Content is an integral part of any digital marketing campaign. More than 70 percent of executives say they incorporate content marketing into their overall business plans, further highlighting its importance in company growth.
Copywriting remains a favorite content format among marketers. It helps you communicate effectively with your audience, persuade them to take action and ultimately drive conversions.
Unfortunately, setting aside the competition within your niche, low-quality copywriting will prevent you from reaping those benefits. If your campaign does not yield desirable results, chances are, you are making the following copywriting mistakes:
01: Poor linguistic quality
A good copy is grammatically proper and has minimal or no typos. Its flow and structure should be solid as well. The more difficult it is to comprehend your copy, the more likely your audience will give up reading it.
Poor copywriting is bad for business and makes you look unprofessional, which is the last thing you want while trying to establish yourself as an industry expert. It may even incite distrust in your brand, reducing your chance to pitch products or services to the audience.
Your copies ideally undergo a rigorous editing process to ensure they are as good as they can be. Some tools can enhance their linguistic quality, such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor.
Relying on the tools isn't enough, though. Hone your skill as a copywriter to produce copies with excellent linguistic quality. If outsourcing content feels necessary, you can always make an investment there as well.
02: Pushy advertising
You may have stumbled upon copies that try hard to push certain products to readers. Instead of getting interested in the products, readers tend to refrain from aggressive advertising. After all, they may not even plan to purchase anything in the first place.
To ensure readers stay until the end, put the information you promised in the title and meta description. Don't mislead your readers.
Follow your preferred copywriting formula — such as AIDA (attention, interest, desire and action) — to package the message subtly. Rouse the audience's attention and convince them about the importance of your topic. Adding the call-to-action button at the end of your copy can increase your conversion rate.
03: Insufficient research
Inadequate research is another common pitfall in copywriting. Readers visit your copy to gain valuable information about their topic of interest. Poorly done research will lessen the quality of your copy.
You won't gain traction in the competitive attention economy by presenting less-than-stellar content. Remember that other brands are competing to get your target market's attention and are likely to produce content to do so as well.
Obtain legit materials from authority sources in your niche. Ensure that you always fact-check information. You may need to compare several sources in your research. It's even better to cite your sources in the copy.
Scoping out competition is another way to enrich your copy. Research content your competitors have published to see what is lacking. You can address the information discrepancy in your writing.
04: Overusing keywords
Keywords are critical in optimizing your platforms for search engines. Internet users type in specific phrases in the search bar when looking for information. Incorporating keywords related to your niche helps the audience find your content.
Some writers may cram too many keywords in one copy. Search engines are trained to detect excessive keyword use. They may even flag copies that overuse keywords, sending them to the bottom of the search results.
Select one primary keyword to add to your copy, then complement it with related keyphrases. The keyword usually accounts for about one percent of your total word count. Writers must make their keyword placement natural, ensuring the copy flows well.
Writing tools for search engine optimization (SEO), such as Yoast SEO and Jasper AI, will enhance your keyword variation. They also improve the readability of your copies. Rephrasing sentences with tools can also minimize plagiarism.
05: Ignoring proper formatting
Formatting your copies can enhance reader engagement. Headings can effectively divide the body of your writing. They summarize each part of the copy, making it easier for your reader to digest the presented information.
Keep your heading as concise as possible. Headings assist writers in producing copy more efficiently because they can be treated as an outline. The outline also ensures that you get all the essential information.
In addition to headings, search engines love bullet or numbered points. The machine scans text better in such forms. The audience can also comprehend your information easier when presented in a listing format than reading a long sentence full of commas.
Remember, you are writing for the audience. Your copy should make an impact on readers, whether by improving their knowledge, prompting them to try out certain products or even motivating them to make changes in society.
Digital marketers admit that quality and impactful copies are important for a successful marketing campaign, but many consider writing them difficult.
Keep in mind that writing is an ongoing journey. You will see improvements as you write more content. Challenge yourself with new topics and new forms of copy.
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