9 Secrets of Writing Great Copy

Everything you write needs to grab your audience’s attention! Otherwise, why write it at all? There are so many sites, blogs and ads out there, so your copy needs to pique the readers’ interest and keep their eyes glued to the page. 

Your copy simply must create excitement and enthusiasm for what the next few words will hold. The following are nine secrets of writing the kind of copy that will not only grab your reader’s attention – but help create conversions too!

Table of contents

A digital marketing team work on new copy.

1. Know Your Audience

When writing great copy, you need to know exactly who your target audience is. It’s important to confirm details such as their gender, age, income, location, and employment status. 

Apply market research first by using tools like Reddit, Quora, Amazon, all the major social media platforms, as well as a tool like AllTop, which aggregates all of the major news that people are following over a range of topics.  

You can use Google Analytics to discover more information regarding your customers, as well as Facebook Insights.  Once you are more familiar with your audience, you will know which words will appeal to them (depending on age), and how to target them better by using the correct SEO keywords.

2. Create a Sense of Urgency

If you’re writing marketing copy, such as an ad on Facebook or Instagram, you want to create a sense of urgency by using phrases like, “don’t miss out!” or “sale ends midnight,” or “we will be sold out in 2 days time. Purchase now!”

Use countdowns in your ads to add to that sense of urgency. Nobody wants to miss out on a great deal! Also make your audience aware of potential price hikes, if they don’t move fast enough.

3. Use Data Wherever Possible

Use references, real case studies and statistics wherever you can. This makes your writing appear more authentic and well-researched. Also, use great backlinks that are useful to the reader.

4. Use Your Customer Reviews

Almost 9 out of 10 consumers look at reviews before purchasing a product or service. In fact, 62% of people admit to not buying brands that censor online reviews. Reviews are exceptionally important, as they build familiarity and trust. 

Also keep in mind that product pages that have customer reviews will get 3.5 times more conversions, than their competitors who don’t use them at all.

5. Use the Active Voice at All Times

The active voice refers to sentences where the subject performs an action on an object. For example, “I wrote an article,” as opposed to “the article was written by me,” which is the passive voice. The passive voice refers to the subject being acted upon by the object. It’s a reversal of the active voice. You will notice that your content will be penalized when using a CMS like WordPress if you use too much of the passive voice.

Why Yoast SEO is important when creating great copy.

6. Use Analogies & Familiar Phrases

Compare things using analogies where you can, so that your readers can understand any complex ideas. Also, use familiar phrases so that they can easily relate to the content that is presented to them.

7. Choose Your Words Wisely


You need to use words that help drive conversions. According to Buffer, these are the words you need to use:

5 Most Persuasive Words to Use 5 Most Influential Words to Use

  • Instantly – Remarkable
  • Free – Amazing
  • You – Introducing
  • New – Now
  • Because – Revolutionary

3 Words/Phrases to Encourage Community 3 Phrases that Imply Exclusivity

  • Come Along – Exclusive Offers
  • Join – Login Required
  • Become a Member – Members Only

9 Words/Phrases that Imply Safety 9 Words for Sharable Content

  • Guaranteed – Discover
  • Cancel Anytime – Increase
  • Lifetime – Promote
  • Best-Selling – Create
  • Endorsed – Secret
  • No Obligation – Inspires
  • No Questions Asked – Tell Us
  • Privacy – Help
  • Protected – Take

10 Power Words 10 Cause & Effect Words/Phrases

  • Profit – As a result
  • Powerful – Due To
  • Immediately – Therefore
  • Improve – Consequently
  • Know – Accordingly
  • Trust – Caused By
  • Win – For This Reason
  • Hot Special – Because
  • Bonus – Since
  • Exclusive – Thus

8. Use Effective CTAs

Call to Actions (CTAs) are exceptionally important. Using the right words to get your users to click on the CTA button takes a lot of thought and a planned marketing strategy. Keep the copy on CTAs short, simple and to the point. Make sure to:

Use Strong Action and Command Verbs at the Beginning of Your CTA

Let people know what action they must take. Use verbs like “buy,” “order,” download,” “subscribe,” or even “find out how.”

Offer Discounts & Promotions

It really helps to see numbers on CTAs. People react quickly to CTAs that mention sales like “50% off,” or “Buy 1 Get 1 Free.”

Use Words That Provoke Emotion & Enthusiasm

Speak to people’s pain points and desires when creating your CTAs. If you have a travel company and want to focus on executives and hardworking housewives, write CTAs like “Plan That Dream Vacation Now. 7 Days & Nights in Mauritius. 25% Off Until Monday!”

9. Stick to the Same Tone as Your Brand

Since you know your audience, and you have used the same tone throughout all your marketing efforts, stick to it! If your brand has an upbeat feel and targets a younger audience, keep the tone happy and trendy! If you are targeting a more mature audience, use a more serious tone— something they can relate to.

A writer works on her web copy remotely.

Conclusion

Writing copy should be an enjoyable process! Follow these nine secrets of writing great copy, and watch your conversions multiply. If you’re struggling to achieve conversions with your content and copywriting, we will be more than happy to assist you with that! Contact one of our professional Digital Strategists for all your digital marketing needs, including SEO, PPC, social media marketing, and more!