We live in a world where more often than not, we talk about content writing and copywriting like they’re the same, but they aren’t. They complement each other like buttons and bows, but they also serve two distinct purposes.

Let us explain the difference between the two in terms of boxing. Content writing is like jabs of well-researched information such as blog posts, web pages, etc. that you throw at your audience such as potential customers, investors, and buyers to speak to them directly. Copywriting, on the other hand, is the right hook and the most important determiner of your campaign’s success like social media posts. When thrown at the right moment, a clear, concise, and crisp copy can grab the ever so decreasing attention span of your audience and put the message across effectively leading to an eventual sale of your product or service.

Without further ado, here are 5 things you can focus on for copywriting that will take you a step ahead from your traditional copywriter brothers and sisters : 

 

1. Use short sentences:

A study conducted by the American Press Institute found that short sentences are 711% more effective and easier to read and understand. Shorter sentences grab the attention of your readers while they skim through your content gripping onto information in a much more effective way. As copywriting legend Joe Sugarman said, “The sole purpose of the first sentence in an ad is to get you to read the second sentence.” Coming up with the right short and precise sentence could be the difference between your audience tuning into your product/brand or thumb-stopping while scrolling an endless feed.

 

2. Quit being witty:

Oh that inherent need to twist and turn words and play with puns! We get it. Even though we find our little moments of delight with linguistic wordplay and puns, we also have to realise that they aren’t our audience’s delight. When it comes to content marketing, respect your audience, and make sure you write a copy that they would like, rather than a witty jargon-filled copy that satiates your hunger for puns.

 

3. Super specific headlines:

Imagine a scenario where you cracked every nook and crevice of an airtight marketing strategy and wrote the best piece of content/article the world would ever see but titled it with a vague, obscure headline. That piece of content/article would never see the light of day because of your weak headline. Super specific headlines are much more compelling. You need to engage your audience, persuade them, and make sure they ‘vibe’ with you. If you’re a brand with an excellent product or service and have great content, but lack engagement because of weak ad headlines and self digital marketing efforts, you should look into hiring a digital marketing agency to take over your ad copies, especially one that understands your ‘vibe’.

 

4. Don’t use big words:

You might have aced the spelling bee during your school days, but let’s face it, big words don’t impress anybody online, especially in your ad copy. In fact they make your content harder to read and that in return weakens your content marketing strategy.  All you need to do is ensure that your copy complies with SEO norms and has a crisp headline with simple words.

 

5. The AIDA formula:

AIDA is a classic copywriting formula used by the best of digital marketing companies and it’s one of those techniques that can increase your conversions on articles, newsletters, landing pages, etc. AIDA stands for attention, interest, desire, and action. It involves writing an ad copy that pretty much captures your attention with the first line, generates interest with a bold promise, folds it up by tapping into a desire that basically anyone who landed on your page already exhibited, and finally you cap things off with a call to action.

Hope this article shed some light on your content marketing strategies and helps you write some amazing ad copies, social media posts, and blogs that are more interesting and gripping.

Also Read: Content Marketing #101