What is Copywriting in Digital Marketing – The Ultimate Guide

 

If you are new to this field, you might be asking yourself what is copywriting in digital marketing, how it’s different from any other type of writing. 

Simply put:

Copywriting refers to the art of writing words with the purpose of conversion.

Good copywriting generates sales by convincing people to take action, and we have everything answered for you in this guide.

 

Copywriting vs. Content Writing

 

 

Copywriting is integrated into different marketing materials, such as emails, sales pages, landing pages, catalogs, promotional videos, and advertising campaigns.

 

1. Copywriting Boosts Conversion Rates

As mentioned before, the goal of copywriting is to increase conversion rates – but the best kind of copywriting that exists relies on the use of efficient storytelling. This way, the best copy creates emotional resonance and establishes brand value while guiding the prospective customer through a valuable customer/ buying experience.

 

2. Content Writing Focuses on Customer Engagement 

It is important to mention here that copywriting is different from content writing. While content writing is extremely important for online businesses, its focus tends to be more on customer engagement and brand awareness.

 

3. Mediums of Copywriting vs. Content Writing

Content writing integrates different content mediums, such as blog posts, social media, video posts, and About Us pages.

Compared to content writing, copywriting is one-directional, and it is written strategically with the underlying purpose of a single call-to-action. Content writing, on the other hand, is more educational and organic.

 

Best Practices for Copywriting

There are a few things that copywriters should follow while creating content. While copywriting is meant for a target audience, it is also meant for search engines.

The following practices are also great marketing copywriting essentials:

 

1. Get the Reader’s Attention

If there is one thing that copywriting needs to do – it is to grab the attention of prospective buyers. Good copy is written in a way that instantly hooks the reader’s interest and establishes a connection, which is typically long enough to guide the potential client to the next step of the buying experience.

 

• How to Establish Attention 

The attention is usually established through a strong, compelling headline/ subject line or opening line – depending on the medium, as it can be a sales page, video script, or an email ad.

What the strong, attention-grabbing headline, subject line, or opening sentence does is that it opens a loop that makes the potential client want to find out more about what you have to offer. This aspect perfectly explains why you have to add scarcity to create a sense of urgency to push the potential client further down the buyer funnel.

 

• Use Headlines to Provoke Emotions

You might as well use a strong headline to provoke an emotion and induce the desire for a particular benefit that you offer to your target audience. If you fail to get the attention of your target audience quickly, then your prospect is gone.

You might as well avail yourself of the best writing services out there to have attention-grabbing hotlines and boost your conversion rates.

 

Source: buffer.com

 

2. Make a Promise

Once you have grabbed the attention of your prospective client, you will have to make a big promise as your reader will speculate about what is in it for them. The truth about good copywriting in digital marketing (and selling in general) is that your potential product usually doesn’t really matter.

The thing about products is that there are countless products and services out there – depending on your niche, you have countless competitors who are selling the exact same things as you are.

 

• Focus on the “WHY” Factor 

So, if you were to look at the products and services from a customer’s perspective, you see that customers don’t buy the “what,” but they buy the “why.” They buy the big promise that you make to them.

In other words, the potential customers are way more interested in the value and the potential outcome of the solution that you are offering rather than the specific product itself.

 

• State Your Unique Selling Point 

Today, the audience has become savvier, whereas the market is more saturated than ever, so you have to focus on the big promise you are offering to potential buyers.

This way, the prospective client has to be convinced not only about your product/ service – but also of YOU and your unique selling point.

So, to get the reader further down the selling funnel, you will want to get crystal clear on what you do better than anybody else.

 

3. Mention the Benefits

Don’t make the mistake of simply describing the product you are offering – but you must include the potential results that your buyers/ clients can receive when using the product/ service. Understandably, there is a huge difference between the product features and its benefits.

 

 

A product feature is something that your product has or is. The product feature is built, planned, and executed with the intention of solving a problem. When you describe your product in copywriting, the features are a factual statement about your product or service.

 

• Include the BIG Promise in Product Benefits 

But the features and product description is not what would entice a customer to actually click the link and buy the product. Your promise should refer to the benefits, which, on the other hand, are the sole reason why someone would purchase your product or avail themselves of your services.

The benefits describe the potential outcome that the users of the product/ service will experience. You might as well refer to the benefits of the big promise that you make to the readers through copywriting in digital marketing.

 

4. Incorporate a Call-to-Action

It doesn’t matter how persuasive you are with your copywriting – nothing of it matters unless you incorporate a strong call-to-action.

 

• Only Use One Call-to-Action 

As a rule of thumb, you should only be asking the prospective client to do one thing. In other words, you should have one concise and clear call-to-action; ideally, it mustn’t leave any room for confusion on what the client is expected to do next.

Usually, a call-to-action requires the prospect to either visit, sign up, call, click, or buy.

Also, never be afraid of being repetitive, as research has shown that people lack attention and are prone to forget information at an alarming speed unless there is repetition.

 

• Be Clear & Concise 

That said, if you are working with a longer landing page, sales page, video script, ad, or email – make sure to repeat your call-to-action at least twice.

If you ask someone for their attention, time, and money, you should never make them struggle to comprehend what to expect or do next. Believe us when we tell you that confusion is one of the biggest conversion killers out there.

It would be best if you had a clear and concise call-to-action – in the absence of which, you are prone to make serious mistakes as a copywriter.

 

Source: NeilPatel

 

Copywriting Tips for Digital Marketers

If you want more traffic, leads, and social shares, you will want to know more about the role of copywriting in digital marketing.

Nonetheless, if you are new to digital marketing, you should know that you don’t need years of training to learn copywriting and to understand what is copywriting in digital marketing. Copywriting is very easy – only when you know what to do and how to do it.

You might also view the following tips as a guide to better marketing copywriting.

 

1. Use Reddit Threads

Reddit is the Holy Grail for copywriting. Reddit is the ideal place for your potential customer to hang out. Take a look at the comment threads. Search the subreddit results for your respective niche and focus on the exact phrases and words used by people to describe what they like and dislike about the product/ niche they have tried so far.

You can use those words for your landing page or email ad. This way, you will speak to the people from the people and create a big impression on your prospective customer by making a promise they have been looking for in the product/ service.

 

 

2. Use Short Sentences

One crucial rule of thumb that applies to nearly everything you write is using short sentences. Short sentences are the foundation of better copywriting.

The thing about short sentences is that they are easier to scan, read, and understand. So, use short sentences for better copywriting.

 

3. No More Friend zones 

The friend zone is just like the real world – you like someone, and they like you back – but as a friend. And in the business world, the same thing occurs with potential clients. They might like what you are selling and what you are promising – but not enough for them to buy it.

 

• Address the Objections of Your Target Audience 

But, we have the perfect solution that you can integrate into your copywriting. You might want to address their objections. If they aren’t buying your product or availing your services, it might be because they might object by saying that it is too expensive or it is not an ideal time to buy.

They might as well object that they aren’t ready to switch from their old products and try out yours. The thing about objections is that most sellers pretend that such objections don’t exist.

But, if you want to say goodbye to the friend zone and boost your conversion rate, then you will want to bring up these objections and dodge them on your FAQ page.

 

Source: contentmarketinginstitute.com

 

4. Integrate the Strategy of “the Slippery Side”

You might have the best copy in the world – but if your readers stop reading the first page after the opening sentence – your copy is a failure. That said, the main goals of copywriting should be to hook the reader’s attention and to keep them reading.

If you are crafting a Facebook ad, you must remember that the sole purpose of crafting the first sentence is to get your readers to move on to the next sentence. They must have the urge to want to read more and see what is in it for them.

 

• Prompt the Reader to Keep Reading 

The burning question is – how do you persuade someone to keep reading your email, blog post, or sales letter? The answer to this question leads us to the slipper side.

In case you haven’t heard of this term before, you should know that the slippery side refers to a strategy where you add something to your page that is specifically crafted to prompt your readers to keep reading.

 

• Keep Things Interesting 

There are different ways to prompt your readers to keep reading. For instance, you might want to start your sales letter with an interesting story. But, you will want to leave the ending for the end of the sales letter.

 

5. Use a Sense of Urgency

Regarding the question of what is copywriting in digital marketing, you should know that much of it revolves around FOMO. FOMO (fear of missing out) can make your copywriting ten times more effective.

However, it is important to mention here that FOMO doesn’t work for every situation. But, if you can use FOMO, then you should definitely use it. The thing about FOMO is that it triggers a strong emotional reaction in your prospective client.

You induce an emotion that makes the prospect want to listen closely to what you have to say. They want to know how your products or services are different and what they can get out of them.

 

6. Integrate Strong Leads

Headlines are super important for efficient copywriting. However, your lead is just as important as a strong and super-specific headline.

Your lead is the section of your page that comes right after the headline – and typically, if you lose people in this section, you have certainly lost them for good. So, after crafting a super-specific headline, you will want to integrate the following strategies to craft a strong lead:

 

• Use a Hook 

Firstly, you will want to use a hook in your opening or second sentence. The first sentence of your lead is a deal-breaker. So, ensure that the first line is strong enough to grab your readers’ attention.

 

• Length of the Lead 

Secondly, you will want to keep the length of the lead to up to eight sentences – not more than that.

 

 

It doesn’t matter whether you are writing a blog pose, a landing page, a video script, or a sales letter – make sure that the lead is short and doesn’t exceed eight lines. Always remember that your lead’s goal is to grab your readers’ attention.

Once you have achieved that, you will want to make a smooth transition into the main section of your copywriting content.

 

• Incorporate a Mini Story 

Finally, you will want to include a mini-story in your lead. We know that stories are a simple yet great way to hook your readers. But as mentioned before, your lead needs to be sweet and short – not exceeding the right lines.

This aspect indicates that you don’t have loads of space to tell an epic story – hence, you will need to use a mini-story in four to five lines.

 

7. Use Amazing & Specific Headlines

You probably have come across the old statistic before – nearly 80% of people read the headline/ title, whereas only 20% read the copy. Now you know that your headline or starting sentence is super important.

One of the easiest ways to make your headline super attractive and more effective is by remaining super-specific while crafting the headlines.

In other words, you will want to craft headlines that tell your reader exactly what they are going to get. You might want to use specific headlines for every blog post, landing page, sales letter, and so on.

 

 

8. Avoid Using Big Words

Big words don’t impress anybody – keep this in mind, especially when English isn’t your native language. Big words are difficult and can make your content harder to read as they come off as ambiguous. Instead of using big fancy words, focus on using words that are easy to read and understand.

 

• Get the Reader’s Attention

Referring to the ideal layout of a copywriting page, you might want to start the opening sentence with the intention of getting the reader’s attention. Then, proceed to create interest by making a bold promise.

 

• Tap into an Emotion

You might want to fold it up by tapping into an emotion/ desire that anyone reading the page might want to achieve, such as higher-ranking websites.

Finally, you will want to conclude things with a call-to-action.

 

9. Prioritize Benefits over Features

When it comes to impressive and efficient copywriting, the benefits of your product or service crush features. In other words, features are useful, but benefits sell and boost the conversion rate. You might as well turn the features of your product/ service into powerful benefits in copywriting.

Your aim in copywriting should be to highlight benefits over features.

 

10. Integrate Scarcity

If you have been selling for quite some time now, you might have come across a situation where someone told you that they were very interested in what you are selling but needed some time to think it over.

And most of the time – that prospective client didn’t buy your product. Perhaps, they found another product – or they got busy and forgot about it.

To prevent such a scenario, you will want to integrate the right strategy to get the prospective client to convert right away. Now, if you are wondering how you can do it – we are here to guide you. All you need to do is to create a sense of urgency by using intriguing phrases.

 

 

It is important to mention that if you use these statements, you should back them up with real limitations – otherwise, you will lose the trust of your target audience, which is bad for your business.

You can always generate a strong sense of urgency by using a deadline.

 

11. Use Social Proof

Another great tip to use in copywriting as a digital marketing strategy is to integrate social proof. But, you will need sales to get social proof in the first place.

During copywriting, you might want to feature your strongest form of social proof, which doesn’t necessarily have to be sales.

 

• Display Statistics 

Suppose your business provides nutrition coaching programs, and to generate leads, you offer people a free seven-day meal plan. Subsequently, if people want to upgrade to a premium paid coaching plan, they get a 90-day meal plan and customized support.

That said, you can showcase the number of people who have signed up for the free plans as social proof. 

 

• Display Testimonials 

You can also feature the results of your happy customers on your landing page. This aspect perfectly explains how copywriting and digital marketing are linked.

Another thing that you can use as social proof is your client’s testimonial. Everyone knows that testimonials can skyrocket conversion and sales. In fact, research has shown that customer testimonials can generate up to 62% more revenue.

 

Source: Crazy Egg

 

12. Address Your Customers

So, re-addressing the question of what is copywriting in digital marketing, you know that digital marketing is about interacting with your clients online, and you can use copywriting as a platform to talk to your customers. 

As mentioned earlier, Reddit is a popular platform for customer research. If you want to take things to the next level, you might actually try talking to your customers.

By talking to your customers, you can also better understand how your product/ service is perceived and address deep questions and issues about it.

 

How do You Start Copywriting for Digital Marketing

By now, you might have already comprehended the answer to the question of what is copywriting in digital marketing. 

That said, if you want to get into digital marketing or the sales funnel, copywriting is one of the most important skills you can learn and integrate. However, it is also sometimes one of the most intimidating aspects of digital marketing.

 

Source: sparkeddigital.ca

 

1. Do Your Research & Practice

So, if you want to start with copywriting, you might want to first look up a bunch of long-form sales letters in different niches. For instance, you might want to pick some from real estate, health, and make-money-online – from different niches.

 

• Practice by Rewriting Sales Letters 

Once you have the sales letters, you might want to start by rewriting those letters. Place it in something simple, such as Google Doc, and rewrite the entire sales letter – but do it for something completely random.

For instance, you might want to switch to selling shoes. You get the point – think of something completely random and difficult to sell and rewrite the entire sales letter while using the same form and structure while selling your object.

 

2. Create Swipe Files

Now, when you are starting with copywriting, you don’t necessarily have to start from scratch. Instead, you might want to start to collect a bunch of swipe files by looking up things in your junk mail. When you receive mail, grab the headlines and the things that catch your attention.

The same goes for online ads, such as Facebook ads, sales letters, and other sales funnels you are in. Any time you see something that you like, go ahead and create a resource pile.

 

• Learn to Write the Same Content in Different Versions 

The underlying reason is that at the beginning of copywriting, you might be tempted to go back to the same emails and subject lines and simply tweak them.

By collecting a bunch of swipe files, you will learn to write and say things that you couldn’t think of having said in the first place.  

3. Focus on Three Things

When it is the time to finally describe your product, there are a few main things that you will want to focus on:

 

• Describe Features in Terms of Benefits 

Describe the features in terms of benefits. For instance, if you are selling a book or a course, you might want to outline what your potential customers get. Focus on describing the deliverable that the potential clients receive when they buy the product.

 

• Refer to the Actual Benefits 

Also, talk about the actual benefits of your products and services. You might want to describe the ultimate results and goals of whatever it is that you are selling/ offering. What will your clients get out of it, and what is the payoff?

 

• Give Meaning to Your Product 

Another important thing to focus on while copywriting is about giving meaning to your product by writing why your product matters. By describing features, benefits, and meaning, you will make your copywriting so much more powerful. 

 

Conclusion

Any time you want to convince a prospective customer to call a number, click on a link, sign up with their email address, or buy something – it comes down to how good your copywriting is. Basically, it is the content that fuels your entire online business.

Thus, efficient copywriting is the foundation of a brand and the Holy Grail of subsequent sales. Always remember that the right content pays in digital marketing!