The impact of copywriting on digital marketing campaigns

“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.”

These are the words of the famous American advertising executive – Leo Burnett, often called the greatest ‘ad man’ of the 20th century. Advertising has always been heavily impacted by text and copywriting continues to have a massive impact on digital marketing campaigns. 

As new digital platforms emerge, high-quality copy and content have become even more important for brands as people are frequently consuming written content in multiple forms. It could be just a simple sentence that speaks about the product, a video or even a case study, which can be read and shared by anyone who comes across it. 

Bill Gates's famous quote ‘content is king’ refers to the power that words have in shaping the mind of the customer. The true power of copywriting is not in just what is being said but in how it is being said. 

Every successful marketing campaign is fronted by impressive copy. Copywriting is a skill and to master the technique and understand its effectiveness in marketing, you need to get familiar with its crucial elements.  

What is copywriting? 

Copywriting refers to words, slogans and general text that is created to engage an audience and evoke a response from them. Copy needs to be clear, concise and grammatically correct to connect customers with a brand and encourage them to respond to the call of action.

Effective copywriting easily stands out and persuades the customer to do whatever is intended such as buy the product or sign up for the newsletter. According to Leo Burnett, well-written copy should be able to penetrate the audience’s minds. 

However, when you are writing for digital marketing campaigns, aside from fitting the brief, you also need to be authentic and communicate in the brand’s voice and tone. Copy should be original and successfully pass on the intended message. A definitive style of writing is essential here as every brand has its own voice that appeals to its target audience. Having a consistent voice also earns trust in the brand.

As a copywriter, you will create advertising slogans and taglines that resonate with the brand voice and are compelling to the customers. While doing so you have to stay consistent with the tone of voice and stick to the brand guidelines. Notice how Harley-Davidson uses a strong and confident tone in its copy which is also very bold and sits well with the brand’s rough and rugged image. On the other hand, Coca-Cola is simply fun and friendly and so are the brand slogans, such as ‘Taste the feeling’. 

Why is copywriting essential for digital marketing?

Good copy is a simple and effective way to connect with the audience, which is what makes it fundamental in digital campaigns. Copy that is written in a clear and conversational tone can easily convey the brand message to get the customer’s attention. 

Though, to be able to achieve this, you have to get into the head of the customer and understand how they think, what they want and what will entice them. As a copywriter, you have to see things from the customer’s perspective and write copy that compels the audience to take notice and act. 

Effective copywriting also has an emotional angle where the ‘pain point’ of the customer is highlighted and a solution is offered. Sometimes this can also be a humorous take on things or even challenge the traditional way of thinking. Often it is just a strong message that resonates with the audience. A marketing campaign can take multiple innovative approaches with its copy. 

During the 1950s when Americans loved big cars. Volkswagen caught everyone’s attention with the simple slogan ‘Think Small’. This referred to the small and compact Volkswagen where the advertisement focused on the perks of having a small car. 

Recently Nike’s slogan ‘Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.’, not only got the right attention but also made $6 billion in market value. 

Impact of copywriting in marketing campaigns 

One purpose of digital marketing campaigns is to make the brand and service go viral. The core strategy behind running such campaigns is to make customers notice in the brand and convince them to purchase whichever product they are trying to sell. Though, in the current competitive market where people are saturated with advertisements, you sometimes have to take another route. 

If you want to make an impact on the customer’s perspective and see your point of view, you can do so with well-written persuasive copy. When done effectively, copywriting can establish a powerful voice and tone, making the business stand out amongst its competition. 

Take brands like Nike, Coca-Cola or Dove as examples. They have their own brand voice where the message is clearly delivered. All these brands have strong competitors in the market but they have managed to create niche marketing angles for themselves. Nike focuses on the stories of athletes and in turn, motivates people to be their best and their healthiest selves while Dove focuses on redefining beauty norms and promoting a healthy body image.

As a good copywriter, you play a very important role in digital marketing as you can create a shift in customer perception and make a meaningful connection with them. Often, it’s great copy that nudges the customers to connect with and trust in a brand, which results in better sales and retention. 

If you are looking to become a proficient copywriter who can create powerful content, check out the Diploma in Digital Marketing Specialist Co-op offered by Trebas Institute at its Toronto campus.

The 12-month diploma program covers essential concepts such as copywriting, managing sponsored social media campaigns, developing a digital campaign, discovering the power of copywriting and more. During the program, students will gain an in-depth understanding of online advertising and publicity, search engine optimization (SEO), social media strategy and management, and other important topics. 

The Diploma in Digital Marketing Specialist Co-op is taught by industry experts who hold years of experience. Students will also from the industry experience that this program offers which will give them a practical understanding of all the key concepts. 

It will also equip them with essential expertise needed for popular job roles such as – Advertising Consultant, Publicist, Event Marketing Specialist and more. 

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