Aiming for high-converting content for your brand? Use these messaging tips to help you!

Tuesday: Return Driven Strategy FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: There are lots of things you have to consider whenever you write copies for a certain brand. Your product’s features and benefits, your target audience, your brand’s voice and reputation, etc. Despite these various factors, there is only one goal when it comes to writing content for a brand: To capture your target market’s attention, make an impact through your copy, and leave a lasting positive impression. If you’d like to learn how to write effectively, keep reading to know a few tips to create compelling, interesting, and engaging content. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

Aiming for high-converting content for your brand? Use these messaging tips to help you! Every writer has a different writing style and set of techniques. However, when it comes to writing content for a brand, no matter what the differences are, there is ONLY ONE goal: To make an impact through your copy and make people remember your brand. This goal will help you, as a copywriter, write content that will effectively connect your brand with your target market. Here are a few tips to help you create compelling and interesting copies for your brand. Write Positively. As a copywriter, you have to write your marketing messages in positive ways, even though most marketing messages are centered on the idea of solving customer pains, which seem “inherently negative.” That means you have to avoid these words below in your copy as much as possible: Don’t Never Avoid Banish Get rid of But For example: When you see someone who’s about to touch a hot kettle without his or her knowing, your normal response would be to say, “Don’t touch that!” In a marketer/copywriter’s perspective, instead of saying “Don’t,” divert your target market’s attention to your product by saying, “Only touch this (because my product does not overheat, or it’s better, etc).” Although there is no exact rule or formula as to how you should compose your marketing message, the best rule of thumb is to stay away from any negative associations that could affect your brand’s reputation. By doing so, you also encourage your target market to “feel good” about your brand and help them choose your brand regardless of competition. Some examples of positive slogans from famous brands that resonated in the public’s minds include Nike’s “Just Do It,” Maxwell House’s “Good to the Last Drop,” McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It,” and US Army’s “Be All that You Can Be.” Remember that customers will buy what they WANT to buy. Your target market has always bought―and will continue to buy―the products and services they want to buy. As long as these products and services will make them look younger, slimmer, richer, more powerful,or satisfy their other desires, your target market will believe that your brand has the solution they’re looking for. Take advantage of this “emotional pull,” but not too much as this might also cause you to write things in your copy that are not true about your brand. Just keep your brand’s solutions relevant to your target market’s demands. That way, you’ll avoid giving them any “false hopes” or “empty promises” about what your brand can do for them. Positioning is important. As a copywriter, one of the most important decisions you will make for your brand is how you position your solution. Take for example what advertising company Ogilvy and Mather did for its clients. When it was tasked to create advertisements to improve the reputation of investment management company Merrill Lynch, Ogilvy and Mather positioned the company not just as a stockbroker but as a “total financial services center.” Aside from Merrill Lynch, Ogilvy and Mather also positively positioned financial services company American Express’ Travelers Cheques as not just for foreign travel but for domestic travel as well. How you communicate your message through written words is important. It will help shape how your target market will see your brand. With the right tools and knowledge, coupled with a skill for writing, you’ll be able to position your brand well as one of the competitive brands in its field. When writing starts to feel difficult for you, that means you’re on the right path. German novelist Thomas Mann once wrote: “A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” You have to keep this in mind every time you write your copy, your brand’s slogan, or marketing message. If it starts to feel difficult for you, it’s maybe because you’re really putting your time and effort into writing captivating and compelling messages for your target market. That means there’s room for you to get better at your craft. However, if the copywriting process becomes too easy, it may imply that you’re not pushing yourself hard enough to choose the right words, edit unnecessary parts in your content, or position your brand or product well. Writing is truly not an easy task. Especially if you’re writing for a brand, there are a lot of factors to consider such as a product’s features, benefits, target market, branding, positioning, and a whole lot more. Take note of these tips when you write your next copy. Remember: Filler and fluff in content are easy to write. High-converting copy is hard and time-consuming―but it’s worth it! Hope you found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for next Tuesday’s Return Driven Strategy! In every good presentation, there’s this thing called the “Best Reasonable Outcome.” Learn more about what a good presentation’s “Best Reasonable Outcome” is on next week’s Return Driven Strategy!