How to write engaging content
Regardless of what your business does, communicating it properly to the consumer can be incredibly challenging!
Copywriting is not a skill that everyone is born with naturally, but there are loads of things you can do to light a fire under your content and improve the communications you have with your clients.
BE CLEAR
The first, and probably the most important is to be clear. When you know your business upside down and back to front, it can be really easy to fall into the trap of talking about it that little bit too much. When writing copy, be it for your website, social pages or collateral, make sure you keep it as concise as possible. Clear copywriting is the key to effective communications.
BE SIMPLE
Similarly, do not overcomplicate what you do. I have worked for a number of businesses whose products would be considered by some to be complex and technical, but that does not mean the communications to the client need to be as well.
One useful activity to carry out is to ask someone who knows nothing about your business to review some content written about what you do. Do they think it makes sense? Could they repeat it back to you in their own words?
If the answer to either of these questions is no, it is likely you need to simplify your content! Make sure you don’t use too many niche terms, no uncommon acronyms, no over the top clichés. Just talk about what you do, how you do it and why you do it better than anyone else.
Understand your audience
Whenever you’re writing, be sure to focus on your audience. Remember who you’re writing for! It may help to write out a list of things that your audience are looking for when they use your product or service, and refer to this when building your content. If your key target audience don’t feel as though your marketing is focused towards them, it’s likely they won’t engage with it.
Know when to ask for help
Lastly, understand the importance of seeking outside help. I mentioned above how useful it can be to ask people unrelated to your business or industry to review your content, and this is for a number of reasons. Yes, they’ll be able to tell you if they can make sense of it, but they’ll also be able to check for any spelling or grammatical errors, help you to restructure your content in a more logical or easy to follow way, and point out over-usage of hyperbole or technical dialogue.
Don’t be disheartened by having to write things a number of times before you’re happy with it. Don’t force writing when you’re not feeling creative. Don’t take (constructive) criticism to heart.
Writing great copy is not something which always comes quickly or easily – keep practising, keep writing and keep editing!
It’s worth noting that if you’re someone who really struggles with writing copy, it can be invaluable to hire a copywriter or content specialist to assist you in finding the right tone of voice for your business. One good piece of writing can be reused a number of times in different formats and could make a huge difference to your marketing strategy.