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Copywriting Checklist

DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO? The first place you should always start with is “who am I talking to?” and then cater all of your copy as if you’re speaking directly to this person! When copywriting, you can’t just assume the characteristics of your audience. If you do, you’ll end up with high quality copy that is meaningless.

ARE YOU CLEAR ON THE OBJECTIVE? Next consider what it is you are wanting to achieve. It’s important as a designer to always have the messaging in mind so you can build a visual story that complements the copy. If the answer isn't clear to you, it certainly won't be clear to your reader!

IS YOUR COPY SKIMMABLE? Make sure your content is easy to read and more importantly, easy to scan, as most people skim a page before deciding whether or not to read all of it. Using sub-headings or bullet points is a great way to make your content skimmable!

ARE YOU PROMOTING BENEFITS MORE THAN FEATURES? Put simply, features are facts about what your product or service does. Benefits are what your customer gets out of it. Given that benefits are ultimately more important than features, it is imperative that you spell them out and emphasise them in your copy!

ARE YOU WRITING LIKE YOU TALK? Your audience should get a sense of who you are as a business from how you write. Unless you’re writing a university essay, the way we’ve been taught to write in school is way too formal. When people read your words they should know it’s you talking.

IS YOUR CALL TO ACTION SUPER OBVIOUS? The entire point of writing something is to get the reader to take action. It could be to make them click a button, leave a blog comment or get them to call. Make sure the call to action is obvious and go a step further and tell them what will happen after they take that action.

HAVE YOU USED YOUR KEYWORDS? If you’re writing for an online audience, have you used your keywords? Make sure your keywords are in your heading, subheadings, links and lists where possible. Use them as frequently as possible, however it is more important to sound natural! It really is a delicate balance.

HAVE YOU LET IT SIT? Sometimes we get so caught up in our writing or we want to finish a job quickly, that we forget powering through can affect the quality of our work. Taking a break allows you to come back with a clear mind so you end up with a better quality result.

HAVE YOU CHECKED SPELLING AND GRAMMAR? Words, spelling, and punctuation can leave a lasting impression. Nobody wants to give their hard-earned dollars to someone who seemingly doesn’t care enough to spell check their copy. Take the time to proofread, ideally when you have had a break and have a fresh perspective.

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