15 Copywriting Tips That Make Your Words Sell
Fifteen practical copywriting tips for adverts, websites, product pages and WhatsApp, each with a before-and-after example you can use today.
You don't need to be a professional copywriter to write words that sell. You need a few habits. Here are fifteen, each with a quick before and after.
1. Talk about them, not you
Before: We are a leading supplier of office furniture in Accra.
After: Chairs your team can sit in all day without back pain.
2. Lead with the result
Before: Our course has 12 modules and 40 videos.
After: Run your first profitable Facebook ad in two weeks.
3. Be specific
Before: Fast delivery nationwide.
After: Accra and Tema in 24 hours. Kumasi in 48. Pay on delivery.
4. Use numbers
Before: Many happy customers.
After: Over 2,000 orders delivered in Accra this year.
Only use numbers that are true.
5. Use the words your customers use
If your customers say "original", don't write "authentic". Read your reviews and chats and borrow their language.
6. Answer the doubt before they ask
Before: iPhone 15, GH₵ 9,500.
After: iPhone 15, GH₵ 9,500. Sealed in box, one-year warranty, check the serial on Apple's site before you pay.
7. One idea per sentence
Before: Our bags are durable and stylish and come in many colours and we deliver everywhere and you can pay on delivery.
After: Our bags last for years. They come in six colours. We deliver everywhere. Pay when it arrives.
8. Cut the empty words
Delete "quality", "affordable", "best", "innovative", "solutions" and "one-stop shop" unless you prove them in the same sentence. They're on every competitor's page.
9. Write how you talk
Before: Kindly be informed that your esteemed order has been dispatched.
After: Good news, your order is on the way. Kwame will call when he's close.
10. Use "you" more than "we"
Count the "we"s and "you"s in your copy. If "we" wins, rewrite.
11. Give one clear action
Before: Contact us for more information or visit our shop or check our website.
After: Order on WhatsApp: tap here.
12. Make the button say what happens
Before: Submit.
After: Book my free tasting.
13. Add a reason to act now
Before: Available now.
After: 30 left in this batch. Next restock in January.
Only use real deadlines and real stock.
14. Put proof next to the claim
Before: Our customers love us.
After: "Third bag I've bought, still looks new." Abena, East Legon.
15. Read it out loud
If it sounds stiff, confusing or like a bank letter, rewrite it. If you run out of breath, the sentence is too long.
Where to use these first
- Your WhatsApp reply to "how much?" See how to reply to "how much?".
- Your homepage headline. See headlines that sell.
- Your best product's description. See how to write product descriptions.
- Your advert's first line. See ad copywriting formulas.
A five-minute edit for any piece of copy
| Check | Fix |
|---|---|
| Does the first line mention the reader? | Rewrite it around their problem or result |
| Any empty words? | Delete or prove them |
| Any vague claims? | Add a number, place or time |
| Is there one clear action? | Remove the others |
| Does it sound like you talking? | Read aloud and simplify |
Want it written for you?
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