Write out everything you know about your target audience
It is important to know who you are writing for before you start to write. Research and document the demographics on who you are trying to reach. Think about information such as age, interests, social platforms they are on, etc. As yourself not what you can do for them, but what frustrations or questions are they seeking answers for.
Make sure to write your copy for “humans-first”
Before you go head first into a keyword search (covered next), there are two reasons to write you copy in the same language your audience uses.
- Copy that is written for your audience in their language will convert better.
- As of August 2022, human-first content will rank better in Google.
Your voice is part of your brand. As you write copy for your digital media, be sure to create some consistency in your story.
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Research short and long tail keywords to improve SEO
As you are writing your human-first content, you also slide in keywords (aka content written for the machines).
This can include key words and longer phrases your users may be using in their searches, as well as keywords you know you can rank for. It can be helpful to use a tool such as http://keywordtool.io to figure out what keywords you have the best chance of showing up with (this will be medium to lower ranking keywords that your audience is using in their searches).
Keep your content easy to read
You don’t need fancy words to sell your content. In general, hovering around a 6th grade reading level is ideal. To check what reading level you are at, paste your content into Microsoft Word. Then under “Spelling & Grammar” preferences, check “Show readability statistics”. When you complete the spelling and grammar it will give you your Flesh-Kincaid Grade level score.
Also, make sure you are diving up big chunks of text into bite-sized pieces. Pro-Tip: divide up content with boxes, icons, or lists.
Include a call to action
Determine the goal of your digital media or content before you start. This will help you develop a clear road map to your CTA, or call to action. This is where you want your audience to end up. Are you enticing them to buy a product? Sign up for your email list? Click on a learn more button? If it is your intent to drive traffic, make sure your CTA is clear and easy to find.
Make an educated decision around visuals
The use of a visual aid (such as an image or video), depends entirely on where your content is going and what your goal is. If you content is on a platform where a visual will bring you more attention (such as a social media post on Facebook), make sure the visual is clean and professional. If you are using images in your email lists or website, be sure to consider what the image “says” and make sure it adds to your message and doesn’t distract from the content you spent time diligently crafting.
A/B test your content
Try things and keep track of conversion rates to track the most effective copywriting. This is an effective method you can use for all of your digital marketing efforts on your email lists, website, and social media ads. Try using different wording for your copy and get to know what your audience responds too.
Keep your branding consistent
Your voice is part of your brand. As you write copy for your digital media, be sure to create some consistency in your story.
