Premature positioning without translatable proof crashes your credibility.
The job of a value proposition is to gravitate your prospects toward saying yes to you.
Humans are constantly looking to benefit. Use this behavior to your advantage.
Let’s look at the value propositions of various websites and audit the copy for conversions.
Example 1:
Stop defining your company with a weak adjective
The above value prop is – braggy.
Also, I had never heard of Cypher learning until now. Adjectives like best, world-class, and high-quality mean nothing. They’re just filler copy.
“Spotting a pretty adjective is the first sign of a fluffy value propositions statement.”
– Roshni Shaikh
“High-quality” just means “high quality”.
There’s no other way to measure it. Because it’s subjective.
Therefore, your value propositions should never depend on adjectives to define them.
Adjectives can never communicate the real value of your business offers. Behead the adjectives out of your value prop and focus on bringing the outcomes to the forefront.
Why your value prop is not your USP
A few days back, Peep Laja, the founder of ConversionXL tweeted about why the concept of USP is obsolete.
And I agree with him.
Because in 2023, it’s impossible to be running an extremely unique business.
Especially, if you’re in the SaaS market – you know how crowded this industry is. So describing your brand as unique is not a good idea at all.
How to write value propositions that make your prospects say yes to you
What does the absence of a value proposition do?
My first thought goes – how do you make your results colorful? Colorful pie chart? Colored graphs? Rainbow data?
I feel confused and I start wondering what the product actually is.
Unfortunately, it’s a web development company.
Solution: They could have spoken about the approach they mention in the CTA and position their brand with a clarified message.
Why it’s important to state the biggest benefit – FIRST
Nobody actually needs more data in this data-saturated world. But everyone wants to be able to manage data well.
So saying “Need more data” is not only useless but also intimidating.
And having data is not a benefit. It’s actually a liability to deal with if you don’t know how to tackle the data overflow problem every company faces today.
So if you’re a company offering a solution to analyze, organize, optimize and monetize your data, you should as well state this fact in your value prop and lead with it to bring in conversions.
Otherwise, you confuse your readers. And confused readers get off the wagon ASAP.
Lesson: Lead your value prop with your biggest benefit
Keep your first screen clean
Again, here’s another value prop starting with an adjective. We know what the problem is. So let’s talk about the UX here.
The goal of a business website is to make your reader’s job easy.
You start with clean websites. The screenshot of a login portal to the left is confusing and meaningless. It doesn’t add any value to the message.
The objective of your message is to take your reader from one awareness stage to a deeper, better understanding of your brand.
When you add screenshots like the one shown above, it makes the reader think hard, they panic and quit the page.
Conclusion: The reader cannot grasp what this company is about until they read the tiny text that uses two keywords (AI and data analytics) in an unnatural sentence.
Solution: A hero section with no image is better than having a confusing, deviating image with an unclear value proposition.
Avoid writing unprofitable value propositions
Stating your own name in the value prop has zero benefits.
This isn’t telling me what kind of digital work you do.
The words “more and beyond” denote uncertainty. If the reader senses uncertainty, they’ll have a hard time trusting your brand.
So, use your online real estate wisely. Own your message, connect with your audience and bring them closer to your brand.
But how?
3 simple ways to make your brand more approachable
Write a benefit-packed value prop with a meaningful call to action Look at the example below. Appsumo doesn’t waste a second in addressing its readers. They identify the software buyers immediately. They know exactly what the software buyers come to them for. They make them feel exclusive instantly. This is a 10/10.
Connect with a belief your audience stands for Meetup does this really well. Their value prop says – “The real world is calling”, which connects with most of us on so many levels because we’re all fighting digital screen toxicity. We’re all striving to make our lives a little bit more outdoor-ish. The gist is – to find out how you can match your audience’s mindset and convey that.
State your why loud and clear just like 450GSM They’re not afraid to break the rules. The moment you land on their homepage, it’s clear. There are no clever tactics, no desperate messaging to sound badass – only clear messaging that gets the job done.
Action steps to writing a clear value proposition
Avoid adjectives – because adjectives repel clarity and are subjective
Highlight the biggest benefit
Use social proof to write your value proposition if you can
Connect with the values and beliefs of your audience
Connect with your reader’s mindset and intent
Clean UX around your value prop means higher conversions
Stop trying to be unique and focus on being useful to your readers
3 years ago, I met up with an app developer at a local startup meet. He had a painful story of losing $25000 building an app whose ROI was less than one dollar.
He tried to understand why his product failed when:
the end-users loved the demo
they loved using the app
they appreciated the UX and UI too
the target audience appreciated the idea
they thought it was useful as well
Yet, the product failed.
Devastated, he narrated the story to the crowd, seeking for answers in their eyes.
A sassy marketing expert came forward and asked, -“Did you refer to your market research material while you designed it’s features?”.
After a few seconds of embarrassing silence, the app developer asked – “What is market research?”!
So, this passionate startup owner went straight into building the app ASSUMING all of the features himself and he ran into a debt of $25000 that he had invested out of his pocket.
Lesson? It was an app loved by many, but utterly un-needed.
Learning about the user journey helps you shape your product AND your marketing. You sell well when you know what you’re building, for whom and why you’re building it.
You see? The first step to a successful product launch is to create a product your audience NEEDS and then market around those needs to attract qualified leads.
How to Qualify Leads and Convert Better
To connect with your readers on an emotional level, you should know them inside out.
How do you do that?
By asking questions like:
What makes your prospects happy?
What makes them cringe?
What keeps them worried?
What gets them excited?
What are their priorities?
What are their apprehensions and expectations?
What outcomes do they dream about all the time?
What makes them feel threatened?
What are their biggest challenges right now?
What makes them nervous?
Understanding the underlying problems and creating a solution around these problems gives you a solid product that people actually need unlike the one this passionate startup owner had created.
With a solid product, built on people’s real demands, you can set-base to market.
You now have full permission to go tout about how YOU know to fill that aching gap your audience couldn’t
You don’t qualify leads, you qualify your marketing content. Quality leads begin to flow when they can empathize with content that brings clarity.
If it’s a physical product, they want to know exactly what it’s made of.
If it’s a service, they want to know what they get.
If it’s a solution, they want to know how it works.
Once they know the details, they’re ten times more likely to buy from you.
Now, why does this work?
The ever-curious human mind stops releasing the stress hormone, cortisol, the moment it understands that you are in a familiar environment.
By giving out the exact details of working with you, you’re creating a safe, future environment for the reader by telling the reader’s brain that:
You’re in a safe, familiar environment
You’re with someone who knows how you feel and empathizes with you
You can stop being in the fight-or-flight mode
Marketing is about understanding your audience, empathizing with them and inviting them to know more about your offer – nothing more, nothing less.
You’re here to talk about how you can free your audience from that big fat suffering that’s been hindering their growth and transformation.
How to keep your audience thinking about what you said
The reason you remember the story from the movie you watched when you were 10 but not the history lesson is because you mirrored and experienced the emotions played in the movie.
How you can use this technique to win your audience over:
Pinpoint your audience’s exact pain points and address that in your copy
Identify with their fears and anxieties and acknowledge that in your copy
Promise the desired outcome (and deliver it in your product please)
What not to do in your copy
Okay, if you don’t keep the conversation going between you and your reader, the connection dies.
So, make your reader feel heard, understood and important.
This is how you roll:
It is when you DON’T make them feel zoned out – they start relating to you.
It is when you DON’T make them feel like a faceless speck from the masses – they start valuing you.
It is when you make them feel understood – the chemistry of liking strikes.
So it all boils down to understanding your reader. Inside out.
When you synthesize your audience’s thoughts that they find difficult to express, you win their trust.
When your audience feelunderstood, they take the first step toward trusting you and believing in what you have to say. This tells them that you know where they’re coming from – a point of stress and struggle – a point that YOU have surpassed – a point in place they want to be
How to develop a memorable voice and brand personality through copywriting
Now that you know what to say, let’s focus on how you say it.
Your voice is nothing but your thought process – how you identify what to say and when.
Your tone is the language and mood and feelings you use to convey the message.
I’ve always loved Mailchimp copy. And you know what makes readers love Mailchimp? The tone. It’s easy, flowy and minimalistic. Notice the adjectives I used to describe the tone? That’s how you develop a personality around your brand.
Look at this example here.
The above form makes it want to sign up and see how easy it can actually be to get started with a Mailchimp account. You too, right?
That’s the magic of having a distinct voice and tone. People actually listen to you speak.
You too can develop a tone. Let’s run through these examples quickly to find out how.
1. People are addicted to cell phones.
2. Smart screen toxicity is harming youngsters.
What sounds more vivid and powerful to you? 1 or 2?
The first statement is normal that uses everyday words.
But the second one? It’s exactly pointing out who it’s harming the most – the youngsters. What is harming? – Smart Screen Toxicity. It’s done in an unconventional manner – yet without using any jargons that a layman wouldn’t understand. That’s how you develop a voice.
How not to sound in your copy
Let’s get straight to the point.
Don’t sound like you and your competitor are cut from the same cloth
Be different but never be inappropriate
Think aloud, but don’t harm
Don’t force/coax/pressurize/confuse your readers
Don’t limit user personas to a set of demographic data but also care about your audience’s tastes, traits, and behavior in as much.
Don’t talk. Make a statement.
Okay, these are the 6 big tips to follow every time you start with a copywriting project.
To practice, today you go back and pick a page of copy.
Rewrite the page by applying the tips and techniques you read just now and tell me how you feel about it at the end of the exercise 🙂
Pre-script: I’m chopping off the lengthy introduction and heading straight to deliver what you’re here for.
Here’s the list of the most important copyediting tips you can use right away. Let’s go.
1. Avoid structural confusion
2. Focus on the main goal
3. Use shorter sentences
4. Skip everything the reader skips
5. Too many commas confuse the heck out of the reader
6. Throw your reader right into the story without wasting time
7. Always question the benefit of your sentence
8. Pick a lane
9. Use these 24 connectors to make a smooth landing
10. Cut complexity – innocent example included
11. Format your writing for UX
12. Back up your claims
13. Don’t copywrite
1. Avoid structural confusion – Stop using passive voice
What’s wrong with passive voice?
Passive voice makes your writing dull and heavy.
It makes it hard to understand by delaying the delivery of the message.
Look at this example:
Passive voice doesn’t convey the message until the very end.
Let’s look at another example.
The above sentence has too many things going on. It sounds complicated.
Firstly, simplifying the sentence by splitting it into two clear sentences makes it easier to read and comprehend.
Converting the sentence into an active voice paints the picture faster because there is less uncertainty in the language.
In addition to that, using words like “some” makes the human brain struggle to choose. Especially if you understand visually.
Well, passive voice has its right time and place.
Passive voice is used to place attention on the object or activity instead of the subject.
Sometimes, you use passive voice in direct communication to eliminate blame, to not offend people at the workplace, or to give feedback.
Simply put, passive voice is used to convey ‘the what’ instead of ‘the who’
But……
Passive voice can be powerful too!
Here’s an opinion example I totally agree with
2. Focus on the topic’s ONE main goal
The content you write should be 3 things:
Useful-helpful
Beneficial
Actionable
Look at the below example. This is a content email sent by a calendar app.
This email sounds complicated to an average person and rightly so.
Their target audience is normal people who just want to use a calendar scheduling app to book calls.
And if you send emails like this – with irrelevant, jargon-filled sentences, users give up. They unsubscribe.
Don’t make your messaging shoot up your SaaS users’ tech-anxiety.
Keep it simple. Focus on the one thing you want your users to do.
3. Use shorter sentences
The next time you’re struggling to write something, pause.
Take that one complicated sentence that’s hindering you from moving forward and break it into core ideas. Now rewrite the lengthy sentence into multiple core ideas. This makes yoru writing easy, AND delivers a clear message – faster.
For example, go through the below paragraph.
Take the underlined sentence in the picture above and feed it into the Hemingway app.
The above sentence is obscure and hard to read.
Let’s break it down and rewrite it to make the message clear.
Breaking down a sentence into multiple sentences makes the message:
Easy to understand
Easy to write
More clear
More specific
Sentences that convey one idea are called kernel sentences.
Kernel sentences also make effective value propositions.
I first learned about using kernel sentences inside CopySchool from Joanna Wiebe – the original conversion copywriter.
“Reduce your sentence to one single thought and break it there.” – Joanna Wiebe
4. Skip everything the reader skips
It’s ok to murder your favorite line for the sake of readability.
Most blog intro copy is overkill. If you noticed, I skipped the introduction and jumped straight into the meat and bones of the subject. Now, I don’t guarantee that it works all the time. But it works if you have juicy content from the start.
The No.1 Mistake Most Writers Make With Introductions
Even if you’re writing the intro section for a traditional blog, at least start by NOT repeating what you just said in the title.
Most writers make the mistake of twisting and rewriting their H2s, just to increase their word count. Mostly because they don’t know how to write engaging introductions.
How to do content research to make your introductions worth reading?
Start your intros like this:
A. Use a hard-hitting stat to let them know what’s happening in the industry
B. Tell a story – it could be a customer story, a situational story or an industry incident/activity/experiment. If you’re explaining a difficult concept, use analogies and tell stories to help the reader learn faster and remember better.
C. Use a quote from an industry authority or an anecdote to get their attention
D. Ask a question they cannot ignore
E. Share a desirable result that’ll keep them hooked
Example of intro copy that’s poetic, but fails to enchant the readers.
The intro copy above is: 1. Not setting context quickly 2. Not matching the tone of the first sentence – It’s like saying, “you’re doing X number of things this autumn, read my blog as well.”
On the other hand, here’s an example of an ultra-specific blog introduction:
The introduction sets the expectations right away. It tells the user exactly what they’re getting into.
5. Too many commas confuse the reader
Anything more than 3 (oxford) commas, is gasping for breath and a recipe for disaster.
If you find a sentence with more than 3 commas, it’s an indication that it’s too much information stuffed into one sentence.
Break it down.
Connect back to the kernel sentence approach to write better.
Look at the example below:
“..regular basis, either daily, weekly, or monthly” – This phrase sounds highly uncertain and unsure. The last thing you want you to do is – to confuse the reader.
6. Throw your reader right into the story without wasting time
In Media Res – means to start in the middle.
This is another copywriting principle I learned from Joanna Wiebe.
Start in the middle to hook their mind to your version.
In Media Res is a copywriting/screenwriting principle used in the very first scene of your favorite shows.
If you’ve binge-watched five full seasons of Money Heist like a maniac, blame the first scene.
The first scene got you hooked. It threw you right into the story and you became a Money Heist maze runner forever.
Let’s look at an example:
This is an email from Samar Owais, one of the best email strategist and copywriter I know.
This is a no-BS email.
No greetings, no lovelies – her emails jump straight to the point and get the job done.
This is just half the email to show you how Samar wastes 0 seconds in conveying the message and getting the audience hooked.
7. Appeal to your reader’s first instinct
By asking “so what”. Let’s see how to do that.
You’ve written something, cool. Now, if the reader asks “so what?”, there HAS to be a benefit to back up your claim. If not, your readers drop out.
Look at this value proposition example:
Value Prop: Digital Assurance is the Bedrock of Digital Transformation
My first instinct after reading this is – I don’t understand what you’re saying. My brain goes digital digital and that’s it. I have to read it multiple times to really comprehend what they’re meaning to say.
To top that, there’s no crosshead copy to support the message and help me understand their purpose.
The value prop ends there –
Without talking about the ‘real’ benefit of digital transformation
Without talking about why the reader should reach out to them
Without talking about why the reader should trust them to digitize their business
Without explain the scale of digitization
There’s no social proof to back up anything this value prop says
With no benefits to back up your claims and no reason to reach out to you, you become any other brand who fades away very quickly from the reader’s memory.
8. Pick a lane
You’ve got to take a stand. Your copy should convey ONE big idea to the ONE reader with ONE goal. If you don’t do this, your copy spreads all over the place talking about many random things but actually speaking to no one.
Example?
Here you go:
I started this post by saying – 13 Copyediting Tips To Make You A Kickass Copywriter
This one line does 2 things:
Selects the audience – Writers/copywriters/editors have identified themselves with this piece of writing. It’s the first step towards conversion
Gets the reader interested – Because every writer wants to improve their copy chops. That’s their end goal.
Now, why do listicles like this one work? Basic human psychology. It boils down to one basic emotion. You and I (and everyone you know) have lived this emotion. It’s greed. We’re greedy for more. We don’t say no to more. That’s why #buzzfeed listicles go viral in no time.
9. Use connectors to make smooth transitions
Here’s a list of 30 connectors I use to make copywriting transitions look natural and effortless in your copy:
And
But
However
Here’s the thing
Because
Surprisingly
Now
Don’t forget to
How?
Here’s how:
Before <we do that>/<go ahead>
That’s not it
Interestingly
That’s not all
Let’s look at an example
The thing is
The truth is
In fact
But first,
But wait, that’s not all
Nevertheless
But wait, there’s more
On that note
But, is that even possible?
On the other hand
Example?
Alternatively
But how can you achieve it?
But, what’s more important is
While we’re on it
Example: (You see what I did there? I used a connector to make a concept clear by explaining it with an example) The email below sets the mood: Heading to holidays with BFCM
Goal: To get the readers to listen to a podcast episode of Limited Supply
The email copy uses connectors just before he reveals the goal. He does that to reignite the reader’s attention – by connecting two interesting actions. Take a look.
10. Cut complexity
And cut complexity.
The most common mistake 90% of writers make is to paralyze the reader’s already stressed minds with convoluted, complicated sentences.
Unnecessarily lengthy sentences not only make the reader undergo information fatigue, it’s also painful to sit through.It distracts your reader.
Example: How do edit for clarity and brevity?
You see how one single hazy sentence was turned into 3 simple sentences that conveyed one idea – clearly.
11. Format your writing for UX
I cannot stress this enough!
For whatever’s sake! Format your copy for readability, usability and user experience.
Yes user experience is for writers as well. Not just web designers.
You cannot deliver a chunk of sentences and call it a day.
Even if you’ve applied all the copywriting principles and copyediting tips we’ve talked about so far, even if you’re a terrific writer – in the online world – Formatting Matters.
Here’s why:
To make lengthy copy legible without overwhelming the reader
To break monotonous patterns
To justify the importance of a point
Just like I did now. I conveyed the above points in a bullet format to help the reader grasp information faster, and remember better.
12. Back up your claims
Before you finalize a sentence, make sure you do enough research to explain what’s going on.
If you’ve made a claim, back it up with ample proof.
Proof could be anything. Stats, facts, survey results, research data, examples, testimonials, excerpts from case studies, screenshots of reviews, proof of concept in the form of infographics, flowcharts, diagrams etc.
HockeyStack does a very good job at highlighting achievements and leveraging social proof.
13. Don’t copywrite – Have a conversation
People want to feel like they matter. Acknowledge it.
Genuinely, address their situation as is.
Without sugarcoating it.
But also without watering it down.
And you’ll have built a following of people who trust you.
Because eventually, it’s the trust that makes someone invest in you.
But how do you do that?
Here are 5 ways to make people feel like they matter:
1. Address “the ONE reader’s” problems in the copy
2. Talk about “the ONE reader’s” primary concerns.
3. Solve “the ONE reader’s” problems in the copy
4. Speak 1:1. Avoid convoluted sentences and go for simple language instead. The point of copywriting is to connect with people and make it easier for them to connect with you. If you make the reader think hard, the reader quits. They don’t owe you one bit, so they quit. That’s why it’s important to write like you’re having a conversation. Even if it’s B2B writing.
5. Don’t “Copywrite”. Have a conversation. Address your reader as “you” in your copy. Give them an experience by making your copy easy to read. Remember, you don’t talk like a bot with your friend. Talk human. Imagine that the person is sitting right in front of you and you’re having a conversation about << the subject>>.
Here’s a sales page I wrote that brought in $61k+ in sales within 3 weeks of launching.
You see the copy flows like you’re having a conversation with someone. This not only makes the reader read until the end and gets hooked to the message, it also converts into a high 5-figure launch.
Today, I spoke to a prospect who told me about the several amazing copywriters she’s hired in the past to write her landing page copy. They all wrote beautiful prose-clad copy, BUT, nobody really bought from the page
Why?
Here are the TOP 5 Reasons why sales page copy tanks:
1. Your funnel is distorted – you don’t have a connected conversion strategy
2. You don’t have a consistent voice, and hence, shockingly foreign copy
3. Fluff words that sound cool and sassy – but do NOTHING
4. Prose that sounds fab except, it can’t make sales
5. Your copy is unintentionally threatening!
You can fix the first 4 problems if you have the right systems in place.
But if your copy constantly sounds like you’re scaring and threatening people by using big bad words in unintended places just to grab their attention, the following copy better be worth their adrenaline activation. Or else, their logical brain is going to curse you for leading them to a high that you forgot to satisfy.
So if you’re finding yourself writing threatening copy, you really need to work on your mindset game.
What’s a mindset to do with writing copy?
E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.
If your writing voice sounds:
1. fake
2. desperate
3. needy
..you’re more likely to write threatening copy that uses trigger words like WARNING, make it unnecessarily “rhymy”, drop in powerless punches AND…
Most likely to cook copy that speaks to NO-ONE!
Pretty sad.
But, all of these annoying copy problems can be resolved if you have a stronghold on your audience’s pain points – big, small, and unsaid.
Start your copy with THEIR specific pain points and lead them towards a specific outcome THEY desire and keep the tempo on with headlines that are not just H1 text, but are there to keep moving your reader towards mini-conversions throughout the page without deviating from that one pain point they want to get rid of right now.
Which means, you’re not writing for people who don’t want it that bad. May be they have to put other things in place before this problem becomes their big priority. So, write for that prospect who wants to get done with their biggest challenge right NOW, not later.
If you organize their priorities on the page, your copy converts effortlessly.
“LONG-FORM SALES COPY converts better or SHORT SALES PAGE is enough to sell my tripwire product?”, asked my client today.
Here’s what I told her:
**It** doesn’t really matter to the buyer.
Because..
1. The buyer is not here to measure the length of the sales page
2. The buyer is not here to count the number of words
3. The buyer is not here to admire the beauty of your design. If the design is fab, they’ll definitely admire it. But the sole purpose on the page is to **know** the product.
Your potential buyers are here to see if they’re:
1. Getting the right product – is it the right fit? What am I getting?
2. Is it worth the money – even if it’s a tripwire product
3. Who’s the creator? Is the creator credible?
4. What kind of results have past buyers seen?
5. What am I really getting if I buy this product today?
6. What will I lose if I don’t buy this product today?
7. What can I do with this product? The ROI?
8. What big worry can this product get rid of for me?
9. How much time can I save per week if I use this product?
What should you keep in mind before writing a Sales Page
1. What stage of the customer journey is my audience at? What are their major needs at this point?
2. What’s their biggest worry right now? What are their current roadblocks?
3. How are they looking at solving this?
4. List of product features + benefits
5. Prove your authority and credibility as the product creator
6. List of Frequently Asked Questions so that you don’t leave them frazzled at any point
7. Ample social proof to back up your claims and offer
8. What’s the purpose behind the purchase of a product like this?
9. Address the possible objections to buying this product
10. How can I speed up conversions and maximize sales?
Writing a sales page is not just about the number of words and the length of the page. It’s a multidimensional process that involves a myriad of moving parts to bring in conversions.
#Elementor decided to inject my feed with their ads.
So I decided to tear down their sales page into Conversion Copy.
The biggest dilemma before writing a sales page is:
Should you start your sales page with benefits over features?
Not necessary.
You don’t have to force benefits out of the page when the benefits don’t want to come.
What does that mean?
Look at the Elementor sales page screenshot below.
It looks like they were hell-bent on leading with benefits and in the process, the message sounds blah..
Alternatively, fluff-free positioning and features list looks like this, in that order:
Build the page of your choice with the form builder
Choose from a variety of well-designed, visually appealing testimonial carousels instead of the same old monotonous templates.
Built-in pop-up forms so that you have everything hosted on one integrated platform instead of scattered forms and pages.
Countdown timer to catalyze conversions.
Capture real social proof to boost your credibility with the Star Rating Widget.
Go over these options and compare it to the copy in the screenshot.
What’s the difference?
Copy Positioning in the screenshot is so weak and bleak that you CAN fall asleep reading it
The tone and voice in the screenshot is plain blah. There’s ZERO personality. It doesn’t even sound like everyone else. It sounds unsure and shallow which is worse than sounding like everyone else.
The copy sounds desperate. It’s trying so hard to be clever by using phrases like “Make it count” — what does that even mean?
The point is — to state the facts and speak the truth straight instead of mincing your words.
So every time you sit down to write sales page copy, do this one thing:
Try and make sense out of it
Go apply the above DON’Ts to make your copy pop out and shine.
And if you need help with copy audits, reach out to me at roshni@contentprimer.com
Exactly like the same old click-bait market research question, everyone asks in Facebook groups – “Looking for an amazing web designer”. And that’s it.
These posts don’t indicate the nature of the industry. They don’t give — at least a hazy picture of what the work is going to be like. No requirements specified. Nothing. Nada!
Posts like these smell scam from a mile away. On a post that gets 97 comments, nobody gets hired. Sounds familiar?
Now the experienced business owners know that such generic posts are time wasters and avoid the trap because they know genuine posts are super-specific.
Let’s reverse engineer that mindset. If you are looking to attract experienced, well-established businesses as your CLIENTS, you should stop being generic in your copy.
There! I told you what not to use. But what should you be using instead of these words?
The answer is nothing. You should never think of replacing these words. You should think of replacing the sentences that need these words. These words indicate (read: scream) that your writing is amateurish. That is exactly why you depend so heavily on safe words like the adjectives.
Adjectives are merely fillers. They make your copy shallow.
Ouch! Sorry if I made writing even more difficult for you but..some hard truths are epiphanies on their own.
And here’s one – Copy that can convince is never backed by loose, commoner adjectives.
You don’t know how to evaluate the value of what you do.
You don’t know the impact you’re creating with your work.
If you can articulate the impact, they’ll never question your price.
But..
If a price objection comes up and you dilly your way by matching up the price to the time you’re spending, the creativity you’re using or years of experience you’re carrying — it doesn’t cut it!
Because what’s your client gonna do with your experience? Creativity? Time spend?
How’s it beneficial for them?
Noo – it isn’t!
Show them what’s of value.
Show them WHY they should hire you instead of your competitor sitting in the adjacent browser tab.
Because your creativity, experience, and time is NOT a measure of the outcomes they’re expecting.
The same shit applies to online sales as well.
Your copy should just CONVERT – by stating the VALUE your work brings to the table.
Not the hours you’re pouring into the project.
And if you’re finding it hard to articulate the value of the work you do, I help you do just that.
To do that, you should know how to meet your audience. Meaning? You should know how you can match “your solutions” to the audience’s expectations.
You should know how to make your reader choose you. To make that happen, you should prove it to them that you:
You understand them and you know their problems well
You know how to solve their problems
Your solution – be it product or service – is their best bet because, you have proof to back your claim.
You empathize with their fears and frustrations
You are totally capable of giving them the results and outcomes they have been craving for
If your copy can do this, you win. They pay. You win again 💪
But how do you make sure that every word you write is ticking these points off of your copy?
Register for my talk at #DCMC on The Science Behind Online Sales and Conversion Copywriting where I give you all the marketing moolah you need to write copy that makes money.
Register for this once-in-a-year, no picth only 100% value, FREE content marketing congress, and sit tight because your copy ride at #DCMC z gonna be funtastic!
When you Google the keyword “benefits of content marketing”, you notice that close to 1.3 billion blogs are fighting for the same keyword.
Visibility, credibility, and conversions – happen in that order in today’s attention economy.
Last year, I helped an LA-based e-commerce brand rank #1 on Google within days for high-competition keywords using the on-page SEO techniques I’m sharing in this blog.
Guess what? One year later, it’s still taking the top spot beating sites like Forbes and Entrepreneur. Even though the founder has stopped publishing new content.
Last month, I helped a logistics intelligence SaaS brand to rank #1 on Google within days instead of months for a popular keyword in the supply chain space beating billion-dollar sites like FedEx and UPS.
This happened within 5 days.
Day 1: The blog goes live
Day 3: The blog appears on the first page of Google
Day 5: The blog ranks #1 on Google
And I get a message like this from the client.
So what’s the secret behind ranking #1 on Google consistently AND staying on top?
Strategy 101: Write for humans first
Optimize for search engines later.
The focus of your content should solely be – usefulness. Never deviate from this principle.
Because chasing search engine algorithms is not a strategy. Frameworks change all the time. Most growth hacks die before the data comes in. Tools like ChatGPT are making educative TOFU content almost redundant. So how do you establish authority, consistently rank #1 on Google, 5x your organic traffic engagement, and freeze your churn? By connecting with the reader, conveying the right message at the right time, and converting them into brand loyalists.
Brand loyalists are people who come back to your brand/content over and over again.
Why?
Because they connect with your messaging.
Because they listen to what you have to say.
Because they find spending their precious time on your content worthy and valuable.
So…
Don’t listen to SEO tools like YoastSEO that encourage you to:
Modify your tone because you started 3 consecutive sentences with the same word
Stuff your headings with primary keywords even though it sounds unnatural
Wishy-wash your introduction in a quest to fit in the primary keyword
Inflate your content by suggesting inappropriate keyword density
So what should you do?
Write like you speak, but don’t overdo it. Focus on your narrative
Focus on being helpful to the reader
Focus on guiding the reader to achieve the goal in the headline
Go ahead and pick keywords with low keyword search volume if they bring value to your content
Focus on holding a conversation with your reader
Focus on making a logical argument and building a connection with your reader
Create an SEO Content Strategy for BOFU keywords with navigational content
Because visitors who seek navigational content have high intent of purchase and are conversion-ready.
It also means that your content is in alignment with your visitor’s stage of awareness.
Once you plan and execute your content keeping the above strategy in mind, traffic flow becomes an after-effect of great content.
Now, how do you attract and convert this traffic?
Optimize headlines for SEO and Conversions
80% of your readers don’t read your copy if you can’t get them to read your headlines – David Ogilvy
Most of the content fails to grab the prospect’s attention because the headlines never offer the benefit the prospect is looking for:
Are you helping your audience save time?
Are you helping them bring down operational costs?
Is your solution accessible from anywhere, anytime?
Are you making their life easier?
If you said yes to any of the above, then you’ve got to mention that in your headline.
Treat each of your headlines like mini value prop statements.
The benefits should go straight into your value proposition to get your prospect interested FIRST.
Now, why is something as simple as highlighting benefits a deal-breaker?
Because the emotional benefit IS the real solution your visitors are here for.
So, strap the benefits to your headline.
Pro Tip: Ensure you optimize your title tag with the main focus keyword.
User-led Keyword Research
Google Crawlers are constantly looking for relevant keywords (the keywords you want to rank for) in your content.
The keywords your prospects are searching for.
But how do you predict what they’re searching for?
You don’t.
Lean back on the most recent user-generated content like:
Sales call recordings
VoC interviews
Reddit threads
Capterra/TrustRadius reviews
Niche Slack Communities
The point is – don’t reinvent the wheel. Don’t second guess your content strategy by relying solely on tools like SEMRush or Ahrefs. Instead, lean on UGC to extract high-converting BOFU content and use these tools to improvise your keyword groupings. Create an SEO content strategy with topic clusters and keyword groupings to boost SEO and conversions.
Rank on Google by making your website accessible to a wider audience
Did you know that 20% of all organic searches are image searches? That’s a solid chunk of lead traffic if you harness it.
One of the Content Primer pages ranks #1 on Google Image Search for a popular keyword organically. You needn’t rely on Facebook ads or Google ads all the time to drive targeted traffic. Simple optimization techniques can help you achieve this with ease without inflating your marketing budget. Let’s find out how.
Example of image optimization to help Google Images find, crawl, and process your images better and drive targeted traffic.
Alt text is the communication channel between your website and search engine spiders that help you rank. Alt text is also the communication channel that makes your content more accessible to a wide range of users including the ones who use accessibility tools like text-to-speech converters etc.
5 Strategies to optimize your images for Google
Use descriptive file names and alt text For example, the file name of one of the ranking images is “Empathetic-Copywriting-Content-Primer.png” How to write descriptive file names
The file name here is the keyword we’re aiming for and the brand name.
Keep your file names and alt text brief but clear How to write alt text descriptions the right way
The alt-text description here is pretty much the title of the blog. This implies that you should treat your alt text as mini value prop statements. Explain what the image signifies, for whom and what’s the benefit of following along.
Avoid generic file names like picture.jpg, image2.png, etc.
Avoid lengthy, full-sentence file names
Avoid stuffing keywords in alt text and file names
Avoid using only image links for your site’s navigation
Use standard image formats like JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, and WebP image formats
Make your images mobile-friendly as 60.9% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices
How descriptive alt text and captions help rank #1 on Google:
It indicates the purpose of the image and relays the exact content of the image
Increases relevance to the content and brings clarity
Specific information increases the chances of matching with the search keywords and bumps your page to the top
Tip: Run an instant SEO Audit of missing alt text images on your website now for FREE.
How to beat billion-dollar sites and rank on Google
One of the easiest ways to outdo giant websites on their own keywords is to:
Create meaningful, helpful, read-worthy content
Create useful, illustrative image content that cuts down the learning time for the reader
Let’s look at an example.
We were able to beat billion-dollar sites like FedEx and UPS on their own keywords and rank within days.
The blog takes the top spot on Google SERPs and is ranking for 44 keywords.
The target keyword is “fedex service guarantees”. My client’s blog was on the top spot for close to 18 months. It’s taking the 5th spot currently.
Write for the most distracted reader to arrive at interesting content
Humans are wired to react to interruptions.
The reason why mobile phone notifications are so easy to give into.
So how do you make your reader stay focused?
By using Pattern Interrupt Techniques.
Pattern interrupt is a psychological approach to shifting your reader’s focus and influence their behavior.
How can you use this psychological phenomenon to keep your readers interested in your content?
Create Disruptive Content Without Switching Context
Influence your reader before a notification takes that power away from your content. Make your content MORE interesting than their distractions – By dividing and displaying content differently. This is how:
Ensure the headings carry appropriate H1, H2, H3 tags
Use graphs and visual charts to make information more memorable
Use screenshots to offer proof and explanation then and there
Use snappy gifs to make content memorable
Use bullets instead of a clunky text box
Highlight to bring the focus back – bold, italics, underline, color
Use images to explain instead of a long boring paragraph
Use content highlighters like colored blocks
Create carousel content to keep your audience hooked
GIFs when used appropriately can pattern interrupt and make your content more interactive
User Experience and User Retention
The fundamentals of creating content for your audience is to be helpful.
Anchor text is the tool that makes the interwebs so powerful. It makes access to relevant information easy in just one click.
Linking to related topics in your content creates a content repository your audience comes back to for their other information needs.
To get anchor texts right, every time you create anchor text, connect back to the primary intent –
Can this link introduce my readers to topics they need to know?
Can this link open up new channels and learning experiences for my readers?
Is this link connecting to a pre-requisite topic that’ll bring them closer to their desired outcome?
On the downside, too many external hyperlinks may take your audience away from your website. So, make sure that you’re bringing a balance.
Pro Tips:
Never hyperlink your anchor text to your competitor's websites.
Overdoing hyperlinks can also result in penalties by Google.
Summary: 6 easy steps to SEO Content to increase conversions
