Copywriting Tips For Bloggers Who Hate Writing
Online copywriting, contrary to what some may say, is not some mysterious ancient code you must decipher before you get good at it. Quite frankly, I don’t see what all the hoopla and fuss is about writing copy online. Although online copywriting is different in many ways then print media, it still has basic sentence structure, headlines, leads, closings, PS, etc. as does its offline counterparts.
So, what’s all the fuss when it comes to writing copy for your online audience? What’s the purpose of what you’re writing online? Not sure of what or how to write?
Listen, all copywriting has one objective, and that is to…
“Craft a compelling message that influences your audiences attitude, beliefs, behaviors and actions.”
(emphasis on action!)
This “Golden-Rule” so to speak, applies to everything from websites to blogs, landing pages to opt-in pages, and even thank you pages and 404 error pages! It also applies to offline copywriting as well. Simple as it may sound, however, online copywriting does present several challenges for the would be copywriter (and even more importantly, for those who wish to make money blogging!)
Think about this, do you read a webpage the same way you read a newspaper or magazine?”
Of course you don’t.
First of all, you must take into consideration your readers ability to read what you want them to. Things such as the resolution of the monitor, color schemes, and a background or layout that doesn’t distract are of utmost importance to your reader. Just because you think your blog is “pretty, cool or far out man” doesn’t mean your readers will think the same!
Case in point. I visited a blog just the other day that had snow dropping in the background as a backdrop, and it wasn’t even a seasonal related blog. The blog had absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, Winter, etc. talk about distracting! I clicked-off just about as fast as I clicked-on. Your readers will too, if you do something that distracts them.
Secondly, when we are reading a blog post we’re not actually reading… We’re scanning, or skimming. We don’t always read a blog post word for word; we scan quickly at the headline, then the lead, and then the subheads and bullets. Not necessarily always in that order, but more times than not, yes.
Thirdly, your audience traveled to your blog seeking the information, product or service you provide. Sure, you’re probably a wonderfully charming and intelligent person, but after all is said and done, what actually got them here? Or better yet, what will bring them here, to your blog? Ask yourself this question:
“Why would someone take time from their already busy schedules and come visit me at my blog?”
Seriously. The other day I heard it stated that there were over 200 Million blogs online worldwide (over 73 Million in China alone) and this number continues to grow each day. What are you doing, if anything, to differentiate yourself from this crowd and not only grab your readers attention, but keep them coming back for more?
Listen, your online reader is impatient, demanding and knows what they want before they even step foot in the door of your blog. If your blog doesn’t make a good first impression or deliver the goods, then it takes about a milli-second to click-off and find someone who can. The real question, is…
“Do you know what your audience wants?”
Stop. Even if you have the best profit-producing products or superior service your audience needs and wants, it takes very little effort to step foot into your competitors place and take a look around. What are you doing to keep them coming back to you, or better yet, leaving you in the first place? (Think about it, I guarantee your audience most certainly is!)
Online copywriting, in my opinion, is much like getting ready for a first date – you want to make a really great first impression, then leave them thinking at the end “Hmmm, I think I’d like to get to know this person better”.
Whereas on the other hand, readers of printed copy don’t have the luxury of ’surfing’ – so they are held captive to the written page. The bottom line is this, it takes much more effort to research your competitors offline than it does online.
Having said this, however, one thing that I can not stress highly enough is in mastering the fundamentals of online copywriting!
Listen, if you’ve heard it said once you’ve probably heard it said a thousand times: “Master the basics!” and “Practice the fundamentals!” or “Build on the basics!” Hey, it does absolutely no good for you to write wonderfully flowing dissertations of what you know about yadda-yadda or blah-blah, if you don’t know the basics of online copywriting.
Listen, even if you failed English 101 and suck at writing, you can master online copywriting, write better blog posts, and get more blog visitors more often! Now, to help you get started on your way to becoming a better online copywriter, listed below are a few online copywriting tips for bloggers I’ve put together for you:
- Grab Your Reader By The Eyeballs And Don’t Let Go!
Headlines are critical to the success of any advertising you are doing (and yes, even if you are the casual blogger, you’re still advertising or promoting something!) Your headline needs to reach out and grab your reader by the eyeballs, and be the one person today that shakes them from their slumber!
Listen, most blog visitors take less than 60 seconds before they decide whether to continue reading. Your headline and your lead (the beginning sentences of your first paragraph) is no place for you to get wishy-washy or talk about yourself or the weather. Sorry, but nobody gives a rip! Instead, focus on this…
a) Grab their attention
b) State your case/make your point
c) Give your reader a reason to continue reading
Simple enough? Sure it is!
Now, let me ask you another question: “What is the purpose of each sentence you write?”
Why to get your reader to read the next sentence, and the next sentence, and…
Keep this in mind when writing each sentence, does the sentence make you want to read the next? Well, does it? Are you sure? ;)
- Size Matters!
If you want your audience to keep reading your blog posts, forget about the l…o…n…g descriptive writing you learned in school. Your readers will only think you’re talking to hear your own voice (and take my word for it, you don’t want this to happen!) Short paragraphs have been proven to be the most effective on a webpage, because you can scan them quicker and pick out what you want to read from that which you do not.
Usually 3 to 4 sentences within each paragraph works best, sometimes you can get away with using 5, but do your best to keep it to no more than 4. After you write each paragraph, before moving to the next, look to see if one of the sentences doesn’t repeat or say essentially the same thing as another. If it does, then delete the extra sentence or re-write it to say something else about the topic.
- Don’t Hang Me!
Leaving a person hanging while they’re, oh did you see that squirrel, reading just irritates Santa Claus… What?
Listen, reading online can be strenuous enough without adding to it by leaving your reader hanging at the end. Make sure your copy flows from one point to the next, without using too much slang, snooty language, or simply trying to impress your audience with your vocabulary. There may be a time and place for such writing as that, but your blog isn’t one of them!
Let your copy flow from one sentence to the next, and from one paragraph to the next. If you don’t, you’ll end up frustrating your readers. Which leads me to my last point…
- The BIG “S”
When writing your blog posts, always remember the BIG S, as in…SIMPLE! I’m not writing this to be insulting, but in America today, the “average” person reads at about the 7th grade level. So when writing your blog posts, write them as if you were writing to 7th graders. And how old is the average 7th grader? About 13 years of age.
Now I’m not talking about using your cute little ‘baby-voice’ here, or heaven forbid you come across as patronizing! That’s not what I’m saying. But what I am saying is this: Always keep your audience in mind as you are writing, and don’t take for granted they know anything about you or what you do. Inform without insulting, and entertain without offending is a good rule to follow.
- Seduce Your Audience!
In the fast-paced world of the Internet, you still must seduce, or “wine and dine” your audience with your web copy. Technology, in and of itself, isn’t causing readers to get more excited about your eBook, or software or service. In a day and time of ever changing technologies, copy is still the king!
Your content is what gets your readers excited, not technology. The Internet can be an impersonal, cold dark place without you to liven things up a bit. Good copywriting skills will always out perform the “bells and whistles” online, but it takes YOU to make that connection.
Ask yourself this question…
“If you had to choose between a flashy, “bells and whistles” website with all the latest gadgets and no words; or, a single white page with grey background blog, with killer sales copy and a plain opt-in form, which would you choose?”
Why you would choose the simple, single white page with grey background and simple opt-in form, of course!
Why?
Because without the words, you got nothing!
Remember this when writing your next ad copy, blog post or sales letter…
All copywriting has one objective – “Craft a compelling message that influences your audiences attitude, beliefs, behaviors and actions.”
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to check back often for more updates. As always, we appreciate your feedback, comments and questions.
Until next time,
Godspeed
James
~+~
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