Comment rendre votre copie claire et créative pour différentes industries?

Every industry has a language - the trick is to come up with something new, not regurgitate clichés (ChatGPT can do that!). Show your client to be authoritative (thought leader) without resorting to buzzwords, opinionated without being controversial, and original with a fresh take that shows market differentiation.

Talk to customers whenever possible. Online sources can give you one perspective, but hearing the story directly from the person across the table is what enables powerful copy. Get in touch with customer support. They can give you insights and patterns from frequent requests. Finally, don’t be afraid to sometimes deviate from the data. That’s creativity. It might help customers reveal something about themselves they haven’t considered before.

It's really all about knowing who your client's ideal customers are. And this starts with researching their brand, their TOV, their goals, and their products. Once you know the pain points their products solve, or the services their products provide, you can hone in on their tone of voice and really start to connect with their audience better. Knowing what their audience wants, what their customer journey looks like, and how you can emotionally connect to their customers is really the key here. Once you learn how to empathetically connect with your client's different audiences, you will become a more empathetic and powerful copywriter.

One thing I found extremely helpful is to learn the essentials (and one step beyond) of the industry through immersion. Working for tech, e.g. with data specialists? Take 2-3 beginner courses, learn to print Hello World in python, create test accounts on platforms they use… Working with HR professionals? Spend some time with them in the company, see how they perform daily tasks. It’s the old adage that you should try the product that you’re selling. Firsthand experience involves questions. Answers open up more questions. The next thing you know, you’re beyond the available information gathered through desk research. You’re spotting nuances. And you get to know the industry like an insider.

Whatever industry I find myself writing for, the very first thing I do, after I've familiarised myself with my employer's/client's website, is to check out the competition. Then I study the copy of the competitor I like the most. I might borrow from their style. I'll then put my own voice to it, while being mindful of brand guidelines and, in the financial world, compliance. Some industries will encourage playful copy. Others will be rather dry and you may have to rein in your creative impulse. It helps too to have a genuine interest in the industry you're writing for. If it's no fun at all, get the job done as best you can and look around for an industry you can invest in emotionally.

Keep it short and to the point. I prefer to post things only when I have something to say. Sometimes you need to be a bit creative to come up with things to say - if you find it hard, take a look at what other people/companies in your industry write about.

Exploring different tones of voice across content channels will broaden the way a company interacts with the world. Think of reports and white papers as formal wear, whereas blogs are casual dress. Content and tone change accordingly, from high level messaging that reinforces brand strategy to warmer content that goes more granular on topics. I’m a great believer in getting experts in a company to blog (with my help), because their knowledge and experience provides an authentic voice. They should come across as individuals with great insights while staying true to core brand values.

For Linkedin, I found my posts that have a personal tone of voice (that's my personal one, not my brand's) gets more likes and interactions. I normally create a post on my brand's page, then share it to my own page, adding my personal reflections. Having said that, having branding experts to create a solid platform for your brand to rest on (imagery, tone of voice, what channels etc) is of course essential and worth quite a bit of money. Consistency is key in all marketing.

If you're not an experienced writer, it may be helpful to seek out examples of different styles within your industry. This is similar to a tactic used by creative writing students who spend as much time reading as they do writing so they can learn how others establish and maintain a voice. Look at press releases, blogs, ad copy, websites, etc. to find a style that resonates with you. Then, have that style in mind as you set out to write. The goal is not to mimic that style exactly but to use it to inform your writing and help channel your voice into original copy.