Improve Your Copywriting With These Five Strategies
Your products and services might be amazing, but they can’t actually speak for themselves — it’s up to you to speak for them. The way you decide to tell your story can make all the difference to your business growth.
Copywriting is the art of finding the right words to sell yourself to consumers. It’s a copywriter’s job to write content for marketing materials and promotions that converts the target audience into loyal customers. Think website pages, product descriptions, social media captions, campaign taglines… Anything that’s written for your brand counts as copy.
Convincing your audience to buy from you involves strategic thinking, so today we’re unpacking the five best strategies we’ve learned over years of professional copywriting and marketing.
These tips cover our favourite ways to make your copy more engaging, unique, and ultimately more impactful at inspiring action (and the psychology behind why it works). The trick is to convey your key messages in a way that’s entertaining, individualised, and informative.
1. Avoid clichés.
Clichés are our number one pet peeve for a few reasons, the first being the lack of originality. Generic language fails to make a lasting impact; when we overuse words, they lose their meaning. This results in copy that’s forgettable and uninspiring.
Most buyers also value creativity and authenticity, but clichés are sort of like taking a shortcut. Instead of genuinely understanding a specific pain point, or putting in effort to individualise your content, you’re just slotting in a one-size-fits-all phrase. Audiences want to feel seen, heard, and like they’re worth your time.
Take your [weeknight meals] to the next level → Our take-home meals will make even the quickest weeknight dinners feel like special occasions.
We think outside the box → Our recipes are the best you’ve never had, created each month by our inventive chefs.
We’ve got you covered → Sick of meal prep? Lucky for you, we love it.
2. Show don’t tell.
Just stating the attributes and benefits of your products or services can be boring, and doesn’t do much to make your voice stand out. It can also come across as low-effort to audiences. People respond much better to language that tells a story and evokes feelings — emotion and creativity sells.
The ‘show don’t tell’ method is all about finding imaginative ways to express yourself. Even the most common messages can sound exciting! Add in some narrative elements or paint a picture with your words.
We use fresh, local produce → The producers at the local farmers market know us by name.
We’re a family-owned business → Our first warehouse was in mum’s garage.
This is the most authentic pasta you’ll ever eat → Each bite will transport you straight to a piazza in Italy.
Our hydrating face mask is perfect for dry skin → Our face mask is like a big drink of water for your face.
3. Swap vague for value propositions.
Differentiating from the competition is key. This is especially important for new brands or saturated markets. Instead of vague language, highlight your specific value. The difference between good copy and great copy is making the messaging your own.
Your pitch needs to give the audience reasons and examples that expand on the why. Why you? Stop saying the what without following up on the why.
Transform your workspace → Your office furniture matters, because productivity starts with comfort.
We make home cooking easy → Take-home meals mean less time spent cooking and more time spent eating.
The Dyson AirWrap makes styling a breeze →Spend more time sleeping in instead of styling your hair before work.
4. Inject personality through humour and wit.
It can be hard for audiences to make connections with a brand behind a screen. That’s where humanising your copy is important — and humour is one of the best ways to sprinkle in some personality.
It also makes for far more engaging and memorable copy. Whether you opt for laugh-out-loud funny or subtle wit and cleverness, making your audience smile does wonders.
A word of advice: try to predict which jokes will resonate with your demographic of interest. Context matters — from country to country and generation to generation.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates → Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates. We promise we won’t forward you chain mail (that’s so 2007).
Join our membership program → Mum said we need to make more friends, so we started a club.
Revitalise your skin → Nothing says ‘I’ve got my life together’ like radiant, baby-soft skin.
5. Simplify complex ideas.
Knowing how much context to give your audience can be hard, but generally it’s best to avoid jargon and technical language unless absolutely necessary. Confusion can be one of the biggest obstacles to purchasing.
Break down complex concepts into easily digestible words. Unless you’re dealing with an audience of industry experts, stick to language that doesn’t require too much background knowledge.
This is especially important for brands that are generating awareness for a new type of product with lots of unfamiliar terminology. Purchase intent begins with understanding.
Solutions leveraging cloud computing infrastructure for flexible performance → Our system is powered by the cloud, which means it can handle as much (or as little) as you need it to.
This formula contains salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid that exfoliates deep within pores → This formula is powered by salicylic acid to keep your pores clear.
Our portfolio management services include an asset allocation framework to optimise returns while mitigating risk through diversification → We help you invest wisely by spreading your money across multiple types of investments.
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While your products and services hold immense potential, it's your narrative that truly brings them to life. Effective copywriting isn't just about putting words together; it's about strategically crafting messages that resonate, captivate, and convert your audience.
In case you need a summary, our top ways do this are:
Avoid clichés
Show don’t tell
Swap vague for value propositions
Inject personality through humour and wit
Simplify complex ideas
By applying the strategies we've shared, you can turn every piece of copy into a valuable marketing asset.