How do you ensure that your Marketing Copy converts?
The success of a product launch depends on the marketing copy to a great extent. We have seen a lot of launches fizzle out just because of a pathetic sales copy which could put anybody to sleep. And there are a few others which entice you to read the copy and push you to take action.
But how do you do it in your marketing copy.
Thanks to psychology, you can help your customers embrace your brand message through rhyming schemes, funny memes, and telling familiar stories through your marketing copy. The long and the short of it is that psychology makes people tick and can motivate them to take certain courses of action. As a matter of fact, writers have been known to use persuasion techniques to influence people from way back in time.
10 Essential things in a high Converting Marketing Copy
All marketing copies that convert have a few things in common and if you study these, it is pretty easy for your to identify these essential tricks.
Here are 10 little tricks that could help you tap into the power of persuasion and the unconscious to your own advantage:
Justification
Adding a little justification within your call-to-action will trigger better results than just leaving it plain. If someone jumps into a queue right in front of you and offers no justification, you’d probably frown or toss them out.
But if they gave a reason, however, small or far-fetched, you’d be probably more tolerant.
If they were to tell you that they have their 80-year old grandma waiting for them out there in the parking lot, you’d be more sympathetic, even if they were gaming you.
It is not the easiest trick to embed into your marketing copy, but it does offer the promise of great call-to-action success when you do it well.
Action verbs
The passive voice can be quite a drag as far as the speed of your marketing copy is concerned. It zaps the energy, positivity, and urgency within the words.
Rich, evocative, and imaginative action verbs are the hallmarks of a great marketing copy. Develop or collect your own bunch of energy-packed super action verbs that you can throw into your copy at any given time.
For instance, a consulting company might not want to say that it “offers business advice to help you become more profitable.” Instead, it “helps develop action plans to whoosh right over your competition.”
Repetition
Repetition has always been used to ram home a point as well as being used to create ‘illusory truth’. The notion is that if something is constantly repeated, it feels more truthful and even accurate.
To use this trick in your marketing copy, develop several fact statements or product benefits and weave them throughout the copy. This will reiterate the same points or facts across the entire copy.
Rhyming schemes
Rhymes tend to ride on the idea of repetition. Interestingly, our minds remember patterns more easily than hard information. That is why you can totally forget an important appointment but not the lyrics of your favorite song.
Radio and TV commercials prepare jungles that will have you singing along even if you don’t care about buying the product. You can, in a subtle way, plant short rhyming phrases within your advertising and marketing copy as well as the headlines.
Offbeat word pairs
They work in the same way as an oxymoron. Offbeat word pairs distort our mental thought-patterns and force us to sit up and instantly take notice.
They are basically bizarre word pairs that defy both logic and expectation. Examples include “the fastest snail,” or “the flying chariot.” You can plant them all throughout your marketing copy, but they work best within headlines or sub-headlines.
Textured adjectives
Much like action verbs, textured adjectives can enhance meaning and help create a mental picture. The mind tends to attach emotion to words that carry texture and feelings. For instance, you may consider switching the word “hot” with “ablaze” for enhanced meaning and effect.
However, you’ll want to use adjectives sparingly within your marketing copy so as to get the full effect and also avoid counterproductive results.
Freedom of choice
While it may seem counterintuitive, highlighting your customer’s freedom to choose within your marketing copy can actually tip the scales in your favor. Studies have shown that it can be a powerful inducement to customers to select your products.
The exact wording does not really matter, not as much as the acknowledgment that the customer is free to take any action. Embed phrases such as “it’s your call,” “you get to decide,” or any of their variations within your marketing copy. This will serve to emphasize their freedom of choice.
Visual numbers
If your marketing copy is heavy with a lot of quantitative data, you can give your readers a break with pictures and interesting descriptions. You can also use humorous metaphors to trigger and engage their imagination as you break down the numbers.
Use the second-person voice
“You” statements come out strongly as compared to “I,” “She,” or any other neutral statements. “You” statements make people believe that the content is relevant to them and triggers them to consider their own feelings first.
This, of course, is more engaging and is more likely to compel action.
Indirect claims
Our brains are always on a constant quest for context. Indirect claims immediately put the readers’ imagination to work. Rather than describe something as “very sweet,” you may instead say that it has “the sweetness of dark and ripe grapes!” This triggers the imagination of the reader, and might even begin to whet their appetites.
What else should be in our bag of tricks when it comes to effective marketing copy? Share with the rest of the gang in the comments section.
About the Author
My name is John Nasaye. I am a passionate startup and tech enthusiast as well as overall life improvement. I run a blog (www.lupgrade.com) that shares handy tips and tricks to improve everyday life of the modern entrepreneur in an actionable, insightful and effective way. You can follow him at @nasaye and at Facebook.