The internet is full of helpful resources that can teach you to write marketing copy – from copywriting courses to blog posts explaining the best methods for copywriting success. It would be easy to become overwhelmed by all the advice out there, so we’ve decided to put together a quick guide to help you make the right choice. We’ll run you through 5 steps to writing powerful marketing messages that convince people to buy your products or services.

Step 1: Find Your Unique Voice

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re already somewhat familiar with marketing and the persuasive power of words. The first step in the writing process is to find your unique voice and adopt a tone of writing that is best suited to your product. The good news is that you don’t need to be fancy or stylistic; you just need to find an approach that works best for you.

For example, if you’re writing an e-commerce copy for a fashion company, you’ll want to put a feminine spin on your writing to match the feel of their clothing line. Or, if you’re creating a piece of fiction based on real events, you might want to choose a more formal writing style to evoke the feeling of a historical novel. Whatever your product, style, or venue, you need to find your own voice within the text and ensure that each article, tweet, or letter reflects that voice.

Step 2: Set The Scene

The second step in the writing process is to set the scene for your readers. As mentioned, you’re writing for an audience that is familiar with your product and potentially interested in your services or purchase. Before you begin writing, you need to decide what world you’re going to put your characters in and what time period you’ll use to tell the story.

So, if you’re writing historical fiction about the American Civil War, you’ll want to set the scene during that period. You might even want to select a particular location to make the setting of your story more real. For example, if your story takes place in Richmond, Virginia you could visit the same locales that appeared in the war for a while and add a little more realism to the story. The same goes for the clothing and language you use – if you want your readers to believe that they’re transported away to another time and place, you need to do your research and ensure that everything about the scene feels authentic. This way, when the reader finishes your story, they’ll feel as though they’ve been there – and maybe even lived through it themselves.

As you can see, setting the scene isn’t difficult – it just involves thinking through each detail and ensuring that it makes sense in the context of your story. Once you’ve set the scene and established the time, you can begin crafting your narrative, which in turn will help you decide what story arc should be followed in the writing process. Knowing when to introduce one important event and when to linger on another is vital in keeping the reader interested.

Step 3: Build Tension And Create Anticipation

The next step in the writing process is to build tension and create anticipation. As the name implies, tension is the mental state of being uncertain or anxious about something. In writing, this can be created in many ways, but one of the simplest and most effective methods is through flashback scenes. If you’ve ever seen the television shows Black Mirror or Making History, you’ll know what we’re talking about – the stories in these shows often begin with a moment of tension, followed by a flash-back to a previous event that established the tension in the first place. While these scenes are often comedic or dramatic in nature, the technique can be used in any type of writing to great effect.

With anticipation, we mean creating a sense of eagerness in the reader for something they’ll soon be reading or watching. One of the simplest ways to do this is by starting a story with a shocking or surprising revelation – a twist on the usually accepted narrative. For instance, if you’re writing a horror story and want to frighten your audience, you could start by saying something along the lines of, “It was always considered a rite of passage for young men to go on a hunting trip with their fathers. But these days, it’s become a trend for men to skip the hunting trip and head straight for the strip clubs. It’s the modern way of bonding.” That’ll shock your readers and get their attention right away – they’ll want to know more about these “modern men.”

If you want to create tension and draw readers in, start your story with something that’ll grab their attention – a who, a what, or an where. For example, you could begin your story about the Civil War with these opening lines: “In the year 1865, the civil war came to an end. For four years, the United States had fought Canada, and Canada had fought back.”

As you can see, a common technique in writing is to build tension and create anticipation by shocking the audience with an unexpected event – a twist on the usually accepted narrative. This technique can be used in many different ways, but in building your business, you should use this tool to great effect.

Step 4: Create A Counterargument

The final step in the writing process is to create a counterargument. Simply put, a counterargument is a response to a claim or argument – in other words, it’s the opposite of what you’re arguing for. When used effectively, a counterargument can neutralize – or even overthrow – an opposing viewpoint. The more you use it, the more it’ll seem natural to you.

For example, if you’re writing a sales pitch and want to convince your audience to buy your product, you could write, “While some people claim that modern technology has made it easier to maintain a professional looking appearance, the reality is that the digital age has made it much easier for anyone to look good regardless of the clothes they wear.”

You want your readers to nod in agreement with you – or at least be open to your side of the argument. If they don’t nod in agreement, it could mean that they disagree with you and aren’t interested in your argument. In this case, you should re-examine your thesis statement and whether or not it’s supported by the facts you’ve presented. If it isn’t, you could reword it or delete it altogether – sometimes the simplest solution is the best. 

As you can see, a counterargument is simply a response to an argument. If you want to use this tool effectively, you need to make sure that your counterargument is sound – that it’ll hold up under scrutiny. If it doesn’t, your argument may still be valid and your counterargument may not serve its purpose. This is why it’s important to do your research before you begin writing, and ensure that your counterargument is rooted in fact.

Writing is an excellent choice for those looking to build a brand or sell a product. Whether you want to write for a blog or a magazine, the internet holds countless resources that can help you along the way. By taking the time to find the right voice for your work and crafting an engaging narrative, you’re sure to attract readers and build a following – not to mention that you might even impress your writing instructor with your finished product!