Copywriting
Core question
How does the channel alter the text?
A poster is read in passing, a newsletter at the kitchen table, and a search result skimmed in seconds. Every channel has its own lengths, reading contexts, and expectations. The core message remains the same; the phrasing adapts.
Learning objective: You will be able to formulate a message for posters, social media, email, and the web, adhere to character limits, and write texts in a way that ensures they are found by search engines.
The message remains, the form changes.
5.1 / Reading Situations
Where, for how long and in what mood?
Before writing for a channel, it is worth looking at the situation in which it will be read. This shapes length, pace, and tone of voice more than any rule.
01
Poster
In passing, from a distance, a few seconds. An idea, a few words.
02
Social media
Whilst scrolling, on their phone, with their thumb. The first sentence decides it all.
03
In the inbox among many others. The subject line and first line decide whether it gets opened.
A piece of text that looks the same everywhere usually doesn't quite fit anywhere. Better approach: one core message and a tailored version for each channel.
Write for the situation, not the format.
5.2 / Length and format
Count characters where they count.
Many channels cut text short: Instagram only displays the beginning of the caption in the preview, email clients truncate the subject line, and Google cuts off the meta description in search results. What gets cut off doesn't get read.
The limits are guidelines and change occasionally. More important than exact numbers is the rule: put what matters most at the beginning. That way, the text still works even if it gets cut.
The most important things belong at the beginning.
5.3 / Being found
Writing for humans, being found by machines.
Search engines and AI assistants read text to match it with relevant queries. Helpful elements include the words people actually search for, a clear page title, an informative description, and subheadings that answer questions.
Good search engine optimisation is, above all, good text: clear, specific and helpful. Stuffing words into the copy hurts readability and is penalised by search engines. Anyone searching for "Bike Service Basel" should find a page that clearly addresses just that. This is covered in more depth in the Search Engines & Performance course.
Writing helpfully is the best optimisation.
Exercise
One message for four channels
Task: Formulate the launch of the Rheinrad subscription for four channels.
STEP 1
Formulate the core message in one sentence.
STEP 2
Writes copy for posters, Instagram, newsletter subject lines and page titles.
STEP 3
Checks all versions with the Characters Per Channel tool.
STEP 4
Show the versions to two people and ask what the message is.
Evaluation: Was the key message received consistently across all channels?