4 ideas from CopyCon20 to make you a more persuasive copywriter

Attending conferences thousands of miles away has been one of the few wins of the COVID crisis. So it was with pen in one hand, croissant in the other, I logged in for my first ever CopyCon.

Having spent the cost of a trip to London on snacks, I was ready to soak up the wisdom of an impressive lineup of speakers. And I wasn’t disappointed. I came away with pages of notes, action points and ideas as well as a warm fuzzy glow for copywriting and copywriters.

If you weren’t there or you want a refresher, I’ve distilled a full day of brilliance into four of the most championed ideas.

1. Helpful copy

Something many speakers focused on was how our copy can work harder at solving our readers’ problems.

Relly Annett-Baker explained that our goal when writing UI/microcopy should be getting the customer what they want. (Doughnuts, in her tempting example.) How? By using clear language and offering useful alternatives.

Robyn Collinge and Gill Andrews encouraged us to consider our readers’ circumstances when they encounter our copy and allow it to set the tone. For Robyn at WeTransfer, this means not enraging deadline-stressed creatives with comedy error messages.

Eddie Shleyner gave us a masterclass on writing fascinations, those attention-grabbing headlines inspired by the age of direct sales letters. (Check out the heading of this post for my first attempt.) The most important step in the process is digging out your product’s ‘value nugget’ to capture your audience’s interest.

2. Keep it simple

Fran Catanuso demonstrated that readers only retain around seven pieces of information. A reminder to refine your message and keep your copy minimal.

Sandra Wu from Blinkist also talked about the importance of simple messaging. Through extensive testing, she found audiences only read about 30 per cent of content in an F-shaped formation. So put your best information first.

Gill’s three copy checks drove home the same message. Before you hit publish, ask yourself “Does it make sense? Can I prove it? Will they care?” and weed out unclear copy, unfounded claims and irrelevance.

Writing simply delivered results for Robyn. She quoted copywriting legend David Ogilvy reminding us to “write how we speak.” Things got controversial when Sandra blew up the chat box by revealing “acceptable” copy converts better than beautiful copy.

3. Find the joy

If the thought of “acceptable” copy makes you want to weep into your handknit scarf and quirky mug, fear not. There were plenty of lightbulb moments for the more creative writers as well.

Kira Hug’s approach to personal branding had us hosting an imaginary party in our ideal living room. For a moment, I was eating Chinese takeaway with the cast of Schitt’s Creek in a beachside cabin furnished by Elton John. Anyway.

Honor Clement-Hayes might be the first virtual speaker in history to earn a remote standing ovation. She guided us on how to do “joyful, fear-free work” by denouncing the myth of perfectionism and accepting that “good enough is good enough”. (Again, this post is a perfectly imperfect example.)

4. Be the change

Two talks that felt timely and inspiring came from Natalie Narh and Jane Evans. They both spoke about the importance of diversity. Natalie called on us to seek opportunities to inform, educate and entertain. But also to know when to be quiet. Whilst Jane continued her amazing work amplifying the voices of mid-life women. Not only because they’re the most powerful consumer group, but because they’ve got some damn good stories to tell.

As Natalie said, words and stories shape society. As the purveyors of those words and stories, we have a duty to help break down barriers and ally with the voices the world needs to hear.

Roundup

I imagine heads were nodding when Sandra said 50 per cent of her results come from copy. (With 30 per cent from UX and 20 per cent from assets and images.) I can safely say that there are 200 delegates out there armed with the inspiration to make that 50 per cent count.

Thank you ProCopywriters, all the speakers, David McGuire for being an admirable MC and all the other attendees.