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If you’re looking to grow your content marketing strategy and boost engagement on your website, written content is a good place to start. But what makes a piece of content engaging, and how can you improve your copywriting skills?
The BBB has done the research for you and compiled a quick guide to help you boost engagement through copy that resonates with your audience.
3 tips for writing copy that boosts engagement
Did you know that most internet users don't actually take the time to read articles in their entirety? Approximately 73% of people simply skim through written posts to find the most relevant information, and they will only spend an average of 15 seconds on an article before moving on to another source.
To boost engagement through copywriting, you must write with the reader in mind. This means writing at a level the reader can understand, using terms they're familiar with, and avoiding jargon. It also means that you need to understand and address their wants and needs.
Not sure where to begin? Here are three essential tips to help you write better copy that boosts engagement:
1. Understand and implement the 4 U’s of copywriting
The first step to writing engaging copy is following the four U’s of copywriting.
When you write with the reader in mind, you’re writing in a way that is:
- Useful: Your content should educate, inform, or solve a problem. It should be helpful to the reader. Include only the most relevant information and avoid fluff. Make sure you provide the information your reader needs to achieve their goals.
- Unique: Your content should be unique. This means you must avoid plagiarism, rewrite any content that is not your own, and avoid keyword stuffing. It also means writing in a voice and tone that feels natural.
- Urgent: Your content should be timely. Writing with the reader in mind means only delivering information that is relevant to them. By addressing your readers’ most urgent issues, you ensure that your content is welcome, not a distraction.
- Ultra-specific: Your content should be hyper-focused on your audience’s needs. It should avoid unnecessary generalizations that don’t provide the reader with relevant information. The more specific you are, the more likely your content will be read.
2. Take your content up a notch with the AIDA formula
Once you have a grasp of the 4 U's of copywriting, you can take your content up a notch with the AIDA formula.
AIDA stands for:
- Attention: If you want the reader to engage with your content, you first need to grab their attention. This starts with a short and punchy title that elicits emotion.
- Interest: Once you have the reader’s attention, you need to keep it by writing in a way that is engaging and easy to read. You can also include images, videos, and other multimedia elements to keep the reader’s attention.
- Decision: Your writing should make your reader want to learn more. To accomplish this, you need to get to the point quickly, avoid unnecessary detours, and cut out any information that is not vital to your central message.
- Action: Get the reader to act. Your copy should outline the next step they should take with a call to action, whether that is sharing, commenting, or making a purchase.
The AIDA formula is especially useful for encouraging action on blog pages, eBooks, whitepapers and other informative sources.
3. Always test before publishing
Before publishing your content online, you should test it to measure its impact ahead of time. This can involve A/B testing, where you run two versions of your content to see which performs better, or multivariate testing, which tests multiple versions at once. Testing allows you to make data-driven decisions and improve your content.
One of the most important benefits of testing your content is that it allows you to optimize it for maximum impact in order to increase conversions. Optimization can include changing the placement of text, the length, the title, the format, or any other factor that could improve engagement.
Get more copywriting tips from the BBB
Boosting your content's engagement comes down to your writing. By using the right tools and processes, you can ensure that your content resonates with readers and encourages action. This will help you grow your audience over time.
For more great tips and tricks on improving your copywriting skills, check out the BBB business news feed and the BizHQ.
BBB of Southern Piedmont and Western N.C. contributed to this article.