What trends in copywriting don’t work anymore, and how to replace common tools that have been working for years, we tell you in our article
Long-term content plans
Regardless of which social media platforms you’re promoting your business on, it’s inefficient to plan something long term in an uncertain mode. The news agenda changes rapidly, it is important to embed content in current realities, rather than trying to create universal texts that will work on Monday morning and on the eve of the end of the world.
What to do. A flexible tool for creating content in the face of uncertainty is newsjacking. It is the practice of using current news and events in such a way as to advertise and promote your brand or product.
It is important to “catch the wave” in the beginning, before it covers everyone. In order to generate situational content, adhere to the following rules:
- Monitor the news agenda regularly: start your morning not with coffee, but with Google Trends to know your audience’s interests.
- Be prepared to respond quickly. If everyone has already picked up on the message, you’re too late: In the mainstream, those who created it, not supported it, win.
- Use newsjacking when the news has been picked up by several online outlets, but it hasn’t gone to print yet. Reaction to even the most emotional event fades within a week.
Trends, forecasts, assumptions
Talk about what’s relevant in 2022 or the next century is only for Tarot card manufacturers now, in other cases only pass on information that can be evaluated and applied right now.
Even this article will lose relevance as soon as the world stops shaking from the infodumps and we regain relative stability and predictability in business.
The exception is when it’s appropriate to talk about trends: in memes, but the jokes should fit into the Tone of Voice of the brand and be appropriate.
What’s the substitute? Tell us how you and your team have dealt with past crises, how your product or product and business processes have changed. What did it change, how did it affect production and marketing.
Clickbait
Clickbait headlines have caused negativity before, but they’ve also had a positive impact on engagement. There was a lot of stress in the last month without the yellow headlines, so any hype provokes people to be negative in the comments.
What to replace it with? With clear and simple headlines or no headlines at all – tell the story right away.
Warmups
The classic well-thought-out chain of warm-ups: help make the client aware of the pain – show them how to cure the pain – talk about the team/technology/cases – close objections and push them down – doesn’t work anymore. You don’t have time for long warm-ups, and the audience doesn’t have the resources to wait for you to play out the whole scenario.
How do you sell then? Be honest and open. By talking about how you solve the challenges you face, you show your audience that you’re in control, you can be trusted.
If your product and content is clear to your audience, then you need to make them want to buy it at first glance. Create one perfect offer instead of a chain of warm ups.
Storytelling with a kicker
Over the past few years, the degree of revelations has reached the point of absurdity where business accounts could reveal the founder’s entire background and be privy to his existential crisis.
Now the problems and personal lives of others have receded into the background. Everyone is trying to find someone who will answer their needs. Therefore, it is more important than ever to build and maintain trust with clients.
What’s the substitute? Do succinct and simple content: cut down on reflexivity and talk business. You can broadcast life itself (your routine, daily rituals), but not exaggerated experiences about it.
Selling newsletters
Caring and helpful emails will be far more effective than sales mailings. While we used to be afraid of overdoing it and “crushing” expertise, the trend toward helpful content is back.
How do you sell then? Talk about your product in a way that’s useful to the customer. Make content in which people will find a solution to their problem and feel help and support. To do this, analyze in detail the current needs of your target audience.
Before you do a newsletter, answer yourself the questions: “Will this information be useful to the client?”, “Will they want to apply the recommendations and share them?”.
How to write to be read and bought
- Simple content. Broadcast life, a beautiful, enjoyable, quality product, and make yourself clear.
- Longreads. Tell “clean” stories on social media without any extra emotion.
- Be open-minded: this includes the issue of price increases. Give advance notice of these plans and explain why you need to increase the cost.
- Post content with concern for your audience, and think about the company’s reputation. If you don’t know what to talk about without hurting anyone’s feelings, here are some options:
- How you and your team are going through these turbulent times.
- What helps you personally take your mind off work.
- How your daily rituals have changed.
These topics are the bridges that will connect you to your audience. And remember, customer trust is the ultimate business value in times of uncertainty.