When it comes to the act of writing, the task is usually split into two categories: creative writing and professional writing. Copywriting falls under the latter as it is writing for the purposes of marketing a business, product, service etc. The problem with splitting writing into these two, very broad, categories is that it implies there is no creativity involved with the copywriting process.
This is despite that, in writing copy, you are drawing on several creative writing techniques to enhance the promotional message you are trying to convey. Creativity and copywriting go hand in hand more than may appear at first, and by allowing your creative side to play its part, your copy will be more engaging, exciting, and persuasive.
By employing tone of voice techniques and looking at your copywriting through the lens of telling a story, rather than selling a message, your copy will be more appealing to your audience, yielding greater results.
The Importance of Tone of Voice
One of the most important creative writing techniques in copywriting is tone of voice. Your copy’s tone of voice is dictated by what words you choose and how you structure your sentences to convey a tailored message to your audience.
Here is an example of how a different tone of voice can greatly change the flavour of your copy. These sentences have each been written to promote the same local animal rescue shelter, only each sentence has been written in a different tone of voice to elicit different emotions from the reader.
- Professional – Our animal rescue shelter provides quality pet adoption services to aid locals in taking home one of our animals.
- Compassionate – Visit our animal rescue shelter to make a new furry friend and provide them a better life than what they had before.
- Community-focused – Our animal rescue centre has been relocating these precious animals to a better home within our community for years.
- Playful – Come down to our animal rescue centre to discover which gorgeous animal may become your new pet.
As you can see, the difference in tone of voice makes a big difference in how the message is delivered. When writing copy for your target audience, employing the right tone of voice is key to connecting with them. You’re unlikely to sell truck parts to truck drivers if your copy is over corporate sounding, nor are you going to convince people to use your funeral home service if your writing comes across as too casual.
Tone of voice matters, so put on your creative hat and ensure that your copy is written from a perspective that is going to engage with your audience.
Telling a Tale
Effective copywriting should take your reader on a journey, and this can’t be done if your writing is dry and has no direction. Instead, copywriters need to tell a story with their work, to successfully sell readers on their clients’ message.
Structure is really important here. Even for pieces of copy as small as a Facebook caption, there should still be a natural flow to the writing that grips the reader from start to finish. In blog posts, landing pages, EDMs, and newsletter, the introduction needs to instantly grab the reader, the middle needs to maintain this momentum, and the conclusion needs to end on a strong note.
Copywriters need to lean into their inner storyteller in order to take their work to another level.
Creativity in Copywriting
As you can see, there is a lot of creativity that goes into writing copy. By engaging with these creative aspects, you will write copy that is more dynamic and engaging for your audience.
