When it comes to copywriting, you may think you already know what makes good writing stand out. It’s the pieces that convince others to buy, that stand out and sell the product in a new and meaningful way.

This is all true, but if you really want to know what makes good copy, you’ve got to dig deeper than that. There are five characteristics that make excellent copywriting stand out from everything else online. Here’s what you need to be aiming for when you’re creating new copy for your company or product.

 1. Listen to what your audience wants

Before you ever start writing, you’ve got to be listening to what the audience wants. Many businesses have succeeded because they ignored the ‘expert’ advice all around them, and paid attention to what the audience themselves were saying.

If you’re writing with the audience in mind, make sure that you’re including what they want. This is especially true if you’re using them as sources. Cite them properly with Cite It In and ensure they know where you’re getting your info. Viawriting will ensure your message comes through succinctly, too.

2. Connect to what the customer really wants

You may be selling running shoes, but what the customer wants isn’t actually running shoes. What they’re looking for is peace out on the road when they take their daily run. As a copywriter, your job is to find that link and use it to sell the customer what they’re actually looking for.

If you find it difficult to find these links, use tools such as this Idea Generator to see where you could go with your content. Consulting with other writers at Grade on Fire can help, too.

3. Take a different approach

The best copywriting takes the audience’s expectations and shifts them slightly, putting them off guard. After all, these days we’re bombarded by marketing. We’ve learned to tune it out because it’s so pervasive in our everyday lives. If you want to get noticed, you need to catch the audience off guard.

Take an advert for an illiteracy campaign. If you just say you’re raising money, most people will just gloss over what you have to say. What some charities have done is put the reader in their beneficiary’s shoes, showing them what it’s like to live with this issue. It’s effective and it makes readers think. If you want to do the same, use experienced writers from sites such as Resumention, and guides from sites such as Uktopwriters, to make the most of your writing.

4. Make a reader want to read on

The old rule of good copywriting states that the role of the headline is to get you to read the first line. The role of the first line is to get you to read the second line. You’ve got to hook the reader in right away.

Make then want to see what happens next. Give them the hook right away, so they’ll keep reading to find out what’s going on. A title such as ‘Why You Need To Rethink Everything You Know About Parenting’ will draw readers in. If this is what’s tripping you up, consulting with writers such as those at Best Australian Writers or Dissertation service can help you.

5. Drop the jargon

Everyone has heard a copywriter describe something as ‘ground breaking’ or ‘revolutionary’. No one cares anymore. It’s no good just saying you’re the best, you’ve got to prove the best. Fill your copy with jargon and buzzwords and you’re just going to alienate the reader.

The way to avoid this is to be straight with the reader. Tell them what you’re all about, and be honest with them. It’s much easier to respect a message that’s open and honest, rather than hiding behind meaningless language. To ensure you’re not including this kind of language without even meaning to, use tools such as Write my essay and State of Writing to find and pull those phrases for you.

These are the 5 characteristics that all good copywriting shares. Now, you need to use them in your own writing. If you can do this, then you’ll see a drastic improvement in engagement.

Gloria Kopp is a digital marketer and an elearning consultant at Paper Fellows service. Shes is a contributing author HuffingtonPost, Template Monster, Essayroo, etc. Besides, Gloria writes Oxessays blog where she shares her experience with students and educators.