In the world of advertising, body copy refers to the main section of text. It encapsulates the reason you should buy this product or service, usually by positioning one or more features and benefits (depending on the advertising medium used). When body copy is written effectively, it gives the reader a reason or justification as to why the product or service is useful to them and worth purchasing. In this article, we discuss the importance of body copy in advertising and why it needs to be as compelling as possible.
Table of contents
- What is body copy?
- The importance of body copy in advertising
1. Helps position the selling points
2. Nurtures positive relationships with readers
3. Creates a sense of urgency
4. Helps you stand out from the crowd
What is body copy?
Body copy is the main chunk of copy that you use on a piece of advertising to describe or position a product or service. It could be short or long-form depending on the type of content you’re creating, such as a billboard ad, an advertorial or a high-converting sales page.
It’s one of the primary motivators for customers when it comes to purchasing a product or service. It encourages the reader to make a decision by discussing key features and benefits in a way that relates to the reader. This can take the form of appealing to their emotions or their logic but ultimately it compels them to want the product or service. Another approach is to create an attention-grabbing hook that draws in readers.
Body copy is often paired with other aspects of an advertising campaign, such as taglines, headlines, logos and images to reinforce the ideas and concepts found in the body copy.
All of these elements work together to effectively communicate with audiences and generate interest in the company or the products and services they offer. That’s why getting your body copy right is so important – it’s often the lynchpin that encourages a sale or reinforces the notion that a brand is an industry expert.
Read More: What is a hook in writing? How to grab your audience from the get-go
The importance of body copy in advertising
When it comes down to it, body copy is one of the main vehicles companies use to reach customers and provide them with useful information about their offerings. It’s a prime opportunity to show customers why choosing your brand over the competition makes sense.
The problem is that readers spend on average around 37 seconds reading an article before moving on. That means it’s vital that you make your body copy compelling.
There are plenty of other reasons why it’s important to create compelling body copy in advertising:
1. Helps position the selling points
Advertising body copy is a perfect platform to inform, educate and entertain your audience in a way that really resonates with them. Ideally, it also acts as a call to action so that it encourages the reader to purchase your offerings. Appealing content will draw the reader in and compelling copy should be able to persuade them that your products or services are greatly beneficial to their life.
Every business has its own unique audience, so it’s important to tailor the message to appeal to your core audience. There are different ways that you can incorporate sales tactics into body copy, so you should take the time to find the right tactic that works for your business. The best way to do this is by trying different approaches and measuring their effectiveness. That way, you’ll know what approach best resonates with your customers.
Read More: The ultimate guide to persuasive online copywriting
2. Nurtures positive relationships with readers
According to research, 56% of customers are loyal to brands that ‘get them’. Body copy in advertising s your chance to convey all that hard work you’ve done on your branding. It can be used to show customers that you relate with them, which in turn fosters a sense that your brand understands their needs. Whether it’s answering questions they have about what you offer or information that helps them get the most out of your products or services, body copy can help nurture a positive relationship between customers and brands.
Over time, your long-term customers will even begin to champion your brand and act as informal ambassadors for your business. They can raise brand awareness, reinforce your brand authority and even help diversify your audience simply by pointing them to your quality content. All of this leads to more sales and greater revenue, which every business can get behind.
Read More: What is brand awareness, what does brand awareness do and how do you increase it?
3. Creates a sense of urgency
Body copy can be used to showcase products and services in a way that makes them appear essential, or must-have items. Every business that launches a new product or service will try to convince customers that their new offerings are worthy of at least trying out. Nailing body copy so that it’s results-focused can help tremendously here as it highlights the unique features and benefits that are on offer.
It’s important to frame the copy in a way that makes the products on offer seem essential, which can usually be achieved by showcasing some new unique features or benefits. For example, if a company is launching a new type of coffee that’s both strong and smooth, the body copy might think about positioning the drink as great for energising with the added benefit of no bad taste or harsh coffee breath! This opens up the market to target coffee aficionados and those who wouldn’t usually buy coffee.
4. Helps you stand out from the crowd
If your brand is associated with exceptionally good copy, then you’ll quickly stand out from the competition. Most industries are filled with businesses that say a lot without actually bringing any value to customers. If you craft compelling body copy that provides inherent value to the people reading it, then you’ll make a lasting impression that makes your brand more memorable and easier to relate to.
In short, compelling body copy works to make your brand more identifiable, appealing and relatable. If you can get those aspects of your advertising campaign right, then you’re already on the right track to converting readers into customers.
Next, follow our tutorial and learn how to create copy that sells to take your body copy to new heights.
Header: Sincerely Media
Embedded images: Tobias Moore, Giulia May, Malvestida
