How can you write effective copy in a changing media landscape?

Your audience is the person(s) you want to speak with. You can't speak with someone you don't know clearly. For you to address their pain points, you must first get to know them well. Know their; Goals Interests Challenges By doing this, you put yourself in a better position. The next thing up the ladder is knowing how to help them deal with their pain points.

Keep sentences concise and easy to understand. Repeat key selling points several times so you can be sure the listener or viewer hears them. If the script you're writing is to get viewers or listeners to take the next step, don't forget a clear call-to-action.

Adapt to emerging platforms and audience behaviors. Focus on concise, engaging content that works across different media, like how BuzzFeed creates catchy, shareable headlines for social media adaptability. Incorporate multimedia elements for digital platforms, and always stay informed about current trends and platform algorithms. Personalize content for specific audience segments, leveraging data analytics as Netflix does for its targeted show recommendations.

Various media platforms and formats come with distinct strengths, limitations, and norms. Your choice of medium should align seamlessly with your message, audience, and objectives. For instance, for educating on a complex topic, opt for a blog post or video. To drive leads or sales, leverage a compelling landing page or email. Foster trust and loyalty through a newsletter or podcast. Always tailor your copy's length, tone, style, and design to suit the selected medium.

Don't practice the kind of writing you were taught in school. Avoid jargon words. Think of something easy from your audience's perspective. If your language is easy to understand, there are high chances of more engagement. Use short sentences and use white spaces. Remember, attention is one of the two most expensive things on earth. Attention spans are reducing, people are skimming and reading what catches their eyes, is not overloaded, easy to understand and relatable. Make good use of your hooks and promise what your hook delivers.

Try to add your life experiences in anything you are writing about. The idea is to make it feel real, yet not over-personalize it. Create a narrative around everything you can. If not yours, someone else’s story. Something or someone you observed. This way, no matter the idea or topic, there is always a way to stay relatable and true and real.

When it comes to copywriting, you'll often face a choice between clever and obvious. Don't underestimate obvious. People often don't read carefully enough to absorb clever. And testing is how you'll often find out in which instances this is true. So don't just assume.