It’s the end of the year once again, and as it normally goes during this time of the year, we make predictions on what we think will happen in the next. So here goes our fearless forecast on what the best practices in copywriting will be in 2022.
Read More: The Top 3 Trends We Expect to See in eCommerce Marketing Throughout 2021
The medium is the message…and the audience!
Much has been said about the importance of writing for your audience. And when we say this, we normally think of our tone of voice. Does the copy use the language and style that our audience normally uses? Is it relatable, understandable, and conversational?
But another aspect of this that we also need to consider is how native our language is to the medium that our ad copy will be on. This might not be as pertinent to the usual ad placements, but it’s very important when it comes to native ads.
Native ads are kind of like the digital versions of the newspaper advertorial. These are headlines and articles in news sites and blogs that look like ordinary articles but are actually sponsored posts. Basically, it’s long-form ad copy disguised as a native article. For these kinds of ads, it’s very important that your ad “fits in” well with the rest of the site’s contents.
Generally speaking…
With the continued tightening of data privacy laws, it became increasingly difficult this year to make hyper-targeted campaigns. We don’t see this changing anytime soon, so we might need to take a page out of the ole copywriting book and write for more general audiences.
Yes, we understand that it’s a difficult balance. First we tell you to write in the specific voice of your audience, and now we tell you to write for a more general audience. But such is the challenge of our times, and the key is to find that sweet spot.
Write content, not copy
As digital advertising continues to expand, our audiences are more likely to continue maturing as well. No matter how deftly we camouflage our ads (see native ads above), there will be an increasing number of consumers who will be able to spot an ad or know that we’re selling them something.
Sometimes, for smarter audiences, the solution isn’t to improve your native ad’s disguise but to actually be truer to yourself–to be a plain and simple ad. The more honest and transparent your copy is, the better.
Apart from honesty, there is also the power of story. People don’t consume ads; they consume content. So don’t be afraid of rattling on with long copy or a video testimonial. It might actually be the raw, very personal stories that people will gravitate towards more.
Prediction, not premonition
As with most year-end forecasts, there needs to be a caveat. These predictions are not set in stone are simply observations of trends–estimations of where the wind might take us and how to set our sails.
We hope that these thoughts give you some ideas on what we can do in 2022.
As the old copy goes, have a prosperous new year!