Copywriting in the Data Ocean

The Ocean and its Inhabitants

In the content data sea, there are several types of copywriters. Copywriters who are on a payroll adhere to the structures, styles, and brands of their organizations, hoping to turn a profit--and rightly so! Those who've built their personal websites in the datasphere pump their own opinions into their web copy. Even digital journalists under the most strict ethical codes have preferences that impact their every decision.

The reality is: no one is safe from completely unbiased content. This is the way it has been since the beginning of oral histories-turned-news-pamphlets. Data, at every turn, is infused with humanity. Thus, the internet can also be seen as a humming beehive of opinions. Navigating it with some protection to find answers, products, connections, etc., requires a savvy user with a clear head... Good luck with that!

As copywriters, we can play a significant part in allowing our readers and potential customers the ultimate gift in this information era: transparency.

Ethically Minded Copywriting

Step 1: Laying a Groundwork

Before putting fingers to keyboard, it pays to have a private conversation with yourself about the purpose of your content. No matter if you're being paid to create or not, you are making content so that others will read it. So what does your audience need to gain? Asking the following questions can help:

Apart from asking yourself these initial questions, it's also important to think critically about your inherent angle, because let's admit it, you will always have one. Is your purpose merely to educate? If so, what are the sides of the argument that will enrich a reader's understanding?

Are you trying to sell? If so, what are the honest, proven properties of your product that will meet your customers' needs? What's on the warning label?

Step 2: User-Structured Content

Now that you have your big bright ethical ideas clearly in mind, think about how to structure them so that they're most useful to your audience. All your hard work has no use if it's buried, and you can't count on your audience's attention span to reach mid- or even end-of-article.

One of the best parts about writing press releases, in my opinion, is that I am challenged to boost the most important part of my message to the very top of the piece. One of the simplest ways to help your audience is to give them what they need quickly. Place your message in one of the first two sentences.

Apart from boosting your most important message, you should take care to break down the key aspects of your message in order of importance. There are several copywriting structures out there, some bolder about their intentions to aggressively sell than others. But between the "Four C's," "Four P's," and whatever other methods are swimming around, remember to keep things concise, honest, and helpful. Don't needlessly write for the sake of writing.

Finally, wrap up your piece with a carefully considered conclusion. Restate your message with clarity for the skimmers who missed the middle portion.

Step 3: Watch Your Language

Before the copyedit, sift through your content with a keen eye for word choice and tone. Remember the goal of writing that is concise, honest, and helpful? Word choice has a huge impact on achieving these qualities.

The more readers are hit with obtuse language like "the best," "perfect," "ultimate," etc., the less sensitive they will be to the actual quantitative and qualitiative aspects of your product or pull. Though language like this can rank or achieve some affect on the reader, it builds trust to write with intention and honest adjectives rather than throwing a larger-than-life adjective or modifier in your copy.

Conclusions

Copywriting doesn't need to be a carefully calculated formula, but it should serve a clear purpose, have a clear structure, and be helpful to your readers. When crafting your next piece, pay attention to those important groundwork-laying questions, remember to boost your message, and watch your wording. Most likely, you'll enjoy the craft of writing much more if you pay closer attention to how the customer will experience your message.

Sources:
3 Tips for Ethical Copywriting that Converts
Introducing The Fabulous 6 + 1 Model For Effective Copywriting (Better Than AIDA!)