Writing marketing content: 3 secrets to make it flow

Posted by Patrice Rhoades-Baum

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Business owners who are writing marketing content – website copy, sales landing pages, brochures, speaker one-sheets, and other marketing verbiage – tell me it’s a chore.

They procrastinate, get stressed out, get writer’s block, and suffer through the first draft. Their editing process is more “critical” than “critique.” The words do not flow, and they are NOT having a good time.

For me, thanks to 3 decades of marketing and copywriting experience, writing marketing content comes fairly easily. It’s still a hefty project, mind you. But (thankfully) there’s not a lot of pain and suffering involved.

Right now, I’m immersed in writing several sales landing pages. The copy is flowing (thankfully). I just realized the reason why it’s flowing: Over the years, I’ve internalized these 3 secrets to writing marketing content.

 

Here are my 3 secrets to writing marketing content:

Secret #1. Follow the “itch-and-scratch” approach.

This is an extremely useful tool to have in your writing toolkit. Here’s how it works:

THE ITCH: Write the first few sentences of copy to directly address your prospects’ needs, challenges, or struggles.

THE SCRATCH: Write copy that directly speaks to the results – the relief they get – with the products or services you deliver.

 

Here’s an example:

THE ITCH: Are you embarrassed by your outdated website and mismatched marketing tools?

THE SCRATCH: Team with our skilled designers to create polished, professional marketing collateral, including a strategic website. You’ll enjoy this exciting, stress-free process. And you’ll love the results!

 

Secret #2. Use the word YOU.

Writing sentences that start with the word “YOU” helps to clearly present benefit messages. This is a must when writing ALL types of marketing content including website copy. (Note that you are “speaking” to an individual person, not a group of people magically reading your content in unison.)

Here’s an example:
In this interactive workshop, your sales reps will learn a proven process to hit their sales goals, month after month. 

“YOU” is a hardworking little word. It practically guarantees that your marketing content clearly presents “what you get” – the benefits and results your prospects will receive when they team with you.

 

Secret #3. Tap into the reader’s emotions.

As I thought about one of the sales landing pages I was about to write, I realized that prospects who need this product are feeling confused, stuck, and overwhelmed. As I wrote the copy, I addressed these feelings from beginning to end. Essentially, I kept my finger on the pulse.

When writing marketing content, take a minute to think deeply about your potential buyers. How are they feeling? What are the emotions they struggle with – the emotions that might drive them to purchase the particular service or product you are selling?

Here’s a helpful list of emotions, as a start:

Frustrated, overwhelmed, confused, unclear/foggy, feeling stuck, feeling pressured to make the right choice, scared, feelings of inadequacy, flustered, floundering, fear of wasting time, fear of wasting money, fear of failure, fear of making the wrong choice

 

Follow these 3 secrets to writing marketing content for your next project. Hopefully, there will be no pain and suffering – and a lot more flow!

 

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