• By michelle
• In Copywriting
• Posted Jun 27, 2012

5 Marketing Copy Secrets the Best Writers Know

If you’re a business owner and you’re writing your own copy, you’ve probably had to learn a lot about the art of writing marketing content on the fly. Here at Sumer, however, we didn’t all start out in the business world. In fact, every one of our writers has an MFA (that’s Master of Fine Arts) in creative writing.

As it turns out, a lot of what’s taught in writing programs can be applied to writing marketing copy as well as writing fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. So here are some of our favorite writing school lessons that help us write compelling marketing copy:

• To get better, study the best. We take it for granted that would-be writers read Tolstoy and Nabokov to see what “works.” If you want to write better marketing strategy, then find out who’s killing in that area, and study the copy, strategies, and campaigns of those businesses. Even if they aren’t in an industry related to yours, you’ll see what works and what doesn’t and build yourself a repertoire of maneuvers to try.

• Find your own unique voice. Of course, you’ll ultimately have to do your own thing, as all writers must to succeed. Play around with different styles and voices until you find one that feels just right. This voice will help build the Know, Like, and Trust factor with your list.

• Get outside input. Being objective about your own work is never easy—or even possible. It’s as true in marketing as it is in poetry and fiction. To make sure you’re staying on target and on message, enlist the help (and feedback) of your team or a trusted outside source.

• Your audience matters. A lot. In writing school, you learn to write your best in order to pass muster with your peers and, eventually, publishers. In online marketing, the same rule applies. Don’t spend weeks designing a Twitter campaign for your latest denture adhesive—design the best campaign in the best media to reach your ideal clients.

• You’re never finished. Achieving a final draft is a rare phenomenon in writing school, and it’s useful to approach your marketing copy with a similar mindset. Planning to tweak your marketing content on the fly allows you to take advantage of explosive trends and news developments to maximize the impact of your online communications.