The Simple Rule to Make Good Copy

Anyone can write copy.

But whether if it's good or bad, well, the results will show for themselves.

Copywriting is one of oldest forms of communication. It’s a form of art that aims to persuade someone to take some form of action.

Whether your end goal is to get your customer to click the buy button, sign up to a mailing list or to give you a call, you want your words to help you reach your business goals.

What Makes Good Copy?

Good copy addresses the needs of your consumers.

It’s not about showing off features. There’s no soul in that.

Your consumers are more interested in seeing how a product or service will add value to their life.

For example, if you’re selling lipstick, do you think it is better to write: “coloured cosmetic removable wax for lips” or “make them come to you”?

The former describes the product as what it is. It feels lifeless. Whereas, the latter, zooms in on making the consumer feel more sexier.

To simply put, the first example shares the product feature, whereas the second example highlights the benefit of that feature.

The Benefits Help To Bring Your Copy to Life

That's a simple rule you need to keep in mind.

Always have the consumer in mind when writing. That way, you’ll be able to think about how the product will benefit the customer.

To achieve this, you need to first understand the product that you are trying to sell. And second, you need to understand your target market.

When I undertake any assignment, I take time to research my target audience so I can identify their wants and needs, and then I look into the product and I identify all the features.

It’s best I show this to you with an example.

Let’s say there’s a budget ceramic iron (for ironing clothes, not hair) with anti-calc that we need to sell  to university students staying on campus.

From research, we find that ceramic irons are incredibly popular as they are highly heat resistant and can glide over many fabrics.

So, let’s first write out all the features:

• Budget-friendly
• Ceramic iron
• Anti-Calc
• Heat resistant
• Works with many fabrics

Now, let’s convert these features into selling points that highlight the benefits for our student target market:

• Say goodbye to awkward creases from your clothes
• Glide through your growing pile of ironing in quick time
• Perfect for ironing dresses, jeans, t-shirts, casual shirts & delicate fabrics
• No need to worry about limescale as it removes it by itself, thanks to Anti-Calc
• Suits every student budget

While the above selling points are not perfect (especially the fourth point, as I don’t see many students being bothered about limescale), you can see how the copy has been given a lease of life when we focus on the benefits.

Plus, when you focus on the benefits, you don’t need to fret about all the features because the benefits will do all the leg work for you.

Benefits Over Features

When writing copy, you need to first know who you are writing for. Once you have established your target market, look at the product and identify what the key features are of the products.

Using these features, look at how the product’s features can provide a benefit to your target customers.

These benefits will provide the basis for when you write your selling points.

And there you have it. It's a simple, but an effective rule.