Updated: Apr 5, 2022
Looking for ways to sharpen your investment content? Here are 15 powerful tips for silky copy which melts in your mouth and caresses your brain.
1. Who are you writing this for?
… And what do they want to get out of it? Make every line relevant to your people. It’s not about the product. It’s about the readers.
2. How long should it be?
Really think about this. Most humans get bored after 800 words, so anything beyond that must be extra interesting!
3. Cut copy down. Brutally
I’ve learned from experience that my content can be too lengthy. So now, just like Coco Chanel recommended, before leaving the house I look in the mirror and take off one thing. Or in other words, before submitting article, I’ll usually remove one section. As well as helping me feel like I live dangerously, I find it makes the content punchier.
4. Unleash the FOMO
Pick at that underlying human fear of missing out (FOMO) to capture readers’ attention. It’s the worst-kept secret in copywriting. Use statistics to show that everyone else is doing something. Illustrate your content with stories. Ghost stories, success stories … it’s your choice.
Leave your reader in no doubt that they need to get with the trend.
5 .Sprinkle in statistics
Include at least three. From only the most reliable sources. Oh and don’t bother with old stuff, nobody wants to read about a 2010 study on investment trends.
6. Use stories to entice readers
Invite your reader to curl up and enjoy a story. Let them relax their brain. You want your readers to leave the frantic skim-reading at the office and indulge in some slow and irresistible content. Create a narrative and pepper your copy with delicious adjectives. Yum!
7. Harness your senses 👃👂💋👉👀
Sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste. Bring them into your content if you can. Electric green lines zigzag across the screen. The sharp sting of a sudden loss. The tingle of a promise. The buzzing drone of a laptop that’s been working too hard. Or the satisfying taste of success, more delicious than childhood trip to the sweet shop. Make your content a full-body experience, alive with feelings. Gift your readers with a spa treatment in an article.
8. Never, EVER write a sales pitch 🤢
Nobody wants to read an ad. Especially not an ad in disguise.
71% of B2B professionals claim that a sales blog puts them off. And fair enough! It’s kind of gross. If you met someone at a party who was like, “Oh hi, it’s nice to meet you, let me sell you stuff”, you would ditch them too.
Avoid writing ads like you would avoid that guy at a party.
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
9. Pick an angle: Entertaining / Emotional / Educational / Inspiring
Your investment article should have a clear purpose, otherwise readers (and the writer!) can get lost.
While we’re on the topic, why not try emotional or inspiring investment content for a change?
Heart-warming stories are among the top most-shared content on Facebook. People can’t get enough of them. Yet despite this, emotional and inspiring stories are vastly under-used across investment content.
10. Make it witty 😂🤣
Bankers like a laugh too! It’s a tricky one to pull off, but if you can, you’ll be rewarded with lots of likes and shares. Plus, hardly anyone makes investment content jokes. The competition is weak. So even your lamest joke could turn out to be a real belly buster! Just check out mine, they’ve somehow earned 450 views!! 👇
11. Ask a question
A strategically-placed question can add dimensions to your content. Why wouldn’t you give it a go?
12. Embed original expert quotes
A good way to make friends and create better articles 👆 . Reach out to an expert and ask for their opinion. Include a quote and credit them. Hello re-shares. Google responds well to expert insights. So it helps your SEO too. Basically, it’s an all-round winner.
13. Stay within the rules!
This goes without saying. As a copywriter, you have an obligation to write investment content which is fair, clear and not misleading. If you fail on this, both you and your client could end up in serious trouble.
FCA checklist for investment content
14. Learn everything you can about Search Engine Optimisation
More than 70% of US online searches are done through Google. So any copywriter plying their trade in 2021 really needs to know about search engine optimisation.
Free guide to SEO for investment copywriters
15. Most importantly … Write what you know
There’s no way around it. You need to be an expert on your topic. 🧠 To write engaging and helpful articles you must want to know every caveat of your subject. Dig into the nuances and controversies of investing. Find that razor-sharp hook. That glistening golden nugget. Devour articles. Fill your brain with investment knowledge. … From there the very best investment content will flow.
… Hungry for more? Soak up this free secret toolkit for investment copywriters. ✨
