It’s time to start cramming your brain with the skills it needs to write better copy, and this blog post is one of the best resources on the web for teaching you how to do just that. The information in this article will take you step-by-step through the process of writing effective advertising copy that makes a lasting impression and can earn you more money in return.
The top mistakes most people make when writing copy are broken down into categories like tone, content, wrong words, unclear instructions, and more, so that you can easily analyse what went wrong with your work.
This article will cover the top 5 mistakes people make when writing copy.
Mistake #1: Not Knowing Who You’re Writing For
If you don’t know your audience, you can’t optimize your copy to speak to them specifically. Identify and understand the personas in your target audience, so that you can tailor your message’s tone, language, and format accordingly. You should consider using copywriting services to jump-start your content creation.
Mistake #2: Copy That Lacks a Clear USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
“What makes me different?” It’s a question we all struggle with, and it can be tricky to articulate clearly what sets us apart from our competition.
However, in the process of avoiding this question, we often end up with copy that lacks a clear USP and, therefore, lacks a competitive advantage and fails to engage and convince targeted prospects.
Nailing your USP is critical to driving sales because it speaks directly to the pain points your target customer has been experiencing, which your product can help them solve. Your USP also enables you to stand out from competitors by clearly conveying that you understand the customer’s challenges and are a credible solution for meeting their needs.
Mistake #3: Focusing on Features, Not Benefits
When writing your copy, you need to frame the attributes of your product or service in terms of how it will benefit the customer, not how it works.
Many new copywriters make the mistake of focusing on features and what their product does rather than on why their product’s benefits solve the customer’s problems and bring more value to them.
For example, if you’re selling a weight-loss supplement that has been scientifically proven to help people lose 5 pounds in one week, a feature is “supplement aids weight loss,” while a benefit is “helps women lose 5 pounds in one week”.
The reason this subtle shift makes such a big impact is that your prospect cares about benefits, not features.
Mistake #4: Writing Without a Clear Purpose
“I’m just writing the first draft; I’ll clean it up later.”
That may be fine for a first draft, but you can bet that what you write will be vastly different in your next draft, which means your copy is ineffective. Just because you aren’t yet clear about what you are offering doesn’t mean you should skip out on writing valid copy altogether.
Mistake #5: Not Being Concise
You must strike the right balance between being informative and too long or too brief in your copy.
Most people get so bogged down in their message and forget to know how to write copy that speaks to their audience.
Bad grammar and spelling mistakes, not knowing how to start, or not having a clear path on where you are going can cause writers to feel like they are just spinning their wheels, getting nowhere fast.
