Copywriting is the most overlooked skill in the digital marketing industry. People know it's needed, but they don't realize how important it is. The Copy is content that sparks an interest in your products; what they see when they want to learn more about you.

Once you know how to incorporate copywriting, these next Ten Steps will help you turn it up a notch.

1) Focus on the Reader.
Despite being the most important rule, breaking this rule is a common mistake people make. You need to connect to their emotions and write like you're speaking to them and them alone. Emphasize the problem and get them excited about the solution.

2) Use foresight.
Answer their questions and concerns before they get a chance to ask them. You do this by overcoming their objections- think of objections as unanswered questions. Take a few minutes to write down as many questions as you can. Once you have them, start throwing the answers into your copy. It helps if you have a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) area you can refer to.

3) Show them, don't tell them.
You should only sell after you gain their trust. Be compelling and tell them a story that relates to their situation. Don’t tell them what you do. Tell them what you can do for them.

You can see how I gave life to the offer with just a few different words. Once you know your audience, this is a lot easier to do.

4) Keep it stupid simple.
Match your writing style to your audience's way of speaking. Try to leave out filler words like "really, that, & very” to keep things straight to the point. Pretend you're talking to a small child who gets bored easily. This will help you write only what's needed.

5) Hook the right kind of attention.
Headline writing is an important skill when writing copy. There’s no point telling people about your business unless those people want to do business with you. Grab their attention in the beginning and with the rest of your copy make them glad you did.

6) Spell it out for them.
Tell your customers exactly what you can offer, and why you're the right choice for them. Don’t assume your customer knows what you know. You have to be explicit about what you do and what you have available. It may feel like you’re being insulting by making things easier to understand, but trust me, you're not. The clearer you can be, the better.

7) Use a ton of proof.
It's your job to make your customers believe you can do what you're promising, which, I mean... you should. Explain how everything works; tell them how you'll be delivering your goods. Give them a step-by-step breakdown of how you're going to solve their problems. Use visual proof like customer testimonials to show them you're serious. Then stick to your word and do it for them.

8) Tell them what's in it for them.
People talk about the 80/20 rule a lot in marketing so we're going to apply it here too. No one cares about you, so make sure your copy answers, “What’s in it for me?” Tell them enough about you so they know you can help (20%). Then blow their hair back with what you can provide them and how you've done the same for others (80%).

9) Share the benefits, features, and results.
A feature is something your offer has or does. The benefit is the reason why your customer wants to buy your product. You should be covering all of these details when telling them about your amazing offers.

10) Make them take action right now.
To achieve your goal [selling, leads, whatever] you need your reader to take action. Never assume your customer knows what to do next. Be specific with your directions. Remind them of the benefits in doing what you tell them to- with urgency. If you wait to ask for the sale they'll wait to buy it.

I tried to write these tips general enough that you could apply them to different areas. Copywriting is not a perfect science. Things will vary from customer to customer, but the approach is always similar:

Don't be afraid to test things out to learn your audiences' likes and dislikes. Even if you don't ask they'll be sure to let you know. From there keep doing what's working, build upon that, and you'll do awesome.

P.S. If you're looking to build more influence and trust with your customers learning how to speak to them correctly is huge. Taking that ability and creating interesting content for them to enjoy is the next step. Discover how to build lasting relationships with your audience by clicking here: Using Content Marketing With Print On Demand