Copywriting is where I got my start in marketing way back in 2012. So I was excited to have this conversation with Konrad Sanders about copy - what it is, why it is so important, and how can brands approach it. Brands don’t put enough attention on copywriting and that holds them back, and lends to lackluster creatives and uninformative websites. The brands that do put more emphasis on copywriting fare much better in the long run because they are better communicators with their customers and about the products. Konrad talks about the 13 Lenses framework that he uses in his agency, The Creative Copywriter. It is in-depth and something you can apply to your business. Because it is such a deep dive, we only had time to cover a few of these Lenses on the show, but below is a write-up from Konrad of all 13 Lenses. Connect with Konrad on LinkedIn if you want to get in touch. THE 13 LENSES© METHODOLOGY THE GOLDFISH LENS Your prospects are busy. Their attention span is being pulled left, right and centre at any given time. Think of them as goldfish. If your content or copy isn’t immediately digestible, their minds will find any excuse to drift away from your words.So don’t give them one. CHECKLIST: * Is your headline, title or subject line instantly clear and compelling? * Are your paragraphs short and staggered in length? Remember, no more than three/four sentences per paragraph. Big, chunky ones are harder for the eye to digest. Especially when skimming or scanning. * Are your sentences short and sweet? Ideally, one ‘thought’ per sentence. Long ones lose attention. Choppy copy keeps eyeballs gripped. * Is the line length on your page between 50 and 75 characters for optimal readability? * Is the content easy to skim and scan: with subheaders and/or bullet points? (Kinda like this post). * Is each sentence crystal clear? Don’t use a thesaurus to find fancier words. Use one to find shorter, clearer, more direct words. THE REAL-TALK LENS Time and time again, conversational copy has proven to get optimal results. The reason is simple: people buy from people. And your customers don’t want dull, cliched corporate speak. A handy litmus test is: would you talk like that at home? If not, then consider revising it. You’ve probably fallen into the jargon trap. CHECKLIST: * Are you talking directly to the reader with the words “you” and “your”? * Are you asking questions to engage and include the reader? * For brand copy: are you admitting weakness and turning it into a strength? * Are you steering clear of cliches and jargon? * Does the flow feel like someone is talking? Read it out loud to check. THE CREATIVE SPARK LENS Copywriting can make use of all the formulas and techniques in the world, with decent results. But if it’s lacking that creative spark, the copy will only stand out so far in a sea of competition. A healthy injection of creativity is the key to crafting eye-catching, attention-grabbing copy and content. CHECKLIST: * Are you using any storytelling to draw in the reader? * Are there any metaphors, analogies and similes to make the content tap dance and sing? (And make tough technical concepts more digestible). * Have you tackled the topic in a refreshingly unusual way? * Have we used any poetic devices like alliteration, personification, repetition or wordplay? * Are you tying up ‘extras’ creatively, such as CTAs, sub-headers and often-overlooked things like menu items, autoresponder copy or Thank You pages? THE ACTION LENS Marketing is all about ‘selling the next step’. Many companies make the mistake of trying to propose on the first date. But as content marketers, we know that in most cases, a slower nurturing process towards conversion is needed. And every piece of content or line of copy needs to play its role. Thus, we should always put on our strategic hats and ask: is this piece of content doing enough to push my reader to the next step in the funnel? CHECKLIST: * Is there a strong and relevant CTA? * Is that CTA taking them to the correct next step (rather than jumping too far down the funnel)? If they’re reading top-funnel educational content, for example, most prospects won’t be in “buying mode”. I.e. they’re not ready to walk down the aisle yet! * Are you using conversion copywriting and sales psychology techniques to help with that push; such as a sense of urgency, a sense of scarcity and social proof? This may only be for the CTA itself. But if you’re putting a landing page through the lens, these techniques may be needed throughout the entire copy. Use your judgement. * Have you done enough to remove barriers and build trust? E.g. by presenting yourself as a credible authority. * Have you woven in persuasive copy subtly, so that you don’t sound like a car salesman? Get the balance right. Natural is always best. Don’t be a cheese-fest. * Does the content or page have a solid traffic-driving strategy in place? THE CONTEXT LENS Context is king. Your readers will be at different stages of awareness. They might not even be aware that they have a problem that you can solve. That’s why your messaging and content must be in tune with where they are in their minds, and with their relationship to your products/services. And of course, the context in which they are reading those words. CHECKLIST: * Do you know what stage of awareness (the majority of) your readers are at? And have you addressed them with that in mind? * Are you using the right headline formula to resonate with and grip that particular prospect? * Is the prospect likely to be in a rush and just flick through? Bear in mind how much time they’re likely to spend reading. For example, social media doesn’t give you long to impress, so write with that in mind. * Is there anything that may be happening in their lives that may affect how that message resonates? Like a COVID lockdown, for example! THE BRAND LENS Your brand voice needs to be consistent across the board. If you’re talking one way on your website, but then using a different tone in other comms, it’s going to create an uncomfortable dissonance. Always keep your voice and key messaging in line. So your content resonates with your customers and you don’t go off-piste. CHECKLIST: * Is your voice consistent with the rest of the marketing collateral? * Is it in line with your brand voice guidelines? Check the chosen voice adjectives. Does your copy fit the bill? * Are you using American English, British English or some other kind of dialect or language consistently? * Are there any brand voice nuances you should consider? For example, a slightly different set of rules for different sectors. (E.g. B2B vs B2C). * Are there any words or phrases you should be including or excluding? THE ZIG-ZAG LENS Content saturation is a very real and palpable problem. Your readers are bombarded with emails, ads, copy and content constantly. The result? Their go-to reaction will be to ignore, avoid and delete. Ouch. But you can combat this by having something uniquely compelling about your content. By getting your content and brand messaging to zig while the industry zags. CHECKLIST: * Have you done competitor analysis to understand the USPs, tones of voice, strengths, weaknesses, styles, formats, lengths etc of competitors? * Is the angle, approach or perspective of your content unique? * Do you have any other differentiators: e.g. unique design style, unique format, unique tone of voice etc? * Are these differentiators consistent across other bits of content? * For copy and bottom-funnel content: are the benefits you’re pushing truly unique and compelling? Or could they just as easily belong to another brand? (If the latter: adapt them). THE OUTSIDE-IN LENS The best content strategies and highest converting copy are built on the ACTUAL needs, desires and pains of the people we are targeting. Not just on what we think should resonate. They are demand-led, not assumption-led. Which is why we must truly try to get inside the heads of our customers. And the best place to start is with both implicit and explicit data collection. I.e. listening to them and talking to them! CHECKLIST: * Is this content based on insights, rather than just your own assumptions? * Have you used voice-of-customer data? By this, I mean words and phrases used by your actual customers and prospects. * Have you done keyword research to understand what prospects are searching for? Or discovered the actual questions they are typing in. * Have you injected any insights from surveys, focus groups and/or buyer interviews? * Is the content truly and tangibly valuable to your prospects, or does it just scratch the surface of the subject? (More on that in ‘The Value Lens’ later). * Are you focused on benefits, not just features? Do you paint a vivid picture of those benefits to help your prospects almost touch and taste the rewards? THE INTRIGUE LENS Intrigue is such a powerful copywriting tool. Gripping your reader with whatever form of copy you’re writing is essential. If it lacks intrigue, they’re likely to metaphorically or literally walk right on by. Don’t let them. CHECKLIST: * Have you harnessed the power of ‘The Curiosity Gap’ in your headline and/or teaser copy? * Have you tackled the topic in a fresh, unique way – and teased them with that intriguing angle in the title or header? E.g. “Caution: Stop Masturbating with Your Money” by Ashley Ambirge. * Are there any cliffhangers to help keep readers glued till the end? * Do you build anticipation in the intro of the content piece by teasing what’s to come? For example, by explaining what value they are about to gain? * Have you included any specific stats? For example, “67.9% of people who used this tool have changed their careers as a result”. Super specific facts and figures are intriguing as heck! THE PRIMAL BRAIN
