Marketing pros are under a lot of pressure to stand out from the crowd. A good product and stunning visuals can get you close to success, but great copywriting also carries a lot of weight.

Here’s five tips you can try to achieve great copywriting.

1. Know everything (about some things).

You don’t have to know everything about everything to be a good copywriter.

You don’t even have to know everything about copywriting!

But you do have to know everything about a few things: your product, your audience, and your competitors.

How else can you describe your product in a way that resonates with your specific audience and helps you stand out from competitors?

Before you start writing, make sure you are thoroughly familiar with your product and your market. Otherwise, your copy won’t be convincing enough to make the sale.

2. Start with proven formulas.

Cliches become cliches because they work. If there was a better way to say, “The grass is always greener on the other side,” then that would become the cliche, instead of what we say now.

Likewise, copywriting formulas become common because they work.

For example, copywriting superstar Neil Patel recommends the PAPA formula:

• Problem
• Advantages (of solving the problem)
• Proof (that you can solve the problem)
• Action

Present the problem that your audience has (this is commonly known as the “pain point.” Tell them what an advantage you will have without that problem. Share proof that your solution works. Then deliver a call to action, such as buying a product, signing up for an email list, or watching a video.

Another formula is AIDA:

• Attention
• Interest
• Desire
• Action

A good headline can grab your audience’s attention, so you can then pique their interest with some new information or benefit. Make them desire your solution by emphasizing the benefit to them, and then encourage a particular action.

Then there’s the “four Ps.”

• Problem – What your audience is struggling with
• Promise – What you offer to solve the problem.
• Proof – How this solution has helped others
• Proposal – What you suggest your audience do next

Practice copywriting with any of these formulas. As you hone your craft, you can get more creative with them.

3. Write to one person.

With copywriting, the more specific you can be, the better. If you address your copy to some vague, general group of people, it’s less likely to resonate with anyone. Instead, know exactly who you’re targeting, and write your copy as if you are speaking to a single individual.

This also helps your copy sound personal and conversational, rather than formal and stilted. Clients will be drawn in more easily and be receptive to what you have to say.

4. Go powerful or go home.

Vague, wishy-washy language gets you nowhere in copywriting. You need to be straightforward, bold, and urgent.

You don’t want your audience to “think about it” and come back later. You want them to act NOW.

They’ll only do that if you trigger a strong emotional response. Powerful words will help you do that.

This isn’t the time for “maybe” and “could.” It’s a time for “immediately” and “must.”

(But whatever you do, DON’T LIE. Language should be strong, but honest. Don’t use words or make claims you can’t back up.)

5. Describe benefits, don’t list features.

One of the basic rules of copywriting, yet it gets broken all the time.

It’s understandable–your product is amazing and you want to show it off. But if you list every feature, your audience’s eyes will probably glaze over.

That’s because your audience doesn’t care about what a product or service has as much as they care about what it can do.

Take the mental health app TalkSpace. They could list features like the exact number of therapists they contract with, every type of payment option they offer, and which operating systems they support.

But do their users really care about that? Not really.

Instead, TalkSpace emphasizes benefits like convenience, low-cost, and easy therapy access that help users feel better faster.

Good copywriting takes time and expertise. You can develop the skills yourself, or trust a professional!

Want copywriting help?

That’s what I’m here for! I help healthcare organizations and marketing professionals strategize and write great copy that increases traffic, leads, and revenue.

Check out my content marketing ebook, “Essential Tips for a Powerful Content Marketing Strategy.” After that, feel free to connect on LinkedIn or email me as well!