More than anything else, writing copy is about telling stories. Its long been known that facts tell, but stories sell.
So start today! Start practicising writing in the format of a compelling stories, with the structure of such.
What will get your readers hooked? Think about great books that you’ve read. What made you interested? Perhaps the character? The hero and enemy (protagonist and antagonist)? Perhaps it was conflict and then resolution?
Link in your perfect customer – their avatar. Give them something that they can relate to. Whether it’s a story about yourself, or about a position that they can relate to.
The story, beyond anything else, should be focussed on your target customers.
And so, yes, it’s back to understanding your customer (banging that drum again!).
You must get the customer’s attention. In a digital world, where content streams faster than the niagra falls, you have to cut through the information overload and grab their attention.
Since the days of sitting around campfires, to bed time stories, we has humans love a good story. We want to know the outcome. It’s in our nature.
How many posts do you see shared? And how many do you engage with? Why do you engage with them? I’m willing to bet my income it’s because the ones that you engage with, resonate with you.
Stories build trust. By demonstrating you understand your customer’s world, without actively or agressively trying, you engage them.
And good stories are passed on. They become viral. They are shared.
If you go down to your favourite pub or bar, you spend most of the evening recounting stories. Whether it’s about your day, your experiences or other’s stories.
This is so powerful when it comes to marketing!
How many times do your friends and family say “I must tell you about what happened to…?”
Good stories are remembered and passed on.
And because stories are preferred, they can be personal. Some of the most successful high engagement posts on social media are the honest posts, where people share truth. Simply because, in the format of a story, others will read the posts and be inclined to comment.
So, as a brand, you need to ask, what are the stories that will resonate with your audience?
Don’t wait before trying it out.
Consider your target audience, and (hopefully by now if you’ve been following this book!) you will know what triggers them.
- What hook for a story will get their attention?
- How can you keep their attention?
- How can you weave in your brand and services/products?
- How does it conclude? Is there a punchline?
- What call to action can you end with?
