We are approaching the end of a series on product messaging techniques. At this point, I would be remiss if I didn't spend some time discussing the importance of good marketing copy.
I can hear you thinking, "I am a good writer. My marketing copy is just fine, thank you." Please do not stop reading here. I have yet to find a product marketer who can't or shouldn't improve their marketing writing - including myself.
Don't think there is a problem?
Go compare your marketing copy with your top two competitors. Pull out their messages, throw them in a spreadsheet, and compare them side-by-side. I do this on every project. You will be surprised at the similarities you will find.
I vividly recall one project where my client pointed out that their messaging had been so successful that their competitors were stealing it to use themselves. Now everyone was sounding the same. It became impossible to understand how each was different.
Rule #1: Differentiate your words
It is essential that you differentiate your words so that they cut through the glut of same-sounding, eye-glazing messaging that is out there. If you do not do this, you are doing all of your other messaging work a disservice.
So how exactly do you differentiate your words?
- Find out what your competitors are saying and how they say it.
- Choose words and phrases that are different from your competitors.
- Talk like your customers. Use their vocabulary, not yours.
- Refuse to sound like a marketer.
- Reduce the number of adjectives you use. Lose those adjective strings.
- Eliminate use of verbs and adjectives that have become meaningless. You know the ones: empower, revolutionary, new, improved, ...
- Shorten your sentences. Allow only one idea per statement.
- Add inflection, rhythm and volume to your words. This gives them life.
- Hire a good copy writer or editor. Very few writers can objectively edit their own copy. Don't skimp on this valuable resource.
Rule #2: Not all marketing copy is the same style - or is it?
I grew up in the era where marketers wrote data sheets, white papers, glossy brochures - wonderful, beautiful prose. Back then, my marketing books were dense tomes rarely relieved by illustrations or call-outs.
That was then, this is the Internet age.
The first thing to note is that that old prose style does not work on the Internet. Do not take your data sheet, white paper, brochure content and throw it on the web. If you do, you can watch your web page bounce rates hit 100%. The web requires a different approach and a different style.
Jakob Nielsen (Web usability guru) notes that for web page writing you must use 50% less text than traditional copy. That copy needs to start with the most important message. It needs to be clean and crisp (see point above about differentiating your words). It needs to be structured for scannability.
The second thing to note is that I believe that those who consume marketing content are increasingly less attracted to the prose style. Let's be clear. I am not saying that they don't want the information that marketers tend to package in data sheets, white papers, etc. What I am saying is that they want that content to be stylized more like web page content.
This means that it is more important than ever that marketers learn how to effectively produce their messaging copy using a scannable, web page style. Web style writing is now a foundational tool of our trade.
In conclusion, changing these old habits isn't easy. I encourage you to:
- Take some courses or read some books on effective web copy writing
- Start using these techniques yourself
- Back-up your newfound efforts by using an expert web copy editor
- Use web statistics and other feedback mechanisms to test how well you are doing
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