10 Tips to Craft Compelling Copy for Great Content

Copy is one of the most persuasive tools your business has. You can have the best product on the market, but when it comes to selling it, you won't get far without good copy. Customers buy because you communicate your product or services benefits to them. Customers trust you because you build an authentic relationship based on your brand's personality and values.

Whether online, in print, or on packaging, copy is the tool you should use to achieve those aims. So how can you make your copy work for you? Follow these top 10 tips.

1. Know Your Aim
Before you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, know exactly what you want your copy to achieve. Whether you want to sell a product or get more Facebook likes, get that crystal clear before you start.

2. Know Your Audience
To write great copy, you need to know who you're writing to. Who is your audience and what do they want? What problem are you solving? Get your ideal customer clear in your mind and write directly to them.

3. Know Your Unique Selling Proposition
If you're not clear on why customers should choose you over the competition, your copy will be fuzzy. To sell something, you need to get very clear on what you are selling and why exactly customers should choose you.

4. Make the Headline Matter
Your headline is your one chance to grab their attention and hold it long enough to persuade them to read on. Craft those few words with all the care and attention you can give them.

5. Resist the Bells and Whistles
Humor and quirkiness are great in moderation, if your brand's tone can carry it well. But resist the urge to lose yourself in how delightful and clever your copy is. Your message will get lost in all the written pyrotechnics, and you'll risk losing the sale.