How A Conversion Copywriter Helps You Dodge “Selling Screw Ups”
Leads. Sales. Revenue.
The three key ingredients to
And for everything we do in our business, those results really come back to one thing: how well we sell.
We look at what our market wants or is dealing with, put an offer out there we think meets that, and then do our best to persuade that audience.
So why is it so damned hard?
How We Screw Up Selling Online
Selling online is easy to stuff up.
You’ve got dozens of ways to do it, from having the wrong offer, targeting a not-so-profitable niche or getting carried away with technology or tactics (and forgetting who we’re serving). And when it comes to your copy, you’ve got even more ways to drop the ball.
- We try to be “professional”, taking on a banal voice that says nothing, reveals nothing… and attracts nobody.
- We make selling all about us, ignoring the audience as we ramble on about this or that… even while they’re tuning us out.
- We use logic and rationale as driving arguments, spouting facts & figures… even though few people are convinced by logic alone.
Conversion Copywriting In 6 Words
While a lot can be said about conversion copywriting, it’s really summed up in just six words:
Writing that persuades people to act.
And for businesses around the world, it’s an incredibly valuable asset for one reason: it brings in the bacon.
Conversion Copy: Your Not-So-Secret Sales Weapon
Yes, conversion copywriting helps you dodge those “selling screws ups”.
No, that’s far from the only thing it’s good for.
Conversion copy’s aim is to get people opening their minds to your messaging… and then opening their wallets or purses.
(Without any malicious or malignant tactics or “hacks”.)
For most businesses, that’s kinda the point. And the better the conversion copy, the higher those sales and revenue graphs climb.
A well-written sales page, video sales letter (or VSL), email sequence or series of pay-per-click ads can result in millions of dollars in extra revenue and thousands of new customers.
(If you’ve heard of copywriters being paid $10,000, $15,000… even $20,000+ to write a single sales letter, this is why: for the right business or product, investing in top-notch conversion copywriting pays off exponentially.)
But that doesn’t mean conversion copy is only the domain of million-dollar marketing budgets. Many smaller businesses use conversion-focused copy (and copywriters) to create campaigns, funnels or product promotions very successfully. For those businesses in the know, it’s their not-so-secret weapon to boost sales, attract customers and blast past competition.
Just like Liam Neeson, conversion copywriters have a particular set of skills. Here’s a few we have to master…
- Knowledge of persuasion frameworks
- Structuring an effective message hierarchy
- Crafting call to actions, headlines and other specific copy elements
- Framing offers in the best possible light
- Using the “rule of one”
- Understanding (and answering) reader
ojections - Researching “voice of customer” data
- Incorporating social proof & other credibility elements
- Conducting copy & funnel audits for potential “leaks”
- A solid grasp of consumer
behaviour principles - UX and conversion rate
optimisation (CRO) techniques
Sooner or Later, You Have To Do It…
If you’ve been selling online for a while, you probably appreciate the value of good conversion copy.
But for a lot of businesses, selling makes them freeze up. Hesitate. Procrastinate endlessly with blog posts and social media that feel “easier” and less pushy.
Here’s the thing: if you want to make your business more sustainable and successful, selling is something you’ll have to do sooner or later*.
That’s what conversion copywriting helps you with, especially if…
- Your competition’s hotter than the Australian sun
- You’re looking for an edge beyond tired Facebook groups or Instagram feeds that look like everyone else’s
- You’ve got a new product ready to launch and want to kick it off with a bang
- You don’t have a couple of years (and dozens of hair-tearing attempts while learning) to master conversion-grabbing copy
- You know that while the right offer to the right audience is a huge part of selling success, adding the right copy can “next level” sales
Looking for someone ready and able to create conversion-grabbing copy for your campaign, funnel or product promos?
Outstanding creative work delivered with excellent speed. Dean’s ability to understand your context, challenge your ideas and provide new insights is an incredible added value. Recommended!
Dean did an amazing job writing multiple email campaigns for our company’s 800,000+ subscriber email list.
Dean’s skills as a copywriter are unquestionable. His work was great, quality and free of errors. He nailed the voice of our client on the first try, every time. We literally did not need to give him a single edit on any project.
You could tell that Dean really took the time to research his target audience and voice. He really went above and beyond to deliver a great product.
I will be going to Dean for more copy needs in the future and you should do the same.
Beyond the Sales Page
Conversion copywriting’s often seen through the prism of “boosting sales”.
But as you now know, it’s actually about persuasion (AKA motivating people to act). And that means you can use its persuasive powers for other things… though always for good, of course.
Getting people to join an email list
Sometimes you need to build a relationship before you can sell, and email marketing is one of the best ways to do that. But first, you’ve got to convince them to sign up… and that’s where conversion copywriting comes in.
Asking people to spread the word
A raving advocate of your brand is one of the best forms of marketing, so “word of mouth” is incredibly powerful. Motivating people to share the news (e.g. via social media) is another way conversion copywriting can work.
Signing up for a demo or trial
Just like email marketing, a demo or trial can be a huge “pre-step” before someone buys (especially when it comes to software and SaaS). Of course, convincing people that your product’s worth their time is another job conversion copywriting can tackle.
Whether it’s sales or signups, introduce conversion copywriting to your business and see, feel and taste the gob-smacking (and bottom line-bulging) difference.