Once upon a time, copywriting was all about drafting short, clever content that would grab consumers’ attention in the time it took them to leaf through a magazine or sort through their junk mail. Today, with everyone who gets it having a website and/or social media accounts, there is a myriad of platforms to get your message across. From editorials, blogs, vlogs, landing pages, informational videos, and online quizzes, there’s a niche for everyone — as long as you know how to connect with your audience. So how, exactly, do you do that? Glad you asked.
How To Write Content Your Audience Cares About
1. Create a marketing persona
Take some time to come up with a fictional ideal reader. Who do you want to read your content? Get as specific as possible — what’s their education level, salary range, gender identity, and goals? What challenges are they currently facing that you can help resolve? If you have the resources — such as a marketing team — use raw data collected from customer surveys, Google Analytics (or any social media network analytics), or interviews with potential clients. If you don’t have the resources, you can rely on educated guesses based on conversations with people you know may fit that persona.
2. Write relevant content
Once you have narrowed down who your ideal readers are, write content designed to resonate with them specifically. If you’re catering to urban, single young professionals, focus on topics they would find interesting — such as climbing the corporate ladder, repaying student loans, mindfulness and wellbeing, or fun things to do around their geographical location — as long as it somehow ties back to what you have to offer. Use words that will resonate with them, such as sustainable, affordable, the struggle is real, etc. If you’re blogging, stay up-to-date on current news and trends, and jump on that train if it can showcase your expertise on the topic.
3. Scope out your competition
As part of your research, seek out people who are offering the same type of content or services that you do. Study their approaches. Pay close attention to what works and how it could be improved. Is there a sector that’s not being served? Are they leaving questions unanswered? Are users complaining about the same issues over and over again? Are they failing to respond to negative reviews? Then improve it yourself with your content.
4. Inject some personality
How many of you enjoy reading instruction manuals or medical journals? Depending on who you’re writing for, they may prefer that type of dry, to-the-point content. But if you’re writing for a younger or more informal audience, be conversational — use contractions, humor, and sometimes even slang specific to their generation. Write as you would speak. Don’t worry about how you sound as you’re drafting it. That’s what editing is for. Don’t be afraid to stand out. Anything cookie-cutter is forgettable and replaceable.
5. Focus on them
So you have a Harvard Law degree, volunteered with the Peace Corps, and single-handedly saved a crying baby from the grip of an angry cobra snake. That’s pretty impressive. Include it in the About section of your website — as long as it’s relevant to what you can provide for your readers. Then focus on making their lives easier. What’s in it for them? Is it entertainment they’re looking for? Advice? Help updating their résumé? If you’re only interested in writing for yourself, buy a journal. But if you’re writing because you know you have something to offer to a larger segment of the population, illustrate how you’re here to make their lives better, simpler, easier, more fun, or more enlightened. If you don’t have time to do so, hire someone who does.
Allegrow Provides You With Quality, Well-Written Content
At Allegrow, we have a team of wordsmiths who write content for every digital marketing platform — website content, landing pages, blogs, brochures, flyers, and press releases — to name a few. We consider your target market and tailor our voice to sound like yours. Whether you want it to sound conversational, instructional, or scholarly, we’ve got you covered.
Contact us or email your success manager to talk about creating content that converts leads.