Summary of Tom Albrighton's Copywriting Made Simple

Everest Media

Description

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.
Sample Book Insights:
#1 The product is the thing you’re selling. It could be a business-to-consumer product like orange squash or a microwave, a business-to-consumer service like car insurance or window cleaning, a business-to-business product like a photocopier or a forklift truck, or a business-to-business service like accountancy or marketing.
#2 When writing about a product, you must first understand what it does, how it works, and what problems it solves. You must also understand who uses it, how they use it, and when. You must also consider whether there is anything unusual or even unique about the product.
#3 To learn about the product, ask the client for all the information they have available, including brochures, web pages, internal presentations, and anything else. If they offer to write their own notes, say yes.
#4 Site visits are worthwhile for any product, but are particularly useful for professional services. The end client is buying the people who will deliver the service, and the culture of the company will have a big impact on their experience.

Sujets

• Marketing
• Business
• Economics
• Marketing et communication

Informations

• Publié par: Everest Media LLC
• Date de parution: 25 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798822548817
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Insights on Tom Albrighton's Copywriting Made Simple
Contents Insights from Chapter 1 Insights from Chapter 2 Insights from Chapter 3
Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The product is the thing you’re selling. It could be a business-to-consumer product like orange squash or a microwave, a business-to-consumer service like car insurance or window cleaning, a business-to-business product like a photocopier or a forklift truck, or a business-to-business service like accountancy or marketing.

#2

When writing about a product, you must first understand what it does, how it works, and what problems it solves. You must also understand who uses it, how they use it, and when. You must also consider whether there is anything unusual or even unique about the product.

#3

To learn about the product, ask the client for all the information they have available, including brochures, web pages, internal presentations, and anything else. If they offer to write their own notes, say yes.

#4

Site visits are worthwhile for any product, but are particularly useful for professional services. The end client is buying the people who will deliver the service, and the culture of the company will have a big impact on their experience.

#5

In-person interviews are the best way to gather information, but phone or Skype interviews are a good substitute. If you record the conversation, you can concentrate on what’s being said without taking notes.

#6

The more product knowledge you have, the easier it is to go native and start seeing things from the client’s viewpoint rather than the reader’s. You can’t be naïve and expert at the same time.

#7

To bring you around to your point of view, you need to present the same points in a different manner. The first list presents the cottage's features, while the second highlights its benefits.

#8

The simplest way to get your reader’s interest is by offering them benefits. Benefits are the heart of effective copywriting. As a copywriter, your most precious resource is your reader’s attention.

#9

The most important part of planning your copy is deciding which benefits you’re going to discuss and in what order. Some projects, like print ads, might be all about one important benefit. A product description on a website might discuss a few different benefits.

#10

The benefits of a product are the good things that will happen when your reader buys and uses the product. They are the experience of a product, rather than the product itself.

#11

Some benefits are objective and practical, such as how a product functions. Other benefits are more subjective and emotional, such as how a product makes the reader feel. While intangible benefits may seem less important, they are just as real to the reader.

#12

The balance between tangible and intangible benefits will depend on the project. With B2B buyers, for example, people are mainly interested in tangible benefits, so the use of comparison sites makes sense.

#13

To avoid coming off like a pub bore, ask yourself whether any feature actually offers a benefit. If not, consider whether it's necessary in your copy. A clear benefit is a way in which the product makes the reader's life better.

#14

The S in USP stands for unique selling point, which is there to make sure that your product has one. A USP is a feature that allows you to make some eye-catching claims in your copy, such as first or only.

#15

The same product can offer different benefits to different people, and the buyer and user aren't always the same person. Think about school uniform. For parents, price and durability matter most, but for their kids, comfort and style are more important.

#16

If the reader is naturally interested in your features, you may not need to turn them into benefits at all. For early adopters of new technology or hobbyists, the feature is the benefit.

#17

To create a list of benefits, choose a product from around your home and think of five of its features. Now re-express them as customer benefits. Use the so what. test to find the most powerful expression of each benefit.

#18

When writing copy, you should always consider who your reader is. You can’t appeal to everyone, so you should focus on the people who are most likely to appreciate your product and its benefits.

#19

The reader's profile is not enough to base your copy on. You must also consider what the reader wants and feels. For example, the target reader for an online accounting platform might be owner-managers of small businesses who use the internet a lot.

#20

The reader wants the same things as they do in B2C situations: they want to be able to satisfy their needs and desires. They want to get things done, and they want to feel important.

#21

When writing for a audience, you must make sure your copy is fit for purpose. The examples above illustrate how a website should describe symptoms, say what they mean, and explain what to do next.

#22

Empathy is the key to understanding your reader. It means getting inside someone else’s experience and seeing what they see and feeling what they feel. It is emotional listening, and it helps your reader understand you and your message.

#23

To better understand your clients, talk to people who already use the product or one similar to it. They may tell you why they like the product or how it helps them, which helps you empathize with them.

#24

A persona is a detailed description of a reader’s typical day. It helps you write for your reader as an individual, but it may also lead you to believe that their characteristics are more common than they actually are.

#25

The goal of copywriting is to sell a product, but not always. You might have different pieces of copy for different stages of the customer journey, and each part might have a different aim. For example, you might write an online buyer’s guide explaining the different kinds of window, which would give readers information and build their trust in the brand, but not directly promote the product.

#26

The fifth habit is to be aware of your reader’s habits. How are they reading the content. What desires or feelings are they trying to get them to have. What are they trying to get them to think, feel, or do.

#27

A copywriting brief is a document that states what your copy needs to do. It's the mission statement for your copywriting project, helping you know your destination before you set off.