Copywriting: Definition, How it Works, Examples & Tips

Writing well is about more than choosing the right words. Tone, or the attitude your writing uses, gives your writing far more context than just the words you choose. It tells prospective customers if you are fun-loving, serious, quirky, or uber professional.  

The tone needs to be adjusted to the audience. It helps customers feel like they are in the right place.  

Your copy needs to focus on what sets you apart, or your unique value proposition. Your UVP should be laser-focused on explaining why you are the right fit for your specific audience.

You don’t have to be good at everything. Rather than focusing on all the amazing things you do, take the time to settle on what really sets you apart.

Then focus on that in your copy.

When you write copy, it’s tempting to focus on the good stuff like how awesome your product is or how much your current customers love you.

However, customers aren’t looking for a product or service because everything is sunshine and rainbows — they’re looking for a solution to a problem. Those problems are pain points, and they should be the main focus of your copy.

According to copywriter Rose Crompton, there are six main pain points customers face:

1. Financial
2. Risk and trust
3. Ease and convenience
4. Productivity and time
5. Processes and journey
6. Communication and support

When we see that someone else has had a good experience with a service, we want to enjoy the same, and we trust info that comes from other users more than info that comes directly from brands.

1. Use social proof to inspire your copy: Reviews & customer surveys can help you understand what customers love about your service. Use social proof to determine what pain points to focus on & what benefits to highlight.
2. Include social proof near copy: Add reviews & case studies to landing pages, homepages, & your website to strengthen your copy & show that other people like what you have to offer.

When you write copy, every single word must serve a purpose. If it doesn’t educate, stress a benefit, or build a connection, it needs to go.

Here are a few common words and phrases to ditch when writing copy:

• That
• In order to
• Maybe
• Very
• A little
• Even
• Just
• Perhaps
• So
• Really
• Of
• Like

Substitute filler phrases with powerful words that drive action rather than taking up space.

Part of the copywriting process is figuring out what resonates with your prospects. Always A/B test your copy.

Don’t test drastically different versions of your copy. Test one or at most two element changes & see which drives the most conversions. 

Then test again with the most successful version.

Elements to consider testing:

• POV: “You can save” vs “Save now"
• Button copy: “Buy Now”/“Get your free account”/ “Sign up"
• Headline: Focus on different features or pain points
• Format: Bullet points vs numbered lists
• CTA: What drives consumers to take action? Test multiple CTAs to see what works best.