Many years ago, businesses went about marketing and advertising products and services very differently to how things are done today. There are various different factors that play into this. Some examples of which include: the trade descriptions act, the internet, and many, many more reasons which, over the years, have shaped marketing copy into what it is today.
The Trade Descriptions Act of 1968 – previously – was a big game changer when it was initially introduced. The title is rather self-explanatory, however, it basically prevents businesses from misleading consumers about what they offer.
This links to our first point, which is…
Honesty is Key
Marketing copy that converts is marketing copy that is first and foremost as authentic and as truthful as possible. If you want your target demographic to turn into customers, the best way to achieve this is by being honest. If you deceive your audience about who you are and what you do, you will ultimately burden yourself with unhappy customers and you can almost guarantee they will not be returning. Trying to be deceptive as to what your business offers is frowned upon, and although it may work for a while, that time will be limited. It’s better to build up a strong reputation for being a trustworthy company.
Do Not Hard Sell
Another ill-advised marketing tactic is the classic hard sell. We’ve all encountered an over-enthusiastic salesperson who is vigorously and ruthlessly trying to sell their product or service at all costs, as if the world’s rotation is dependent on that one sale in fact. This is also a strategy that can often be seen in website copy and email marketing campaigns.
Of course, as marketers, we want to make conversions from our potential customers. What we don’t want, however, is to forcefully push them; we want to gently nurture them and guide them into the purchase.
Arm Yourself with Your Most Powerful Linguistics
An important feature of writing marketing copy is the linguistics you use. The art of persuasion can work wonders when done right (as long as it isn’t misleading!).
Language is powerful, and should not be underestimated by any means. Using verbs such as ‘discover’ and ‘save’ can subtly give your reader more of an incentive to convert. After all, who doesn’t like discovering? And, need I even ask who likes to save?
These are typically known as ‘power words’ and can include:
- Free
- Guaranteed
- Value
- Powerful
- New
- Instantly
- Improve
When certain words such as these are used in the right place at the right time, your lexical sorcery is a surefire way to gain more customers. Research shows that marketing copy that contains more verbs and fewer nouns tends to have higher conversions.
It is important to note, however, that stuffing too many powerful or persuasive words into your content can have a negative effect on how you appear to potential clients, so it’s important to get the balance right. Think of keyword stuffing – the old SEO trick of trying to rank for a specific word or term by repeating it over and over again – it is something that will ultimately rank you lower on Google because it looks unsightly, it gives a poor user experience, and it seems unnatural. However, when keywords are used correctly, they can boost your organic search efforts massively. The same applies to the persuasive language you use. When done properly, it can have a positive impact on your conversions because everything will seem more readable.
For a little more insight into keyword research and some of the dos and don’ts, feel free to take a look at our recent blog on the Top Tips for Keyword Research: https://www.colewood.net/blog/seo/top-tips-for-keyword-research/
Think of Your Customers’ Needs
What does a potential customer of yours need? What do they want? Using statistics and quotes from reliable sources is good here. When writing content, keep this in mind. In order to turn someone into a customer, you need to try as best you can to dig deep into their psychology. When reading back over your content, assume the persona of a potential client and ask yourself this: “What’s in it for me?”
Why They Need it from You
Now, once you have identified what it is a potential customer would need from you, this is your time to shine. Someone comes to your website, reads your copy, and has something they either need or want… so show them exactly what you’ve got. Tell them why they should work with you.
This also links into the first pointer: being honest. It is wrong to deceive readers about what you sell/offer, but it is absolutely A-okay to tell them what you can do for them, why they should buy from you, and also show off some of your merits. What are your USP’s? Are you an award-winning business? Do you have plenty of experience in the industry? If so, let people know about it, there’s nothing wrong with bragging about your achievements. Your work is something you should be proud of. If you show this on your website, within your emails, or throughout social media, there’s a high chance you’ll turn your readers into customers.
Let’s delve further into the psychology of those you are trying to convert. If you show them what they’re missing out on, then even if they don’t convert at the time, there is always the chance that they will come back in the future. Sometimes it’s the fear of missing out that makes them buy.
Call to Action Buttons
Another key factor in turning your audience into customers and, arguably one of the most important aspects, is the call to action button (CTA) on your page. For some websites, this can be make or break.
If you saw a tiny little black and white button written in some obscure font somewhere on a web page asking you to subscribe or to buy a product, would you follow this simple instruction? The answer is likely going to be a big no-no.
Conversely, you do not want a giant red CTA button taking up half of your web page screaming ‘Click Here to Subscribe/Purchase’ in block capitals followed by a stream of exclamation marks as this will look unprofessional and, in a lot of cases, untrustworthy.
Your CTA needs to be visible. It needs to be bright. It needs to be colourful. And most importantly of all, it needs to be inviting. Try not to push too hard to gain conversions – after all, while your aim is for people to convert, your readers don’t want to feel forced into buying or subscribing.
