Copywriting is one of the most important aspects of online marketing, but it’s also one of the most commonly overlooked. Many surf brand owners write their own copy and end up making common mistakes that hurt their conversion rates and overall effectiveness. In this blog post, I discuss five of the most common copywriting errors that surf hospitality brands make.
If you want to write great copy for your website or marketing materials, make sure to avoid these copywriting sins!
Copywriting error #1 – Copying other brands
Every brand is unique with its own voice, mission and story.
When you try to copy another brand’s style or voice, you end up sounding like a cheap imitation.
Your customers can tell when you’re being inauthentic, and it’ll reflect poorly on your brand. Instead of copying other brands, focus on developing your own unique voice and writing style.
Surf hospitality is all about creating an experience that’s unique to your brand. By staying true to your brand’s voice, you’ll be able to create a more authentic and engaging experience for your guests. You’ll also be able to better connect with your target audience. After all, hospitality is all about connecting and creating relationships. When you try to copy another brand, you miss this.
The bottom line: When it comes to copywriting, don’t be a copycat! Develop your own voice and style so that you can create a more authentic experience for your guests. Also, use formulas like PAS to help your content shine!
Copywriting error #2 – Poor grammar and spelling
Nothing says unprofessional like a website riddled with poor grammar and blatant spelling errors.
It’s actually something I see often when it comes to the surf tourism industry, although this is to be expected when the language of the internet is English and many brands are based in countries where English is not the first language.
Still, bad grammar and spelling has the potential to cruel the effectiveness of your website. It’s one of the quickest ways to lose the attention of a potential customer and give them the impression that your brand is sloppy.
It can also lead to confusion and frustration, especially if what you’re trying to communicate is unclear. However, the good news is that there’s an easy way to avoid this copywriting error.
That is, always proofread your content before you hit publish, or better yet, hire a professional copywriter or editor to do it for you. Either way, taking the time to ensure your website copy is clean and error-free is worth the effort as it will undoubtedly help you win over more guests.
Copywriting error #3 – Stuffing too many keywords into your copy
Stuffing yourself into a meaty barrel is always awesome. Stuffing too many keywords into your website copy is not.
Keyword stuffing is the act of filling your content with so many keywords that it becomes difficult to read and makes very little sense. It’s a common black hat SEO tactic that was once used to try and game Google’s algorithm in order to improve a website’s ranking.
Nowadays, however, it’s a practice that will do more harm than good as search engines have become much better at detecting keyword stuffing and will penalise your website for it.
Not only is keyword stuffing bad for your website’s SEO, but it also makes for terrible copy with none of the zest that people love to read (learn how to write with said spice here). So, if you want people to stick around on your website, avoid cramming too many keywords into your content.
Hire a professional copywriter instead who can help you create keyword-rich content that flows well and is enjoyable to read. This way, you’ll be able to improve your website’s SEO without sacrificing the quality of your copy.
Copywriting error #4 – Writing for the wrong audience
The number one rule in copywriting, no matter whether you’re writing for the web or print, is to always write for your target audience.
This seems like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised how many businesses make the mistake of writing content that’s either too technical or too basic for their readers.
If you want people to engage with your website and stick around long enough to convert, you need to make sure that your copy is pitched to the right person. For example, if you’re trying to persuade first-time surfers to book a stay at your surf camp in Portugal, your copy should appeal to beginners who know very little about surfing.
On the other hand, if you’re targeting experienced surfers who are looking for a new place to ride waves, your copy should be more geared towards this audience and highlight what makes your surf camp unique.
The bottom line is that you can’t please everyone, so don’t try to. Instead, focus on writing copy that’s tailored to the specific needs and wants of your target audience.
Copywriting error #5 – Not getting to the point quickly
Lastly, don’t waffle. There’s almost nothing that bums me out more (besides flat days and shark attacks) than long, pompous copy.
Seriously, who reads it?
You need to get to the point quickly. This means your web copy should be short, sweet and easy to digest. No one wants to read a novel when they’re trying to find out how much your surf lessons cost or what the waves are like this week.
The average attention span of a human being is now shorter than that of a goldfish (true story), so you need to make sure that your copy is able to hold people’s attention.
In saying that, getting to the point quickly doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice quality for brevity. It just means being clear and concise in your writing so that people can easily find the information they’re looking for without drowning in a sea of words.
Conclusion
That’s all, folks! Remember… it’s ok if you commit some of these copywriting errors. We all do sometimes. The important thing is that you recognise when you’re making a mistake and try not to do it again in the future.
If you want to avoid making these (and other) copywriting mistakes, the best thing you can do is hire a professional copywriter who can help you create quality content for your website, newsletter or social media posts.
P.S.
I know a good one.