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High performance content: the secret.

Copy e ux

With the exponential increase in online content consumption, it has never been more important to make sure ours stands out. This is where Copywriting and UX Writing come in, skills that, make all the difference in creating high-performing content.

Over the next few paragraphs, you will see the meaning and importance of these skills, as well as best practices for applying them in your communication strategy.

There is no doubt that we live in the “attention age” where the audience is more distracted than ever and information no longer captures anyone’s attention. “Information overload leads us to develop a state of distraction in order to save our brain’s indispensable energy! As such, we need to understand how we can improve our strategies and arouse the interest of our audience to ensure the success of our communication.” (Santana, 2020).

Investing in content marketing has become practically mandatory for those who not only want to sell but, strengthen their brand in the digital market. It is also important to highlight that the interaction between Copywriting and UX Writing is not only a matter of efficiency in communication and user satisfaction, but also has future implications for brand building and customer relationships.

Companies that invest in a complete communication strategy, considering both persuasive content and user experience, are more likely to win the trust and loyalty of consumers in the long run.

What is, in fact, copywriting?

David Ogilvy, considered the father of advertising, defined copywriting as “The ability to use words to persuade an audience to take a specific action.

Além de persuadir a audiência a realizar uma ação específica, o copywriting também tem o objetivo de criar uma conexão emocional entre a marca e o público.

A well-written copy can be the differentiating factor that sets a brand apart from the competition and increases the likelihood of conversion. It is therefore a job that requires creativity, communication skills, and an understanding of marketing principles.

6 tips tip create copy that sells.

Know your audience.

Knowing your target audience is critical to the success of any content creation. It is important to understand who the audience is, what their interests, wants and needs are, in order to choose the right tone of voice that resonates with them.

The tone of voice chosen must be consistent with the brand, its personality and values, but it must also be appropriate for the target audience in question in order to create an emotional connection.

Highlight the benefits of your product or service.

“Great brands do not sell products, they sell emotions.” (Faustino, 2023)

When it comes to writing copy, it is common to make the mistake of focusing on the features of the product or service, rather than the benefits they offer. The features describe what the product or service is, while the benefits explain how it can improve the reader’s life.

Tell stories.

A good story can help convey the brand’s personality, creating a more human and empathetic image. To apply storytelling successfully, it is necessary to create characters and situations that can be easily identified by the target audience, in addition to using visual and sound elements to make the story more attractive.

Use mental triggers.

“Emotional triggers are stimuli received by our brain that directly influence our decision making. Knowing how to use these triggers is a powerful tool for persuasion and generating results.” (Faustino, 2022)

Some examples of mental triggers include scarcity, social proof, authority, reciprocity, urgency, anticipation, exclusivity, and prohibition.

Use CTA`S.

The Call to Action is a key part of high-performance marketing content, because that is where persuasion becomes action. It can be a link, a button, an image, a form or any other element, and it must be clear and “straight to the point”.

Last tip.

When writing copy, be sure to ask yourself, “Does what I’m writing add value?” If it doesn’t, cut it out.

Redundancy tires the reader and makes the content less engaging. It is therefore important to choose the right words, avoid unnecessary repetition, and keep the text clear and objective. Another crucial point is grammar and spelling. Grammatical and spelling mistakes undermine the credibility of the content.

Figure 1: Writing tips.
Figure 1: Writing tips Note: Photo taken from linkedin. Credits: Luísa Amorim

In addition to presenting the advantages of good copy, it is important to highlight the negative consequences of poorly written content. Ineffective communication can damage the brand’s image and drive away potential clients, resulting in a loss of credibility in the market. For this reason, investing in quality copywriting is not just an option, but a necessity for companies that want to stand out and grow in the digital world.

Now that we have established the importance of copywriting, it is important to remember that creating high-performing content is not just about writing persuasive text. You need to think about the user experience and ensure that the interface of your website or application is intuitive and easy to use. With the growing importance of user-centered design, UX Writing has become an increasingly valued skill.

But, what is UX writing?

UX stands for User Experience. “It’s everything written to make the user’s life easier and ensure the best experience in the digital environment.” (Zumstein, J. P., 2019, September 16).

This skill plays a vital role in creating a satisfying user experience, as it is responsible for developing the content layer that makes interacting with the product or service easier, clearer and more enjoyable. By understanding the user’s needs and expectations, UX writing can provide relevant information and guidance, and ensure that the tone and language used is appropriate and consistent with the brand.

The best practices of UX Writing include:

Clear and direct language.

Avoid jargon and technical language that may confuse the user. It is important to use simple, straightforward language that resonates with the target audience.

Personalize the experience.

Try to personalize the user experience as much as possible based on their preferences and previous behaviors. This can include personalized content recommendations and custom settings.

Create positive feedback.

It is important to give the user positive feedback whenever possible. This can include fun and interactive animations, success messages after performing an action, or even rewards.

Make it easy to browse.

Users should be able to easily navigate through the website or application without having to do a lot of clicking or searching. The use of clear, well-organized menus is also crucial to ensure that users can quickly navigate through the website or application.

Simplify the interface.

A cluttered user interface can frustrate users and cause them to abandon the website or application. Avoiding unnecessary distractions in the user interface, such as banner ads, can help keep focus on the task at hand.

Be consistent.

Consistency can be applied in many ways in interface design. One example is visual consistency, which refers to the consistent use of colors, fonts, icons, and other visual elements. Another way to apply consistency is in the language and terminology used.

Test A/B.

This involves creating two different versions of the same text and testing them on a group of users to see which is more effective. This can help identify what works best for the target audience and adjust the interface accordingly.

Adapte to all versions.

Texts should be written in a way that adapts to changes in the user interface and ensures that users can easily navigate the site or application.

Simplify the shopping process.

If the website or app involves a purchase process, it is important to simplify it as much as possible to make the user experience more enjoyable. This can include reducing the number of steps required to complete the purchase or simplifying the payment process.

Use visual elements.

Visual elements, such as images and icons, can help make the user interface more attractive and easy to use. It is important to choose images that are relevant to the content. An improper choice of words in a CTA button can be the reason why users do not proceed with the checkout.

Bottom line

This article aims to show that these are two skills that, although different, are very similar, and that, ideally, you should get the best of both worlds.

By recognizing the importance of these two areas and keeping up to date on new market trends and practices, it is possible to ensure that communication with the public is efficient and that the user experience is optimal.

Remember, the ultimate goal is to gain customer trust and loyalty, and this is only possible with a thorough and well thought-out approach that considers both efficient communication and user satisfaction.

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