Nick Ferris continues his discussion on marketing tips and tricks with insights into copy.
Copy can make or break your marketing and your product. Bad copy is like having a Ferrari with no engine. Good copy can make a Mini go like a Ferrari. Nick Ferris has worked with some of the world's best copy writers and even written a copy writing book himself. So what are the secrets of good copy?
There are no secrets but there are some guidelines you can follow to make sure you stay on the right path. There is a reason good copywriters can command tens of thousands of dollars for a page of copy says Nick Ferris. It is a real art form to be a true copy master.
One of the first lessons Nick Ferris learned was the KISS. Keep it short and simple. There are a ton of other acronyms out there and even KISS is not applicable to everything (the WSJ's winning copy was a 10 page sales letter for years). So here are some more general guidelines.
Know your audience. You have to tailor how you write to who you are writing too. Headlines and subject lines are crucial. Make sure to test and to write copy that gets people's attention. Write in the present tense, avoid weasel words (could, perhaps, cope, wish etc), and include customer quotes or testimonials. Know your objective (are you trying to get a trial, a sale or other) and most importantly know your unique selling proposition. What is different about your offer? Nick Ferris says to be clear and make sure the reader knows.
We will delve more into copy later on in these articles but this is just a high level overview. If you aren't used to writing copy, learn from others. Trust me it will pay you x10 times if you get good copy from the outset.
Nick Ferris is a global marketer with over 25 years of B2B and B2C marketing experience. For more marketing tips and insights check out his other articles.
Copy can make or break your marketing and your product. Bad copy is like having a Ferrari with no engine. Good copy can make a Mini go like a Ferrari. Nick Ferris has worked with some of the world's best copy writers and even written a copy writing book himself. So what are the secrets of good copy?
There are no secrets but there are some guidelines you can follow to make sure you stay on the right path. There is a reason good copywriters can command tens of thousands of dollars for a page of copy says Nick Ferris. It is a real art form to be a true copy master.
One of the first lessons Nick Ferris learned was the KISS. Keep it short and simple. There are a ton of other acronyms out there and even KISS is not applicable to everything (the WSJ's winning copy was a 10 page sales letter for years). So here are some more general guidelines.
Know your audience. You have to tailor how you write to who you are writing too. Headlines and subject lines are crucial. Make sure to test and to write copy that gets people's attention. Write in the present tense, avoid weasel words (could, perhaps, cope, wish etc), and include customer quotes or testimonials. Know your objective (are you trying to get a trial, a sale or other) and most importantly know your unique selling proposition. What is different about your offer? Nick Ferris says to be clear and make sure the reader knows.
We will delve more into copy later on in these articles but this is just a high level overview. If you aren't used to writing copy, learn from others. Trust me it will pay you x10 times if you get good copy from the outset.
Nick Ferris is a global marketer with over 25 years of B2B and B2C marketing experience. For more marketing tips and insights check out his other articles.
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