Copywriting is where I got my start in marketing way back in 2012. So I was excited to have this conversation with Konrad Sanders about copy - what it is, why it is so important, and how can brands approach it.
Brands don’t put enough attention on copywriting and that holds them back, and lends to lackluster creatives and uninformative websites.
The brands that do put more emphasis on copywriting fare much better in the long run because they are better communicators with their customers and about the products.
Konrad talks about the 13 Lenses framework that he uses in his agency, The Creative Copywriter. It is in-depth and something you can apply to your business.
Because it is such a deep dive, we only had time to cover a few of these Lenses on the show, but below is a write-up from Konrad of all 13 Lenses.
Connect with Konrad on LinkedIn if you want to get in touch.
THE 13 LENSES© METHODOLOGY
THE GOLDFISH LENS
Your prospects are busy. Their attention span is being pulled left, right and centre at any given time.
Think of them as goldfish.
If your content or copy isn’t immediately digestible, their minds will find any excuse to drift away from your words.
So don’t give them one.
CHECKLIST:
Is your headline, title or subject line instantly clear and compelling?
Are your paragraphs short and staggered in length? Remember, no more than three/four sentences per paragraph. Big, chunky ones are harder for the eye to digest. Especially when skimming or scanning.
Are your sentences short and sweet? Ideally, one ‘thought’ per sentence. Long ones lose attention. Choppy copy keeps eyeballs gripped.
Is the line length on your page between 50 and 75 characters for optimal readability?
Is the content easy to skim and scan: with subheaders and/or bullet points? (Kinda like this post).
Is each sentence crystal clear? Don’t use a thesaurus to find fancier words. Use one to find shorter, clearer, more direct words.
THE REAL-TALK LENS
Time and time again, conversational copy has proven to get optimal results. The reason is simple: people buy from people.
And your customers don’t want dull, cliched corporate speak.
A handy litmus test is: would you talk like that at home?
If not, then consider revising it. You’ve probably fallen into the jargon trap.
CHECKLIST:
Are you talking directly to the reader with the words “you” and “your”?
Are you asking questions to engage and include the reader?
For brand copy: are you admitting weakness and turning it into a strength?
Are you steering clear of cliches and jargon?
Does the flow feel like someone is talking? Read it out loud to check.
THE CREATIVE SPARK LENS
Copywriting can make use of all the formulas and techniques in the world, with decent results. But if it’s lacking that creative spark, the copy will only stand out so far in a sea of competition.
A healthy injection of creativity is the key to crafting eye-catching, attention-grabbing copy and content.
CHECKLIST:
Are you using any storytelling to draw in the reader?
Are there any metaphors, analogies and similes to make the content tap dance and sing? (And make tough technical concepts more digestible).
Have you tackled the topic in a refreshingly unusual way?
Have we used any poetic devices like alliteration, personification, repetition or wordplay?
Are you tying up ‘extras’ creatively, such as CTAs, sub-headers and often-overlooked things like menu items, autoresponder copy or Thank You pages?
THE ACTION LENS
Marketing is all about ‘selling the next step’.
Many companies make the mistake of trying to propose on the first date. But as content marketers, we know that in most cases, a slower nurturing process towards conversion is needed.
And every piece of content or line of copy needs to play its role.
Thus, we should always put on our strategic hats and ask: is this piece of content doing enough to push my reader to the next step in the funnel?
CHECKLIST:
Is there a strong and relevant CTA?
Is that CTA taking them to the correct next step (rather than jumping too far down the funnel)? If they’re reading top-funnel educational content, for example, most prospects won’t be in “buying mode”. I.e. they’re not ready to walk down the aisle yet!
Are you using conversion copywriting and sales psychology techniques to help with that push; such as a sense of urgency, a sense of scarcity and social proof?
This may only be for the CTA itself. But if you’re putting a landing page through the lens, these techniques may be needed throughout the entire copy. Use your judgement.
Have you done enough to remove barriers and build trust? E.g. by presenting yourself as a credible authority.
Have you woven in persuasive copy subtly, so that you don’t sound like a car salesman? Get the balance right. Natural is always best. Don’t be a cheese-fest.
Does the content or page have a solid traffic-driving strategy in place?
THE CONTEXT LENS
Context is king.
Your readers will be at different stages of awareness. They might not even be aware that they have a problem that you can solve.
That’s why your messaging and content must be in tune with where they are in their minds, and with their relationship to your products/services.
And of course, the context in which they are reading those words.
CHECKLIST:
Do you know what stage of awareness (the majority of) your readers are at? And have you addressed them with that in mind?
Are you using the right headline formula to resonate with and grip that particular prospect?
Is the prospect likely to be in a rush and just flick through? Bear in mind how much time they’re likely to spend reading. For example, social media doesn’t give you long to impress, so write with that in mind.
Is there anything that may be happening in their lives that may affect how that message resonates? Like a COVID lockdown, for example!
THE BRAND LENS
Your brand voice needs to be consistent across the board.
If you’re talking one way on your website, but then using a different tone in other comms, it’s going to create an uncomfortable dissonance.
Always keep your voice and key messaging in line. So your content resonates with your customers and you don’t go off-piste.
CHECKLIST:
Is your voice consistent with the rest of the marketing collateral?
Is it in line with your brand voice guidelines? Check the chosen voice adjectives. Does your copy fit the bill?
Are you using American English, British English or some other kind of dialect or language consistently?
Are there any brand voice nuances you should consider? For example, a slightly different set of rules for different sectors. (E.g. B2B vs B2C).
Are there any words or phrases you should be including or excluding?
THE ZIG-ZAG LENS
Content saturation is a very real and palpable problem. Your readers are bombarded with emails, ads, copy and content constantly.
The result? Their go-to reaction will be to ignore, avoid and delete. Ouch.
But you can combat this by having something uniquely compelling about your content. By getting your content and brand messaging to zig while the industry zags.
CHECKLIST:
Have you done competitor analysis to understand the USPs, tones of voice, strengths, weaknesses, styles, formats, lengths etc of competitors?
Is the angle, approach or perspective of your content unique?
Do you have any other differentiators: e.g. unique design style, unique format, unique tone of voice etc?
Are these differentiators consistent across other bits of content?
For copy and bottom-funnel content: are the benefits you’re pushing truly unique and compelling? Or could they just as easily belong to another brand? (If the latter: adapt them).
THE OUTSIDE-IN LENS
The best content strategies and highest converting copy are built on the ACTUAL needs, desires and pains of the people we are targeting.
Not just on what we think should resonate.
They are demand-led, not assumption-led.
Which is why we must truly try to get inside the heads of our customers.
And the best place to start is with both implicit and explicit data collection. I.e. listening to them and talking to them!
CHECKLIST:
Is this content based on insights, rather than just your own assumptions?
Have you used voice-of-customer data? By this, I mean words and phrases used by your actual customers and prospects.
Have you done keyword research to understand what prospects are searching for? Or discovered the actual questions they are typing in.
Have you injected any insights from surveys, focus groups and/or buyer interviews?
Is the content truly and tangibly valuable to your prospects, or does it just scratch the surface of the subject? (More on that in ‘The Value Lens’ later).
Are you focused on benefits, not just features? Do you paint a vivid picture of those benefits to help your prospects almost touch and taste the rewards?
THE INTRIGUE LENS
Intrigue is such a powerful copywriting tool. Gripping your reader with whatever form of copy you’re writing is essential.
If it lacks intrigue, they’re likely to metaphorically or literally walk right on by.
Don’t let them.
CHECKLIST:
Have you harnessed the power of ‘The Curiosity Gap’ in your headline and/or teaser copy?
Have you tackled the topic in a fresh, unique way – and teased them with that intriguing angle in the title or header? E.g. “Caution: Stop Masturbating with Your Money” by Ashley Ambirge.
Are there any cliffhangers to help keep readers glued till the end?
Do you build anticipation in the intro of the content piece by teasing what’s to come? For example, by explaining what value they are about to gain?
Have you included any specific stats? For example, “67.9% of people who used this tool have changed their careers as a result”. Super specific facts and figures are intriguing as heck!
THE PRIMAL BRAIN LENS
In simple terms, our brains can be broken down into two main parts.
The primal part, which is in control of our instincts and emotions. And the rational part, which governs higher-level cognitive processes and rational thought.
While we are of course rational beings, the primal (reptilian and mammalian) brain processes simply work faster. E.g. if a shark is coming for you, you don’t have all that much time to weigh up the pros and cons of being eaten alive.
So tapping into raw gut instincts and emotions, wherever possible, will help you quickly grab attention and influence decision-making.
CHECKLIST:
Have you connected with how your reader is currently feeling? Tap into powerful emotions like love, nostalgia, sadness, regret etc. Yes, even with your B2B audience.
Have you communicated how that product, service or piece of content will make them feel?
Have you used sensory words like “stink”, “bitter”, “silky” and “shiny”?
What about onomatopoeic words like ‘pop’, ‘bang’ and ‘sizzle’?
Have you tapped into our strongest primal instinct: fear? One of copywriting’s most famous headlines, which plays on the fear factor, is Max Sackheim’s “Do You Make These Mistakes in English?”.
THE HIERARCHY LENS
You can have the most perfectly written copy that hits all the right notes.
But if the messaging hierarchy is wrong and doesn’t make sense, you could lose the interest of your reader sharpish.
Messaging needs to be structured in an optimal way to make the most powerful impact.
CHECKLIST:
Are you ‘expectation matching’ in the top 10% of the piece of content? By this I mean, does the copy or content match what the reader was expecting to read (including the keywords they may have typed into the search engines)?
For conversion copy landing pages: are you following a proven framework such as PAS or AIDA?
If telling a story: is there a beginning, middle and end? What is the narrative arc?
When listing benefits: are the most important benefits at the top? Things that come first in a list stick in our minds more. It’s a psychological bias we call The Primacy Effect.
Are you answering questions in the order that a prospect would need them answered? For example, are the most important questions answered first?
THE VALUE LENS
Humans are selfish beings. (Yes, you too).
So copywriting is almost always about giving value to your reader. From highlighting benefits in website copy to a blog post that solves a burning problem.
Every piece of content should be focused on what value it’s offering. What does the reader get out of reading this? Why should they give a crap?
CHECKLIST:
Are you turning the product or service features into tangible, relatable benefits for the reader?
Do blog posts and other top-funnel content solve a real problem for the reader? Do they steer clear of self-promotion?
Does your content or copy teach the reader something? Does it offer knowledge they might struggle to find elsewhere?
Do you use ‘YOU’ rather than ‘WE’ to address the reader directly and show them that the content is about them?
Do you address the readers’ pain points in your copy? You’ll know this info from your competitor analysis efforts.
THE SEO LENS (THE BONUS LENS)
This is a lens for any copy or content that’s free for public viewing. As we need to consider the search engines, too.
SEO is a careful balancing act these days. And to make sure you get it bang on, you need to follow some simple rules to win over the SERP’s algorithms.
CHECKLIST:
Have you used the primary and secondary keywords within the text in a natural way? I.e. without keyword-stuffing.
Is the primary keyword in the first paragraph?
If this is an SEO-focused article or landing page, is the exact keyword phrase in the H1 header? (Ideally near the front).
Are the H2 headers (subheaders) closely connected to the primary keyword?
Do the images have ALT descriptions closely connected to the primary keyword – again, without blatantly keyword-stuffing?
Are you interlinking between articles and landing pages in a way that is natural and helpful? Think: Wikipedia.
Are you linking out to other valuable resources too? Like in this blog post.
Do you have a meta description and meta title, both containing the exact keyword phrase?
Tell us which of these Lenses grabs your attention in the comments!
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