At face value, writing can seem pretty easy. You simply write out your ideas and thoughts; if it’s in email, you may even send it off without proofing it or thinking twice about it. However, copywriting is a whole other animal.
Copywriting really involves pinning down the key idea and capturing it in concise and engaging copy. Copywriting needs to hook your readers into your message with just a few words or a simple phrase. It also needs to work across ALL your platforms, especially your social media channels. There can’t possibly be a winning formula for every social media platform, can there? According to one blogger, there just may be.
What’s the magic mix?
In his Copyblogger article “Master This Copywriting Formula to Dominate Any Social Media Platform,” Demian Farnworth reports that if people master copywriting fundamentals, you can take these skills anywhere to improve your communication approach in your business.
This copywriting pro specifically looks to the “Problem-Agitate-Solve” formula that breaks down like this:
- Identify a problem;
- Agitate that problem;
- Trot out the solution.
And Farnworth should know. Earlier in his career, he wrote copy for a world-famous televangelist who constantly toured the country for three-day conferences. After each event, Farnworth had to write descriptions for each of these recorded sessions in a few sentences, positioning the televangelist’s content as the solution to the problem that a person may have. He also had to make it irresistible.
Now, even though you may not be working with the supernatural word, think about this formula with your own company. Think about your target audience. What problem do they have that they come to you to solve? What are their biggest issues that they really need help with? Instead of ignoring the problem, call it out. Address the problem head-on. Assure people that this is a problem for so many people and that they are not alone, because acknowledging the issue gives their problem visible credibility. Then it’s time to be the savior. Your product and/or service fixes this problem better than any other company out there, hands down, no questions asked. When you have this entire story, put the narrative into smart and short copy that captures this in a handful of words.
Don’t put the same copy in all the places that you live. Not only is this repetitive, but it’s also uninspired. First, think about your medium. If you are on Facebook, can you put a quote on a graphic that will get people to click and share it? Or if you are on Twitter, can you ask a question (aim for 90 characters) that makes people scratch their head and want to know more. Make it so catchy that they can’t resist.
Here’s an example from Farnworth: Girls ignoring you? Learn to live with it OR learn how to tame grizzly bears, champ. Find out here: [enter short link]
Would you be enticed to find out? Bets are you would click that mouse to know the punch line.
Even if your subject matter borders on seemingly boring, you can make anything seem exciting and intriguing with the right copy. And be sure to plan ahead. If you have a major product launch coming out next quarter, map out your copy for a few months to keep the momentum building without repeating yourself and looking dull. You might have your own formula for homerun copy that hits the results out of the park. What magic words and strategies drive traffic and engagement for your brand? Share your greatest tips here!
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Reference: http://www.copyblogger.com/problem-agitate-solve/