If you’re a regular copywriter in Bangkok, you may not think of yourself as an artist. But in a sense, all writing is art, because all communication is a kind of art. When done well, it captures our imaginations and inspires us to act differently. When done badly, it quickly starts to annoy our sensibilities, and actually does more harm than good.
Websites, advertisements and other forms of copywriting are, in many people’s eyes, the face of a company – and often the voice as well. No matter how good a new company’s products might be, it’s the marketers and copywriters who need to show its strengths to the market. With that in mind, let’s look at some tips for how to be an effective copywriter in Bangkok – and what kinds of mistakes to be careful of while you’re working.
Tip #1: Don’t bury the lede. All journalists are taught this rule, and the same advice must certainly apply to copywriting in Bangkok as well. But what does it mean? A “lede” in a news story is the hook, the attention-grabber, the opening sentences to get the reader interested to know more. “Burying the lede” happens when you organize your text badly, so that the most interesting information is hidden in the middle or towards the end of the story.
In this age of internet and social media, attention spans are short – and you can’t count on your audience reading the whole story if you don’t make it interesting from the very beginning. A good English editor can help with your organization of ideas in addition to doing regular editing and proofreading work.
Tip #2: Show the forest first, then the trees. As a copywriter in Bangkok, you should know what you’re talking about – but don’t assume your audience does. Be sure to show them the big picture. Give the situation, introduce the setting, the context – and above all, why they should care.
When they know why they should care, they’ll be ready to receive more and more details about all the news you want to share with them. But if you start with the details first, they won’t know what you’re getting at, or why they should be interested.
Tip #3: Help them see what you see, and imagine what you imagine. People have a routine in life, and they’re usually very comfortable in it. If you want them to make a change, it’s going to require some effort on their part, so you’ll have to make the idea very attractive for them.
In Boston, my old city, there is a famous sign from a real estate agent. It says: “If you lived here, you’d be home now.” Most people see that sign after sitting for 30 minutes in traffic on their way to or from work in the city. In just 8 words, the advertisement evokes a powerful feeling in thousands of people, who are reminded that they could avoid wasting hours on their commute every week by making a single move.
Tip #4: Talk to your audience directly. Ask them questions. “How would you like your company to be on Page 1 of a Google search? It might be a lot easier than you think, with our Bangkok digital marketing agency at Lexicon.”
A short question like that can get your reader nodding in agreement, ready to go along with you for the ride. A website or ad can never be as truly interactive as a real conversation, but a good Bangkok copywriting firm can always borrow some conversational tricks to help bridge the gap.
Tip #5: Address your audience’s concerns, one at a time, until they are all gone. Your audience might think: “It must cost a lot to get to Page 1 on its Google rankings, so it just isn’t practical for my company.” (Yes, but if it brings in just a few new customers every month, the upgrade basically pays for itself.)
“How do I know that Lexicon can even do what it promises?” (Check our own Google rankings for our major services in Bangkok; you’ll see we’re on Page 1 for everything ourselves.
You know what your audience’s worries are. A professional copywriter can create a piece of text to skillfully answer each of those fears, even without mentioning them directly. Take the audience’s worries away, and all that will remain will be the interest and excitement you’ve made them feel at the beginning. At the end of the day, isn’t that what a good artist should be aiming for?
In Part 2 of this series, we’ll look at many of the problems that some copywriters create for themselves when they set out to write without thinking carefully enough about what their product deserves and what their audience really needs. Again, these issues can always be fixed later by a high-quality English editor, but a good Bangkok copywriter should try to get into the right habits.
Our writers and editors do careful research for every assignment, and can produce content in any style your company needs. In addition to our digital marketing and social media marketing services, we have strong multimedia design and branding departments.
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