5 Tips for writing better copy for your business

Explore our top five tips for writing better copy for your business

1. Know your audience and tone of voice

Good copy starts with knowing your target audience. However, it should evoke interest irrespective of the target audience.

To write great copy, i.e. that which resonates with its target audience, you must understand the likes, interests and ‘way of talking’ of that target audience.

Customer persona development can deliver the information you need. You can also look at which of your competitors’ content is highly shared – finding out who those sharers are and their interests, using tools like, Buzzsumo.

Are you writing for experts in the topic, where they’ll understand acronyms and terms that others wouldn’t? Is your target audience corporate decision makers, who need information fast and would appreciate bullet points and images to add to the understanding of your copy?

Know your target audience and their behaviour to write engaging copy that keeps people coming back for more.

 2. Cut unnecessary words

The paragraphs below convey the same information. One does so more succinctly than the other.

Sometimes it’s really tempting to use a large amount of language and vocabulary to explain a point, when the same point could be made using fewer words. (27 words)

 

It’s tempting to use lots of words to explain a point, when fewer would make the same point. (18 words)

Removing ‘fluff’ makes writing easier for people to read and more captivating as a result.

 3. Spell check

Misspelling is the scourge of copywriting. You may be an expert in a topic, but sloppy spelling or grammatical errors will make the reader switch off in an instant, losing trust in your brand, its website and blog content in an instant.

Spell check; there’s no excuse not to.

4. Edit ruthlessly

Look at your finished copy. I guarantee you’ll find ways to make a point better, more succinctly, or areas where you’re not making sense.

When you’ve finished your writing, it’s just the start. Edit ruthlessly, your readers will love you for it and engagement with your content will increase.

5. Use humour

There’s nothing duller than reading a piece of content that has none of the writer’s personality infused into it.

While some sectors and industries don’t expect humour in the content they read, there is almost always the opportunity to use some. Well-placed humour can make your copy stand out, especially in industries where ‘dry content’ is the norm.

I hope you enjoyed these tips for writing better copy for your business. To find out how GOAT’s copywriting skills can make your company stand out from the crowd, contact us for a chat.

Thanks for reading.