Let’s get something straight before I go any further: Copywriters aren’t magicians. There is no secret formula for making an article, blog, ad, or social media post explode into a viral, raging maelstrom of revenue. Yes, there are elements of good copy (as well as other kinds of content) that work better in certain settings than they do in others, but there’s no element 1 + element 2 = retire to Cabo in six months. Cabo would be a much more crowded place if that were so.
Now, since I run a successful copywriting company, I’m going to probably remain a bit more centered on that area of content creation than on others, but I think you’ll see as we go that it all ties together and that there are ways of determining whether there’s just one culprit in your content lineup or if there are fundamental changes that need to be made to everything.
The Situation
OK – so you took the advice in my blog last week and blew some coin on a really good copywriter. You read the piece and thought, “Wow, this is exactly what I would have said if I could actually write!” You start seeing visions of people absorbing your content like sponges and watching your revenues grow and grow and grow. This is evergreen content at its finest. People will eat it up …
Then, a few days go by and you wonder why you’re not so much as breaking even. You’re not getting the engagement or the click-throughs or – heaven forbid – the sales you thought were sure to start rolling in by now. What’s the problem here? Why don’t people love this content as much as you do?
The answer here is simple – it’s because they are not you,and what you have to say isn’t anywhere near as important to them as it is to you. In fact, 97% of people (or more) aren’t even going to give it a second glance. That’s just the reality of the matter. If you were a telemarketer trying to sell this concept, you would probably go insane inside of a week hearing “no” so often.
Most people aren’t going to respond positively or at all to your content … but the right ones will.
Identifying Your Audience
I’ve written loads of articles about how you can align your content with your audience, so I won’t repeat myself here. I will, however, tell you that the vast majority of the issue you have stems from not looking closely enough at the people who are responding favorably to your content.
“Well, how do I do that, and what should I be looking for?”
It starts by working with a broad demographic and then narrowing the scope over time. The best part about this is that you should be able to find a decent audience almost immediately and zero in on their specific likes and preferences. You can do this by split testing content and by actually taking the time to get to know the people who consume your content regularly. Facebook is an amazing resource for this, because not only does its ad platform allow you to fine tune your audience to the most precise demographics anywhere, it also gives you the opportunity to look directly at the lives of the people who respond to you.
Now let’s say you figure out that it’s the exact wrong people who are responding. You’re getting a lot of people who love your product but only a few who actually convert. Once you identify that issue, it’s time to ask yourself what elements of your content strategy are appealing to this demo and how do you then go about shifting the focus.
Simply put, there is still no formula for this, but there are clear ways that you can approach investigating what works and what doesn’t. Here are just a few:
1. Observe Your Audience’s Behaviors When Presented with Different Kinds of Content.
This means keeping track of your metrics, most notably your bounce rate. First figure out how many people are engaging on your site, then figure out who they are. There are tons of software solutions that can help you with that.
2. Stick with Your Ideal Avatar in Every Aspect of Your Content Strategy.
Please tell me that you’ve developed an ideal avatar by now. Yes, it’s time-consuming, and, yes, it can be expensive, but the return can be astounding if it is properly researched and if you adhere to it consistently.
3. Invite and Encourage Feedback.
… and don’t let your ego govern how you react to it. This applies to favorable and unfavorable input. If someone in your target demo tells you that your content stinks, it’s worth considering. It probably isn’t that bad, but with a little digging, you might figure out precisely what brought on that pronouncement. Most of the time it’s something tiny, like your font. No, I’m not kidding. Huge breakthroughs have occurred when marketers simply changed the typeface or page layout of their websites or blogs.
4. Don’t Resist Change.
Getting this right will take some fine-tuning. Don’t be so hung up on that article or ad that you fell in love with if it turns out your audience just isn’t that into it. Be willing to let it go and try something else.
5. Remember, This Isn’t About You, Your Talents, or Your Ability to Sell Your Brand.
The market wants what it wants. You cannot decide for it. All you can do is listen, so listen well, and take positive action to keep moving forward.