There’s copy — and then there’s good copy. Does your marketing writing provide the basic details, but fail to engage? Or does it lead to the ultimate goal of any piece of marketing material, i.e., convincing the audience to take the desired action? Like any subjective creation, it’s often difficult to be certain about which one you are writing, but there are definitely ways to improve the odds in your favor.

What Is Marketing Copy?

Marketing copy refers to the text used to educate consumers about a product and motivate them to eventually buy it. Marketing copy is used in a growing number of channels, from advertising in local newspapers to the tagline in a YouTube video. 

Not every word in a piece of marketing copy explicitly tells the audience to buy something. Particularly nowadays, and as we will see below, copywriting has evolved to be more brand-conscious. You are just as likely to read something about how the company relates to your values as about the features of a product. It’s the way in which different messages are combined, and the style in which they are written, that leads to conversion and even loyalty.  

How to Write Good Marketing Copy

In some ways, high-quality marketing copy is like a movie. Great movies are a mixture of an interesting story, intelligent dialogue, impressive scenery, and convincing acting, among other things. Top-notch marketing copy also holds numerous facets blended to achieve conversion:

• A language style and structure that is right for the audience. This usually means short sentences and simple wording. If the text takes up more than a couple of short paragraphs, then it should also use different formats such as lists, bullets, and subheadings. 
• A tone of voice that creates an emotional reaction. Choosing the correct tone of voice usually depends on the target market. The copy might use humor, slang, shock, or warmth according to the perceived preference of the audience and the branding concept.  
• Messaging that suits the brand and which is consistent across channels. For example, up-market merchandise requires up-market copywriting and frequent references to what makes the brand special. This impression should be expressed consistently, no matter where the copy appears. 
• A clear (and hopefully clever) call-to-action. Marketing copy should always encourage the audience to take some action, even if that means going from the home page to a product page. Even the text on the CTA button should use creativity. 
• An innovative way to get the value of the product across. Marketing copy should answer the eternal consumer question, ‘What’s in it for me?’ At the very least, the copywriter should be able to summarize product value in a tagline or a couple of sentences. Putting a spin on this explanation makes it even more appealing and memorable. 

Best Marketing Copy Examples

The five examples below display at least one, and often several, of the concepts described above. Who knows, maybe they’ll even inspire yours:

1. Moosejaw

Moosejaw is an outdoor clothing and equipment store. Even in the company profile, they state that “Moosejaw is probably best known for its irreverent and wacky marketing”. They are very consistent with this theme throughout their copy. 

For instance, on the home page:

Magical Winter Sale (Anything can be magical with enough time in Photoshop)

In the returns section:

If you're unsure about clothing size or a gear feature, we're available to answer all your questions and offer advice. We love to try out tents and test-drive sleeping bags for our customers. My Mean Boss thinks I'm just napping on the job, but I'm totes analyzing baffling and down loft.

In the shipping section:

COVID-era curbside pickup now available. When you arrive, we’ll give you a high five with our minds.

2. Innocent Smoothies

Glancing at the Innocent Smoothies homepage gives the impression that this is a social justice advocacy company – the first link is ‘a bit about us’ and details their mission, which is to “keep people healthy, help out the communities who need us most and make sure our planet becomes healthier too”. In fact, out of the first four home page links, only one is about products (fruit drinks) and the others are about advocacy. 

In keeping with their alternative branding, the language of Innocent Smoothies is highly esoteric. Here is the text for the first product on their product page:

Mangoes, passion fruits & apples 

We have words for almost everything. The sound of wind in the trees is known as ‘psithurism’. ‘Sprezzatura’ means putting loads of effort into making it look like you haven't put any effort in. 

3. Hiut Denim

Hiut Denim is remarkable for copy that gives a very strong message, namely, that they are the best at what they do (making rather expensive denim clothing). Their tagline is “Do One Thing Well”. In the following caption, notice how the product copy describes sophisticated features as a way of giving an impression of high quality:

Our regular cut is a true classic 5 pocket straight leg jean expertly cut using every ounce of our cutter’s 40 years of experience. It’s a relaxed, easy fit. And feels great on.

• 14.5oz Japanese Selvedge Denim
• Super tough ecru twill pocket lining
• Signature red 'owl' rivet on back pocket
• Button fly

Their creative use of a CTA also gives an impression of scarcity and hard-to-find quality. Just above each “add to cart” button is a counter that lets you know how much inventory they have of the item you are interested in. 

4. Snowbird 

Snowbird is an upscale ski resort in Utah. Similar to Hiut Denim, they cultivate an aura of elitism throughout their copy, but with a touch of irony. Their “one-star” advertising campaign is a brilliant way to demonstrate how difficult their mountain is, and meant only for the best skiers. 

[One star out of five]

I’ve heard Snowbird is a tough mountain, but this is ridiculous… How is anyone supposed to ride in that? Not fun!

5. RXBar

The RXBar Company is a protein bar manufacturer that has a no-nonsense, hard working cachet. The RXBar tagline revolves around a ‘no B.S.’ motif. For instance, the cereal bar product page tagline is ‘Skip the B.S. and wake up to the good stuff’. Similarly, the ingredients text on each bar is actually the main image on the package; it shows about four ingredients (reflecting a wholesome simplicity), plus the line “No B.S.”. 

The CTA is also innovative: Feeling hungry? Fuel your next move with our exclusive new customer offer [no mention of what the offer is…]

Better Copy, Less Effort

Imagine the work that went into writing all of this excellent copy. It went far beyond a single writer plugging away at the keyboard. The writing team was backed up by branding experts, product people, and marketing channel managers, just to name a few. Then, once they wrote copy, it needed to be revised to optimize conversions, which meant yet more variations and constant A/B testing. 

That’s why major brands are turning to Anyword. Our AI-powered platform requires only a few details about your project and product. With a couple of clicks, Anyword generates multiple variations of the copy type that you choose, such as Google ads, landing pages, product descriptions, and even social media posts according to channel. Anyword will automatically compose copy based on a tone of voice that you create, or apply popular styles like “hard sell” and “playful.” Along with each variation is Anyword’s proprietary Predictive Performance Score, which indicates the potential for the copy to convert the audience. And that’s just some of the features.

Curious what marketing copy Anyword would come up with for your product? See for yourself now with our 7-day free, no commitment trial.