Discomfort is the mother of all conversion killers.
The chief conversion officer: the copywriter.
Appealing to a desire that already exists.
You need to get your customer to agree this is the time and place to take action.
You need to get your customer into a comfort zone.
When readers don’t feel good, they’re gone.
Lack of trust Mystery Common Causes of Discomfort
The key to overcoming confusion is clarity.
Write a clear headline.
We have a disconnect Twitter ad Landing page
A clear connection Twitter ad Landing page
The key to overcoming distraction is focus.
Keep it simple. An effective web page has one job to do.
Landing page: Get the form filled
Build your case
Write what needs to be written. Don’t count characters, but make every character count.
Overcome apathy by making sure nothing begins to feel optional, less urgent. irrelevant.
Application: A selling proposition articulates how your offer applies to the reader’s needs.
Benefits: Answers the question: what’s in it for me? How to __________________ .
An example of how to (blank)
Context: Qualify and disqualify.
Difference: What can you deliver unlike anyone else?
Emotions: Tap into pleasures and pains with power words.
Context: marketers Difference: focused budgeting Emotions: love
You can’t bore people into buying. If attention is the web’s golden goose, boredom is its rotten egg.
Make it fun. • Lighten up • Tell a story • Push emotional buttons • Ask questions • Introduce characters • Speak to memories, values, dreams • Use your sense of humor • And remember who you are talking about… The reader
Your copy stops working when it feels like work.
Mystery Common Causes of Discomfort
Desire - Friction = Conversion rate Give readers what they are looking for: ease.
Introduce ease. • Shortcuts • Fast tracks • Templates • Cheat sheets • Checklists • Assure readers you’re leading them down the fast and easy path
Reduce risk. • “What if” always lingers in the reader's mind • Introduce safety nets • Address fears with reasons to be fearless
Write conversationally. • Casual • Caring • Direct • Simple • Break rules
We talk too much like marketers because we’re not listening to our customers.
Develop pathological empathy for your customer. ~ Ann Handley Empathize
Use first and second person voice.
Actual landing page: marketing jargon
My fix: voice of the customer
The source of the headline idea comes from a customer testimonial.
Actual landing page: marketing jargon
My fix: voice of the customer
The source of the headline idea comes from a customer testimonial.
Offer proof.
Give your reader ultra-clear directions.
One choice wins.
Use compelling verbs. Start… Try… Reserve… Buy… Get
If you’re not creating a landing page, you’re creating a leading page.
3. Thue is the Kissmetrics Webinar Wizard and
Marketing Ops Manager. Before joining forces with
Kissmetrics, he was a Lyft driver in SF, which is also
how he ended up as a KISSmetrics marketer.
Whenever Thue is not trying to automate everything
around him, you can find him hiking in the Sierras.
THUE MADSEN
Marketing Operations Manager, Kissmetrics
@ThueLMadsen
Barry Feldman is a content marketing strategist,
copywriter and creative director. Barry has been doing
online marketing since it existed and writes for
Kissmetrics and many top marketing blogs.
BARRY FELDMAN
Founder, Feldman Creative
@feldmancreatitve
5. 1 Section One - Introduction: Copywriting for Conversion
Confusion
Distraction
Apathy
Boredom
Friction
Lack of trust
Mystery
2 Section Two - Overcoming Common Causes of Discomfort
Section Three - Quick review
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
21. Watch the language.
industry gargon.
And…
marketing bull.
“Executing Real World Operational Strategies to Propel Innovation”
“State of the art” “Core competency” “Right-sized”
39. You can’t bore people into
buying.
If attention is the web’s golden goose,
boredom is its rotten egg.
40. Make it fun.
• Lighten up
• Tell a story
• Push emotional buttons
• Ask questions
• Introduce characters
• Speak to memories, values, dreams
• Use your sense of humor
• And remember who you are talking about…
The reader
41. Give it rhythm.
• Brief opening paragraph
• More paragraph breaks
• Vary sentence length
• Subheads
• Bulleted lists
• Photos with captions
• Pullout quotes
• Web copy needs to be skimmer friendly
44. Desire - Friction
= Conversion rate
Give readers what they are looking for:
ease.
45. Introduce ease.
• Shortcuts
• Fast tracks
• Templates
• Cheat sheets
• Checklists
• Assure readers you’re leading them
down the fast and easy path
46. Reduce risk.
• “What if” always lingers in the reader's mind
• Introduce safety nets
• Address fears with reasons to be fearless
47. • Help readers imagine the satisfaction
of realizing a positive outcome
• Share the problem…
“I once had the same problem you’re facing”
Speak to the
dream.