The Four C's of Copywriting

The Copy Queen herself is back. (Absolutely no one calls me that, but I would answer.)

It was so fun introducing The Salesgirls to one of my favorite brand’s copy in a recent newsletter. If nothing else, I hope it helped you pay more attention to the brands you love tone and voice. 

Bonus if it encouraged you to place more emphasis and intention on what you’re writing for your own business.

I’m here to drop more copywriting nuggets of wisdom, if that’s okay with you. Awkward if not, I’m just going to move forward…

You probably already know this, but just in case you don’t, let’s define “copy.”

Copy is what you write for your website, email newsletters, blogs, video scripts, social media captions, billboards, etc. 

My unprofessional definition, the words that persuade people to buy your stuff.

If you take away nothing else from today’s newsletter or if Court decides I’m never allowed to grace your inbox again, please just commit this one part to memory:

The 4 C’s of Copywriting: 

1. Clear 

2. Concise

3. Compelling 

4. Credible 

These four main principles are your guiding lights, your Bible, your Truth for writing effective copy. 

Some people watch the Super Bowl just for the commercials. I watch the Super Bowl to judge the scripts written for the commercials. (And because I’m an Atlanta Falcons fan so the compelling ads are all I have.)

I think Super Bowl commercials are a great example of why good copywriting matters. It’s why no one mutes the tv during the ad breaks.

You need to hear the script to connect with the message.

So, the next time you find yourself crying into a Crockpot of buffalo chicken dip it’s because the creative team producing the ad understood the assignment: powerful storytelling needs strong copywriting. 

Or it’s because your team just blew a 28-3 lead. But we won’t talk about that!

The commercials you remember the most hit all 4 C’s, whether it’s in the dialogue or with a memorable tagline.

Commit to memory: Clear, Concise, Compelling, Credible.

That’s everything you need to write the words that will make me laugh, cry, and add to cart, all at the same time.