Introduction
Copywriting is a difficult exercise. Convincing someone by message is not easy and takes time. It’s an art and a science in its own right, requiring not only an impeccable command of language, but also a deep understanding of human psychology and consumer behavior.
In this guide, we’ll explore what copywriting is, how it can be used to generate appointments, interviews, and even help fill out questionnaires. Whether you’re a communications professional, a business leader or simply interested in the power of words, this guide is for you.
What is copywriting?
Copywriting, also known as “advertising copywriting” or “sales copywriting”, is a written communication technique that seeks to influence the reader to take a certain action. This action can be the purchase of a product, subscription to a service, subscription to a newsletter, participation in an event or any other objective set by the company or organization.
The aim of copywriting is to elicit an emotion or reaction that prompts the reader to take action. To achieve this goal, copywriting uses a variety of persuasive strategies:
- Highlighting the benefits of the product or service
- Identifying the needs and desires of the target audience
- The argument that resonates most with your target audience. The famous SONCAS technique.
Copywriting requires a good understanding of consumer psychology and an excellent command of the language in which the message is written. A good copywriter is able to write texts that attract attention, arouse interest, provoke desire and incite action, thus following the famous AIDA formula (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action).
Another important aspect of copywriting is the call to action (CTA). The CTA is a clear, precise instruction that tells the reader what to do next. For example, “Buy now”, “Sign up today” or “Contact us for more information” are all examples of calls to action.
In short, copywriting is both an art and a science. It requires both writing skills and a deep understanding of human behavior. Effective copywriting is about connecting with your audience, understanding their needs and persuading them to take action.
Copywriting to generate appointments
The main aim of this approach is to generate enough interest for a prospect to agree to an appointment. To do this, you need to be clear and precise, while carefully targeting your prospect. Here are a few tips to follow:
- Use a strong, concrete hook: The aim is to grab your prospect’s attention right from the start. You need to create a hook that highlights the problem your product or service can solve for the prospect.
- Ask an open-ended question about the customer’s problem: By asking a question, you’re inviting your prospect to think about their problems and consider how your solution might help them.
- Personalize your message: It’s important to show prospects that you’ve researched them and understand their situation. For example, paraphrasing your job or professional situation can create a more personal connection and increase the chances of a positive response.
- Briefly present your solution: Explain how your product or service could be of interest to the prospect. Don’t forget to emphasize the novelty of your solution.
- Use social proof: testimonials from satisfied customers or case studies can reinforce the credibility of your offer and convince readers to take action.
Take the following example. Here, we are prospecting for our real estate client, which is a marketplace for new real estate:
“Hello {{firstname}},
First of all, thank you for accepting my invitation. I’m currently carrying out an in-depth study on the detection and analysis of new properties in your area. The aim is to interview real estate or heritage experts working in an agency.
How do you go about quickly sourcing and scoring the right new properties for your customers?”
This message is an effective example of appointment-generating copywriting for several reasons:
- He clarifies the purpose of the approach (a study on the detection and analysis of new properties), which lends legitimacy to the request.
- It asks an open-ended question about the prospect’s problem (“How do you go about sourcing and scouting new properties suitable for your customers?”). This encourages the prospect to respond and engage in the conversation.
- It specifically targets “real estate or heritage experts working in an agency”, which shows that the message is personalized and that the sender has a good understanding of his target audience.
For the following messages, it’s easy to talk about what our customer is doing by offering their services to source new goods.
By following these tips, your copywriting will be more effective in generating appointments.
Copywriting to generate leads
In the recruitment context, copywriting plays a key role in attracting potential candidates. This approach requires a softer tone, a human, clear and concise message. Here’s how to proceed:
- Be genuine and sympathetic: Point out something interesting in their background to show that you’ve done your research.
- Offer a clear opportunity: Explain the position you’re offering in simple, friendly terms.
- Reassure the prospect: Show that you’re looking for people with certain skills and that your company offers certain advantages. This will alleviate any concerns the prospect may have about his or her suitability for the job.
- Call to action: Encourage the candidate to talk with you. This could mean asking them to talk about their plans, or offering to talk to you about the job.
- Conclude positively: End your message on a positive note by wishing the prospect a good day and expressing the hope of seeing them again soon.
Take this message, for example:
“Hello {{firstName}},
Thank you for accepting me into your network. You have a very interesting career path and I’d like to talk to you about joining us on an open-ended contract in a retirement expertise position.
This is a new position, so it may come as a surprise that I’m contacting you for this one, but we’re looking for people who are rigorous, organized and have already worked in professions where compliance with procedures is important 🙂 If you’re interested in the job, we’ve got a whole internal training program, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Can we discuss this in person so that you can tell me about your plans and I can tell you about the job?
I wish you a lovely day and hope to see you soon!”
This message is effective because it’s clear, engaging and friendly. It’s long, too long if you don’t have many potential candidates. But for a position where there are potentially many good profiles, you shouldn’t hesitate, especially if you’re automating. In fact, copywriting should be used like a funnel or scoring method.
The message emphasizes the prospect’s value, details the opportunity offered and reassures the prospect by talking about in-house training. What’s more, it uses a positive tone and gives the prospect the opportunity to learn more during an interview, creating a strong incentive to action.
Copywriting for filling out questionnaires
Gathering feedback is essential for any company looking to improve its services or products. Copywriting can help to obtain this valuable data by motivating people to fill in questionnaires. Here’s how to proceed:
- Humanize your message: Your message should show empathy and appreciation for the prospect’s expertise. This will make the recipient feel valued.
- Be concise and clear: Keep your message short and to the point. People are more likely to respond to a message that gets straight to the point and respects their time.
- Present your request: Explain what you want from the person. In this case, you’d like her to fill in a short questionnaire.
- Highlight the importance of their contribution: Explain how their help could benefit your project. This might motivate them to participate.
Let’s see how these principles apply to the following example:
“Hello {{firstName}},
I’ve seen that you have solid delivery experience.
I’m working on a new innovation project to simplify delivery, and it would be really great to hear from you.
Would you be willing to give me your opinion on this? I have a very short questionnaire to send you.
That would help me a lot.”
This message is effective because it respects all the guidelines mentioned above. It targets a person with specific expertise, presents a clear and concise request, and emphasizes the importance of their contribution to the project. As a result, the recipient is more likely to feel valued and therefore willing to help.
Conclusion
We’ve seen in these four parts how copywriting is a constantly evolving art, requiring not only a good understanding of your target audience, but also a mastery of persuasive techniques to incite action.
Appointment-generating copywriting involves writing clear, precise and personalized messages that capture your prospect’s attention from the very first line. The message must highlight a problem that your product or service can solve for the prospect, and present a new, innovative solution.
Interview copywriting requires a gentler, more human approach. It’s essential to show the person that you’ve researched their background, to offer a clear opportunity and to reassure the prospect of their suitability for the proposed position. Recruitment messages need to be less aggressive.
Copywriting for filling out questionnaires is based on humanizing the message and presenting a clear, concise request. It’s important to emphasize the prospect’s expertise and the importance of their contribution to your project.
However, copywriting is not an exact science. Every audience is unique, and what works for one audience may not work for another. Copywriting must therefore be constantly tested, evaluated and optimized. This is not a one-off effort, but a continuous process of improvement and adjustment. The key to success in copywriting is a deep understanding of your audience and the ability to tailor your message to meet their specific needs and desires.
Bonus: Would you like some help with your copywriting?
Stepward
is the best agency to manage your MirrorProfiles accounts, and offers leadgen support to boost your prospecting. Stepward also supports one of its customers,
Qualiretraite
in this area. Thanks to their 4 MirrorProfiles accounts, this company is deploying a massive recruitment campaign to generate interviews efficiently with Stepward’s expertise. Every three weeks, the Stepward team and Qualiretraite work together to optimize recruitment campaigns, including copywriting and ab testing.
