Use Strategic Website Copywriting for Better Marketing and Branding

Despite the acceptance that “Content Is King” copy is often written with little rigor, forethought, or effort. Effective copywriting is more about the connections created than the written words themselves. The best website copy is based on an amalgamation of insights and perspectives from agency copywriters, company marketers, and potentially, their target audience. The trick to writing, or directing the creation of content, is being empathetic towards your target audience; synthesizing insights from multiple perspectives; and solving problems before selling solutions.

Because no degrees or certifications are required to write copy, ineffective copy is more the rule than the exception. This blog is for those looking for non-technical ways to make a dramatic impact on visitors, improving their website’s performance, or changing the market’s perception of their company with effective copywriting.

To get the best copy from your agency, confirm that they know the answers to these questions – and don’t let them start before they do.

• Who exactly am I speaking to? Think of an individual you know that personifies the target audience by speaking their language, using their words, and including the answers to these questions. Are they the ultimate decision-maker or are they part of a committee? Are they trying to solve their own problem or are they doing so on behalf of someone else (e.g., procurement)? Are they a subject matter expert or a novice with limited knowledge? Are they detail or bottom-line-oriented?
• Where are they in the decision-making process? Are they at the beginning of the decision cycle trying to determine which approach to take in the most general terms? Are they at the bottom of the funnel evaluating their options to make a selection?  Or are they somewhere in between?
• What specific behavior are you trying to elicit? To effectively enhance branding and marketing efforts with content marketing, you need to think about what behavior you are trying to solicit. Once the objective is defined work backward to determine the content needed based on answers to these questions. Do you want potential customers to give you a “like”, register for an event, download an offer, contact your sales team, or simply become aware of your company? It is important to maintain a singular focus and concentrate on only one behavior for a binary decision (yes, no) instead of various options that make potential buyers stop and think. The goal is to be clear, crisp, and concise with your messaging, so responses can be made impulsively on intuition, instead of drawing on deep insight.

In the ideal world, research would be conducted on a sample of potential buyers. However, if this is not possible, crowdsourcing input from multiple sources may be a viable alternative to formulate an informed decision.

It is fully recognized that conclusions made using the second approach will not be 100% correct – but that is not the goal either. The purpose of these efforts is to avoid drawing erroneous conclusions based on any one person’s limited firsthand interpretations; hearsay knowledge; subconscious biases, unfound beliefs, and assumptions – without reflection, question, or contemplation from multiple perspectives. This method also establishes a common understanding that anchors all participants to a shared perspective of the buyer’s persona profile. Alignment within the groups leads to greater synergies and content consistency.

Consistent, engaging, website copywriting is necessary for any brand to ensure they remain relevant. If your brand is struggling with the effectiveness of your online content, it may be time to reach out to a partner that specializes in strategic web copywriting.