How to Write Irresistible Copy

As a freelance writer, many of the opportunities you will encounter will be for writing copy. Copywriting can be a lucrative niche to get into as a writer, but it’s also a crowded field. That means your copy has to stand out from all of the rest—in other words, it needs to be irresistible. Irresistible copy is about more than just writing copy that is clean and well-edited. It has to jump off the page and grab readers’ attention. Above all, it has to sell. If you’re a freelance writer who wants to get into copywriting or grow your copywriting work with bigger and more lucrative clients, these tips for making your work stand out will help.

Write with a Why in Mind 

When you’re writing copy, don’t get caught up in the surface purpose of a product or service. There’s the fundamental nuts and bolts side of what a product does, but then there’s the reason why it exists. That is the reason that people will be interested in purchasing it. For example, if your client sells yoga pants, people don’t buy the yoga pants to have pants. They buy them because they want to get fit doing yoga and look stylish or on trend. Connecting with the why will help to ensure that your copy connects with customers in the right way.

If you’re not sure about the why for a product or service, ask your client to describe it to you. This conversation can generate some interesting insights that will help you shape your copy.

Talk about Customer Outcomes 

Consider what the outcome will be for the customer if he or she purchases the product. You can think about outcomes by thinking about the benefits of making the purchase. If the customer buys yoga pants and gets fit doing yoga, it could lead to a number of outcomes. He or she may feel healthier and more confident and may feel like part of a community. He or she may make friends on yoga class or fall in love with yoga enough to become a yoga teacher or to take a trip to a major yoga event with friends from class.

All of these things are potential outcomes that could come from the simple act of purchasing the yoga pants. However, they aren’t necessarily things that a customer would consider on his or her own without you painting the picture. Creating a vision of customer outcomes and making them come alive in your copy will entice more customers to make purchases.

Anticipate Readers’ Feelings When Writing

The purpose of copywriting is to sell products and services. However, that can mean a number of things. Some products and services are exciting, and customers come looking for information when they’re on the cusp of doing something they feel good about. Other purchases are made in times of crisis or confusion. In other instances, a purchase is perfunctory.

The feeling of your copy should match the feelings you expect the readers to be having. If you’re writing for a client with a new hotel, your tone might want to be enthusiastic and upbeat. When you’re writing for a medical client, you may want to take a more serious tone. If the product or service is something like paper towels, which is not likely to get a strong emotional response, the tone of your copy should be crisp, efficient, and authentic, giving people the facts they need.

Sell Without Selling

Your copywriting customers want you to create content that sells, but that doesn’t mean your work has to read like a sales pitch. People are instantly turned off when someone is giving them a hard sell, whether it’s in person or in print. The trick of engaging copy is to write something that people want to read and that connects with them enough for them to become interested in your client’s product or service. If they want to keep reading, then you’ve done your job in selling the brand.

Your copy should always end with a clear call to action. Once readers have engaged with your content enough to get to the bottom of the post, tell them what you want them to do next. This could mean signing up for a mailing list, making a purchase, or simply remembering the brand for a future need. Again, this isn’t a place for a hard sell, but it is a place to open the door to invite the reader to connect.

If you want to launch your career as a copywriter, you’ll find the tools you need on Writers Work. As a member of this community of freelance writers, you will get access to a consistently updated job search tool, complete with exclusive opportunities. Members also get an online profile and the chance to be part of the Writers Marketplace, where clients can browse writing samples and reach out directly to freelancers for hire. Could Writers Work be the right fit for you? Find out with a risk-free membership.