Copywriting for Effective Marketing Communications Com 57 6/28 – 8/2/2017; Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9Pm
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Copywriting for Effective Marketing Communications Com 57 6/28 – 8/2/2017; Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9pm Instructor: Jeri Cafesin www.startupmarketingonline.com Course Description Copywriting is the art of marketing— selling — with words. Unlike fiction, or industry nonfiction, copy content is always marketing, and should not only entertain, but also motivate an action on the part of the viewer. Copywriting for Effective Marketing Communications teaches the foundation, purpose, objective and process of writing copy. Learn to write content that grabs attention, builds brand awareness, communicates succinctly, and motivates the viewer to buy the offering, or into the campaign messaging. Overview and Course Content We begin by defining the primary objective of copywriting, and the role of the copywriter. Next, we review marketing fundamentals to uncover what motivates people to act, and how to apply psychology and sociology to guide the direction and content of advertising campaigns. As the course unfolds, techniques and tips to write effective copy content for websites, landing pages, ads, videos, blogs, and email campaigns will be closely examined. Students will learn to choose the right words, and incorporate arresting visual design to create advertising and marketing material with impact, and CTAs (call-to-action) that motivate response— get more views, clicks, newsletter sign-ups, and even sales. Practical copywriting techniques will help you craft compelling headlines, tweets, and microposts, and employ storytelling methods to create content marketing that keeps readers engaged. Students will leave this course better able to conceive and write advertising and marketing campaigns that communicate ideas quickly and concisely, capture attention, and lead to higher rates of conversion and/or sales. Required Texts There are no text requirements for this course. However, if you don't understand...anything— look it up! Iterative Searching (we'll go over how to IS effectively in class) will yield answers. Additional Reading and Videos: Links to additional reading and videos supplement weekly lectures, and are provided at the close of each of the 6 class sessions. Com 57, Copywriting, Instructor J. Cafesin 1 Weekly Course Map Weekly Sessions Lecture Description WEEK 1: Welcome & Introduction: • Introduction to the purpose, objective, practice, and real-world applications of Copywriting Marketing 101: • MBA to marketing novice, this segment will teach you all the [practical, real-world] marketing you'll ever need to know...; } Copywriting for • Defining, and Writing Effective Copy Conversion: WEEK 2: The Copywriting Process: • 4-Step Process to Writing Effective Copy • Productization overview; Productizing SaaS • Target Marketing • Competitive Analysis • Define Differentiators (aka Unique Value Proposition). • The CTA WEEK 3: The Copywriting Process: • Defining Campaign Objective • Writing Websites • Landing Page Content • Writing Newletters; E-Zines; Blogs; Vlogs; • Video Marketing/Scriptwriting • Email Campaigns The Creative Brief: • Define the Project • Generating Ideas WEEK 4: Copy Anatomy: • Attention-Grabbing Headlines • Subheads that pull reader into story • Bodycopy that communicates succinctly • CTAs that motivate action • Reviews that show and sell • Testimonials that convert Copywriting Grammar: • Choose the Right Words • Active vs. Passive sentence structure Exposition vs. Storytelling vs. Content Marketing • Visual Design: • Graphic design basics— layout; eye-tracking; typography; lifting and creating visual imagery with impact Com 57, Copywriting, Instructor J. Cafesin 2 Weekly Course Map (Continued) WEEK 5: Social Media • Copywriting Best Practices for Social Media Platforms Marketing: • Writing Posts, Microposts, Captions, and Updates • SMM Management Tips & Tools • SEO/SEM Best Practices and Hazards • Write an email campaign and mail it with MailChimp Email Marketing: WEEK 6: Print: • Writing Print Ads, Direct Mail, Brochures, Billboards PR: • Writing the Press Release VC: • Creating the Pitch Deck Resume: • Best practices for Resume Writing Assignments There are five (5) assignments in this course, one given each week (except the last, of course). If each is completed, IN ORDER, you will have the knowledge to create copy content that garners greater sales, i.e. conversion rates from your advertising campaigns and marketing efforts by the last class. So, truth be told, it doesn't affect me if you do the assignments or not. But it WILL AFFECT YOU. To really understand how something works, you must work the process. This course is giving you the PROCESS of writing effective copy. The choice is yours to work it... Grading Students have three grade options for Continuing Studies courses: • No Grade Requested (NGR)– No credit shall be received; No proof of attendance can be provided. (Not suitable for those requiring proof of attendance/completion.) • Letter Grade (A, B, C, D, No Pass)– completing all five (5) assignments is required. • Credit/No Credit (CR/NC)– If student attends 90% of the classes, and participates in the discussions— gives feedback on others' assignments weekly, they will receive credit for this course, on CR/NC grading. Question? Comments? Please feel free to email any time: [email protected] Com 57, Copywriting, Instructor J. Cafesin 3 .