Copywriting basics – G’day Business

In short

Write for one specific reader and the problem they want solved, not for everyone.
Lead with a clear headline and the main benefit; put the detail afterwards.
Turn features into benefits, back them with proof, and finish with one clear call to action.
AI can speed up drafting, but it can invent facts and sounds generic - edit everything into your own voice.
Fact-check every claim, figure and quote before publishing. Misleading claims breach the Australian Consumer Law, whoever wrote them.

Start with the reader

Before you write a word, answer:

Who is reading? Be specific: “a busy café owner whose coffee machine just broke”, not “businesses”.
What do they want right now, and what’s stopping them?
What do they need to know to take the next step?
What do you want them to do after reading?

Write as if you’re talking to that one person. See Market research on a budget for finding out what customers actually say.

Headlines that get read

Most people read the headline and nothing else. A good headline:

States the benefit or solves the problem: “Same-day hot water repairs across Hobart”
Is specific: numbers, places, times and results beat vague promises
Speaks to the reader: “your”, “you”
Is short and plain: clarity beats cleverness.

Useful patterns:

How to [get result] without [pain]: “How to get your BAS done without a weekend of receipts”
[Number] ways to [result]: “5 ways to cut your cooling bill this summer”
Question: “Is your website losing you customers?”
Direct offer: “Free measure and quote for plantation shutters”

Write ten headlines and pick the clearest. business.gov.au’s advertising tips also suggest a powerful headline, focusing on benefits, and a call to action.

Features, benefits and proof

Feature: what it is or has. “Our vans carry 200 common parts.”
Benefit: what that means for the customer. “Most repairs are fixed on the first visit.”
Proof: why they should believe you. “Last year, 87% of our jobs were finished in one visit.” (Example only.)

Customers buy benefits, but they believe proof. Good proof includes genuine reviews and testimonials (with permission), real numbers you can back up, guarantees, qualifications, case studies and photos of real work.

A simple structure for any page or ad

Headline: the main benefit.
The problem: show you understand the reader’s situation.
The solution: what you offer and how it helps.
Proof: reviews, results, credentials.
The offer: what they get, the price or how pricing works, and any conditions.
Handle objections: answer the questions that stop people buying (cost, time, risk).
Call to action: one clear next step. “Book a free quote”, “Call 07 0000 0000”, “Order today”.

Short ads compress this into a few lines; a service page can expand each part.

Calls to action

Use one main action per page, email or ad.
Make it specific and active: “Book your free consultation” beats “Contact us”.
Remove friction: short forms, a clickable phone number, booking online.
Give a reason to act now if there’s a genuine one: limited places, a seasonal deadline. Don’t invent urgency.

Write plainly

Short sentences and paragraphs. One idea each.
Everyday words. “Use”, not “utilise”. “Help”, not “facilitate”.
Active voice. “We fix leaks fast”, not “Leaks are fixed quickly by our team”.
Cut filler: “very”, “really”, “in order to”, “world-class”, “solutions”.
Use headings, bullet points and bold text so skimmers get the message.
Read it aloud. If it sounds stiff, rewrite it.

Edit hard

First drafts are always too long. When editing:

cut every word that doesn’t help the reader decide
check the most important point comes first
make sure every claim is specific and true
check spelling, names, prices, phone numbers and links
ask someone in your target audience to read it and tell you what they understood.

AI as a writing assistant: useful, with care

AI chat assistants (such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini), and the writing tools built into many website, email and ad platforms, can be very useful for copywriting:

Generating options: ten headlines, five subject lines, three versions of an ad.
Restructuring: turning your notes into the structure above.
Editing: shortening, simplifying, fixing tone and grammar.
Adapting: turning a web page into an email, a social post or a short ad.

But AI has real weaknesses:

It can invent facts. AI tools sometimes produce statistics, quotes, reviews, product details and sources that sound right but are false.
It sounds generic. Unedited AI copy often uses the same phrases as everyone else, which makes your business forgettable.
It doesn’t know your business. It can’t know your real prices, results, guarantees or what makes you different unless you tell it, and even then it can get details wrong.
It may echo others’ work. Make sure the final copy is your own and doesn’t closely copy competitors or other published material.

Fact-check everything AI produces before you use it. Check every figure, claim, quote, product detail and legal statement against your own records or an official source. Under the Australian Consumer Law, claims about your products and services must be accurate and based on reasonable grounds, and your business is responsible for what it publishes, whether a person or an AI wrote it. Never use AI to create fake reviews or testimonials; that’s illegal.

See Using AI tools in a small business.

Stay on the right side of the law

No false or misleading claims about price, quality, results, origin (“Australian made”), environmental benefits or availability.
Show the total price, and make conditions clear, not buried in fine print.
Testimonials and reviews must be genuine and not edited to change their meaning.
Comparisons with competitors must be accurate and fair.
Don’t copy other businesses’ copy or images; copyright protects them automatically.
Some industries have extra rules, such as health services, financial products, alcohol and real estate.

Common questions

What makes a good headline?

It states the benefit or solves the problem, is specific, speaks to the reader and is short and plain. Write ten headlines and pick the clearest, not the cleverest.

What's the difference between features and benefits?

A feature is what something is or has; a benefit is what that means for the customer. Customers buy benefits but believe proof, such as genuine reviews, real numbers, guarantees and photos of real work.

Can I use AI to write marketing copy?

Yes, as a writing assistant for options, structure and editing. But AI can invent facts and sounds generic, so fact-check every figure, claim and quote and edit it into your own voice. Your business is responsible for what it publishes.

What should a call to action say?

One specific, active next step, such as ‘Book your free consultation’ rather than ‘Contact us’. Use one main action per page, make it easy to do, and only create urgency if it’s genuine.