The Author and Copywriting | Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi

Whether you like it or not, as authors and writers, you need to write compelling, even persuasive content.

You might ask why.

Well, if you’re spending your time creating a book, magazine article, essay, blog post, or content for your website, you have a purpose in mind.

That purpose is to create and build visibility and sell what you’re offering.

This is where copywriting comes in.

So, what exactly is copywriting?

According to the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI), “Copywriting is the process of writing persuasive marketing and promotional materials that motivate people to take some form of action, such as make a purchase, click on a link, donate to a cause, or schedule a consultation.”

Writing persuasive content helps you create and build visibility, and it helps you sell your books, your services, or your products.

An article at AWAI, “5 Sales Copy Editing Tips to Double Conversions,” gives five tips on how to get visitors to your website and potential clients to say YES to your offer.

Five tips to make your article or blog post more persuasive.

Here are three:

It’s always about the reader.

With all the content online, you need to grab the reader quickly.

In the beginning paragraph, let the reader know what’s in it for her.

Let her know how your article can help her.

An example: Last month, my article, The One Sentence Pitch for Your Manuscript, had the most page views. It was posted over five years ago.

Based on this information, I went back to the post to make sure it followed this advice. It did.

Within the first paragraph, I explain what a one-sentence pitch is. And in the next paragraph, I explain why it needs only one sentence.

So, my beginning content gives the reader what he’s looking for.

I did have to add an updated call-to-action, which is why you should check on your older posts.

The So Whater.

This is a great tip and one that I learned years ago from children’s writer Margot Finke.

In children’s writing, the So Whater is about moving the character and story forward by continually asking yourself, so what.

Suppose Amanda gets a virtual reality headset. “So what,” says the So Whater.

Suppose the game she gets with the set is about scuba diving with sharks.

Again, the So Whater says, “So What?” And, she goes on to say, “So what,” every time you add something to the story.

Having to come up with answers for the So Whater motivates you to come up with what happens next that will make a page-turning story.

It’s the same with copywriting.

You have to think of where and when the reader may say, “So What?” “What’s in it for Me?”

Keeping this in mind helps you have the answer already in place to stop the So Whater before he gets started.

Make your call-to-action (CTA) work for you.

Your CTA needs to motivate the reader to click on what you’re offering.

It may be to buy your book.
It may be to attend a podcast, webinar, or other format.
It may be to sign up for your mailing list.
It may be to take a survey.

Whatever you want the reader or visitor to do, make it clear and enticing.

You might add a guarantee: You’ll love this or ask for a full refund – no questions asked.
You might offer an additional helpful tool, a PDF, or something else if the reader takes the action you want.

In include helpful bonus information in my copy for Become a Power-Blogger in Just 4-Weeks.

Compare the price to something else, making it sound cheap compared to the other product or service.

The article at AWAI gave this example: For the cost of a Starbucks latte each day, you can be enjoying …

Offer a how-to PDF that will simplify the reader’s life.

I recently created a DIY Self-Publishing PDF as an offer to join my mailing list.

It takes the author from an edited manuscript to publishing an ebook or paperback. I know this is a valuable offer because I tried to find the information while self-publishing How to Write a Children’s Fiction Book.

Add testimonials or other social proof.

Suppose you have 100,000 subscribers to your email list. You could use that as social proof: Join 100,000 other subscribers. Or, something like, A 100,000 subscribers can’t be wrong – jump on board.

I have testimonials on the Home page of my website. Testimonials work. I’ve had clients tell me they hired me because of my testimonials.

Would you click on your CTA?

Once you have your article or content written and edited, read it as a visitor to your site or a reader. Then read the CTA.

Would the content motivate you to take action?

You might think all this takes time, and you’d be right.

But once you get into the routine of doing it, it will come easier and quicker. And more than that, it will work for you.

On top of all this, what you write online is there forever and reaches far. The internet is a crazy place; you just don’t know who will see that article, CTA, or other content you write.

It’s important to make your content effective. Make it do what you want it to do, what you need it to do, to get the reader to click on your CTA.

Build Your Author/Writer Platform is a 4-week in-depth and interactive e-class. It covers all the tools you’ll need to build visibility and traffic, and boost sales. Or, you can get the DIY PDF version.

CLICK THE LINK ABOVE to check out all it includes!

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