Copywriting expert, author, and SCS instructor Steve Slaunwhite shares tips on how to write powerful copy in the age of COVID.
Early in the pandemic, I was asked to re-write several email campaigns for a client. Why? The current version, which had been just fine, was suddenly out-of-step with all that was going on. Had my client ran with that copy, he would have received more complaints than sales.
That is the continuing challenge for copywriters during this pandemic. Even with vaccines getting into arms and hope (at last) in sight, the rules have been altered.
Perhaps permanently.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. I think copywriting has become more relevant, authentic— even caring. Sure, marketing copy still needs to be persuasive and sell, but the approach that works best these days is to have a genuine conversation with your audience rather than merely pitching them.
So, if we were to break these changes down into practical writing tips, what would they be? Here's my take...
1. Update your buyer personas
Your target buyer has changed; dust off those buyer personas and update them. If they were created before March 2020, they're way out of date.
What are your customers thinking about right now? What's concerning them? What are their hopes and desires? No doubt, the answers are very different than from a year ago. Even the way your customers buy may be different. These days, distribution managers are buying forklift trucks online. Business owners are retaining marketing firms via a Zoom call. Hardly anyone buys the same way anymore. Does your marketing copy reflect that?
2. Write even more conversationally
In my copywriting workshops, I often show a picture of two people—a business owner and a prospective customer—chatting casually about a new product. I say, "Imagine how these two are talking? That's the conversational style and tone you want in your copy."
That's even more true now.
If stiff and formal marketing copy still had some life in it a year ago, it's dead today. You can no longer be aloof in your messages or hide behind "brand-speak" or, worse, "corporate-speak." People are demanding a more authentic connection from the companies they choose to buy from. Make sure your copywriting does that.
3. Focus more on facts and details
People are hungry for certainty. They're craving facts, details, and good information. So, as much as possible, fill your marketing copy with those ingredients. Use plenty of testimonials. Reference highly-credible sources. Quote the latest statistics.
Take as much of the uncertainty as possible from your campaigns and other marketing communications. And while we're on this topic, have you been using a "fact" in your marketing writing that's getting old? For example, "47% of home buyers say they hate virtual home tours," says a study from... ah... 2016. A lot can change in four years! Get the most recent information.
4. Be ultra-realistic about benefits and outcomes
As every good copywriter knows, you must paint an enthusiastic yet realistic picture of benefits and expected outcomes. Otherwise, you won't be credible. That hasn't changed. What has changed is that buyers are being extra cautious and scrutinizing the claims made in marketing copy much more closely.
That doesn't mean you can't come on strong and persuasive. You definitely can and should. Just double-check that the benefits and promises you're presenting are realistic. And back everything up with facts and details (see point #3).
5. Make your marketing copy rewarding
Sometimes, your marketing copy is making a straight-on pitch. For example, when you write an email to announce a big discount. However, if you just pitch, pitch, pitch with every marketing piece you create, you're going to give your buyers "pitch fatigue" (and they already have Zoom fatigue)!
An alternative approach is to make your marketing copy rewarding in and of itself. For example, you can write an email promoting a big discount—but also include a few tips on how to get more from the product. That makes the email exciting and helpful to the buyer, whether they buy or not. Salespeople do this all the time. They call it "adding value with every contact." It's an approach to copywriting I've seen working well over the past year.
COVID has changed the way we write copy. Keep these tips in mind the next time you're crafting a promotional email, ad, or web page.
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Steve Slaunwhite is a copywriting expert and author of The Everything Guide to Writing Copy (Simon & Schuster.) He teaches courses in the Strategic Copywriting Certificate at SCS. Learn more about Steve’s work at www.SteveSlaunwhite.com.