Copy That Converts

Colin Roth A branding and marketing

expert specializing in digital promotions. He incorporates

the latest marketing trends and research into his campaigns,

often performing A/B tests and analyzing the results,

maximizing conversion rates.

Liz Italia As ASI’s copywriting guru, Liz tackles copy for all kinds of media supporting ASI’s marketing department and supplier members. Whether it’s a powerful headline or catchy tagline, her goal is always to engage the audience and entice them to take action.

Welcome toCopy that Converts

we will be starting in a few minutes

How to Write Copy That Converts


Ask us questions!(we won’t bite,

promise)We will try to answers them in real time, any we

don’t get to in the webinar we will answer

after.


Colin Roth Digital Marketing [email protected]

Who are we?

Liz Italia Director,

Copywriting [email protected]

m


Before we get started…


Poll: Who writes the copy for your advertising?

1.We have an internal copywriter2.We hire a freelancer3.I do it myself4.We use ASI’s Marketing

Department


K.I.S.S.

1


Liz’s simple tricks

Just say what you want to say.• Keep It Simple, Stupid.• Be clear. Be direct. Have free shipping?

Great quality? Say it. • Can be clever, but don’t need to be to

make an impact. • Don’t have to use big words or jargon. Example: Take a look that this DSW email. The email is longer than what’s displayed here, but this is the first thing I see, and right away, I know they offer free shipping, and they want to tell me about pumps.



Example: Take a look at this headline for an i-mark ad I wrote – it’s just four words separated by periods.

The most important point i-mark wanted to get across was that their personalization was free, so you’ll see it’s mentioned more than once. I felt the repetition would give the reader confidence that it was REALLY free.

Stay concise. • Force yourself to remove any words that aren’t

completely necessary.• Remember: You only have a prospect’s attention

for a short time• Your goal is to make someone to want to learn

more about your business.

Example: This JibJab email promotes their StoryBots product. “Your child is the star” tells the readers instantly that it’s for kids. Then, there is ONE sentence explaining StoryBots. Could they include more detail? Yes, but it’s not necessary. They’re trying to peek the reader’s interest so he/she clicks one of the green buttons for more info.



How to Cut Copy

• Write your marketing piece and don’t revise it at all.

• Take a break and work on something unrelated.

• Go back to your marketing piece with fresh eyes.

• Examine each word and ask yourself, “If I take this

out, will my message still get communicated?”

• Cut any fluff or extra words.



Bullets are your friends.• Great way to deliver important information

quickly.• Easy to read.• Person’s eye is drawn to them instantly.• Design-wise, they create a lot of white space,

which is appealing to readers.

Example: This is an excerpt from an email I worked on at ASI to promote distributor membership through ESP. Originally, there was a paragraph explaining the benefits of our ESP product, but when I saw it designed, it was a big block of copy. I felt like people wouldn’t read it, so I changed it to bullets. The same information is there, it’s just shorter.



Use customer reviews

2


Quote reviews & talk like your customers.Two ways to use reviews in marketing materials:1. Directly quote reviews. Test after test shows

that they increase response rates.2. Pull words right out of reviews to write

copy. After all, what’s a better way to reach customers and prospects than talking just like them?

Example: Jib Jab includes testimonials at the bottom of the StoryBots email previously referenced. Take a look at the first testimonial. A great headline for a future campaign could be “Do a Letter a Day!” taken directly from that first review.



Be human

3




Write the way you speak.• Write the way you speak. • Use short sentences; they are easier to read. • Be conversational. Don’t have to be 100%

grammatically correct.• Incorporate a little slang if you think it fits your

audience. Example: In this short email from Copy Hackers, they want to confirm my subscription to their email list. The headline is humorous but to the point. Even under the button, they have a conversational tone, and easily explain what I should do. I also know what will happen if I click the button.

Colin’s cool copy




More “YOU” Less “I”• Put your customers first.• Make your main message what you can do

for the customer. • Treat copy like a conversation: use the

words “you” and “your” more than “we” or “I”

Example: The Grommet addresses this perfectly. “Your” is used twice in the headline. It’s in the burst. “You” and “your” are used three times in the body. They want the customer to feel valued and to take the survey and the customer receives free shipping in return.

Entice people to take action

4

How to Write Copy Tht ConvertsHow to Write Copy That Converts


Verbs first.• Start phrases and sentences with verbs.• Encourage people to take action. • Working on a headline? Make the verb

the first word and see how much more actionable the statement becomes.

• Tell the customer what you want them to do.

Example: Progressive starts most of their sentences with verbs. “Try” “Test drive” “Sign up” “Plug” “Drive” “Get”




How to handle multiple CTAs.Ideally, you want one call to action (CTA), because choice can decrease response, but different distributors may prefer different methods. If you have more than one CTA:• Make your preferred method very dominant. • Don’t call added attention to the secondary

CTA; use a smaller font size and use a color that blends in with the rest of the copy.

Example: Best Buy wants the customer to add a user to the account, so that’s what’s on the button. Then, they provide their customer service number in case the customer wants to call. Chances are, the customer will only see the phone number if he/she doesn’t want to click the button and is looking for another way to contact Best Buy.

Liz’s simple tricksUse first person on buttons.

• Keep it concise, like “Shop Now,” or “I’m Ready to Shop.”

• Lead the prospect to what you want him/her to do.

• Have fun with it. Example: Outback’s button is perfect. “I WANT TO SEE MORE STEAK.” I wasn’t hungry for steak, but I am now, and why wouldn’t I want to see more of it? Also, the red words in the headline match the button copy, leading the customer’s eye from headline to CTA. Side note: Look at the headline … “you” and “your” are used.


Liz’s simple tricksCombat Objections• Build good will with prospects.• Combat common objections by putting that

copy right next to your button.• Words like “No obligation” will help make

customers feel like everything will be okay, and they know they aren’t making a commitment.

Example: Take a look at this form. If someone is hesitant, this might help them feel more comfortable that they aren’t committing to anything, and the only thing they are signing up for is to have a conversation.


Colin’s cool copy


Benefits, benefits and more benefits

5




Put benefits first, and support them with features.• Talk about what your products mean to your

customers.• Build an emotional connection with your

prospects and customers. • For any feature, ask yourself why your

customer would care and include that copy in your promotion.

Example: Opusline has seen a huge uptick in response since letting ASI write and design their ad. Take a look at the bursts with each product. The part that stands out is the benefit, and the feature is below it. The theme of making things “easy” is carried throughout the ad.

Everything should have a job

6



Break it down.Writing effective copy is a lot easier if you break it into pieces. Think about what each component of your marketing piece should do, and then write copy that aligns with that. Here’s what each part of copy should do for an email:• Your subject line = Get people to open

your email• Your headline = Grab attention• Your button = Get people to click it• Your landing page = Engage • Your form = Get people to submit it

Liz’s takeaways

1. Break down the goal of

the ad.

2. Don’t make marketing

complicated – look at the

marketing that works on

you.

3. Think about your

customers.


That’s all folks!We will spend the

remainder of the time answering your

questions!


Date post:	05-Aug-2015
Category:	Marketing
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