The secret of good copy

Ah yes, good old text. Whether on websites, in print or at other digital and analogue touchpoints, if you asked 100 entrepreneurs what standing they give text in the mix of their outward communication, the result would probably sit in a rather neglected position. Text is discarded, scrolled past and banished far below all the easily digestible, multimedia elements that sparkle and shine so nicely. Text as mere filler? This perception is (not least thanks to the trend toward »snackable content« on TikTok, Insta & Co.) more widespread in practice than one would think.

In reality, though, text is what holds everything together. What gives the visuals the context they need. What first finds the right notes quietly, in order finally to convince us with full conviction. Reason enough to give the prodigal son and his role a longer look.  So let us take two steps back and see how copywriting, the craft of making good text, actually works.

Content is king, long live the king!

Substance does not exist in a vacuum. It is always about identity and the right context. No surprise, then, that before every creation, whether verbal or visual, a vision, a concept and a strategy have to stand. So if you know who you are, what you offer, how you differ and which values you stand for, then, yes then, let us talk about substance.

For your texts to land with precision you need, as just described, an identity that holds everything together, authenticity that is not only to be found on the surface, and substance that can both spark curiosity and carry real values. But how do you create this weave of attention and distinctive substance?

The pull of the crystal-clear mountain lake.

Let us take you on a short journey. Imagine you are standing by a crystal-clear mountain lake. Framed by a picturesque alpine panorama, the sun sparkles on a surface ruffled by a light breeze. It is still fairly early, yet the sun is showing its best side and it promises to be a dream of a summer day.

Your trip into this idyll is no accident. Your friends had already raved about the legendary pull of the water. You were curious, you googled, you found out about the virtues and worked out your options for getting there and staying overnight in advance.

Now you stand on the shore, exactly at the spot you saw on the Google image search on your screen only days ago. And it is even better than you imagined. The same curiosity as a few days ago takes hold. How refreshing would a swim be? How velvety would the opal water wrap around your skin? How deep is the water? What treasures might be found at the bottom of the lake?

A good text is the foundation for everything: it sets the tone, the design, it informs about the offer and, through its dramaturgy, can build the engagement of its readers. Like the lake on our short journey, your brand is, at best, a place of desire. Much is said about it, and so an expectation arises that wants to be met on site. Good text, in the mix of other kinds of substance, leads to this point, and beyond it. Arrived at the figurative shore, a particular touchpoint of the audience with the brand, text can draw people into the depth, answer questions and win sympathy.

However creative you are, writing copy is not freestyle.

Although the demands on your brand’s outward communication are often many, you should first concentrate on only one basic aim per touchpoint. This decision shapes the entire process, from planning to making  the touchpoint. A clear aim contributes substantially to how the substance is formed. A website that, for example, wants to pay into the identity and positioning of your brand usually changes the structural build of its texts: the landing page becomes an About us page, on which mission and vision are made clear. Ask yourself therefore in advance where the journey is meant to go:

• Do your texts aim at a B2C audience that wants to be courted emotionally and actively, and whose customer journey should end in a sale? 

• Is it an address to a B2B audience with a longer sales funnel and the immediate aim of generating leads (qualified contacts)?

• Is the foreground not conversion, but consolidating your brand positioning? Or is it about something else entirely?

Besides intention, tone is another decisive influence on the targeted shaping of your texts. Whom exactly should your texts reach? Rarely is your audience limited to your core clientele alone. Partners, competitors, media, employees: they all belong, more or less, to that group of people who come into contact with you and your brand. A good text knows that. It concentrates on speaking to the explicit wishes and expectations of your audience and bringing the advantages of your offer closer to them.

Visuals and substance, the two sides of a coin.

We were surprised how widespread the assumption is that a touchpoint with a brand can either be rich in substance or look good. As if one had to choose: look before substance? Substance before look? In reality these two things rarely exclude each other. Form follows Narration. Instead of specialising as a service provider on one side of the coin, studios should more often put their focus on the context. We are convinced: only when visuals and substance follow the same aim can communication really last.