Work harder at conversion copywriting
Is your copy converting?
Conversion has become a dirty word. When you’re writing with a business objective in mind, the focus should be on how to improve revenue. However, there’s nothing more off-putting to a reader than soulless selling.
Bad conversion copy has become so ubiquitous that writers and readers alike associate it with formulaic, click-baity articles (You'll never guess what happens next!) that are devoid of personality. Forced call-to-actions attempt to drive the user towards a sale they’re probably not interested in because the copy was written with clicks rather than conversion in mind.
Yet clever copy can nudge a reader in the right direction when best practice is considered.
Get to know your target audience
Casting your net wide may get you more clicks, but you’ll likely fall short on actual sales. There’s no point putting effort into well-written copy if the relevant people are not reading it.
Get to know your audience; what they’re interested in and what engages them. Engaging content that’s targeted, relevant, and informative will hook readers who are actually interested in what you’re selling.
Knowing your target will also keep you informed on how people search for things and what keywords they use. Help them find your pitch with good SEO, not only in your metadata but also in your titles, sprinkled throughout the article and ideally in the URL.
Inject personality into your writing
Although each brand has a specific tone of voice, it’s important to talk with your readers instead of at them. This is normally best done with a conversational tone that includes pronouns like ‘I’, ‘you’ and ‘we’ which encourages a relationship.
People don’t want to think they’re being sold to, so it helps to think that you’re writing to someone you know. Picture yourself actually speaking to them face to face. This will eliminate that stuffy corporate tone that writers often fall into when writing for a brand. Avoid jargon like the plague.
Lastly, be positive about the brand without being schmoozy. Create upbeat (not fanatical) copy that gets the reader on side before leading them to your call to action.
Every page must have a call to action
When writing with the specific purpose of converting readers to customers, every piece of writing must include a call to action (CTA). What’s the point of convincing them of your point of view if you haven’t made it easy for them to follow through? It can be as simple as including a ‘Find Out More’ or ‘Buy Now’ button, which directs them to another page or a newsletter sign-up.
Make sure you’re direct with your CTAs because writing tends not to sell unless it’s assertive. This can be done with clear communication and avoiding fillers as well as anything too wordy. Ditch words that evoke hesitation or uncertainty, like ‘in my opinion’, ‘maybe’, ‘perhaps’ and ‘it’s possible’.
“Headlines are important, as they’re the first piece of content your reader will go to. By A/B testing an assertive headline against a headline that asks a question, you’ll soon see what your audience best responds to.”
Always A/B Test
Writing takes constant revision and we often don’t get the desired result first time around. The best way to improve your content is to measure results from previous campaigns.
A/B testing is what you do when you compare two versions, with small variations, of a webpage or newsletter against each other to determine which has been more successful. An easy way to do this is to A/B test your content, whether that be headlines or button text.
Headlines are important, as they’re the first piece of content your reader will go to. By A/B testing an assertive headline against a headline that asks a question, you’ll soon see what your audience best responds to.
Use your data (to support, not overwhelm)
People are convinced by (well-researched, relevant) statistics and that can be a powerful tool in conversion copywriting. We naturally trust scientifically gathered data, so a limited number of facts and figures are very helpful in improving conversions.
Make sure not to overload your reader with endless numbers and boring data – nothing will drive them away faster. Use your figures to back up a well-written and convincing article rather than leading with it.
Hire a conversion copy expert
The best way to get the most conversions out of your content is to hire a conversion copy expert. The professionals at ALHAUS know what works, remove the guesswork, and can help you develop a content strategy to ensure that your copy is always converting.
Contact us and we can review your content strategy and develop a plan to ensure success.