Copy writing is the act of creating content for marketing materials of any sort. This can be as brief and short slogan for a bus bench advertisement, or as long and lengthy as a financial market analysis prospectus. The value of copy writing is inherent to the project. The goal of all copy is to either grow marketing reach through direct response or branding.
Elements of Good Copy
Good copy can be broken down into four basic elements. Quality copy generally flows from top to bottom and speaks directly to a demographic about the particular problem.
- Speak to the problem
- Speak to the pain involved
- Speak to the solution
- Speak to the legitimacy of the solution
Breaking Down Each Element
Speak to the problem: The idea of speaking to any specific problem makes perfect sense to anyone who has spent any time in sales. People purchase products or services based on a problem. The problem can be as drastic as an immediate fix such as a hole in one’s roof, or a problem as abstract as not feeling your best. (These are obviously two very different problems, but there are problems nonetheless.) Good sales copy speaks to a specific problem and addresses this problem by showcasing an understanding of the sort of problem and its complications.
Speak to the pain involved: The pain involved in any problem is obvious. If it is a roof with a hole, speaking to the pain is relatively easy. If the problem is more abstract, the pain is more than likely going to be a little more difficult to speak to directly, but it still can be pinpointed.
An example: Let’s imagine that you are a massage therapist. One major area that you can target is the collective body that is “stressed out people.” By targeting people who are stressed out, your copy can speak directly to people in your region who are stressed out. Your skill-set releases and reduces body stress, which is inevitably built up due to tension.
Speak to the solution: Of course, once people understand that there is a problem, and that they are his pain involved in the problem, they want a solution. Good copy provides this solution right after explaining the sort of pain involved with a specific problem.
Speak to the legitimacy of the solution: The legitimacy of the solution is where the “close” takes place. At this point, if you are a roof for you have been able to get someone on your webpage that speaks to the problem of fixing a hole in ones who, you are now, after speaking to the solution, which is a roof repair, going to speak to the legitimacy of you being the solution. Things such as testimonials for image-based proof of your work detail the source of legitimate closes that can improve conversion rate and drive business.
Emotion-based content
At the end of the day, good copy is built around emotion. Emotion prompts action, and it is action that you are working to prompt.
