Most marketers know that figuring out the kinds of things that are going to result in conversions can be tricky. It can be a lengthy, arduous process, to say the least, but once you find the sweet spot, the profits will eat up the losses relatively quickly. So how do you use copy to get your campaign to tip? We have several ideas that will help you focus in on what people are looking for specifically in the words you use that motivates them to buy from you.
1. Talk About the One Thing That Interests Them the Most
Simply put, everything is about the customer. By nature, people are extremely self-centered, even the ones who are quick to help out and do good for others. At the end of the day, we do these things not just because it helps others, but also because it makes us feel good, and the scale weighs heavily toward the latter.
With that in mind, you need to make people feel good about several things. They need to feel good about the content you’re presenting, they need to feel good about the notion of having the product or service, and they need to feel good about buying it from you.
Your approach should, therefore, center on how your product or service will enhance people’s lives. Why can they not live without this thing one day longer? What problem is having it going to solve? Zero in on the selfish reasons people buy, and exploit those reasons to the nth degree in your copy.
2. Put a Unique Spin on Your Product or Service
Do some research and see how your competitors are presenting their product or service, and then pit their strategy against your company’s ideal avatar. Would that person respond to their approach? What if you zeroed in on smaller details and marketed the product from a less obvious angle? My advice: Find several of those alternative avenues and split test them. You will likely be very surprised at how well people respond to a unique approach.
You’re going for the “Gee, I never thought about that…” factor here. When you give people a unique perspective, it frames you as an authority. It makes them trust you. It tells them that you’re capable of thinking for them; they agreed with you even before they had an opinion on the subject. That’s huge. It gets their attention and locks down on it like a steel trap. From there, you can exploit the pain points and make a credible assertion that you and only you hold the key to a solution.
3. Be Very Direct
People do a lot of thinking during the course of their day. When they pull out their phone and see your ad, they don’t want to find themselves mired in ambiguity. They don’t want or need to see a demonstration of your extensive vocabulary. Keep your message simple and use words the average third-grader can understand. You’re not being condescending; you’re giving these people a break. The less they have to think about what they’re reading and seeing, the less likely it is that their brains will turn the light switch to off before your message gets through.
This is especially important when developing calls to action. I learned very early on as a copywriter that regardless of the nature of the copy, be it web content writing, email, product descriptions, etc., if you want people to respond in any way, shape, or form, you need to tell them to. It’s human nature to do the minimum required, so if you don’t require them to do anything, they won’t.
That is why marketing copy needs to present clear calls to action, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you want them to visit a landing page, it’s, “Click here to learn more.” If you want them to make a purchase, it’s, “Click here to buy now.” If you want their email, it’s, “Enter your email address to get our free special report and stay on top of exciting deals and promotions.” Always use at least one active verb. It’s not “Click for more information,” it’s “Click to learn more.” See the difference? Buying is an action, so you have to make it an active process.
4. Tell a Good Story
There is no better way to maintain people’s attention than with a good story, and if you tell the right story from the right perspective, you will attract and motivate the right buyers. Think about it: How many times have you rolled your eyes when you saw that white box pop up and you knew you just got duped into watching a video sales letter? Those things can go on forever: 20 minutes, 30 minutes, even longer.
The way you get lured in is actually rather impressive, especially with a VSL. You probably clicked a link to an ad that you believed had some relevance to your life, then got interested in the story. You wanted to know how this person overcame a struggle because it was similar to your own.
This is also an effective strategy in marketing emails. Tell a progressive story one episode at a time and watch your open rates skyrocket. People will actually look forward to hearing from you, and when it’s time to make a buying decision, they’re already onboard waiting to be told to make a purchase.
5. Use Lots of Emotional Language
Emotion is a very powerful marketing tool. Remember, people don’t buy the steak; they buy the sizzle. Here are several ways you can use emotional language to boost conversions:
Empathize – Tell your story from a “been there, done that, here’s how I solved my problem” perspective. It creates a sense of relatability and gets readers thinking that the story is about them. This helps align their thinking with the notion of buying from you.
Drive scarcity and urgency – Making people feel as though they’re missing out on something is a hugely successful way to boost sales and get them to follow through on a well-targeted call to action.
Reassure – Make sure you tell your audience with confidence that you get them, you understand their struggles, and you want to help, then make a believable promise that you not only want to help them but that you’re also in the unique position to help them.
These five tips form a good framework, but the angle and approach will vary considerably based on your business and the people to whom you are marketing, so don’t be afraid to test a number of different approaches based on the above advice. Sooner or later, you’re going to discover a very lucrative portal, and it will not only improve your sales but also give you a much clearer understanding of your buyers.