Why can’t you write a good copy that scores 80 points?

I have read "Copywriting Fever", "The Copy Book" and "The Psychological Handbook of Advertising Copywriting" to pieces, but I still don't know how to start when I receive copywriting requirements.

Sales power, insight, visualization, scenario-based thinking… I rack my brains every day to think about them, but they don’t work when it comes to my own hands.

I have read many masterpieces of masters and listened to many sharings of big names. I think I am very awesome, but when I pick up a pen, my mind is empty.

Why do you always have no inspiration when writing copy?

Small imagination? Poor writing?

We look up at the copywriting masters at a 45-degree angle, wondering if they have endless imagination and secret tricks that they cannot reveal to others.

Obviously not, it’s because they are well versed in the logic behind writing.

The Boss said: Write an advertising copy, we will place it on ×× channel.

So copywriter A started working: collecting information related to industry copywriting → brainstorming → referring to the latest advertising copywriting cases → thinking hard to find inspiration.

Copywriter B also started: discussing copywriting requirements with the Boss → researching products → communicating 1-on-1 with consumers → analyzing promotional channels.

Because of the different focuses, the time allocation for copywriting A and copywriting B is fundamentally different.

A copywriter: 70% of the time is spent looking for inspiration and creativity, 20% of the time is spent on choosing words and composing sentences, and 10% of the time is spent on clarifying the logic of the copy.

B Copywriter: 70% of the time is spent on clarifying the logic of the copy, 20% of the time is spent on choosing words, and 10% of the time is spent on finding inspiration and creativity.

The time allocation shows that:

Copywriter A spends 70% of his time on inspiration and creativity. I look for inspiration from advertising cases and things around me, hoping that one day creative ideas will pop into my head.

Copywriter B focuses 70% of his energy on copywriting logic. Including: thorough understanding of the marketing purpose, in-depth understanding of the product, accurate analysis of the audience, control of the brand stage, and matching of channel styles.

Guess which one is more efficient?

Obviously, copywriter B can often write copy that scores 80 points.

Whether one has a solid foundation in writing and an overflowing source of inspiration are merely surface phenomena of whether one can write efficiently, while the huge glacier hidden beneath the sea is the real reason for the quality of writing.

My understanding of copywriting is not the creative work that is done on a whim or with a flash of inspiration as imagined, but rather it requires a clear understanding of the entire purpose of writing. Because copywriter A is unclear about the logic behind the copy, he can only work on the surface of the text and look for inspiration out of thin air. Therefore, no matter how much copywriter A thinks or how hard he racks his brains, he cannot write a copy that scores 80 points.

Copywriter B, on the other hand, has a clear understanding of marketing logic and marketing objectives, has in-depth research on products and audiences, has a lot of scenarios in mind, can analyze the audience based on their own characteristics, grasp the content style based on channel characteristics, and is better at grasping the audience's psychology, so it is easy for him to write a copy that scores 80 points.

From this example, we can see that copywriter B never relies on inspiration to make a living, but on logic. This is where real training is needed in copywriting, and it’s strategic thinking.

How to write a title, use numbers or adjectives are all tactics. Overemphasizing tactics is just a glimpse of the whole picture and you cannot see the overall picture. Using strategic thinking to guide tactics is the highest level of copywriting.

We have to recognize one fact: Marketing copy is different from literary works. The latter requires strong inspiration and a flood of ideas, while the former requires a rational mind and dancing in shackles.

The masters we usually talk about are always extremely efficient and creative when writing copy. That’s because they have found the logic of writing and can exert their maximum potential within the logical chain. Therefore, giving up the pursuit of pure inspiration is the best remedy for lack of inspiration.

To uncover the secrets under the iceberg, you need to have a deep understanding of the logic behind the copywriting. In fact, there is a set of hidden writing logic behind every copywriting. If the logic goes smoothly, key materials can be extracted from various dimensions and precise copywriting can be written according to the track.

1. Plan

What kind of promotion plan? What role does the entire copy play in the plan?

The copywriting goals need to be determined according to the promotion plan. For example, when making a set of SEM copywriting, you need to break down each step in the plan and clarify the purpose of each link of the copywriting, so that the goals are clear and the copywriting is more precise.

If you introduce the product and analyze the selling points during the stage of acquiring user payment, then the copywriting is naturally out of touch with the promotion plan. No matter how you choose the words or how you hit the user's pain points, it is all meaningless self-satisfaction. If the direction and purpose are wrong, no matter how hard you try, it will be in vain.

2. Audience

Who is the audience for this copy?

Who will see our copy, what problems can our product solve for them, and what will be their stance when they see the copy? These are the first questions you should think about before you start writing.

For example, the target groups of people for the copywriting for local oranges in the vegetable market and imported oranges from abroad are completely different.

"Sweeter than First Love" has been hailed as a popular copywriting masterpiece. Everyone applauds its superficial wit, but has never thought about who this copywriting is targeting.

Housewives are the target audience for oranges in the vegetable market. They are much more sensitive to prices than to love. Their eyes will light up when they see "10 yuan for 2 kilograms", but they are not interested in "sweeter than first love". No matter how sweet you are, I still care about the price, because housewives put cost-effectiveness first.

If you are selling oranges imported from abroad, people who choose this kind of fruit must have certain requirements for quality of life.

If the copy is displayed in a business office building, price and discount are definitely not the best choice, because the consumers are white-collar women in their early twenties who care more about the quality of the oranges rather than the price. At this time, writing "Picked at 8 am in Australia, sweeter than first love" can resonate with the audience.

3. Products

What is the selling point conveyed in the copy? Do the selling points and pain points match perfectly?

Products are one of the sources of copywriting materials. However, most people do not use these materials correctly. The essence of copywriting is to endorse products, but it is not simply to praise how great the product is. Instead, it is to dig out selling points from the product materials that correspond to consumers’ pain points - that is, what psychological needs can the product satisfy, what practical benefits can it bring to them, and which attributes can help them solve the problem?

For example: Scrub

Selling point: Deep cleaning

Problem solved: Shower gel cannot clean dead skin and deep dirt

Copywriting: Go deep into the pores, "sweep" out the dirt, and give your body a "spring cleaning"

Selling point: Natural

Problem solved: Too many chemical ingredients in body products

Copywriting: Plant essence base, easier to absorb, blends seamlessly with the skin

Selling point: soft

Problem solved: Some scrubs have coarse particles

Copywriting: No pain, no scratches, treat you gently

4. Channels

What kind of reading habits do the audience on this channel have? What is the effective reading time?

Advertisements on different channels have different presentation formats, so the purpose and writing style of the copy will naturally be different. The sole purpose of online marketing advertising is to get the audience to take action, such as clicking, consulting, calling, etc.

Text and pictures need to be as concise as possible, catch the eye in a short time and leave an impression. The purpose of ground advertising is different and the channels are diversified. You can learn about it by scanning WeChat QR codes, Baidu searches and other channels.

5. The purpose and key points of the copywriting should be determined based on the effective reading time, population characteristics, and reading habits of different channels.

Use the above four points to check one by one, whether the copy can be perfectly matched?

When writing copy, I often encounter this dilemma: When writing about the good sound quality of headphones, should I write [It's like being at a concert], [The 30mm driver unit brings strong bass], or [Hear Lin Chiling whispering in your ear]?

If you know and skillfully apply the logic behind copywriting, you will no longer have such troubles, because during the writing process, you can check your copywriting at any time using the four aspects of plan, audience, product, and channel. You can clearly know the selling points to highlight, the writing style to use, etc.

This film actually only talks about one key point, which is to see the essence through the phenomenon, and to see the logical points hidden beneath the ice through the surface of the copy.

If you can’t write copy now, will you still go to the toilet, balcony, or coffee shop to find inspiration? I think you will review the marketing plan again, pick up the product again, and interview consumers again...

Finally, I want to emphasize that copywriting is not a job that relies on inspiration, but on rational logic and a thorough analysis of plans, audiences, products, channels, etc. to obtain the direction and materials for writing.