10 Freelance Copywriting Rules: A Guide 23 December, 2020   

If you’re a freelance copywriter, you have to deal with different clients. No matter what their business is and what goals they pursue, you should find the right approach to their target audience and convince them to do what you want.

Some entrepreneurs write their copy themselves, while others realize that they don’t have the necessary writing skills or experience to create an effective copy. In this case, businesses may delegate writing to professional copywriters. For example, if you need experienced freelance writers, you can find them on custom writing review websites or other academic writing sites. These are probably the best websites if you’re looking for talented writers.

You should be able to analyze your task properly and to keep your audience’s attention. You should also anticipate not only their needs but also their possible questions. Your copy should address their concerns and keep them engaged. Obviously, it should also effectively sell.

A good copy shouldn’t be overwhelming or distracting. Its effectiveness shouldn't depend on the design it’s wrapped in, and its message should be easy to understand for everyone, no matter what the background they have and how much they know about the topic. Therefore, writing a persuasive copy is always a challenge.

Here is a quick guide on copywriting that will help you optimize the writing process so that it will take less time and your copy will be more effective.

1. Know your audience
   Every ad and every piece of marketing content is intended for a certain audience. The right targeting is crucial for the success of a marketing campaign, and the understanding of the audience is one of the main factors that determine the effectiveness of your copy.

For example, you may work with an eCommerce store that sells gifts. In this case, it makes sense to promote the right gifts to the right people. For instance, some gifts might be appreciated by young parents, while others might look especially attractive to graphic designers. When writing a copy intended for graphic designers, you should not only highlight the best graphic design gifts but also understand what this audience is looking for in products.

You’ll be able to better understand your audience if you analyze the customers’ demographics data. Put yourself in those people’s shoes and think of what is important for them, what problems they want to solve, and what features of the product might impress them. For instance, the best gifts for graphic designers may combine art and usability, being both functional and beautiful.

1. Use the benefits of the product
   The product is the foundation of your copy, and you should communicate its benefits to the audience. Therefore, you should perfectly understand the benefits of the product to build your copy around them.

Keep in mind that the benefits are more important than features. Of course, your copy should be product-focused, but it should also focus on the needs of your audience. Your goal is to give your audience a solution to their problem, and benefits are what they are most interested in. Besides, don’t forget to stick with your brand voice and keep your copy authentic.

1. Entice your readers
   One of the most important things about copywriting is that your audience should actually read your copy. No matter whether you’re creating a landing page or an email, your main goal should be to entice the audience to read your message.

Therefore, your copy should grab your readers’ attention from the very beginning so that they will want to keep reading. Start your copy with an interesting question or a striking fact that will help you get to the point. Sometimes, you may even experiment with controversial statements that will add some shock value and generate an emotional response from your readers.

1. Create a strong headline
   People consume too much content, all the time. Their inboxes are overloaded with tons of marketing emails, and when they google something, they can choose from among hundreds of relevant results. Therefore, your copy should stand out, and the best way to help it stand out is to write strong headlines.

Your headlines should immediately communicate some value. They must be clear and straightforward. For example, headlines that communicate value can begin with such phrases as “How to…,” “Top 7 ways to…,” “How to avoid…,” “You can’t afford…,” etc. Your headlines should also contain the necessary keywords for search engines.

1. Stick with the right structure
   A persuasive copy should be properly structured. First, you should make your audience stop and focus on your copy — that’s what you need a headline for. After this, you should use a good hook so that your reader will want to keep reading. Once your readers are hooked, you can provide more details. Obviously, your copy should also fulfill its marketing purpose, which means that you should add a call to action.

2. Communicate what’s in it for them
   To make your copy effective, you should explain how your readers can benefit from the solution that you describe. Be specific so that your readers can quickly figure out what's in it for them. Avoid clichés and get straight to the point because your readers don’t want to waste their time, and they should be able to see the value immediately.

3. Understand the platform
   You should also tailor your copy to the platform. For instance, if you’re writing a copy for a landing page, its style and tone might be different from that of an email or social media. Generally, social media enables you to choose a relatively informal tone, while PPC ads should be based on strong and memorable CTAs. When writing emails, one of the best approaches is to make them informative, personal, and useful.

4. Focus your copy on “you,” not “we”
   You should also make sure to address your audience in the right way. Using the second person is also a great approach because this way, you can talk to your readers directly. Besides, keep in mind that your copy shouldn’t be focused on you and your company. Therefore, we suggest that you avoid the first person (I, mine, we, us, ours) when writing marketing copy.

Writing in the second person will help your readers quickly connect the content of your copy to their lives and their personal needs. Therefore, it will be easier for them to see how your product can benefit them, not somebody else.

1. Keep it simple
   Sometimes, you may feel tempted to get into minor details, in an attempt to better explain the features of your product or its work. We recommend that you avoid too long and detailed explanations and descriptions because your readers might get bored. If you lose their attention, the success of your copy will be undermined. Keep it simple and clear, and value your readers’ time.

2. Be careful
   Last but not least, your copy should be honest. You shouldn’t promise things that your product cannot deliver. Therefore, we recommend that you describe its benefits carefully, without unnecessary exaggeration. We also recommend that you avoid some words and phrases that are often used by scammers. For instance, try not to use words like “free,” “no investment,” “best,” “100 percent,” “risk-free,” “no purchase needed,” “promise,” etc.

Although writing an effective copy isn’t easy, you can improve the quality of your copy if you have enough practice. We hope that our quick guide will help you focus on the right factors, creating copy that grabs attention and motivates your readers to take action.