The Power Of Repetition, Repetition, Repetition In Copy
Repetition in Copywriting The answer to the above is a resounding (and repeating) yes, yes, YES. You can supercharge your copy with some well-placed repetition; just be careful of overdoing it. Less is most definitely more. Here are three reasons why repetition is an awesome copywriting weapon to wield, and why you should definitely be harnessing the power of repetition in your copy. 1. The Entire History Of Popular Recorded Music Is On Your Side Fortunately for us writers, human beings are well-versed in repetition thanks to a near-century of popular music. Almost every single successful pop song incorporates repetition of some kind, and the majority do so in a very standard pattern: verse – chorus – verse – chorus – bridge – chorus. Note that the chorus is repeated three times, often with exactly the same lyrics. Artists with less integrity might even (shock horror) copy and paste the initial chorus two further times (probably looking at you, David Guetta). But why is this such a winning formula? Repetition gives a song unity. It keeps listeners expectant. And it offers a comforting sense of familiarity. Rest assured, it will provide similar advantages for your copywriting. 2. It Will Help Snag The Scanners Let’s be real: this is the internet. People don’t read. They scan. This is a big reason why you should use a repetitive technique in copywriting (as well as keeping it all simple). You might have been sold the lie that every word counts – when it comes to the cruel world of internet commerce, it most certainly does not. Regrettably, attention spans in 2021 have been whittled away to kittenish proportions. You have to make sure your message gets through this nigh-on impenetrable wall of inattention, and the best way to do that is hammering it home with a few reliable repetitions. This way, even if readers miss the first instance, you can snag ’em further down the line. 3. Stick It In Their Heads Once your message does get through, repetition ensures that it has a much better chance of sticking in your readers’ collective heads. Some of the most famous lines of books, songs, speeches, poems, plays and films utilise repetition, and most people can easily recollect them even after hearing them just once… ‘You talkin’ to me?’ ‘Let it snow…’ ‘And miles to go before I sleep…’ ‘It was the best of times…’ ‘To be or…’. These are just a handful of examples where we’re willing to bet your mind involuntarily continued the famous repetition. Of course, you don’t need to aim for high literature with your copy – but do remember that repetition is a powerful device with a proven track record. Use it, but don’t abuse it! (Yep, rhyming is also up there, but that’s a topic for another article.) Why Simple Copy Is (Usually) The Best Copy We’re sure you’ve heard the old adage ‘less is more’. Well, ironically, that’s a little bit of an oversimplification! Less is not more, because that would imply ‘more’ is better. It’s not. Less is better. Less is optimum. Unfortunately, that’s not catchy enough to stick in most people’s heads, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Especially when it comes to good copy. Your goal should be making your content as easy to digest as possible for your audience. Let’s take a look at why simple copy is best for you and your readers. Why Simple Copy Is Best ‘Simple’ is sometimes seen as ‘boring’, especially by clients. They want their product or service talked about in new, dynamic, exciting ways. To that end, copywriters are often encouraged to over complicate things, creating detailed pitches crammed with industry-specific jargon. But this is not the way to do it. Why? Because direct, simple language often has the most impact. For example, in everyday speech, if you want to call someone ‘difficult to work with’, you wouldn’t reach for ‘nefarious’. If you wanted to call them ‘stubborn’, chances are you wouldn’t opt for ‘obstinate’. You probably wouldn’t describe the last awesome song you heard as ‘mellifluous’. In other words, you don’t need to mainline the contents of a thesaurus into each and every ounce of copy. How Do You Write Good Copy? First things first: you should always imagine you’re talking to a specific person or people when you’re writing content. If you’re selling something, think of how you might describe it to your friends. Put it in those terms. Keep it simple. Keep it positive. It can also help to imagine a hierarchy of goals when it comes to copy. You can take this as a basic guide to writing copy that converts. 1. Can the reader understand what I’m saying? This is a crucial one, which is why it’s top-tier. It’s best to assume that your audience isn’t filled with experts on your topic or product, and write to them accordingly. 2. Is my copy impactful? In other words, will the reader remember what you’ve said? Is it going to lodge itself in their brain? Will they recall it in future when they see something related to your topic? Underline it. THIS is why copy is important. THIS is what I want to say. 3. Is my copy engaging? The final consideration is whether your copy is dynamic, fun to read and ultimately engaging. Also consider how you’re coming across; ideally, it’s as an expert in your field. Of course, all three points are important, but the structure above is the correct one. Some copywriters reverse the order, placing primary importance on coming across as a boffin. If you do this, you run the risk of alienating a large chunk of your audience, reducing the utility of your blog in the process. Remember, a business blog is not a personal podium. It is a selling tool. Copywriting Made Simple Ultimately, remember that your job as a copywriter is to forge the path of least resistance to your audience. You can still be creative; just don’t neglect the basics while you do. Maybe try out your copy on a golden retriever first. If he gets it, move on to a five-year-old child. If you find further success, you could be on to something. The Power Of Positivity In Your Copy It’s a sad fact that no one likes a pessimist. Not even the pessimist themselves. It’s also a sad fact that pessimism hasn’t been the greatest selling tool, historically. In fact, just talking about pessimism is probably putting you off reading the rest of this article… So let’s switch it up! Positive energy is crucial when it comes to selling your services or products. But are you harnessing enough of the power of positivity in your copy? How To Harness The Power Of Positive Copywriting At the risk of repelling you even more, let’s give you an example of dull, sullen writing. See how much you’re energised by it… Here’s a blog I worked hard on. I hope it’s good, but it’s difficult for me to tell, because I never really like my own work. It probably won’t even be read by a lot of people anyway, so I suppose it doesn’t really matter. Are you chomping at the bit for the next sentence? No, of course you’re not. We got bored just typing it. Here’s how you might reframe the above with a bit of dynamism… So thrilled to finally be able to share this blog! I’ve spent so much time researching and writing it. I’m hoping it can reach as many people as possible and if it changes the way just one person thinks about the world then my job as a writer is done! Much better. Psychology-Based Tips To Improve Your Copywriting Employing a clear, positive, upbeat tone in your copy will energize your readers and make them more partial to the soft suggestions you put forward in your blog. It’s important to remember that, at the end of the day, your blog is a selling tool. Sure, it can be a showcase for strong, engaging writing. But it also has to work for you and your business. It also represents your business. For many customers, it will be the first thing about you that they encounter. Maybe the only thing. You only get one chance at a first impression; if you come across negative, there’s a good chance people won’t want anything to do with you. Science shows that people are attracted to positivity. You don’t have to go all happy-clappy on ’em; feel free to use some humour, slang words, shorthand – anything that helps the reader come away with a positive sentiment towards your brand. Positive Framing In Copywriting Positive framing is a useful little tool for copywriting; basically, it reframes a statement or suggestion in a positive light, describing something tangible and achievable as opposed to focusing on absence and confrontation. For example (Jacoby, Nelson, & Hoyer, 1982): NEGATIVE: Don’t you dare be late. POSITIVE: Do your best to arrive on time. NEGATIVE: Don’t drink excessively. POSITIVE: Drink responsibly. NEGATIVE: Don’t use negative framing in your blog copy. POSITIVE: Use positive framing in your blog copy. We actually use more mental resources to process negative framing, so they reduce overall comprehension as well as making your readers feel somewhat deflated. These are just a few copywriting tips based on psychology, but the overall message is a simple one: be positive! You should know instinctively the tone of your writing, so just decide how you’re going to frame your topic before you start. And if all that fails, just throw in an exclamation mark on every other sentence! Works every time!* * Disclaimer: It will not work every time. Crowded Industry? How To Write Website Copy That Outshines Your Competitors We all know that tacky talent show called The Voice (you’ve probably found yourself watching it at some point out of sheer desperation), where the judges swivel in their oversized chairs when they hear a voice that catches their attention. The show should actually be called The Unique Voice, because that’s what you need to succeed on it. Everyone’s got a voice. But not everyone can make the judges do a 180°. The same is true for your copywriting. You’re in endless competition with other businesses and outlets, some of whom are selling and saying the exact same thing as you. The answer? Be unique. Stand out. How Do You Write Good Website Copy? We hear you. Not everyone can just magic up fantastic copy out of nowhere. So let’s take a look at some tips to help you build a witty, informative brand online. First off, you’ve got to make it personal. Generic doesn’t connect. Make a list of some personal info before you sit down to write and sprinkle details throughout your copy. That way, even if you’re offering the same service as other brands, you’ll make your original voice shine through. (Just don’t get too personal. Bowel habits, for instance: best avoided.) How to Rank Higher Than Your Competitors One way to do it is to use humour. Many people aren’t funny. Many more aren’t funny while wielding the written word. Use humour to inject your copy with some dynamism and keep your readers entertained. They’ll definitely thank you for it by the end and become more endeared to you in the process. It’s a win-win. You really want to know how to outrank your competitors? Sniff ’em out. Take a look at what they’re bringing to the table and see what you like and what you don’t like. You can be ‘creatively influenced’ by the good parts but make sure not to completely rip them off. It’s a better idea to take the feeling of what they’re putting out there and try to recreate that same intent in your own words. Copywriting Tips That Boost Google Rankings You might be highly knowledgeable in your industry but don’t forget that your audience probably isn’t. That’s why they come to you! Make sure to break it down and talk/write in ways that they can understand. More importantly, answer questions without your readers having to ask them. In other words, anticipate what they might want from your content and create copy around that. This is the best way to attract an audience, as they’re likely to refer their friends as well as using you as a reference point. FAQs are obviously great for this (the clue is in the title), as well as regular ol’ workhorse blogs. Follow these tips and tricks on how to write website copy and you won’t just have people doing 180°s – they’ll be doing the full 360° in exaltation, over and over again. And once they finally stop spinning, they’ll be all too eager to become your client. How To Write A Medical Blog That The Public Can Understand Everyone knows you’ve gotta be smart if you want to study medicine. Think back to your school days. You probably knew a kid or two who had their mind set on being a doctor or surgeon. Did they come complete with natural intelligence? I’m going to put the house on “Yes”, unless one of them was just watching too much E.R. Medicine is often studied only by the very brightest of people; years and years of learning come together to allow doctors to understand the complex processes of the human body. The problem is, these complex processes often have to be explained to people with little to no experience in medical science – otherwise known as us, the patients. Medical blogs face the same conundrum. So how do you write a health article that anybody can understand? The Problem with Medical Blogs In truth, the problem is even more pronounced for medical bloggers. If a patient is in a doctor’s office, they’re giving the person in the white coat their full attention. If someone lands on your blog, you’ve got to work harder to keep them reading. So not only does your content have to be easy to understand, it also has to be dynamic and engaging. How to Write a Medical Blog that the Public can Understand The internet is a fantastic resource for medical journals and papers, but they are often geared towards other doctors and don’t lend themselves to deciphering by laypeople. So how exactly do you create a medical blog that can be understood by the general public? 1. Read it Back First of all, read your blog back to yourself and pretend you know absolutely zero about the subject. If you find a reference or an obscure piece of info that requires any pre-attained knowledge, try to simplify it as best you can, or else supply the requisite information in the lead-up. 2. Use Metaphors/Similes A complex function can easily be related to your readers by using a metaphor or simile, both of which are non-literal words or phrases applied to an action or concept. A metaphor says something is something else, while a simile says it’s like something else. A medical example of a simile would be something like, “With those horrendous cataracts, Mrs. Jones, you’re blind as a bat!” Bedside manner aside, these language devices are a great way of communicating your point and making it easy to understand. Just don’t make them too complex! 3. Break up the Text Medical blogging can be intimidating from the get-go, so don’t scare your readers from the get-go by making them tackle a wall of unforgiving text. Use the tools of the blog: headings, sub-headings, bullet points, white space – anything that can make your posts more digestible and presentable. 4. Don’t Lean on Jargon Always explain things in the simplest terms you can. Don’t rely on medical jargon! Remember, some people who read your blog will be more learned than others. But to get the most out of your posts, you should be aiming for the lowest common denominator of understanding. Don’t worry: this won’t make your blogs feel ‘dumbed down’ – it will just ensure you can reach the most people possible. 5. Keep Sentences Short Let’s talk about short sentences. They’re easy to read. They flow well. What else? They help communicate points quickly. And they pop. Try to aim for 20 words or less. Obviously we’re overdoing it here to make a point. But the point is crucial. Shorter is better. You’re already talking about complex topics. Don’t confuse your audience any more than necessary. 6. Images!Last but not least, use images to break up the text and visually demonstrate what you’re talking about. Diagrams are great too. Anything that acts as a companion to what you’re talking about will work wonders for your posts.
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