What is digital copywriting, and is it the same as traditional copywriting?
Well, yes— and no.
When it comes to copywriting, it's all about persuading people to make that impulse buy. You want to say the most with as few words as possible.
But in the digital realm, you really only have about 8 seconds to grasp a reader's attention. This puts pressure on you to make your marketing copywriting as crisp, clear, and captivating as possible.
What Is Digital Copywriting?
Not to get all nerdy, but the official Oxford Dictionary definition of copywriting is,
"The activity of writing the text of advertisements or publicity material."
Back in the day, a traditional copywriting portfolio might have been consistent with projects such as a brochure for a local pizza shop. Or, if you were really fancy, a copywriter would provide words for TV commercials or billboard ads.
So how is digital copywriting any different?
Well, for starters, there's a plethora of new opportunities on the horizon. From website landing pages to social media ad copy, there's no shortage of copywriting needs in 2021.
3 Tips on Copywriting If You Want To DIY
Your company's landing page offer, services tab, and even the About page of your website are the most valuable sections of your digital real estate.
Your landing pages and service tab reels in the money, while your About section convinces wary customers that they can trust to buy from you.
But are you sending the right message?
If you're not making sales with these pages, the answer is probably not.
Here are three tips on copywriting that can help you edit and refine your money-making website pages:
1. Find Your Brand Voice
With so many voices in the digital spectrum, having flashy words and a unique selling proposition isn't enough to get people to buy.
It's not just what you have to say, but the way you say it.
To define your brand voice, start by writing as you talk. There's no one else out there that speaks exactly like you.
If you're a company brand, get to know your employees and the vernacular they use in everyday life. Incorporate a mix of your diverse team into your brand copywriting.
2. Know Your Customers
Where most people go wrong with digital copy is writing what they want to say instead of what their customers want to hear.
Get to know your customers before you launch that sales page. Define your ideal client persona by noting their age, gender, and what they do for a living.
But to get your pitch just right, you need to dig a little deeper. You want to know your customers' hopes, fears, and even what other types of websites they frequent.
3. Try A 5-Minute Writing Sprint
Still not sure what digital copywriting is and how to do it? That's alright! We know it can be intimidating trying to figure out the right thing to say.
The 5-minute writing sprint is actually an exercise we try with our in-house copywriting team when we're feeling stuck. Set a timer on your phone and throw out anything and everything you have to say about the project at hand.
The secret to great copywriting is eliciting an emotional response. Don't be afraid to tell a personal story or use powerful words that you might not see in traditional marketing.
2 Excellent Copywriting Portfolio Examples If You Want To Outsource
Now that you have a better idea of how monumentally important copywriting is for your business, let's talk outsourcing.
While, yes, we do provide this service at High Tide Creative, we're not going to just blindly sell you in this article (this is content writing, not copywriting, after all).
However, we will show you some of our past client examples, so you have a better idea of what to look out for in a copywriting portfolio.
Marketing Copywriting Example
For BlueSky Wealth Advisors, our agency's job was to help re-brand the company and develop marketing materials that would help identify their target audience and pre-quality new clients.
We used their website's homepage to set the tone. The first thing you see is the headline,
“The Best Way To Predict the Future is To Invent It."
The emotion is brings out? Curiosity.
It also clearly speaks to our customer's ideal client: high-earning executives.
Facebook Ad Copywriting Example
This project is a favorite around the office. Let's look at what catches your attention first: the bold red color, the stand-alone picture, and the copy with the biggest font:
"For when it hits."
Simple, yet effective. The emotion this derives is humor or laughter. It's not trying to sell.
But it makes the audience want to look at the fine print.
And fortunately for our client, this traditional ad campaign was used for an effective Facebook ad campaign as well!
What is digital copywriting if not a multi-faceted investment?
RELATED: "Marketing During A Worldwide Pandemic — A Big Mistake, Or Essential For Business Survival?"
Ready to make more money with professional copywriting? Talk to Hide Tide Creative about defining your voice!
Tom Lewis, Partner | Creative Director
With over 20 plus years of award-winning advertising and design experience, Tom has spent much of his career working with a variety of companies throughout the southeast. His client list has included: UNC Lenoir Health Care, Hutchens Law Firm, Equifax, Georgia Pacific, Primerica Financial Services, Weyerhaeuser, The Atlanta Hawks, Randstad Staffing, Craven County Tourism, America Knits, Guardian Repellent, and The Shizzle Jerk Marinade.