Top 5 copywriting mistakes you’re making – and how to correct them
The wondrous world of copywriting mistakes
The copywriter lifestyle is blessed with a plethora of mistakes – from our clients, from us, from the Universe. That’s why we make sure to correct each other until we’re sick of it so that we can ensure we’re not making the same mistakes we’re talking about today.
But first of all, what’s this mysterious being – the copywriter? We’ve talked in extenso about him in a previous article, that you can read by clicking here. In short, we’re the ones behind the funny Facebook posts, the ones that make sure your website visitors understand your business and the ones that help you sell your products and services.
So, let’s stop rambling on about ourselves (mistake no. 4) and let’s get to work. We’ll discover together the wondrous world of copywriting mistakes – and what you can do right now to correct them.
Grammatical and/or orthographical mistakes
Let’s start with the obvious – grammatical and/or orthographical mistakes. When I was a teen and was spending most of my time on Yahoo! Messenger, my neighborhood buddies would taunt me for being a grammar Nazi.
Well, old neighborhood friends, look who’s laughing now – businesses need a good grammar Nazi for their content. Most people spend most of their interactions in writing, so spotting mistakes is now a common skill amongst your audience.
Of course, making mistakes is human – but don’t be afraid to ask for help. A second opinion is always welcomed, especially if you’ve been writing for a long time (and your eyes got used to the mistakes). Remember, a truly wonderful piece of text is never created by a single person!
Balance is the key
Let’s proceed with more nuanced mistakes, starting with one about the content itself – it should always be balanced. Sometimes, when we write about something that we’re passionate about, we tend to make it too elaborate, too complicated. On the other hand, if the text is written by a complete stranger, it can come across as too shallow and not informative enough.
A good text should be a balance of the two: your audience should be informed about whatever it is you are selling, but only receive the facts that are relevant to them. Too much text, especially if it’s overly-technical, will send the customer running.
An exercise that we recommend is to put yourself in the audience’s shoes. What does he need to know, how does he want to hear about it?
Call to action
People often avoid using CTAs because they’re afraid of coming off as too aggressive. As a teleshopping hyper-fan myself, I don’t understand this issue. 🙂
Although it may seem common sense, a CTA is absolutely needed at the end of your texts – regardless of the channels you’re posting them on. There are very few cases where a CTA is not welcomed.
You can get creative with your CTAs and make them fit organically in your text, without sounding aggressive or “salesy”. Here is a list of some CTA ideas that will definitely help you the next time you’re writing something.
Benefits, not characteristics
One of the most well knows rules of copywriting is this: always talk about the benefits, not the characteristics. This means that the customer should always know about your product/service in relation to him and his wellbeing.
Let’s take an example. If you’re selling a car, you’re not to say “the seats are made with premium leather”. The best form would be “you’re going to feel amazingly comfortable in our premium leather seats”.
Remember that the truth of the matter is that nobody really cares about you. Therefore, every word should be relevant and well-targeted. You want to keep the customer involved? Talk about how you’re going to simplify his life, not about how brilliant your business is.
Customer feedback
A lot of people don’t trust customer feedbacks since they can be easily faked. It is a valid point, but the reality of the matter is that subconsciously, we trust more the businesses that are accounted for by the public. Seeing those 5 stars or few words pop up on the screen instills a sentiment of trust.
Therefore, remember to ask for feedback. Even something as basic as leaving a grade on an app like TripAdvisor or Google can make a world of a difference for the next customers looking to make a purchase.
Here they are – our top 5 copywriting mistakes. Obviously, the list is a lot longer, but let us deal with the rest. 🙂
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook (see, CTA).
And if this seems too complicated, don’t worry – let’s have a chat and we’ll take care of your copywriting dreams.
