Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash
My profession, and my passion, are grounded in Marketing. After 25+ years of working in the industry, I still learn something every day. A couple of years ago I started a wine blog, for fun, to share with a group of friends who are interested in the wines that I enjoy.
I always tell people to jump in and not to be afraid of social media. That’s exactly what I did with my blog online and on Instagram. It’s been fun, but now I want to do it better.
So today I am learning how to take copywriting to the next level on a LinkedIn Learning course with Copywriting expert, Ian Lurie (Lurie, 2020).
Sometimes you just need a reminder…
“Copy is the heart and soul of almost every marketing endeavor.” (Lurie, 2020)
The above quote is something that resonates daily in my professional life and is impactful as I develop content for my wine blog.
Lurie explains that great marketing copywriting is persuasive, and strategic. It involves planning what you are going to write, and the tone you need to use. All copywriting has a call to action.
So what is the call to action on my wine blog?
I share cool stories about my favourite wines, so I suppose that I just want people to read my blog and enjoy good wine.
Cheers to that. Let’s move on.
An Overview of Marketing Copywriting: How To
Ian Lurie shares that Marketing Copywriting is 3 things. First, it’s writing, or putting words on a page. It’s also an attention-getter for readers, and a handshake, like a commitment between you and your reader that they will receive value in exchange for the time spent reading your words. I am mindful of this for my wine blog.
Copywriting is visual creative. The words must fit in context around images and/or video on a piece of collateral- whether it is a brochure, poster, article, or blog. Ultimately your story must deliver significance, appeal to the right audience, and provide value.
Everyone’s writing style is unique and, in my experience, is dependent on the content. I would say my writing style for my wine blog is a “teaching” style that helps the audience learn something. Reflecting on my profession as a brand marketer, my style is almost always “straight shot” which describes what you have and is followed by a call to action, or “hard sell” which repeats a call to action sandwiched between reasons to want the product. This proves that copywriting style is unique, not only to each writer but to the product and the brand personality that you are representing.
Writing Copy: “Just Write”
One of the biggest “aha” moments for me through Lurie’s LinkedIn Learning session was recognizing, and accepting that Marketing copywriting takes time. I’ve been writing Marketing copy for years, and to be honest, I feel frustrated when I have spent too much time on a writing project.
Lurie has allowed me to appreciate that marketing copywriting takes time – it’s not just me!
You have to prep yourself to write copy. Eliminating interruptions, finding a quiet space, blocking time on your calendar, and shutting down your email and social media notifications are a few things you can do to stay focused. As I write this in my work from home environment, my dog is sleeping under my desk, which is all good until the doorbell rings.
Breaks are also important. This is something I need to get better at. Lurie suggests setting a timer for a chunk of time and then taking a break. Great idea! And make sure you save your work.
Now, make a plan, consider your audience and the key messages.
But…sometimes you get stuck.
If this happens, start Freewriting.
I love this. Ian Lurie explains how to do it: (Lurie, 2020)
• Set a timer for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Begin writing.
• Do not pause. If you can’t think of anything else to write, write “I can’t think of anything to write.” Keep going.
• Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or formatting. Just get those thoughts down.
• Freewriting works great. It’s five minutes of pure thinking, and it gets you focused for the next step which is your first draft.
Here is another amazing tip if you’re stuck. You don’t need to start at the beginning. Lurie says “If you’re stumped as to the first sentence or first paragraph, write from the inside out.” Speaking from experience, this really works.
Get your thoughts down and then work on the structure – start, middle, finish. Also “delete nothing before it is written.” Great advice from Lurie. Thank you, and noted.
Based on Lurie’s writing rules and tips, here is how you can be a better marketing copywriter:
1. Know your audience. Your customer is not an algorithm, write to them.
2. Worry about quality, not quantity.
3. Tell me why. Don’t be abstract tell your audience what’s in it for them. Turn a need into a want.
4. Use an active voice.
5. Be direct, don’t make people interpret.
The Headline comes last. It’s the attention grabber. A headline should be driven by your copy, not the other way around. I like to use quotes from my copy in my headlines and you will see this on many of my blogs and articles.
Copywriting focuses on words but is part of a greater visual experience. Adding typography is a fantastic way to enhance your writing and keep the reader engaged.
Copywriting on various media
If you’re writing for print or TV, first think about context and then permanence. Once it’s out there, it’s out. Imagery sells, so whatever you write has to fit contextually with the images presented, along with a clear call to action.
Writing online copy is unique. For one, it is editable. People have a lot of ways to find your writing but, as we know, their attention span is limited. You need critical visual clues to grab attention and know some basic rules: no more than 13 words on a line and five to six lines per paragraph to improve scanability.
Lurie’s rules for social media copywriting are fairly simple. Have fun and treat it like you’re having a conversation with a good friend. Keep your message brief. He suggests aiming for 400 characters or less and using images and/or video. Another best practice is to ensure that every sentence faces the reader by using “you” and “your”.
Lurie’s Conclusion
Lurie concludes the presentation with thoughts on using an Editorial Planning Calendar. In my experience, this is a critical part of the Marketing copywriting process, especially if you are working with a team. He suggests that 70% of your content should be standard brand content based on your business objective, 20% of the content should be a bit more fun, presenting in an unconventional way to appeal to new audiences, and 10% should be completely innovative. The most important thing with an editorial calendar is to be flexible. “Editorial calendars don’t dictate what you write, but they can guide your copywriting efforts” (Lurie, 2020).
What’s next for my wine blog, other than more wine…
While this was not reinforced in Lurie’s conclusion, a key takeaway from this course is to just keep writing. Lurie says that “writing skill is as much a muscle as a talent” (Lurie, 2020) and shares that you should write every day to stay in shape. I’m game. My wine blog has been a fun hobby for an intended audience but has proven to be more far-reaching than expected. Outside of my Instagram following, surprising search engine results reveal that I have already reached readers from China, Canada, Australia, the United States, and France. This has inspired me to continue to write and share my stories with wine lovers all over the world.
References
Lurie, I. (2020, November 25). LinkedIn Learning. Retrieved from Linkedin.com: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/learning-to-write-marketing-copy
Author: Rhonda Halarewich
Keywords: Marketing Copywriting; Marketing Copy; How To
Readability: Grade 5
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