Crafting Compelling Copy: A Glimpse into My Copywriting Process

In today’s fast-paced world, where customers expect information quickly, the power of compelling and carefully crafted copy cannot be overstated!

As an Edinburgh Copywriter, my journey in creating this content is defined by a unique, collaborative, and personal approach.

Today, I'm excited to share a glimpse into this approach and my copywriting process, revealing the strategies that will help drive your business forward!

Research: Unearthing Unique Insights

Every successful copy begins with comprehensive research.

I need to take time to not only understand you and your business but also your target audience and their specific needs.

This approach ensures that not only is it relevant and informative but that it connects with your audience on a personal level.

The goal is to create copy that taps into their emotions and gets to those all-important pain points!

Personalisation: The Human Touch

In a digital landscape overloaded with content, personalisation is the key to standing out amongst your competitors.

To do this I weave a personal and human touch into my copy, making it relatable and authentic to the reader.

Whether it's sharing your unique business journey or incorporating interesting case studies, this approach not only adds a distinctive flavor to the content but also enhances its natural flow and readability.

The objective is to create a connection between you and your customer that goes beyond the screen and the page.

Keyword Integration: A Delicate Balance

While keywords are crucial for SEO, the art of effective SEO lies in integrating them effortlessly.

Rather than forcefully stuffing the content with keywords, I prioritise a natural and reader-friendly approach by strategically peppering them throughout headers, meta tags, and naturally within the body of the content.

This approach ensures greater online visibility for your business, and a positive user experience for every reader and prospective client.

Compelling Headlines: Capturing Attention

Whether on-line or on the page, the first impression is often the last. A well-crafted headline not only pulls the reader in but gets them to read on.

Crafting compelling headlines is a vital aspect of my copywriting process.

I create headlines that not only pique the curiosity of your audience but for the digital landscape, include the keywords necessary to get your business further up those all-important Google rankings.  

Storytelling: Engaging the Audience

Storytelling is a powerful tool in the world of copywriting, creating narratives that resonate with the audience.

Telling a story helps to evoke the emotions of the reader and reinforces that deeper connection between them and your business. This also contributes to a positive user experience, a factor that search engines value in determining rankings!

Crafting compelling copy is not just a skill but a science. My copywriting process blends understanding, research, and that human element to not only rank high on search engines but also resonate with your audience and turn them into valuable clients.

It is about creating content that informs and captivates, building a connection that goes beyond the words and elevates your brand.

Discover more at claire@cmcopy.co.uk

Attract more buyers with professional real estate copywriting

With news that the Scottish real estate market is slowing down due to the cost of living crisis and buyers experiencing higher borrowing costs, it is even more important for properties and agents to stand out.

Engaging property descriptions along with vivid imagery will captivate and tempt buyers, ensuring properties are sold quickly and for the right price.

However, when it comes to researching, writing, and editing these, many agents simply don’t have enough time.

As an experienced real estate copywriter, I outline some of the top tips to improve your listings and explain why employing a professional will make a big difference.

1. Be descriptive

Descriptive language is the most powerful tool when it comes to bringing a property to life. Using words that clearly describe the space for example ‘light and airy’; ‘warm’ and ‘generous’ are much more effective than simple vocabulary such as ‘large’ and ‘bright.’

2. Highlight key features

No matter the property, they each have unique selling points. From a stand-out designer kitchen to a luxurious en-suite it is vital to highlight these and convey how they set the property apart from the competition.

3. Use specific detail

From types of flooring and heating used, to wall finishes and recent renovations, be specific! This allows a much clearer image to be created in the buyers’ mind and allows them to see themselves and their friends and family in the property.

4. Capture attention with adjectives

Create an appealing image and draw in the buyer with the creative use of adjectives such as ‘elegant’; ‘light-filled’, and ‘cosy’.

5. Focus on benefits

How can the features within a particular property improve the buyers’ lifestyle? Are there solar panels on the roof? How is the flow between the indoor and outdoor space? Does the garden enjoy a landscaped design perfect for entertaining?

6.     Tell a story

Are there interesting facts around the property? I.e is it in a conservation area? Perhaps it is a listed building? These stories help to engage the buyer and bring the story of the property to life.

7.     Target your ideal buyer

Write with your buyer in mind. Are they a young professional who wants to be near to restaurants, bars, and shops? Perhaps a young and growing family looking for good schools, outdoor spaces, and transport links. Once you have your buyer identified, focus in on their dreams and desires and weave that into your copy.

 8.     Highlight the location

Showcase the neighbourhood and hone in on schools, parks, recreation, transport links, and dining choices. Why would someone want to live in that area? What makes it special? Shout about these!

Crafting compelling and persuasive real estate content requires expertise and time. If you find yourself without the necessary knowledge or feel that creating your own real estate copy isn’t the most efficient use of your time, consider working with a professional copywriter who can get the job done quickly and effectively.

Get in touch today and discover how I can help!

Costly copywriting mistakes small businesses make and how to avoid them

Copywriting is a valuable skill for all business owners who wish to connect with their customers, especially online. Persuasive and emotive copy that engages is key to turning your audience into valuable buyers.

However, for those small business owners keen to cut costs and undertake their own copywriting, there are a few common mistakes that can work against what they are trying to do.

In this blog, I outline what these are and more importantly what to do to avoid them and create copy that is both compelling and professional.

1.       Overcomplicating your message

Did you know that you should reduce complexity when you write? Why? It is a common misconception that using buzzwords, complex ideas, and long sentence structures will impress readers.

Research shows that using simple, clear, and concise language and short sentences, rather than jargon and complicated vocabulary allows readers to easily understand your message and stay engaged. A readability level of 9years/10years is what you should aim for.

2.       Focusing too much on features, not the benefits

Customers are not interested simply in what a product or service does but instead how it will impact and improve their lives. Whether writing content for a product description or brochure, you need to drill down their pain points and demonstrate how you can solve their problems, this creates a more compelling message.

3.       Dry emotionless language

Copy that lacks emotion fails to resonate with your audience. If they don’t feel something from it whether that be joy, interest, or excitement, they will simply look elsewhere for a more engaging business. So use storytelling and emotive language to appeal to their feelings and build a deeper connection.

4.       Forgetting to proofread

If there is one thing that makes a business look unprofessional it is copy that has not been proofread and has spelling/grammar mistakes. Always make sure that you have a second pair of eyes to look over the finished copy or get a professional proofreader to review it and ensure it is polished and error-free.

5.       Not including a call to action

You know what you want your audience to do when they read your newsletter, pick up your brochure, or visit your website, but do they? Forgetting to include a clear call to action (CTA) can lead to missed opportunities. Always include one to direct them clearly to the next step you want them to take whether that is subscribing to your newsletter or making an enquiry.

4 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Copywriter

Words are everywhere and when it comes to business I mean everywhere! Websites, emails, brochures, flyers, blogs, packaging….the list is long and the impact is huge!

In our online world where clients and businesses don’t always meet, what you write and how you write it can mean the difference between making a sale or losing one. In this article, I am going to delve into what these all-important words can do for your business and why a copywriter might be one of the best investments you will make.

1.       Bring your business to life

Lots of us hide behind a screen; buying things; liking things and searching for everything! However, if you are a business you cannot afford to hide you have to get out there and SHOUT about who you are, what you stand for, and more importantly what you will bring to your customers.

With so much done online, it is all about connecting with your audience and showing them your personality. Copywriters inject oomph loads of personality into your business content from your socials to your website and blogs.

Now don’t worry this can be as formal or as informal as you like. But either way, what it does is it captures the attention of your customer, makes your business stand out, makes it relatable, and turns those enquiries into valuable sales.

2.       Turn your content into a conversation

A bit like a personality injection, copywriting takes your generic content written for a crowd and turns it into a conversation – writing as you talk. Think about it often when you read a website it can be technical, full of jargon, and big (swallowed a thesaurus) words! And who talks like that?!

You need to write as if you are having a conversation with just one person. Trust me it is still professional, but it makes your customer much more engaged, connected, and more likely to act in a positive way.  Conversational copywriting is vital to your online success and it is a skill.

3.       Answer the ‘to blog or not to blog’ question (def blog!)

Blogging either makes you cheer or groan! Either way, it needs to be on your business to-do list.

Blogs are everywhere (600million worldwide at the last count) and the reason is, they are such a powerful and inexpensive marketing tool.

A great blog will be engaging, interesting, and relevant. Customers will want to read it, talk about it and share it! However, do you have the time to run your business and write a couple of 800+ word blogs every week? I am thinking probably not. But guess what? A copywriter does.

We will do all the research and write high-quality blogs that draw the right customers to your website and help you climb up Google rankings.  How does a humble blog do this?

·       Fresh and regular content on your website

·       Uses long tail keywords that your customers are searching for online

·       Helps you connect with your audience, builds trust and authority

·       Improves user experience and time on your website

Trust me it works, why do you think those 600 million blogs are out there?!

4.       Sell the benefits and not the features

Do you ever go onto a business website where they just go on and on about how great they are? Do you keep reading? NO!  That is because you think ‘ so what, what is in it for me?’

A professional copywriter understands this and they write for your website, brochure or emails with only your customer in mind.  They tell them what your product or service will do for them and they tap into their emotions. After all when you buy something, why do you buy it?

·       To look good

·       To feel good/healthy

·       To save money

·       To make money

You get the idea. Once you make a customer understand what you are going to do for them to make their life better, you are halfway there.

David Ogilvy often named as THE father of advertising, once said: “Good writing is not a natural skill. You have to learn to write well. “ Not everyone is able to write, just as I cannot design a garden; take a professional photo, or negotiate in court.

Copywriting is a skill, it takes time and effort to perfect but once done it can bring real results to your business. So don’t spend your time trying to write successfully and run your business, concentrate on what you are good at and let a professional take care of the words.

Discover more from me at cmcopy.co.uk and let the words do the talking.

How to write an About Us page that wows! A copywriter's top tips.

Why your About Us page is the secret to turning website visitors into customers!

Remember networking events?! You meet new people, tell them all about your business; your passion and how you benefit your customers. It always seems pretty easy, after all who knows your business more than you?

That is exactly what your About Us page on your website does, so why do so many business owners forget how crucial it is?

Next to your Home page, your About Us page is the most important and most visited on your website. It is the chance for you to tell your story in your words; it lets people know why you started your business; your history and most importantly how you can help them.

So do you want to get your website visitors interested in what you do? Switch them on rather than off? Then read on for my top copywriting tips to make your About Us page more wow and less ow!

 

1.  Write as if you are talking to just one person

When it comes to the words on your website this is so important. You need to write as if you are talking to please just one other person, telling them your story and how you got to where you are. It’s a conversation.

By making your website visitor feel that you are talking only to them, they feel more invested in you and your business, and more importantly they feel that you are invested in them and that equates to sales.

 A great copywriter can not only help you to do that but can also write in a way that injects your passion and personality into what you are trying to convey whilst keeping it simple and to the point.

 

2. What is your mission? – Why did you set up your business?

Did you see a gap in the market and think of a product or service that could really help people, were you looking for a solution to a problem and created it yourself? Tell people about it!

 No-one else has your story to tell, it is unique. Customers want to buy from businesses that are relatable and human not just another faceless one, especially in an age when consumers do want to support local.

3.  What do you do and what do you offer?

Tell your story and make your About Us page wow!

Now I am not sure about you but I have come away from many About Us pages unsure of what the business is actually selling and why I should buy from them.

How is what they are doing different? Why should I buy it and how is it going to make my life better? Your About Us page needs to answer these questions or it is not working for you.

 There is a little lesson you learn early on in copywriting, talk about the benefits not the features! Yes you are selling what you believe to be a great product or service but tell me why I should believe in it and then you will convert me from a website visitor to a customer.

 

4.  I’m talking about a whole lotta history!

This is especially good for small businesses as people do want to support those they feel an affiliation with. So tell them when you got started, how has the journey been, who helped you along the way, again this helps you form a connection with prospective customers and helps to build a relationship.

 

5. A picture tells a thousand words

People love to see pictures, it brings the story of your business to life and gives it a face. So whether it is a photo of staff, of you, or behind the scenes, your website visitor will start to feel that they know a little more about you and it will also help them to remember you.

 

So in a nutshell, when it comes to your About Us page remember it makes people care about you and your business, and this connection has a huge impact on turning website traffic into actual customers! Don’t ignore it!