20 Dec How To Write For Business Success In 2016
As 2015 draws to an end, South Africans are looking forward to a month of celebration and relaxation. Well, except those brave souls that decided to rebel against December’s holiday rates, didn’t put in leave, and are now sitting in a desolate office staring at Facebook friends’ selfies at the sea…
For those who are fortunate enough to be on vacation, the 344 days of stress, strain, and over-utilising the brain suddenly seems worth it as mind-sets shift into reverse gear.
Apart from braving the crowded malls filled with I-can’t-believe-I-left-it-until-now shoppers, most of us will be ending the year with lazy days filled with lots of sleep, lots of food, and lots of socialising.
Have a break. Have an… outtake.
December isn’t only a month where we take a break – it is also a time where we reflect on the past year. Even brands are doing it – videos are popping up everywhere online, listing the ‘best of’, the ‘worst of’, and the ‘cutest of’. YouTube’s videos have become especially popular with its #YouTubeRewind concept, showcasing the most popular videos with compilations such as The 10 Trending Videos of 2015 and the Now Watch Me 2015.
Reflection is a good thing. It is how we change past experiences into lessons for the future. When it comes to copywriting, the same principle applies. So although traditionally December is a month for reflection, I’m going to do a little projection.
Here are some trends I think copywriters should look out for in the next year:
Respond to responsive platforms.
Copywriters should keep mobile in mind when writing copy for websites. Fortunately, similar principles apply for both platforms – copy should be broken up into bite-sized paragraphs, should be short and to the point, and the introductory copy should be captivating.
Don’t duplicate. Create.
Social media isn’t just social anymore. More and more businesses are launching social media platforms before they have websites. The problem is – many brands put a lot more thought into the purpose and maintenance of a website than they do for social media. Without a strategy, brands inevitably end up sharing content to keep their platforms ‘alive’, or they share things that don’t interest their audience.
Brands must create high-quality content that is original in 2016 if they want to stay relevant and engage followers.
What’s your point?
When it comes to digital, less is more. As attention spans grow shorter, content should as well. Copywriters must find the balance between being engaging and getting to the point as quickly as possible – without reverting to Twitterspeak.
Yes, that is actually a word and a recognised language.
#Twictionary.
Think ? instead of !
More and more people are searching Google by posing questions. This clearly shows that although people are bombarded with irrelevant information every day, they are still hungry for relevant information.
Instead of approaching an article with the goal of selling something, rather put yourself in the mind-set of your consumer by asking yourself: Which question/problem/issue can I solve with this article?
Cheers to great content.
At the end of the day (and the year), my golden rule is simply that I always try to write about topics in such a way that I would want to read it.
I hope that my advice assists copywriters out there to create great, impactful content for the next 365 days. A very merry festive season to everyone and cheers to the New Year!