You’ve got a great app that brings small businesses tons of value. Or maybe you have an awesome physical product that you want the whole world to try. Either way, you’re the mastermind behind your business. You’re the visionary, the secretary, the strategist, the bookkeeper. At this stage, you may also be the copywriter. Even with some helping hands, everything falls on your shoulders. It’s exciting, but it’s a lot of work too.
Writing great copy can catapult your new business to great heights but it can also be what takes you down like the Titanic. Normally, great copywriting takes years to perfect. Getting the right words on the page can move your prospects down your sales funnel, inspiring clients to get behind that incredible thing you’re selling. In short, good writing converts.
But you don’t need to spend 200-something extra hours to learn how to get it right—because as a leader of a startup, we all know you don’t have much time to spare. I’ve round-up the seven simplest copywriting basics to improve your brand messaging, connect your prospects with your words and ensure your content is a breeze to understand.
1. Write Killer Headlines
Here’s the thing: you’re not spending as much time on your headline as you should be. David Ogilvy, a famous advertising mogul, explains how headlines are the essential piece of copy: “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”
For content writing, a good headline should make the reader curious to learn more without giving everything away. Using numbers, statistics, and creating lists (like this one) are good places to start. The traditional “How to” is always a winner. But this first rule stems beyond article headlines. Think of every header and subheader on your page as a unique opportunity to entice the reader to learn more, not just as a placeholder. For example, someone who sells an online coaching course can turn a basic “Who We Are” subheader into “We turn compassionate health nuts into working professionals.”
2. Be Conversational
You may see tips to write for an eighth-grade reading level and there are some amazing writing apps, like the Hemingway editor, to help you do just that. In my opinion, it doesn’t really matter—just write like you’re writing an email to a friend. This may make you uncomfortable at first, as most of us still write business-like paragraphs for everyday means.
It’s important to remain true to your voice, and some may naturally sound more formal than others. If that’s you, leave all technical jargon behind—and if you need to use jargon, explain what they mean. If you’re a young startup with a younger audience, you’ll generally have more flexibility to write creatively and colloquially.
3. Talk to That One Ideal Customer
If you already have a buyer persona set up, have a chat with that one “person,” even if that means you’re not always including every single type of person who could possibly be interested in what you have to offer. You want your ideal customer to say: “Wow, they really get me!”
A quick way to do this is to begin sentences with the word “you.” Let’s say you own a relaxation app that helps busy entrepreneurs get some rest, for example. Rather than saying: “We are excited about the new morning feature because users save an average of 20 minutes a day! They note that they love to sleep in longer.” Instead try: “You’ll save an average of 20 minutes a day with the morning feature. That’s an extra hour of sleep a week… and who doesn’t love additional shut-eye?”
4. Write about Benefits, Not Features
Did you notice the example above talks about how the user will benefit from the extra feature? That’s because your product doesn’t offer a “morning feature,” it offers the benefit of 20 minutes more sleep.
5. Proofread Your Copy
This may seem overly simple, but that is the title of this post. You may be a naturally good writer just making sure there’s nothing you’re missing to help your new sales page stand out. That’s great! But we all mix up a there and their or forget a period even on our best days. Unfortunately, customers are unforgiving if they catch a spelling mistake. Double-check your copy for good measure through a coworker, Grammarly app, or hire a proofreader.
6. Ask Questions
Do you scan content when it gets too long? Disconnect from the messaging easily? We all do. Asking a closed (a yes or no) question is a useful way to get the reader to rejoin the story. Remember: always get the answer to be a resounding “yes!” so they feel excited to continue.
7. Keep It Simple
As an owner of a startup, you’ve got a million things on your plate. Sometimes you’re better off with a clean, interesting David page over a messy Goliath website. Best of luck!
Kaleena Stroud
Kaleena Stroud helps startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses elevate their ideas through effective copywriting. You may also like her guide to writing ecommerce captions for Instagram. Get in touch with her online at www.KaleenaStroud.com.