Content marketing is the cornerstone of all digital marketing. Without an eloquently delivered message, the public may have no idea or the wrong idea about what your business represents, what you offer and how you stand out from your competition.
Writing content that is relevant to the needs of your readers is one part of the process. Keeping it engaging and share-worthy is another. Here are four golden rules that copywriters use to craft great content:
Commandment #1 – Thou shalt use the active voice
Using the active voice is a trick copywriters use to give content a lively feel. Consider the two sentences below:
Passive: “The park was cleaned by the community.”
Active: “The community dug in to clean the park.”
Commandment #2 – Thou shalt be positive and specific
Framing phrases in a positive manner lends positivity to both the message and the messenger. Being specific fosters credibility:
Negative: “I don’t know too many languages.”
Positive: “I can speak English and French fluently.”
Vague: “The product should be in stock any day now… maybe next week.”
Specific: “The product is due to arrive on Monday afternoon.”
Commandment #3 – Thou shalt be clear and concise
“May I have an extension on the deadline?”
Vague response: “Yes.”
Clear response: “You may extend the deadline until noon on Tuesday.”
Long-winded: “This year we have experienced the setbacks of… and … Thankfully, we have … and … {yawn}.
Concise: “We survived a tough year thanks to your hard work and dedication. Thanks for sticking with us.”
Commandment #4 – Thou shalt use correct spelling and grammar
Nothing is more off-putting than reading copy that is full of grammatical and spelling mistakes. Even if the reader is not a stickler for language and cannot pinpoint the error; the copy will seem jarring and off.
Incorrect: “Thx 4 a gr8 yr!”
Correct: “Thank you for a great year!”
For all your inbound marketing needs, including copywriting services for your content marketing, please contact the team at WSI OMS today.