The Secret Sauce: What Makes Marketing Copy Great

Last night, I was thinking about my original iPod. It was a pretty crazy dream, and gosh, I miss that thing. It died before I had the chance to download everything to a computer.

Do you remember making the Ultimate ____________ playlists?

I had some GEMS. Some were endless hours of road trips worthy. I had one that was 17 hours long. The amount of time to drive from Wisconsin to Arapahoe Basin.

But, Candy Shop was my masterpiece.

Marketing is an art and a science.

I take my innate skill horribly for granted. Most people have no idea what makes good marketing copy.

My first response to many posts is - "too many words, too many words!"

Good marketing copy should not be overwhelming. Keep the above image in mind.

When we focus on features, we lose people. They don't care.

Talk about benefits.

I could care less if the iPod is 6.5 ounces. I do care about 1000 songs in my pocket.

What are the elements of Effective Marketing Copy?

1. Purpose - Marketing copy is crafted to persuade a reader to take a specific action. For example, signing up for a newsletter or a webinar, scheduling an initial consultation, visiting a landing page... Other types of copy educate and inform rather than persuade.
2. Targeted - Effective marketing copy is personalized to a single audience - their language, their concerns, their needs. If you have multiple audiences, you need copy specific for each. The "shotgun" approach reaches No One. In other words, talking to everyone is talking to no one.
3. Engaging - Good Marketing copy is designed to capture attention quickly and maintain that interest. Brevity is critical. No one reads huge blocks of text anymore.
4. Value Proposition - Great Marketing highlights the unique benefits of your services. Clearly articulate the advantage of working with you. How do you make the business better or their life easier?
5. Focused - If you want to be longwinded, don't write Marketing copy. Marketing copy is precise, like a surgeon, to the point, like a freight train, and clear. Vagueness DOES NOT SELL. Your reader should understand easily and immediately what you are talking about.
6. Optimized—Are you using the keywords your audience would use? LinkedIn's search feature is beefed up. Take advantage of it.
7. Brand Voice Consistency - Do you have a Brand voice? What is it? Edgy, friendly, conservative. Does it reflect your personality? Can your audience recognize your style and be comforted by the familiarity of it?
8. Visual Appeal - O M G! Biggest mistake on LinkedIn. Even the visuals are noisy. The visuals should be consistent with the copy, your brand, the needs of the prospects. Most visuals detract. They should complement the copy and contribute to the overall persuasive effect.

Good Marketing Copy Drives Engagement.

In turn, engagement and nurturing drive conversion.

Every post should be examined using these criteria. You won't hit all of them with every post, but a well-designed post can take on a life of its own.

That my friends, is magic.

Until next time...?

Angela

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Recently I discussed LinkedIn on the Sales Reinvented Podcast.

IMHO it is by far the best episode I've recorded. Great resources included.

Access the full episode here.

Episode #394:

Be Passionate on Your LinkedIn Profile.

Angela calls herself The “Accidental Entrepreneur,” having moved to the San Francisco Bay Area with her shiny new MBA and dreams of being a CMO.

Instead, she started her own business. Angela is the #LinkedInBadass sharing her expertise in Business Development, Professional Branding, Visibility & Optimization on LinkedIn.

Without a website, she built her entire vibrant business using free LinkedIn!

She is a former Rock Climbing Guide and lives in Marin where the hiking and the weather are fabulous. Being from Wisconsin, she is a diehard Packer Fan and shareholder. ????