Are you trying to figure out what visual writing is and how it can make your copy more persuasive?
Copywriting can be a challenging skill to learn. But once you crack the code, you’ll find that it’s one of your company’s strongest assets. That’s why, in this post, we’re going to share something that can instantly make your copy more persuasive:
Visual writing.
We’ll cover what visual writing is and give you 5 practical tips to spice up your copy through storytelling.
Ready to get started? Let’s dive in.
Visual writing is a way of creating stories or messages that build clear images in your readers’ minds.
It’s all about using the right words so that your reader feels totally engaged in your story.
That means you should do everything possible to make sure that each sentence is compelling, and not just for its content but also because of how it builds on the previous sentences and leads into the next ones.
For example, instead of saying “I’m going to the movies,” try something like:
“Two hours from now I’ll be in a dark theater. The lights will dim as my favorite movie starts playing on the screen. A few minutes into it, I’ll sip some ice-cold soda while munching on crunchy popcorn. The soda will be so cold it makes my teeth hurt, and the popcorn will be perfectly salted.”
Visual writing uses their reader’s imagination to help them visualize what they’re saying. It helps create an emotional response in their mind that leads them through a story they can easily relate with.
And if done correctly, this can create a powerful message that your reader won’t forget.
In fact, once you start practicing visual writing in your copywriting it’ll become second nature to you. So let’s get started with the first tip:
The more descriptive words you use when writing a blog post or other copy, the more likely it is that your reader will be able to create a mental picture in their mind.
This helps you get more of an emotional response from your copywriting which, in turn, is more persuasive.
For example, let’s say you were trying to convince people to make a career change. And you’re selling a product that teaches them to transition more smoothly.
You may have some top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) content that gets people emotionally involved in the decision. Instead of saying “At one point, I didn’t want to go to work,” you might describe your personal experience as something like:
“The idea of going back into the office made me feel nauseous. Just thinking about sitting at a desk all day and trying not to fall asleep as I stared at spreadsheets was enough to make my stomach churn.”
This is a much more visual description of the pains of going to a job you don’t like. And if your reader can relate, you’ll get them feeling those emotions, too.
In the end, that’s much more incentivizing for your reader to take action and try your product.
Using action verbs also helps create a clear image in the reader’s mind of exactly what you’re talking about.
Action verbs are important because they drive your user toward your call to action (CTA).
For example, let’s say you were trying to sell a product that helps people get their blog posts written faster. You might use action verbs like:
“Unleash your creativity and write copy in record time with our new blogging tool.”
This tells the reader exactly what they can expect when using this product. And it gives them a sense of deliverable they can get excited about.
In turn, that will help you create more persuasive copywriting and make your readers want to take action on what it is you’re selling them.
Don’t get carried away with details because that can easily confuse your readers. Instead, give them just enough details to build the feeling you want them to experience.
For example, let’s say you were writing a blog post about the different types of business structures (e.g., Sole Proprietorship vs LLC). You might use an analogy like this:
“Think of your business structure as being on a spectrum from least to most liability protection. On one end is sole proprietorships and on the other end is LLCs.”
This tells your customer that there are two different types of business structures, and it gives them a general idea about what each one offers.
But if you were to go on with details like: “Sole proprietorship means all property owned by the individual who started the company belongs to that person (i.e., sole proprietorship). In other words, any debt or liability is the responsibility of that individual,” it would be too much information.
At this point, your readers could get confused and turn away from what you’re trying to say altogether.
Why? Because you’re overexplaining the problem and adding new problems to their list.
Now, let’s be clear: this will depend on the type of content you’re creating. If you’re teaching about concepts in TOFU content, then details are fine.
But if you’re trying to get more persuasive copy, provide enough details to build emotion, but not so much that you lose the forest for the trees.
When you use adjectives like good, bad, nice, great, and so on, they don’t give your readers any sort of real experience.
That’s because they’re too general and, frankly, just take up space.
Instead, use specific words that will help you paint a clear picture in the reader’s mind.
For example, instead of saying “This is a nice place to eat,” say something like:
“The smell of fresh-brewed coffee fills this cafe with warmth.”
The adjective in the sentence above “fresh-brewed” (which could technically be an adverb for any squabblers out there) is much more visual than “nice.”
And as a result, you’ll get your readers to see the experience in their mind’s eye, rather than simply reading the text.
Stories are more engaging when you use concrete descriptions instead of abstract ones.
For example, saying “my boss was really upset with me” is less effective than saying something like: “my boss’s face was bright red and her eyes were squinting into slits.”
The first statement tells the reader what happened, whereas the second paints a picture of exactly what you experienced.
This is an important aspect of copywriting because it helps your readers feel like they are there with you experiencing the exact same thing.
In turn, that will help them connect to what it is you’re writing about and make them more likely to take action on it.”
There are plenty of places you can use visuals in your copy.
If you’re selling physical products like t-shirts or posters, for example, you can include images that show people what the product looks like.
If you’re writing content, you could use screenshots to demonstrate how something works or add a graphic with statistics and facts about your industry.
No matter where it’s located in the copy, adding visuals will make the idea richer for readers as they’ll be able to see exactly what it is you’re talking about.
Keep in mind that all of these tips are ways to make your copy more compelling and engaging for readers, but they aren’t meant to be used together or at the same time.
When it comes down to it, writing strong copy should always be about balance.
You need to be clear enough that your readers understand what you’re saying, but not so vague that they don’t get any of the ideas or concepts you want them to pick up on.
The best way to keep this in mind is by adding visuals into the mix whenever possible as well as using concrete words and descriptions.
In the end, you’ll be able to write copy that your readers will enjoy and find useful.
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