Brand writers need their copy to connect with their audience. To do this, their message has to be clear, concise and most importantly, entertaining. The audience for a brand's message is bombarded with so many competing images and words that a writer needs to develop killer copy that will remain in the reader's mind for a long time.
The mark of a good brand writer is one who can craft killer copy that the audience will be quoting years from the day the ad comes out. To help, 13 members of Forbes Communications Council take a look at the crucial techniques that brand authors can leverage to develop catchier, more memorable writing that the audience won't forget.
1. Write How You Speak
Write in a natural way. Marketing professionals tend to get a bad rap for creating "fluff" or writing paragraphs when a few sentences will do. Aim to write the way you speak and be concise. Connect with the reader by adding personality into the content. Be weird or funny or ironic or deep and thoughtful, but be yourself! Your readers are people and value authenticity. - Cristina Garcia, impact.com
2. Pretend You're Writing To A Real Person You Know
Write to one person, a real person, like your savvy BFF. Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett writes his annual letter to shareholders as if he's writing to his sisters, Doris and Bertie. Buffett says, "I pretend that they've been away for a year and I'm reporting to them on their investment." Kill the jargon and buzzwords. Drop the mundane platitudes. Be real and authentic. - René Shimada Siegel, Connext
3. Tug At People's Emotions
If you want your brand to be remembered, tug at people's emotions. Avoid the "sea of sameness" or risk getting lost in the mix. Case in point: Insurers have gone from staid, boring copy to humorous, engaging copy. Keep the message simple, emotionally engaging and relatable. People want a connection, whether it's humor or something more serious, and they're more likely to share it with others. - Jeff Fleischman, Altimetrik
4. Keep It Short And Sweet
One succinct, clever idea can command action. Who can forget the now-famous “Got Milk?” or “Just Do It” campaigns? These weren’t long, spiritless sentences. They were short, memorable phrases that captured consumer interest quickly. Short sentences without the fluff work best. And they are easier to remember. - Marija Zivanovic-Smith, NCR Corporation
5. Establish A Connection
A memorable copy is one that makes the reader feel the connection to some incident, event, experience or relation they have witnessed or are witnessing. Keep it short and creative while focusing on establishing a connection -- that's all you need. - Haseeb Tariq, Fox.com
6. Write Like A Novelist
Content may be king but creativity is the reigning queen of effective copy. Surprise and delight with an unexpected opening line then tackle the rest of the communication not as a corporate copywriter but as a creative novelist who just so happens to be writing about business. Let your unique writer's voice permeate the entire message, which will always make it a more engaging, unforgettable read. - Melissa Kandel, little word studio
7. Say Something Polarizing
Don't try and be a crowd-pleaser. Your messaging shouldn't be liked by everyone. If you're not annoying anyone, you're not exciting anyone, either. Aspire to be thought-provoking. To stop people in their tracks for a second take on what they just read. That's how you become memorable. - Udi Ledergor, Gong
8. Don’t Copy The Copy
The best copy we all remember is original and unique. Don’t try to replicate a successful campaign or go after trends and jargon. It dilutes the messaging and ceases to be authentic. Use fewer words but make them count -- go back to the basics. - Preeti Adhikary, Fusemachines Inc.
9. Lead With A Benefit Statement
As a marketer, your goal is to solve a consumer problem or need. One of the best ways to catch consumer attention is to lead with a benefit statement that highlights the payoff for using your product and then provide the feature(s) that solves their problem or need. In the era of swiping and clicking, make sure to keep is short, catchy and to the point! - Andrew Stephenson, NewAir Compact Appliances
10. Don't Try to Sell
Focus less on "selling" with copy and more on engaging. Marketing copy, especially taglines, shouldn't be about what you want to get across, but rather about delighting the reader. Too often, marketers view copy as a sales pitch and not as an opportunity for revealing their brand -- whether that's by infusing a little humor, speaking more casually or demonstrating thought leadership. - Amanda Hinski, Frost Valley YMCA
11. Stick To What The Brand Is All About
Copy that is catchy and true to the brand’s image and personality will resonate most with your target audience. Copywriters should know the brand inside and out before writing anything. Align with pop culture only if it builds your long-term equity and is not just a quick short-term tactic to gain attention. Copy has to stick with your brand and outlast any phase or trend. - Brian Chew, OC Wills & Trust Attorneys
12. Don't Filter Yourself
Don't filter yourself. Just get it down on paper and don't hold back. To get my train of thought going, I even walk around and talk out loud. After all, there's a reason it's called "arriving at an idea" -- it takes a journey to get there. Not even genius copywriters write compelling copy off the top of their heads; they reject 99% of their other ideas first. - Jacqueline Phillips, amoCRM
13. Bring In Guest Writers
I find one of the best ways to keep content memorable and unforgettable is to not have tunnel vision with just in-house resources. Different perspectives can bring a whole new way of looking at things. Sometimes I ask a guest to write something for us and see how they might see our vision. This can also spark more creativity and a little competition among writers. - James Gilbert, CloudCherry
