Everyone loves good writing. Whether it’s a novel, movie script, or Buzzfeed article, a good story or article happens not just because the content itself is interesting, but because the writing makes it interesting. The same can be said for good marketing copy.
If content is king, then well-written content is ruler of all. We’ve seen how a creative content strategy can transform a company’s online presence. Take it from Summit Collaborations, a digital article writing agency – great copywriting content can change your marketing for good.
Good marketing copy and an effective copywriting strategy both benefit from the same elements that make a great story or article. Let’s go over some aspects of great writing that you can use for writing marketing copy.
Creative Writing Structure
Whether you’re writing web copy, articles, emails, or a tagline, structure tells the audience how to read your writing. Good marketing copy can be read easily while still impacting the reader.
For example, a list structure might work well for an article about free project management tools. A list style helps organize your topic while telling the reader that each list component is equally important. However, a list style won’t work for the “about page” of your website, or even for your email blasts – an article written in a traditional paragraph style feels more personalized to the reader.
Additionally, you might think that structure isn’t an important component of writing slogans and taglines, but the structure is what makes a tagline convincing. Let’s break down a popular slogan: “have a break, have a Kit Kat.”
This slogan is easy to remember because it has parallel structure – the repetition of “have a [blank]” is simple, and it also allows the audience to equate “break” with “Kit Kat.” Kit Kat was made as a chocolate bar for people to enjoy during their work break, so this structure creates an implicit association between the two. Plus, you literally “break” a Kit Kat bar, giving the word a secondary meaning. In just seven words, Kit Kat fully describes its value to its potential customers while creating a slogan that’s memorable in multiple ways, all while using the tools of a creative writing agency.
Creative Writing Style
Your writing style is important. Good writing appeals to everyone. Your audience appreciates good writing. Writing is a powerful tool.
The above paragraph is pretty boring, isn’t it? That’s because each sentence is five words long, with one subject, one verb, and one adjective. Good marketing copy avoids this. You want your marketing copy to use sentences of varying length and structure, while also using language that’s engaging.
How do you make your writing engaging? Let’s delve further:
Word Choice
It sounds redundant, but the words you use can greatly impact your audience. Consider the following two sentences:
- The road runs along the hill
- The road curves along the hill
Which sentence is more appealing? The second sentence tells us the shape of the road, without using any extra words. Because the verb is specific, the reader has a better mental image. We could even push that verb further: the road snakes/crawls/bursts/dissects the hill; the road interrupts the hill; the road consumes the hill. You get the point. Using concise language with precise verbs, descriptive nouns, and relevant adjectives will make your writing interesting and appealing to the reader, without wasting space.
Euphony
Euphony comes from the Greek for “pleasant sounding.” The sounds you use in your marketing copy can help guide the reader’s emotions or create visual associations.
Kit Kat uses the word “break” in its slogan to mean two things: a work break and the act of physically breaking something. (Fun fact: this device is called a zeugma!) By pairing this concept and image together, Kit Kat’s slogan is both memorable and euphonious. Or, consider Fila’s slogan “Functional… Fashionable… Formidable.” This slogan’s alliteration makes the brand feel fierce and frenetic, appealing to Fila’s fashionable audience.
Targeted Language
Language that targets your ideal audience is an element of word choice, but deserves its own separate mention. If you want to appeal to your audience, you need to speak the audience’s language – without overdoing it. Overloading an ad to Millennials with words like “salty,” “basic,” and “clap back” is just pandering.
Similarly, an article geared towards lawyers should be supplemented – not weighed down – by legal terminology, and a memorable slogan for a cardiologist shouldn’t include the phrase “coronary vasospasm,” unless you want to be remembered for a really bad slogan.
The point: good marketing copy uses language naturally. Speak to your audience as you would in real life, but be sure to use words and structure that emphasizes your product or service.
Creative Juices Don’t Always Flow
Still need help with writing good marketing copy? Looking for a creative writer or an article writing agency? You’re already in the right place. Book a call with the CEO, Ashlee, to discuss our branding and copywriting services.