Write to EXPRESS, not just to impress: A tool to achieve great copywriting! [Tuesdays: “Write with the Pen of the Masters”]
Content writing aims to share ideas, solve problems, propose new strategies, among others.
To make the content we create successful in what we intend it to do, we need to give clear and concise information.
We need to effectively deliver the right message to our readers.
The bottom line?
WRITE TO EXPRESS, NOT (JUST) TO IMPRESS.
This is one of the rules from the book, “The Technique of Clear Writing” by Robert Gunning.
Properly express what you want to say through your copy.
Explain your idea or message as clearly as you can.
Provide the necessary information or data for your readers to understand your discussion.
In other cases, you’d need to include useful and applicable data, sources, and imagery.
Creating awesome content is not always easy…
Here are some tips to help you achieve that!
- Provide and highlight important information to support your idea
Depending on the topic, you need to present the necessary research, sources, statistics, images, quotations, etc.
Practice giving your readers everything they need to fully understand and trust your content.
Here’s an example from our weekly Marketing Marvel articles:
The blue bars in the chart above represent Puregold’s earning power (Uniform Return On Assets). This number has been well above 8% in the last nine years.
The global ROA average is just 6%
The orange bars are the company’s as-reported financial information. If you relied on these numbers, you won’t see the 11% Uniform ROA (return on assets, a measure of earning power) for 2018. You’d just see the company report less than that, at 8% as-reported ROA.
That’s what you’ll see in Yahoo Finance, Google Finance, and most other databases.
The supporting content you provide helps build credibility. It also gives your readers more clarity on newly encountered terms and topics. - Find the right voice for your content
Finding the right tone that works best for the message or information you want to express is one of the best ways to deliver your message properly.
Step inside your target readers’ shoes.
How would they feel?
How would they react?
What is the best voice to go for to get the reaction you want?
Here’s an example from our weekly Speak on the Shoulders of Giants articles:
One of our firm’s education arms, the Institute of Strategy and Valuation, published an article titled, “10 Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Your Presentations: A Light-Hearted Look at Public Speaking.”
Relate with your readers through your content and see it from their perspective. Connect with them.
Addressing the fear that goes with presenting in front of people, the article presents a humorous look into public speaking—including this week’s surefire tip.
We are well aware of the stress everyone goes through when they need to represent their brand or company in front of an audience.
If we could avoid being put in that position, we would.
But… that shouldn’t be the mentality!
According to the article, “If we want to be leaders or achieve anything meaningful in our lives, we will often need to speak to groups, large and small, to be successful.”
Public speaking is an important, learnable skill… we just need to practice.
Yes, it’s easier said than done so we’re here to help and share with you some useful tips!
The more you connect with your target readers, the more chances they’d keep reading your copy. - Anticipate the questions that your readers might ask in their minds.
Answer those questions in your copy.
Put yourself in the position of your readers by thinking of the questions they might ask while they read your content.
Here’s an example from our weekly Gorillas of Guerilla Marketing articles:
Cebu Рacific partnered with the ad agency Geometry Global Hong Kong (part of the Ogilvy & Mather Group) to launch a campaign called, “Rain Codes” using clean advertising
The campaign aims to grab the attention of Hong Kong citizens during the wet-weather, lure them to the sunny Philippines, and have them book and purchase flights through Cebu Рacific.
Questions readers of this piece could ask after reading the copy above:
1. What was Cebu Pacific and Geometry Global Hong Kong’s idea for clean advertising?
2. How will the “Rain Codes” campaign grab the attention of Hong Kong citizens during the rainy season?
3. How will Hong Kong citizens book and purchase flights through this campaign?
Answers to those questions are given in the succeeding sections of the same article anticipating the types of details that readers might ask for.
THE BIG IDEA: Use an innovative water-repellent spray to create ads on the floor of busy streets and pedestrian areas of Hong Kong.
THE 3 MAIN TOUCHPOINTS:
- Attract the target audience’s attention by prioritizing their needs and wants
- Introduce and promote the company in a fun, interesting, and considerate way
- Encourage the target audience to book flights to increase sales!
When the weather is dry, the ads aren’t visible.
But the moment the rain starts to fall, the streets become wet and the message is revealed:
+ a QR code
THE RESULT: Curious pedestrians took a picture of the QR code and received an exclusive discount offer on a flight to the Philippines.
Explaining and describing necessary information will guide your reader all throughout the discussion in your piece.
It all adds up to this: Make your content worth the read.
Provide the right information.
Back up your claims.
Effectively engage and captivate your target readers with the way you deliver your message.
Achieve successful readership stats by giving readers a useful and relevant written discussion.
Follow these tips the next time you write content for your brand or company. This will surely help you express and explain the message you want to convey!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Tuesdays: Write with the Pen of the Masters”
Who doesn’t find content writing to be a skill that requires a lot of practice and effort?
In fact, many people may even find copywriting very intimidating.
However, you can be a good writer as long as you have the right tools. You won’t always get things right the first time, but with enough time and practice, you’ll get the hang of it!
When you write a copy for any brand or for your company, your aim is to make an impact and…
…to get people to remember.
Getting people to remember means getting consumers to buy your product or to avail of your service.
And when you get your content to deliver the results you want, THAT is a great copy!
Every Tuesday, we publish content based on tips and insights from the masters of content writing, copywriting, and storytelling.
Become more familiar with ways to write great copy that helps you gain ROI from your efforts, drive profitability, and achieve your business goals.
Learn time-tested tactics that better capture the attention of your target audience, and maximize the benefits of great copywriting.
Hope you found this week’s insights interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Tuesday’s “Write with the Pen of the Masters!”
Cheers,
Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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