The Top Strategies for Content Writing In The World

In this episode of Ekalavya Chaudhuri's blog...

Did You Know Kolkata's Best Copywriter Was Bad At English?

Copywriting is not just writing. It is the art of how you convey what you’re thinking to people.
And, believe me, it is no joke. But if you are into content marketing it is one of the most valuable toolkits in your arsenal.
As a student of English myself, I was startled to discover Kolkata’s best copywriter in terms of results isn’t that good at English at all!
Here are a few copywriting essentials any writer should know and follow to excel at copywriting. And, trust me, as the above anecdote proves- YOU DON’T NEED TO BE GOOD IN ENGLISH TO BE A GREAT COPYWRITER.

• A good copy is a summation of the informational and emotional aspects of a central idea.
• Use a good balance between Art and Science while drafting your copy.
• Use Persuasion techniques to lure in readers.
• Strike a balance between Features and Benefits.
• The Features add on to the value of the product.
• Benefits build reason and answer the question- Why does a person buy the product?
• Benefits create desire while Features create empiricism.
• USP: Unique Selling Proposition- The answer to what makes your brand different?
• B2B Copies are also for humans.
• Know your products.
• Know your competition.
• Use available formulae wherever possible: Eg: “We help_____(target audience) do ______(what you help them achieve) even if ______(worst case scenario)”.
• USP is the elevator for the ‘Pitch’
• USP is used to get the reader to focus on one point of the content/copy.
• Competitive Copywriting- Creatively using your competition to sell your product using your central USP. AKA, Copyfighting.
• Examples of Copyfighting: 1940s Volkswagen Beetle Think Small Ad Campaign; Mac vs Microsoft Apple Retro Advertisement; Verizon vs AT&T vs T-Mobile 3G Coverage and Charges Ad face-off; Audi vs BMW Chess Ad Series; Coke vs Pepsi illustrated duel Ad campaign; Victoria Secret vs Lane Brynt #IamNoAngel campaign.
• Crispin Porter & Bogusky: Answer this: “How does a brand get away with bullying in a world that hates bullying?” The answer is nailing the tone and composition.
• The trick to Creating Engaging Copy: Show ONE flaw and make that flaw stand out as the only flaw or convert it to your strengths.
• Using self-deprecating humour is great when no one expects anything out of your brand. It is better when coupled with a revolutionary mindset.
• A Good Copy can change the negatives into positives.
• A Good Copy can defuse bad impressions.
• A Good Copy doesn’t have to follow examples. A Good Copy must lead.
• Perspective is key to making your copy work among 1000s of copies in today’s world
• Know your customer thoroughly- acquire relevant data about their interests, leisure, locations, gender, jobs, age, etc.
• Start talking to customers or use Social Listening techniques.
• Use technicalities: A/B tests/Focus groups/Surveys to gather raw and clean data.
• Know the Voice of your Brand.
• Know your Media.
• Use Power Words carefully: They have a lasting impact on your readers.
• A Few Power Words: Now, Free, Urgent, Because.
• Persuasion Techniques: Authority, Reciprocity, Social Proof, Scarcity.
• Use Storytelling to give your brand a ‘visual identity’
• Dale Carnegie’s 3 point magic formula: Incident → Action → Benefit
• The Pay it Forward Formula:” I learnt how to X from a wise old man walking down the road and I thought I’d share it with you…”
• Tell the people why you are valuable even if it is obvious.
• Copywriting Techniques: AIDA, ACCA, BAB, UPWORDS, PPPP, PAS, etc.
• AIDA: Attention leads to Interest which leads to Desire which must lead to Action. — Most Popular and Most Compatible.
• ACCA: Awareness leads to Comprehension which leads to Conviction which forces Action.
• PPPP: Picture your product then Promise a value; Prove it to lead the reader to the Push(for action).
• BAB: Before-After-Bridge technique involves explaining the scene before your product and then after the use of your product and finally connecting the before and after with the features/benefits of your product as the Bridge.
• UPWORDS: It is a modern technique. Stands for: Universal Picture Words or Relatable Descriptive Sentences. Uses imageries and visualisations.
• PAS: Create a Problem-Agitate the reader-Solve the problem.
• B2B: for various types of readers.
• B2C: for your customers/one type of reader.
• Headlines: MOST important section of the copy. 80% of your readers read the headline. But 70% of people also ONLY read your headline.
• Some Standard Headline Examples: “How to___in___Simple Steps”; “How to___like___without___”; “___lessons I learnt while___”; “_____of_____Things you should do/know before/while/after you _____”.
• Test your Headlines with your CTA and goals. — use real data where possible.
• Lead: The first portion right after the headline. Sometimes the subtitle.
• Note: Most people read the first 3 words and the last 3 words of a long headline.
• Social Media Headlines: Use Action Words; Ask Questions; Promise Change; Be Clear and Relevant.
• Types of Landing Pages that require copies: Product/SaaS, E-Book page, Lead generation, Error Page, Coming to Soon Page, Offer Page, Event Page, etc.
• Why use a landing page? To generate leads, create sales and drive traffic.
• Elements of the Landing Pages: headline-lead-image/graphic/video-prominent CTA-compel action-additional points.
• Streamline your idea before making a copy.
• Standard Copy Format: headline-lead-description/benefits-list features-CTA
• Landing Page Types: Blog Post; Competitive Attack; Features and Testimonials; Friendly and Focused.
• Suggestions for Final Copy: Use a strong headline that gets to the VALUE quickly; Every word is important; Eliminate words that don’t support your goal; Break up sections to improve readability.
• The CTA should be the MOST prominent portion of the Page/Post.
• If in doubt- Start backwards from the CTA to the Headline.
• Suggestions for CTA: CTAs should be SHORT; CTAs should be DIRECT; CTAs should contain ACTION WORDS or an ACTION LABEL.
• Add ‘NOW’ when possible for CTAs.
• Add an Additional Offer just below the CTA- as a ‘second-last copy’. Eg:CTA: Buy Now SLC: Here’s a 15% off voucher code that you can apply on the shipping page: ROX15.
• Types of Emailers: Promotional, product releases, letters, transactional emails, newsletters, press communications, announcements, brand messages and updates.
• Personalise your message even if it is B2B. Ask about good health, for starters.
• Emails are the most important form of marketing tools.
• IDENTIFY your Writing Style and STICK to it.
• Use conversational language when possible and don’t underestimate the importance of CONTRACTIONS.
• Suggestions for Email Subjects: Keep it SHORT; Use 1–2 words to tell people what kind of an email it is; Use power words such as NOW/NEW/FREE/URGENT; Personalise it; Localise it; Create Urgency; Use ALL CAPS to emphasize a point.
• Suggestions for Email Copies: Use words like You/Your instead of We and Our; Make your copy scannable; Don’t put all the information in your copy; Use URGENCY and SCARCITY to drive ACTION.
• Use personal starting lines in Emails where possible.
• Humanise the Reader even if B2B.
• Treat the reader with admiration and respect.
• Create NEED: Solve an issue-CTA.
• State the Benefits clearly over the features.
• Attempt to strengthen relationships with the reader and your brand.
• Get to the point quickly. Don’t linger around. Be apt.
• Introduce-Get to the point fast-Explain the benefits of taking action- Make it easy and appealing to take ACTION.
• Social Media Copies are diverse and require to be relevant to the times.
• Social Media Copies: Goals matter the most.
• How to formulate Goals? Understand the platform differences; Adjust to audience expectations; Ensure your writing supports a goal; Compel user to take action.
• Shorter is more effective than longer texts.
• Elaborate on ‘What type of customer” you are targeting. Don’t use the word CUSTOMER.
• Use TEASER copies wisely.
• Don’t tell- Show instead. I mean, if you are a stand up comic- don’t call yourself funny, share a joke instead!
• BECAUSE is a POWER WORD.
• Use the Grammarly and Hemingway Apps to proof-read.
• Ask yourself from the reader’s perspective: “What’s in it for me?” while writing your copy.
• Ask yourself “So what?” to flip features into benefits. For example: ABC Earphones come with 10W dual-drivers with Dolby Surround Sound-(it is a feature-ask ‘so what?’ And conclude…)- So, you get loud crystal clear audio where you never miss a note.
• Dig deeper after arriving at the first ‘So what?’ conclusion. For eg: ABC Earphones come with 10W dual-drivers with Dolby Surround Sound-(it is a feature-ask ‘so what?’ And conclude…)- So, you get loud crystal clear audio where you never miss a note. It does talk about a benefit of the aforementioned feature but it is not capable of driving feelings/emotions. Hence ask, ‘so what?’ again, to conclude…) And, more importantly, you hear only the song you’re playing and not the noise around, so you get the deepest and most authentic feeling of hearing the song as is.
• Sell Results and NOT Products. Eg: You never buy a Bed or Mattress- You buy the idea of a Good Night’s Sleep.
• Ask yourself- “What do you mean?”
• Use Emotions to Motivate your Readers.
• Have a clear answer to “How you want your reader to feel?”
• PAINT a picture for the readers instead of scripting a bland article.
• Create a meaningful Persona to treat as your sample reader and write FOR HIM only.
• Visualize yourself sitting at a coffee shop and explaining the topic of the copy to your best friend. Write exactly in that manner, to begin with.
• Ask QUESTIONS- to ensure more ENGAGEMENT.
• Use SHORT sentences. The median average is 12–13 words per sentence for a 1000 words write-up.
• Get the best tone and flow by reading your copy out loud and then recording it. Later you can transcript this as required.
• Use the Know-Feel-Do idea for CTAs.
• The 4Us: URGENT; UNIQUE; USEFUL; ULTRA-SPECIFIC.
• Deliver Benefit-led impact instead of Features driven action.
• Avoid asking Yes/No questions unless it is open-ended and witty or proves a point in the copy.
• Anticipate questions from the customers and solve them wisely.

Print this article and staple it to your chest, look at yourself at the mirror and memorise it. You can ace copywriting no matter whatever your particular English skills are.