What You Can Learn From These Top Copywriting Examples

Henry Mills

Even if your business currently employs the talents of a copywriter, you can still learn a thing or two from the top copywriting examples out there.

Whether you are aware of it or not, your website copy will either attract or deter your target audience. The words you use really matter!

Good copywriting engages people. It entices them to want to learn more. On the other hand, bland copy will send them to snoozeville. We’re talking the kind of copy that just spits out data, or is written for the sake of SEO. While copywriting and SEO aren’t mutually exclusive, there’s an art to ensuring you’ve got the best of both.

Here we’re looking at some case study examples so you will know how some of the best do it. What can you learn and take away for you own business?

The landing pageA good landing page has one job and one job only – to sell your customer on an action you want them to take. A landing page is a standalone marketing page that your target audience arrives at, usually by clicking on a banner or an advertisement of some kind. The goal action may be to get them to buy or to sign up for something.

With this important job, good copywriting is essential for any landing page. You need marketing copy in headlines, sub headlines, body copy and the call to action. It’s not easy to design a winning landing page, but you can learn a thing or two from some of the best:

Drip

What works well?

They clearly identify the value proposition, or what the target audience is going to get. “Double your leads” is an enticing prospect!
They highlight that the course is free, but has a value of $197. People always love to think they’re getting a steal.
They use simple, short sentences to highlight what the prospect will get out of signing up.
Use of bullet points makes the page easy to scan.
The layout is clean and simple with a clear call to action.

What else could they do?

Perhaps highlight the value proposition – “double your leads” – over and above “getting started with Drip.”
Some people might find the social media share buttons distracting.

MeetEdgar

What works well?

Very direct and effective headline. They address the objections of their target audience about social media (whether or not it will work for them) AND nail the benefit of automation.
The call to action is interesting and clear. Instead of something like “get it here” they say “see how it works.”
Very clear and succinct description of what the product is and does.

What else could they do?

Perhaps they could test saying a little more about what people are getting by handing over their email address in the copy. It’s not exactly clear.

Always highlight your value proposition as clearly as possible in your website copy

The social media accountsCopywriting for social media isn’t as easy as it sounds. If you want to optimize how you use your accounts, then you need to be able to go beyond simple descriptions or sharing of GIFs. There’s an art to engaging your target audience on their busy newsfeed and being able to combat any lurking trolls.

Here are some examples of social media copywriting done well:

Charmin

How does a toilet paper company keep social media interesting? Charmin’s Twitter account is one to behold. From pop culture references (Game of Thrones – get it? 😉 ) to subtle, yet witty sales copy, the brand has managed to engage good copywriting without being overly vulgar.

Lessons you can take from Charmin:

Where appropriate, find the humor in your brand!
If you can, make connections with pop culture.
Come up with your own interesting (and topical) hashtag. Charmin’s “Tweets from the Seat” hashtag series has become popular and again, highlights their sense of humor.
Address any common questions or objections that your product or service might raise. For example, Charmin highlights their commitment to sourcing their paper from responsibly managed forests.

Away

Instagram is one social media platform where businesses often struggle with their copywriting. The platform is very much for the visual, but what you say and the hashtags you use matter too.

Away is a luggage brand that’s mastered the subtle art of sales copy on Instagram without appearing to be pushing a sale. Using the hashtag #travelaway, they highlight the possibilities and experiences that owning a suitcase can bring. Their images and copy aren’t just about the luggage, they’re about where that luggage might take you.

Lessons you can take from Away:

Consider the benefits or experiences that your product or service can help enable.
Use high-quality images with your copy – that’s what people notice first.
When producing social media, consider how you might utilize user-generated content. Many of the pictures they share come from their customers.
Don’t write a paragraph when a sentence will do. If you can keep it brief, people are more likely to remain engaged.

--> branding and marketing

Hootsuite

Facebook newsfeed advertising is a tricky thing to get right. Somehow, among all of that noise on the target audience newsfeed, you need to ensure that your ad stands out.

Hootsuite does well at grabbing attention (after all, their brand does specialize in social media!). Take the advertisement shown below; what you can’t see here is that it’s actually a brief video. The video shows a few sentences and points (all written) about why you should pay attention to the product:

Lessons you can take away:

Spice up copy with a multimedia format. This advert is made more interesting by the fact that you need to pause and watch each sentence come up.
Keep copy short, sweet and benefit-driven. “Effortlessly execute social campaigns with Hootsuite Planner.”
Dangle a carrot where you can. “Try it free for 30 days” is an excellent hook.

The homepageHomepage copywriting is arguably one of the most important aspects of your website. As we always say, your target audience needs to immediately be able to grasp what you do and what it has to do with them. Otherwise, they’ll probably depart.

Your messaging should be central to your homepage copy. You should tell what you do and describe your value proposition. Here are a couple of good examples you can “borrow” from:

Perfectly Placed

What you can take away:

Check out how simple and benefit-driven that headline is! It very succinctly states what they do and what the benefit is. Always think in terms of “what’s in it for me?” (your customer) on your homepage.
They clearly state who they offer their service to. If your business is restricted by geography, make sure this is stated upfront so that you don’t waste anyone’s time (or your own).
Clear call to action with a prominent button – “Get organized now.”

Fitness Builder

What you can take away:

That headline is pure benefit in as few words as possible – “get ripped.” In case anyone has any confusion, it is backed up by the image of the muscular guy next to it. How briefly can you state your primary benefit?
Give people the numbers where possible – we are attracted to them! “With over 1000 workouts and 7000+ fitness videos to choose from.”
Give people an option to sign up above the fold (although we wonder with this one if they’ve tested having the headline above the signup form, rather than the other way around).
That is one slick value proposition: “work out anytime, anywhere with your portable, affordable personal trainer.

Final thoughtsYour social media, landing page or web copy should speak directly to the target audience you aim to attract. While top copywriters spend years honing their craft (and tend to be expensive to hire), you can still pick up a few good tips from the companies we have highlighted.

If we were to boil good copywriting down, it would come to messaging and simplicity. All businesses should have clear and consistent messaging and copy should be written as simply as possible. Don’t be tempted to waffle on when a sentence or two will do!

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