Key insights
- competition is high, industries are changing at increasingly faster paces — and consumers’ purse strings are tightening
- any edge you carve for your business will make a difference
- for higher Google rankings: rewrite your webpages’ SEO titles, meta descriptions and headings to focus on the keywords you want to be found for — and regularly update your website with meaningful and relevant content
- for better social media engagement: use emotive and descriptive language to write more compelling social media captions that stand out
There’s a small business boom in Australia – it’s predicted that up to 4.3 million new businesses will be started over the next 8 years.
The digital space is still expanding with monthly Instagram users having grown from 804mn to 877mn in 2022.
And nearly 80% of marketers say the industry has changed more in the past 3 years than in the last 50.
These 3 data points may seem random to you but what they point to is that now more than ever, competition is high and business is moving at increasingly faster paces.
Before that settles in and overwhelms you, let’s flip it on its head – attention is high, opportunity is abundant and if you can stay curious and proactive, you can come out on top.
When it comes to copywriting strategies for 2023, here are actionable tips for SEO copywriting and social media copywriting to set you up for greater brand awareness and engagement.
4 steps to DIY your SEO
The first of 2 copywriting strategies for 2023 is about SEO copywriting with the goal to increase brand awareness because Google is not dead – actually, far from it with search volume growing 10-15% per year.
I’m not an SEO expert and I’m not across the latest practices in SEM or changes in Google but when you search for ‘Hobart copywriter‘, Fiction Agency comes up on page one and often as the very first result.
It took me a couple hours for the initial set up and then an hour per month, tops, to maintain. Here are the tactics I used that can be easily followed by you.
Refine your SEO titles for each web page.
Choose your keyphrase according to what you want users to search for in order to find you. Include your keyphrase at the beginning of your SEO title, as well as your business name. Use a preview tool like MOZ to make sure your SEO title is not being cut short by Google.
Customise your meta description.
Include your keyphrase as well as a call-to-action. Make sure you write up to only 155 characters.
Feature unique content on each of your webpages and structure it for easy reading and understanding.
Use heading tags properly and include your keyphrase in a couple, if possible.
I know it is tempting to use AI generators for website content; I personally would never, however, if you do choose to, be sure to review the content and edit so that the content sounds like you. This can be as simple as replacing words that feel odd to you with ones that feel more natural and fleshing out discussions with real-life examples specific to your business.
Regularly update your website
This doesn’t have to as involved as an entire overhaul. It can be uploading new blogs as well as more minor changes like adding client testimonials and projects to your portfolio.
4 techniques to write more impactful captions
The last of 2 copywriting strategies for 2023 is about social media copywriting.
How you retain a follower’s attention, time and time again, is through sharing content that impacts them. Once you have done this a handful of times, they’re behaviourally primed to expect this from you and will be more likely to stop scrolling and spend time reading your post.
Part of giving your content its best chances of resonating with your audience is writing a meaningful, engaging caption. What makes a caption meaningful is its intention. What makes a caption engaging is its language and structure.
When it comes to language, using words that are less common and are strong in meaning, connotation and even imagery, will differentiate your caption from others.
Here are the techniques I use to elevate my word choice for Fiction and Fiction’s clients.
The thesaurus is your friend
Search for synonyms to replace ordinary words. Just make sure you select one that still makes sense as its very easy to fall down the thesaurus hole.
Expand on an adjective with a sentence
Take the time to elaborate on what you mean. For example, “the weather was nice” > “the weather was bluebird; full of sun, void of cloud.”
Use literary devices for more unique, emotive writing
Literary devices include:
- alliteration: summertime soirée
- onomatopoeia: a café buzzing with chatter
- similes: like velvet on skin
- metaphors: a rollercoaster year
- rhyme: carrot cake, spice and all things nice
Write to appeal to the senses
Write to engage your reader’s sense of sight, smell, touch, sound and taste. Describe colours, textures and movements and draw parallels to relatable examples to evoke strong imagery.
2022 was a hugely successful year for Fiction with 100% client retention from 2021, bringing on 4 new monthly clients and establishing a handful of strong, synergistic relationships with other creatives and marketing agencies. I hope your year has been full of wins and learnings and that these 2 ‘bang for your buck’ copy strategies help you start 2023 with a bang!
