. Thou shalt call thy people to action.

Each page, blog or post should end with a call to action (CTA) that is commensurate with the readers’ journey. Are they ready for more information, tips or a download guide? Ready in the buying cycle to contact a rep, make an appointment, add an item to their carts? Visit a social media page to learn more about an event?

Copy should include strong conversion words that eliminate the sense of risk and provide a sense of assured success, like  “risk-free,” “everything you need” to show all-inclusive features. ThriveHive offers some great advice for tailored action words.

Looking for some help? We got your back on this one.

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3 Tips to Telling a Compelling Story

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , , ,

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” (Benjamin Franklin)

Data, facts and figures appeal to the intellect but, as Benjamin Franklin astutely notes, information falls flat when it comes to inciting action or affecting lasting change. Human emotion is far more powerful a tool, beckoning the listener to become involved and personally invested.

Whether honing ad copy, penning an op ed or crafting a comprehensive messaging campaign, all effective stories share a similar trajectory and common cornerstones.

1. Know Thy Audience

Any marketer worth his or her salt will already have defined a target audience, perhaps even complete with a persona. Yes, clearly, we need to know the demographics and life stages, but focus on the emotional dynamic. In fact, treat your audience as a good friend with whom you’ve been having an ongoing dialogue. What are his fears, his annoyances? What is the one thing that he or she craves most this weekend … or right now from the office chair? Market research coupled with focus groups and other qualitative studies can flesh out these critical details.

2. Identify Thy Problem (Enter conflict, stage right)

No good movie or book depicts character skipping along in a worry-free life. You watch or read on the edge of your seat because of a conflict. Will she get the job? Will he get the girl? Marketing stories are no different. What specific dissonance are you addressing in your “friend’s” (audience’s) day?

Now, here is an opportunity to beef up your case with data or information, if applicable. But choose wisely, young Jedi. Select only facts that are crucial; you’re not building a case. You’re taking your friend on a journey to show — involve — him or her in a story. It’s his pain point that eventually will reach a point of no return where he must act to settle the dissonance.

3. Offer Possible Solutions

Hope! Offer a smidgen of light that there are indeed answers to your friend’s predicament. And keep in mind, if you’re selling a product or service, you’re not really selling that product or service. You’re selling an emotion — relief, convenience, pleasure, power, status and others mentioned here.

At this juncture in your story, showcase a few different solutions, including those that might not be effective. What will happen if your friend chooses to do nothing or go with a different product? And of course, what will happen if he chooses your solution? Show. Show the relief, the convenience, the happiness, the freedom, what he now will be able to do once he chooses your offer.

4. Other Miscellaneous Tips

  • Write and rewrite. Few stellar stories come from the first draft. Cut out unnecessary thoughts or points, and then cut a few more. Lead with your strongest point. Proof with the “so what test.” If your friend listens to your story and then shrugs and says, “so what?”, we need to retool.
  • Keep it conversational. Remember, you’re helping a friend, not selling to a stranger. Write the story as if you’re picking up in the middle of a conversation over coffee.
  • Keep it timely. Monitor topics and cultural tones in the news. Stories connected to already poignant issues carry another opportunity to emotionally involve your reader.

We need to be completely clear that effective stories are authentic. They’re transparent. They’re genuine. We’re not manufacturing techniques to a manipulate the masses. What we are doing is truly understanding the pain points of our friend and offering a way for him to solve the struggle and see change. We respond to real things. The best stories are authentic and honest.

We love telling stories. How can we help you tell yours?

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Mightier Messages

Cherith AndesBlog, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , , , , , ,

You’ve crafted the perfect message, but your marketing is still falling flat. 

In the restaurant industry, marketers spend hours laboring to hone the catchiest tagline, the cleverest tweet, the snazziest e-newsletter sure to pack the dining room. Yet somehow, despite the delectable verbiage, ads don’t get views. Facebook posts don’t get likes. And customers don’t open restaurant emails, let alone click through to make a reservation. What’s the dish on this?

Eloquence Doesn’t Pay

As it turns out, it’s not the messaging that’s the issue. It’s the length of the message. Ann Wylie of Wylie Communications points out that the more information that we give people, the less they’re able to use it. For example, the suggested length of an effective sentence is 15 words.

With longer sentences, readers tend to lose track of your thought and eventually skip the content altogether—all because of one extensive sentence, like this one that I’m writing right here that doesn’t seem to want to quit and maybe needs to pause for a water break or a sandwich or a lox bagel because it has been rambling incessantly…

You get the idea.

Multiple Ideas Confuse

Restaurant marketers also confuse customers by spotlighting too many ideas. For example, rather than highlighting one signature dish, a newsletter might describe four items along with a plug for next week’s date-night dinner and the monthly cocktail special. A media pitch might jam in too many details about a restaurant, overwhelming the already busy reporter. Email deleted.

How to Write Tasty Tidbits

1. Choose one. One idea. Ask yourself, “If my reader could only remember one thing from this message, what should it be?” Your answer should be five words or less. Anne Lamott, author and writing coach, keeps a one-inch picture frame on her desk. This touchstone reminds her to focus on one tiny corner of the story, and eventually, the finite corner will unfold itself into a rich story.

Marketer Christina Gillick refers to this as “the power of one.” Rather than promoting your entire healthy menu on your next Instagram post, highlight the crisp snap of your spring wedge salad.

2. Distill. I choose this word instead of “cut” or “shorten.” Our goal isn’t to whack adjectives willy nilly until we’ve thinned our sentences to 15 words. In the process, we run a high risk of deleting the most important verbiage and watering down our so carefully chosen one-inch story. Instead, we should aim to identify which ideas are extraneous. If you’re concentrating on the healthy salad, don’t suggest low-cal drinks that pair well with a lean lunch. Nope. Spotlight just the salad.

3. Ring the dinner bell. Despite our best encouragement, many restaurant marketers miss this final step. Remind your readers of your one key message and then encourage them to act on it. This call to action (CTA) can be as simple as “make a reservation for date night this Friday,” “click here to personalize your own lunch salad,” or “see what else chef is doing on his grill!” (which might link to a blog, video or photo album of the menu).

One caveat: CTAs can be more subtle on social media, especially in posts that are not boosted or promoted. Not only does Facebook guard against overt CTAs, social media followers respond better to a sense of shared empathy rather than an outright ask for likes.

Got a favorite restaurant that deserve a shout out for good messaging? Shout ’em out!

 

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