Copywriting 101: 8 Points to Note in a Good Copy

Human beings are imitators. We learn by imitating since childhood. When some of our peers get some toys we want to get them too.

In our teenage years, this tendency gets worse. Somehow in our twenties, we become conscious of our identity and want to be different.

However, social proof still plays a big part in our choices and we are still driven by herd mentality.

In my journey of Copywriting, one of the most important tasks is studying good copy.Unless you study good copy, you can’t learn how to write good copy.

To study good copy, the most important task is to hand copy a piece of copy daily and mark it to understand what the writer was trying to do.

You have to copy first before you can produce your own.

There are some important steps structurally and psychologically in a good copy that one needs to understand before writing a copy. Let us jump into them straight away:

Main argument

Try to understand the main theme of the copy. What is the main idea or concept that is repeated throughout the copy? And there will be an underlying idea also.

For example, let’s say the promo is for a skincare cream for young women.

The main theme is the product will make the user’s skin better. The underlying idea is this will help the user attract a desirable partner.

Lead type

The 2nd thing is to identify the lead type and why it was used. It can be story lead, benefit/promise lead, or problem/solution lead.

The lead type depends on the customer’s awareness level. That is a topic for another article.

Claim/proof

You have to note the supporting claim or proof the copy is using. This can be social proof which comes from testimonials.

The promo can use academic proof which comes from academic journals or research. It can have media or news proof, celebrity endorsement, or historical examples.

Dimensionalization

This is one of the most important things a copywriter can learn.

Dimensionalization is finding new ways to reframe, rearticulate, or drive home a point that a piece of copy is trying to make.

There are many types of dimensionalization. You can evoke an emotion, bring personality, or add elements of fascination or intrigue.

Pivot points

These are the points where we move to a different section of the copy.

You have to look for the subheads and understand what the section following the subhead is doing in the larger context of the copy.

Is it the part of the lead, or is it the proof section, or is it a section designed to create an enemy?

You need to mark all these to note how a copy transitions from one section to another.

Offer type

A good offer is articulated to the reader as better than others. The offer needs to be irresistible or offer desirable benefits to the reader.

The offer needs to be a no-brainer for the reader.

Design choices

You have to note the design choices of the copy. Are there charts that communicate something or evoke an emotion?

Is there any color palette to affect an emotional response?

Was there anything that you found distracting, compelling or attractive? In direct response, ugly is typically better than beautiful.

Ugly is more eye-catching and attention-grabbing. We are in the business of ideas and attention.

Note response data

If you have access to the information, please note down the response data of the copy you are studying.

Note how this promo was marketed and how it performed. What traffic driver led you to the promo?

What does the order form look like? You need to understand in what context the promo was delivered to you.

If you can’t always get this information. But if you can, I highly recommend to study this.

Conclusion

That’s it. That’s how you annotate and closely read a piece of sales copy.

These are the things you want to pay attention to as you are going through a promo and all the things you want to be marking up along the way.

In the future, I will write one article on each point to explain further.