Let's get started. Here's the truth about copywriting. Despite what you might have heard, you don't need years of experience or training to learn copywriting.
So, without further ado, let's dive into copywriting tip number one, use Reddit threads. Reddit is a copywriting gold mine. To use it, head over to a subreddit, where your customer hangs out. Then, take a look at threads that have lots of comments. For example, let's say that you just launched a new keto diet bar. Well, you'd head over to keto and paleo subreddits and search for bars. Then, pay attention to the exact words and phrases that people use to describe what they like and don't like about the bars they've tried so far
Moving right along to our second copywriting tip, use short sentences. This is a good rule of thumb that applies to pretty much everything that you write. Short sentences equal better copy. And there's data to back this up. A study conducted by the American Press Institute found that short sentences were 711% easier to read and understand, which is why you should atomize sentences to be as short as possible. Bottom line, use short sentences. They're easier to read and understand.
Which leads us to technique number three, the slippery slide. Here's the deal. You can have the best copy in the world, but if people stop reading the page after the first sentence your copy didn't work. That's why one of the main goals of your copy is to keep people reading. Or as copywriting legend Joe Sugarman puts it, the sole purpose of the first sentence is to get you to read the second sentence. The question is, how do you get someone to keep reading your blog post, email or sales letter?
The secret is in the slide. A slippery slide is where you add something to your page that's specifically designed to keep people reading. For example, you can tell a little story in the beginning of your sales letter, but leave the ending for the end. Or you can refer to something that's coming up later in your blog post. You can even just say things like “here's the deal” and “the question is” to push people to keep reading.
And now it's time for copywriting tip number four, super-specific headlines. You've probably already seen this old statistic before, 80% of people read the headline and only 20% read the copy. Is that statistic accurate? I have no idea. But I do know that your headline is super important. And one of the best ways to make your headlines more effective use super-specific headlines. Super-specific headlines are exactly like they sound. They are headlines that tell your reader exactly what they're going to get.
And now it's time for technique number five, use FOMO. FOMO can make your copy 10 times more effective. That said, FOMO also known as fear of missing out, doesn't work for every situation. But if you can use FOMO, you should use FOMO. That's because it triggers a strong reaction with your prospects, and emotion that makes them want to listen closely to what you have to say.
Which brings us to copywriting tip six, write strong leads. Everyone and their mom know that headlines are important, but no one talks about lead ins in my experience. A lead in is just as important if not more than a headline. Your lead is the section of your page that comes right after your headline, and if you lose people here, you've lost them for good.
Here are three strategies that you can use to write awesome leads. First, use a hook in your first or second sentence. The first sentence of your lead is huge. So make sure that first line really grabs your reader's attention.
Next, you want to make your lead about six to eight sentences max. Whether you're writing a blog post, video script, sales page or email newsletter, you want your lead to be super short. Remember, the goal of your lead is just to grab your reader's attention. And once you've done that, you want to transition into the main section of your content. Finally, use mini-stories in your leads. Stories are a great way to hook your readers right off the bat. But like I just mentioned, the problem with that is that your lead needs to be short and sweet. So, you don't have a lot of room to tell an epic story. So keep it short and concise.
And, now it's time for me to tell you about copywriting technique number seven, don't use big words. Let's face it, big words don't impress anybody. In fact, they make your content harder to read. So instead of big fancy words, use words that are easy to read and understand.
Our eighth technique is the A-I-D-A formula. AIDA is a classic copywriting formula that can help boost conversions on sales pages, landing pages, articles, newsletters, video scripts and more. A-I-D-A stand for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. First, grab people's attention with the first line, then create an interest with a bold promise, and finish it up by tapping into a desire that anyone reading this page wants, “Higher Google rankings” Finally, I cap things off with a call to action to keep reading.
Moving right along to technique number nine, benefits over features. There's no doubt about it. When it comes to copy, benefits crush features. In other words, features are nice, but benefits sell. Here's how you can turn boring features into powerful benefits. Coschedule.com does a great job of highlighting benefits over features. Yeah, like any software product, they outline key features. But unlike most SAS companies, the vast majority of their copy is benefit-driven.
Moving right along to technique number 10, get out of the friend zone. We've all been in the friend zone before. Or at least I have. The friend zone is when you like someone and they like you back, as a friend. Well, as it turns out, the same thing happens with potential customers and clients. They like what you're selling, but not enough to buy. What's the solution? Address their objections. I'm talking about objections like, "It's just too expensive." "It's not a good time for me." "Yeah it sounds good, but will this work for me?" or "I'm not ready to switch from another product." Most people pretend that these objections don't exist. Instead, you want to bring up these objections and squash every one of them.
Next up, we have urgency and scarcity. Have you ever had someone tell you that they're interested in what you're selling, they just need some time to think it over? In my experience, 99% of the time that person doesn't end up buying. Maybe they got busy and forgot, maybe they found another product. The exact reason doesn't really matter. The important thing is that you do something to get that person to convert right away. The question is, how do you do it? Add these words and phrases to your copy. Needless to say, these statements should be backed up with real limitations, otherwise you're going to lose people's trust. But if you can use them, you should use them.
And now, it's time for our last copywriting tip, solve the social proof paradox. You need social proof to sell, but you need sales to get social proof. I call this the social proof paradox. And it's a real problem for lots of business owners.
Fortunately, I found a simple way to get around this problem. Feature your strongest form of social proof. It doesn't have to be sales. For example, let's say that you just launched a new nutrition coaching program. And to get leads, you offer people a free seven-day meal plan. And if they want to upgrade to a paid coaching plan, they get a full 90-day meal plan and personalized support from you. But so far, only a few people have upgraded to your paid plan.
Well, in that case you can showcase how many people signed up for your free meal plan, or maybe only have 20 total customers. But three of those customers got amazing results. Well, you can feature those three amazing results on your homepage.
And now it's time for a quick bonus tip, use this proven, three-step testimonial formula. It's no secret that testimonials can skyrocket sales. In fact, BigCommerce reports that testimonials, can increase sales by up to 62%. That's the good news. The bad news is that most people use testimonials that simply don't work. Instead, I recommend using this proven three step formula. This formula is broken down into three main parts. The three parts build on one another to create one super-powerful testimonial.
First up, you have the before. This is where your customer talks about where they were before they used your product or service. That way, people can relate to the person in your testimonial. Next, it's time for the after results. The after highlights specific results that your customer got from your product. Finally, it's time for the "what they'd tell someone" section. As the name suggests, here's what your customer would tell someone that's on the fence. And because this recommendation comes directly from someone that used your product, it's very believable.
If your even in need of a solid copywriting service, we here at Watson Media are only a click or call away! If you enjoyed this article and was able to take away some valuable idea’s, share a comment below. Thanks for reading.
