Having trouble writing good copy? Are your social captions feeling a little stale? Wondering how you can make your brand’s copy more exciting without making it cheesy?
Here at CVC, we know that writing powerful copy is tricky at the best of times, let alone every time you write a social caption or an email.
The truth is that, whether you love it or loathe it—writing copy that pops is an essential part of business branding.
To help you spice up your copy without completely pulling your hair out, here are a few little tips and tricks from the writer’s desk:
Five easy ways to make your copy amazing
1. Start with a bang
You only have one chance to make a good impression, so make it count. Your copy’s opening sentence is your opportunity to catch the reader’s eye and say: “hey, I’ve got that something you need!”
Keep it short, snappy, and to the point, and make sure it’s relevant.
Instead of:
Our mid-year sale starts this Saturday.
Try:
Hear that? It’s the sound of our mid-season sale launching this Saturday. Don’t miss out!
2. Play around with sentence lengths
Sentence play is incredibly powerful in copy.
Check this one out:
Sentences. They can be short. Some are longer than others. Some sentences are even longer, which sometimes means that they need commas. Once in a while—if it works, there’s a cheeky em-dash breaking things up. See what we did there? These different sentence lengths make it a little spicier!
Do you see how the rhythm changes?
Create a little excitement in your copy by chopping and changing the sentence length. Try not to overdo it, though. Too many short or long sentences can make the writing clunky. Pace it out, switch it up, and don’t be afraid to mix it up.
Instead of:
We are an eco-friendly company dedicated to creating a more sustainable future by creating products with eco-friendly ingredients housed in biodegradable packaging.
Try:
Eco-friendly, sustainable, and good for your skin.
All our products are made from eco-friendly ingredients, housed in biodegradable packaging.
3. Rhetorical questions, you say?
You can never go wrong with a rhetorical question or two. It has the power to make an ordinary paragraph an extraordinary one, don’t you agree?
Rhetorical questions help create a sense of dialogue between you and a reader and make the copy feel a little more personal. Using one or two at the beginning of a blog or email can help hook the reader in from the get-go.
Instead of:
Sometimes it’s difficult to remember to do your skincare routine, especially applying our serum at night after a long day in the office.
Try:
Struggling to keep up your skincare routine? Is a face serum the last thing you think about after a long day at the office? We hear you!
4. A little alliteration always is always lovely
An often overlooked copywriting technique that can make your copy instantly stand out from the crowd, alliteration is when you have a series of words that have a similar sound.
It’s a great way to hook a reader into your copy, as the human mind is drawn subconsciously to patterns in writing. Alliterations also help to make your copy punchier and a little easier to read.
Instead of:
Our lashes will help make you feel beautiful, put you in a good mood, and help you have the day you deserve.
Try Good lashes, good mood, good day.
5. Emoji-fy your copy
Here at CVC, we love using emojis. Emojis are kind of like a universal language that immediately communicates tone, adds a little character to copy, and, let’s face it, look rather lovely.
Don’t be afraid to pepper in some emojis to help elevate your copy to the next level. Better suited for email subject lines and social captions, always stick to 1–2 emojis max per sentence.
The best part about emojis is that you don’t need to alter your copy too much to make it exciting. Just by adding a cute (but relevant) emoji to the below statement makes it a little bit more interesting (especially in a crowded inbox!)
Instead of:
New product—launching soon!
Try:
New product—launching soon! 🚀
Still not sure why your copy just isn’t eye-catching enough? Check out how we can help you craft some incredible copy.