According to ama.org, marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and process of creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

The core of marketing revolves around content writing and copywriting. One of the exciting parts of copywriting for me has to be when I have to align the brand with a viral trend in order to create amazing copies for increased brand awareness and of course, sales.

I admit that the amount of work required to lead copywriting for a brand whose target audience is primarily GenZs and Millennials was lost on me until I found myself being a one (wo)man marketing department for a fintech startup. It was one of the most challenging roles I have had to fill, but it stretched me and helped me understand the synergy between research, data, and delivery. As much as I had industry colleagues and friends I could rely on, I largely had to figure things out through research and ensuring that the brand story and tone remained a vital part of my creativity.

I also found that having a great working relationship with the graphic designers made delivering the materials seamless. It was important for me to work with him as my peer and not my subordinate and to figure out the best way to communicate with him in order to get the best result in bringing the copies to life. It is not enough to write copies; the design must get the concept.

It was in one of my research that I found the ABCD concept as published on ‘think with google’. It relates to digital advertising with respect to crafting a successful ad. This concept was birthed after the review of 17,000 ads on youtube. It sought to understand the keys to advertising success, proving that creativity — everything from concept to execution, is the number one driver of campaign effectiveness and return on investment. I have modified this concept for social media copywriting and I hope it helps.

Let us dive into the ABCD concept with a focus on effective copywriting for social media;

A – Attention

Your copy must be written and designed in a way that grabs attention at first glance. A successful copy must earn engagement. Be it an image or video, your visual should be rich to create a sensory experience that helps people pay attention. Think about colour and contrast to make your visuals bright and strong. For video, the voice-over and sound effects must be rich. You have to hook the viewer to increase your chance of sales.

B- Branding

You have to work your brand identity into the copy and its execution. Always be ready to infuse your brand in a classy way in everything you do.

Also, have the distribution platform at the back of your mind while being creative. For example, YouTube is a sound-on experience, so take advantage of the multisensory aspect to get more impact.  It is necessary to think through your copies for various platforms. Instagram and Twitter cannot have a size fit all approach.

C – Connection

Your copy should help people think or feel something. Your copy, as limited in word count as it may be, must educate, inspire, and entertain your target audience. Don’t forget the goal of copywriting is to sell the product, service, or brand. You have to connect with your target audience in a way that convinces them to take an action – call-to-action engagement.

D- Direction

The single characteristic that differentiates other forms of writing from copywriting is a call to action. Every copy you create must lead people to a bus stop called action. With clear and simple instructions on what to do next, your copy will be more likely to get engagements that can lead to sales.

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Whether you choose to adopt the ABCD concept or not, your first priority when writing a copy should be the target audience. To prioritise them, you need to know who they are, their pain points, what type of problems they have, and how your product/service is positioned to solve their problems.

And while you’re constantly putting out a copy for a product or brand, it is important to tailor your copy toward possible adverts or retargeting. The importance of data-driven efforts toward marketing from a product or content angle cannot be overemphasised.

Social media is a very strong marketing tool. Everyone is trying to tell a story on it. It is important that you are one of those whose posts are not only seen but read, and sought after.