You already know what copywriting is, right?
It’s all about writing content for marketing and advertising purposes or informing potential customers about your products and services.
But that’s only the first step. Conversion copywriting takes copywriting to another level.
More and more businesses rely on conversion copywriting to sell their products and services because it builds trust. When customers trust a company, they become repeat customers—and repeat customers are how businesses become successful.
So how can you get conversion copywriting working for your business?
This article will dive into how you can write copy that converts readers to buyers and turns buyers into repeat customers.
In a rush? Get this article as a PDF guide so you won’t miss these tips!
First, What Is Conversion Copywriting Exactly?
Put simply, conversion copywriting pushes people to make a decision and act on it.
The skilled copywriter presents the research and benefits in combination with tone of voice and presentation to motivate the buyer to say yes to the chosen call to action (CTA).
And, no, “conversion” does not necessarily mean instantly buying a product or service with one click.
Visitors can take action on various CTAs, such as:
- Clicking a specific button (“Learn More,” “Download Now,” etc.)
- Filling out an online form
- Adding a product to a shopping cart
- Subscribing to your newsletter
- Navigating to another page on your site (to a sales page, for example)
- Sharing a web page on social media
The essence of conversion copywriting is to find the right combination of words to get the user to a single goal: engaging with your CTA.
Got it? Great!
Keep reading, because now I’ll share five keys to writing marketing copy that gets results…
1. Do Not Skip Your Research
There’s no escaping it: Research is an essential part of conversion copywriting.
Not only must you know everything about the product or service you are selling, but you also have to know your target audience.
To understand your target audience, you have to research your customers’ pain points and how your product or service will solve those pain points.
And it bears repeating: You will also need to know everything there is to know about your product or service. Of course, right?
Customers will not engage with your CTA unless they feel comfortable. Being provided enough information gives them the comfort they need to make a decision. Your research findings must be truthful, backed up with evidence, and detailed.
Items to research regarding what you are selling might include:
- The pain points or problems your target customers have
- The specific language they use to describe their problems
- How your product will solve those problems
- Your product or service’s features and benefits
- Why your product or service is better than the competition’s
- Statistics of your product or service and customer testimonials (social proof)
Bottom line: Conversion copywriting requires a level of trust between you and your target audience. So arm yourself with as much information as possible and try to use your audience’s language.
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2. Stay Focused and Start From the End Goal
A conversion copywriter’s mantra should be, “One page, one message.”
There’s no need to bog your readers down with so many messages and CTAs that they don’t know what to do.
One helpful technique you can try involves starting from the CTA at the bottom and then working back up:
- First, focus on the one outcome you’re aiming for after potential customers read your page.
- Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this writing?”
In other words, what is it exactly that you want the reader to do?
For example:
- If you are writing a short sales email, make sure you sell only one product.
- If you want people to subscribe to your newsletter, focus on the benefits of subscribing.
- If you aim to get people to your event, promote the event—not your product, service, or website.
Here is a simple conversion copywriting planner from Super Copy Editors that you can download instantly for free (no email address required):
By keeping your end goal in mind, you will stay on course with the rest of your writing.
If you find yourself drifting too far from your intention, you can either recalibrate or stop writing. Conversion copywriting is about getting the customer to your end goal in the fewest possible words.
At Super Copy Editors, our end goal is perfectly edited, clear, and concise copy. Trust the professional editors and proofreaders at Super Copy Editors to edit and proofread your content so it converts the maximum number of readers to buyers. Check out how we help marketing teams ensure success.
3. Understand the Buyer’s Journey
When you’re using conversion copywriting, it is essential to remember that each potential customer goes through the same stages to be converted to a buyer (or whatever end goal your CTA entails).
The three stages of the buyer’s journey are:
- Awareness: This first stage helps potential buyers identify their problem by showing them their pain points using e-books, blogs, videos, or white papers. Write in a calm, 90% educational way (only 10% promotional). Best CTAs for this stage: learn more, watch video, download white paper or checklist.
- Consideration: Then you show how your product or service helps to alleviate or solve the problem you have identified. Your copy here should be half educational and half promotional, showing multiple solutions including your own. Explain your benefits and how you are better than the competition. Best CTAs for this stage: join webinar, see case study, complimentary analysis.
- Decision: Finally, you prove to the customer that your product or service is worth buying and that your company is trustworthy. Fully promote your solution to help these prospects make a decision. Include social proof, such as reviews, client logos, and awards. Best CTAs for this stage: free trial, coupon or promo code, view demo, request a quote, book a call.
Remember to start from the end goal and work backward for each stage, keeping the CTA in mind throughout.
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4. Use Engaging CTAs
The call-to-action button or link is the final test of your conversion copywriting. It’s the end goal that you have worked so hard to get your customers to engage with.
Now that you have set up your product or service with such great copywriting, you have to land the final blow to get readers to take action.
Here are some ideas for writing an engaging CTA:
Make It Easy to Say Yes
Keep the offer simple, have a strong promise, and make it as risk-free as possible so your CTA looks like a no-brainer.
- “Free Trial”
- “No Money Down”
- “No Credit Card Required”
- “Takes Just 2 Minutes”
Have the Customer Make a Tough Choice
Some websites offer a “No thanks” option right below the CTA to drive home what the customer will be missing out on.
For example, the CTA reads “Yes, I want to save 25%!” Then another button reads, “No thanks, I’ll pay full price.”
Using this fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) persuasion tactic can be an effective way to nudge buyers toward making that final choice. Just don’t overdo it.
Get Creative
Most high-converting websites offer customized CTAs that go beyond the standard “Buy Now,” “Add to Cart,” and “Learn More” buttons. Try a more engaging CTA, such as “I Want One,” or a more personalized CTA, such as “Yes! Please Send Me My FREE Credit Report.”
You can also place your CTAs at different points throughout your text, not just at the end.
Remember, your only goal is getting the reader to engage with your CTA. So put a CTA toward the beginning or right in the middle of your copy. If the reader has already decided to engage, you can convert them right away.
Here is our massive list of more than 100 examples of great CTAs:
Don’t forget! Download “Conversion Copywriting: 5 Keys to Writing Marketing Copy That Gets Results” to keep it handy and take action on it. Click here to download it now.
5. Test and Validate
The last key to writing marketing copy that gets results is to test your content to make sure it works.
Just because you like it doesn’t mean customers will. Split testing your copy is a great way to validate whether your copy works or not.
According to Instapage, “Split testing, commonly referred to as A/B testing, allows marketers to compare two different versions of a web page—a control (the original) and a variation—to determine which performs better, with the goal of boosting conversions.”
Pick just one variation (large or small) to change, keep the rest of the copy the same, and then publish or send out both versions to the same type of customer. Repeat the process with different variables and keep track of which versions convert the most readers.
I use the free version of Google Optimize for split testing my website. To take just one recent example, I split tested the CTA on one of my landing pages and discovered that “Get Pricing and a Free Rush Upgrade” achieved twice the conversion rate of the original version, “Get a Quick Proofreading Quote.”
Doubling the conversion rate just by making that one simple tweak felt like hitting the jackpot.
Final Thoughts
Using conversion copywriting to sell your product or service can be incredibly effective. By using the tips above, you can write copy that explains how your offering works and what problems it solves—and then get your audience to take that next step.
After you have written your marketing copy, you’ll want to ensure it looks, sounds, and reads perfectly to convert as many readers as possible.
The professional team at Super Copy Editors understands the importance of optimizing your content to convert readers to customers. Our editors will proofread and edit your copy for maximum effectiveness, mirroring your style, tone, and voice that works best for converting your audience.
Click this link to get a quote for comprehensive proofreading services tailored to your specific marketing goals.
