Copywriting Research

Copywriting Power Words

Search Phrases to find what are considered copywriting power words, because these Phrases are uniquely valuable to copywriters.

Most people agree on 100+ copywriting power words like “Imagine,” “Secret,” and “True” – power words which occur in the following Phrases.

Imagine

I can't imagine our home-buying experience having gone any smoother than it did.

Secret

I secretly wish we needed to buy or sell more houses so we could use them more often.

True

Once we finally decided on a home [name] really showed his true value and expertise.

Headline Formula Similarity

Consider the similarity of a Phrase to Copywriting Headline Formulas. Some copywriting headline formulas found in Phrases:

How to [Achieve a Desired Outcome]

He knows exactly how to maneuver in the real estate market and is exceptional at it.

Lessons I Learned When/From [Experience]

We learned a tough lesson that day but he was great getting us back into search mode

How We [Desired Result] in [Timeframe]

It took less than two days of showings, only one offer, and we were done

Copywriting Formula Themes

Copywriting Formulas like AIDA and PAS share certain themes for a reason.

Most purchasing decisions come down to common themes, for example Before and After or Conflict and Resolution.

Often Formula themes are present in a Phrase. For example.

Warning Theme

Home buying can be very overwhelming if you are a first time buyer like we were

Mentor Theme

He always gave us sound and reasonable advice and we always appreciated his counsel

Bridge (Between Before and After) Theme

She helped us sell our home and gave GREAT advice at every step of the way

Conflict Theme

The other agents gave us price points so low that we wouldn't have been able to sell

Star Theme

He was a great agent - responsive and going above the call of duty to sell our condo

Consumer Needs and Values

Look for Phrases that demonstrate a common Consumer Need or Value.

Here we see that buyers value Honesty and need to feel a sense of Liberty.

Consumer Value - Honesty

It's rare among realtors that he would actually tell you if something is not good

Consumer Need - Liberty

What was most important to me was that I never felt pressured during the process

Thematic Importance

Phrases should be representative of many similiar phrases to be considered thematically important. Be sure to find at least five examples on any given theme.

Copywriting Research Checklist

Consider the following sources of Voice of Customer data for your Copywriting Research.

Social Media

Using social media to answer your copywriting research questions is important because knowing real-time customer sentiments and beliefs will increase your conversion rates.

Today, millions of people are on social media platforms and online forums sharing opinions on a daily basis. This makes social media among the most important items to put on your copywriting research checklist.

Whether you are seeking to write copy addressed to married adult men, moms with children, teachers, or technicians - every conceivable target audience can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and other social media platforms. You will discover an assortment of insights that you can turn into copywriting prompts.

Copywriting Research Process

• Search Facebook posts and Twitter feeds to track relevant posts and comments.
• Take an in-depth look at customer reviews for relevant products and businesses.
• Conduct hashtag searches using the right industry keywords to gain real-time insights.

Surveys

The survey is one the most reliable tools to answer your copywriting research questions. Surveys can help you get into the heads of your prospects, and reveal their exact sentiments and opinions about the products and services you are writing about. Surveys involve asking your prospects relevant questions about their needs and preferences.

You can leverage surveys for copywriting research without spending a lot of money. Design your survey questions to fill in the blanks of copywriting formulas (e.g. Before, After, Bridge) and you will gain valuable insights to power your writing.

Copywriting Research Process

• Clarify your research questions ahead of time
• Give your prospects confidence that their voices will be heard
• Keep your survey questions short

Transcripts

One of the best ways to answer your copywriting research questions is to collect and analyze published transcripts or private chat transcripts. It will help you to eliminate unnecessary exploration. It also helps you stay focused and saves you time. There are many useful and reliable public transcript sources, including radio, television, and print interviews, and most of them are free.

Collecting public data is particularly vital when writing copy for small businesses because of its cost efficiency. When you also have access to private customer support emails, and sales chat transcripts, you can use them to understand what your readers need and want.

Copywriting Research Process

• Consider places where your prospects might speak
• Look at interviews and speeches at conferences
• Review private transcripts of customer interactions

Focus Groups

Focus groups are a powerful technique for answering copywriting research questions. A typical focus group is homogeneous and usually consists of 6 to 8 participants who have been carefully selected to give their opinions about a defined area of interest.

Creating a focus group can help you narrow down the profiles and descriptions of your target customers in a wide marketplace. With a focus group, your prospects will voice what they want and need from a product, and you can use their comments to fill in the blanks of copywriting formulas (e.g. Goal, Conflict, Feature).

Copywriting Research Process

• Ensure that each group is relevant to your objective.
• Limit your group size to a maximum of 10 participants.
• Create a discussion guide and use open-ended questions.

Talk to Customers

Talking directly to customers is simple, but it continues to be one of the most effective methods to answer copywriting research questions. A real face-to-face conversation with your prospects will provide a deeper level of connection and help you obtain high-quality responses.

Asking relevant open-ended sales questions will give you a greater understanding of their needs which you can use as copywriting prompts.

Copywriting Research Process

• Define what you are going to say to your customers.
• Make your conversation interactive and not intrusive.
• Use small talk to discover what need led them to you.

Industry Events and Conferences

Industry events and conferences of different sizes and themes are held every year and they attract thousands of participants. You can leverage these events to answer your copywriting research questions.

Depending on your research objective and the type of event, you can obtain information by doing a face-to-face interview with the participants or by taking notes from speakers. This method is highly valuable because these industry events and conferences only attract people that have significant interest in that particular industry.

Copywriting Research Process

• Create a concrete and detailed strategy before you attend.
• Provide value and offer incentives to increse response rates.
• Give them the feeling that their opinions are important to you.