Copywriting is the art of creating compelling written content that engages your audience and can convince them to take an action. These actions can include signing up to your email newsletter, purchasing a product or inquiring about your services. Put simply, copywriting is advertorial or words that sell. It can cover anything from effective sales pages to catchy slogans and successful social media campaigns. But there are several myths floating around the internet space about copywriting that simply isn’t true.
Myth: Good copy alone sells
Copy does not sell regardless, nor does it sell on its own. While it would make things much easier if any good copy could generate sales on its own, you also need an active market, an effective marketing strategy, and a product or service that people want. Copy plays a big part in your overall marketing strategy and sales, but only when combined with all the right factors does it help you sell.
Myth: You shouldn’t try to sell in every email
In business, you need to be selling all the time. If you have people interested in you and what you deliver, you’d be missing out by not always selling. However, you need to make sure you’re using an effective email marketing strategy that includes a warm-up sequence. So continue sharing those emails that provide value such as tips and guidance first, but remember to include your calls to action. Don’t forget that those value emails are part of selling your expertise to the audience too. You are selling your business without realising it, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to make it effective!
Myth: Features tell, benefits sell
This myth isn’t new or limited to copywriting alone. The premise is that you sell the benefits of your product or service and not the features. But this isn’t always the case when making a sale. In copywriting, the benefits can often be highlighted, without including the features. However, including the features along with the benefits can make all the difference depending on the buyer and where they are in their sales journey.
Myth: Always lead with the problem you can solve
While the copywriting formula ‘problem – agitation – solution’ is an effective one to use in copywriting, it doesn’t work on everything. In order to see the bigger picture, an impactful copywriter needs multiple tools at their disposal and the ability to be flexible and think creatively. It’s more important to have persuasive copy than to simply stick to a rigid formula. Copywriters need to know how to grab the reader’s attention and create an irresistible desire to buy, apply the right language at the right time and write in your business’s tone of voice, and that isn’t always going to look the same.
Myth: You should never mention objections in your copy
Regardless of what you are selling or promoting, some people will have objections to it. And talking about these in your copywriting is often believed to be a big no-no. Objection is all part of the selling process. Your job, of course, is to have an answer to the objection. That’s why you need to anticipate objections in advance, through your writing. Common objections can include the price of what you’re selling. If this is the case, you could focus on the value, make comparisons, or offer a payment plan. Another is whether or not the product or service will work for an individual and if it will produce the desired results. This is where benefits and features come into play. Most consumers will also want proof and that’s what testimonials and product reviews are for.
While copywriting myths still exist, it’s important not to buy into them. Remember that your copywriting is designed to sell your business to your audience, so don’t get caught up in the unrealistic dos and don’ts and make sure you’re meeting your content goals.