Within any digital marketing campaign, your goal with your copy should be to craft the most seductive and persuasive message possible to convert the highest number of potential prospects. 

The only issue…

There’s a super fine line between copy that’s highly engaging, super convincing and compelling… and copy that simply falls flat on its face.

In this week’s blog, we’ve listed 3 of the most common copywriting mistakes that are killing conversions in your online marketing efforts.

Of course, these are just the tip of the iceberg in your conversion rate optimisation efforts.

But addressing these 3 conversion-copywriting “sins” is a fantastic place to start for crafting a clear, compelling message and ultimately…

Maximising the results of your online marketing efforts.

Let’s begin!

1. Being Too “Formal”

Make no mistake, people buy from people. Not businesses. 

If you’ve ever had to sell ‘yourself’ before then you understand exactly what we mean. 

Be that on a first date, a new job interview, or on a sales page… Your prospects are far more likely to convert if they actually like the person selling to them.

And the quickest way to make your soon-to-be customers dislike you…?

By breaking rapport.

It doesn’t matter what your offer is, if you can’t communicate your message in a way that resonates with your prospect then what are the chances they’ll stick around long enough to become customers or even lifelong fans?

So whenever crafting your message, be that for a Facebook ad, sales page, or VSL, remember NOT to sound too formal! 

  • Use smaller words. 
  • Take your time with it.
  • DON’T rely on fancy adjectives and bloated writing techniques to make up for a lack of confidence.
  • START writing with the same tone and style you’d use in a conversation with your prospect and see the results for yourself.

2. Not Having A Compelling “Hook”

First impressions count.

If your Facebook ad, email copy, or sales page doesn’t have a strong enough hook to capture the attention of your prospect, then your results will suffer. 

This is the all-important opportunity you have to command your audience's attention, encourage them to stop scrolling and ultimately…

Guide them to take action.

And while there are a ton of ways you can ‘hook’ the attention of your prospect, there are certain universal triggers you can use in your copy to more effectively improve your results.

Some of these include…

  • SOCIAL PROOF -  Testimonials, case studies, or quotes from authority figures in your space that approve of your product can create a massive impact on your digital marketing efforts. 

Not only does social proof establish your authority within your niche, but it also quickly builds trust with your prospect without the leg-work of having to convince consumers “why” they should buy from you.

  • FACTS & FIGURES - The use of an alarming stat or fact in your copy is a sure-fire method for capturing the eye of your prospect and encouraging them to engage with your message.

By educating the audience and offering relevant value *before* you introduce your product/service/offer, you stand a far greater chance of your prospect engaging with your copy, rather than mindlessly scrolling past it.

Plus!

This is a fantastic hook for introducing your offer to a “problem unaware” audience. By highlighting issues that your prospect is unaware of, you can more authentically frame your product as the right solution for their ‘hidden’ problems. 

  • AGREEABLE STATEMENTS - Let’s face it. We love having our personal opinions and beliefs confirmed. Anyone who shares common values with you is far more likely to gain your trust and build rapport with you compared to someone who does not.

That’s why agreeable statements are *so* effective in conversion copywriting and are a worthwhile test to use throughout your digital marketing efforts.

In order for this hook to work, you must have an in-depth understanding of your target demographic, with a fully fleshed out customer avatar.

Once you’ve painted an accurate picture of the customer avatar you’re speaking to - find a pain point or daily concern that resonates with that prospect. 

By showing how you understand the daily struggles and concerns of your prospect, you stand a far greater chance of capturing the attention of your reader and ultimately building trust with your prospects.  

3. Having A Weak CTA

And lastly, we have your call-to-action.

The all-important ribbon to tie off your neatly packaged message that will (hopefully) convert like crazy in your social media marketing campaign. 

Now, it doesn’t matter if we’re talking about your button CTA, the send-off in your email copy, or the final call-to-action in your social ads. The same rule applies… 

Weak CTA’s create weak results. 

There are few things worse than spending hours crafting the ultimate message only to have it fall flat with a call-to-action that fails to guide your prospect to the next stage of the customer journey.

Because let’s face it…

Our attention span is as thin as a thread.

If you’re not being clear, concise and strong in your call-to-action, then you’re not setting yourself up for the greatest results.

So when writing your call-to-action copy, make sure you:

  • Are clear on what the prospects’ ‘next steps’ are. (I.e. Hit the Sign-Up button to…. Click the link for more info…)
  • Use strong verbs to command attention. (I.e. Discover our full line… Order by Midnight…)
  • Offer a reason why they need to act now. (I.e. Time scarcity, limited stock.)

AND THAT’S IT!

Your simple guide for avoiding the 3 mistakes that could be costing you conversions.

If you want to find out more about the work we do here at SV and how we help our partnered brands maximise results in their online marketing efforts - don’t be shy! Get in touch and give us a call today!

Conor Gordon

Conor is our in-house Copywriter here at SV. His day-to-day consists of developing angles with our Account Managers and writing persuasive ad-copy across all our campaigns. But when he’s not at work, you can usually find him in the gym, trying to cover up his god awful skills at sports! 👀