Article by Marie Modesto
On April 6, I was very fortunate to have attended Copywriting 101: Make More Money Passively In The Digital World. The speakers consisted of Vince Figueroa, CEO of the digital marketing company Sigil, and Sean Si, CEO of SEO Hacker and Qeryz.
Both of the speakers talked about how to write effectively in order to sell. Vince discussed it from a traditional Ad Agency Copywriter standpoint, while Sean discussed it from a blogger’s perspective. Here are some things that I learned from them.
5 Tips on How to Write Articles that Sell
5. Write magnetic headlines.
The golden rule, according to Sean, is to get your audience’s attention in 2 seconds. You have to snap them up, and make them want to click and read your article. Let’s face it: you wouldn’t read an article on your newsfeed if it has clickbait titles like “You won’t believe ___” or “This ___ Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity”.
Generic titles won’t really get people up and running to read that article. Give it a little bit of flare and magic! Create mystery within the title that can only be satisfied by clicking on it and reading the whole thing.
4. Be crisp and concise.
A great tip when writing to sell something is to make it sweet and simple. Don’t beat around the bush; just get straight to the point. If you’re talking about a product, discuss what the product is about rather than making a long introduction alluding to the product. It’s easy to lose a reader’s attention, so get the ball rolling from the momentum you gained from the headline!
3. Don’t write to express.
The glaring distinction between a writer and a copywriter is that a copywriter writes solely to sell. This was highlighted by Vince when he said that “there is no room for your personality in the copy that you write.” This is correct because you’re not writing about your feelings and musings; you’re writing to sell. In copywriting, you have to follow a brief from the client. Now, that doesn’t mean there’s no room for creative expression, though; you just have to remember that the product has to come first.
2. Know your audience.
Before selling something, you need to know who your target market is first. Are they beauty enthusiasts, mothers, students, or startup companies? As a copywriter, you have to know your market’s environment, so you can set the tone. Know what kind of buzzwords your market uses. Look for keywords and buzzwords those people use and incorporate them in your article. This will also helps you audience find your articles with ease to generate the traffic you want.
1. Hint for a call to action.
All throughout your article, you should be hinting for a call to action. What’s a call to action? A call to action is what you want your reader to do at the end of the article. It could be buying a product, or signing up for a subscription, or liking a page. This is a key move because you’re already letting your reader know that you are here to make him do something. In exchange for the information that you have provided, there’s a link to be visited or a page to like at the end of the article. Remember: good copywriting always has a call to action.
