Copywriting is a foundational component of quality internet marketing. With the right words in the right places, an online business can easily go from startup to success. With that in mind, there are many differences between writing for the internet and writing for the real world. Understanding those differences will help you reach out to your virtual audience in the right way.
Here is a look at how copywriting online differs from print text.
Keyword Optimization
In print, the goal is to use as much catchy language as possible to grab a reader’s attention. There is an element of that in online copywriting as well, but the bigger focus is on keyword optimization. Not only do you have to write for the readers, but you also have to write for the search engines that will likely bring them to you. The better you utilize keywords in your content, the more visible your writing can become.
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Simple Scanning For Quick Reading
Visitors online have incredibly short attention spans. You need to write copy in a way that they can quickly scan through it and find what they need. Subheadings are great for this because they show readers what the upcoming paragraph or page will be about. Other helpful tools include:
- Bullet lists (easily see what you’re all about)
- Bolded keywords for search engines
- Numbered “how to”steps (great for how-to articles)
- Short paragraphs for easy reading
- Descriptive images that paint a clear picture
Write your content in a way that any reader could understand the gist of the information within 30 seconds. It may take longer than that for him to read the page, but he won’t take the time to do that unless he knows you have the answers he needs.
Linked Resources For Better Credibility
If your copywriting consists of statistics or facts pulled from other sources, you need to link those within your writing. People like to see where the information is coming from, or they may question the validity of your posts. If we told you 80% of online statistics were made up, would you believe us? Perhaps, if we had a valid statistic to back that up. You may not need to cite your sources much in print text, but online, it’s imperative to the success of your work.
Have A Central Focus In Your Copywriting
Above all else, you need to make sure that your online copywriting has a clear theme that is consistent throughout your webpage or article. From the start, you knew that this article was about writing for the internet and how it compares to writing offline. Again, this is a matter of drawing in readers and convincing them that what you have to write is worth reading.
