Looking for more leads and a higher conversion rate? The simple answer is you need great copy.
Good marketing copy generates leads when it grabs the reader and moves them into action. That makes it sound easy, but it’s truly an art, and this article will explain how it’s done.
Throughout this blog, we’ll expand on the following:
What Is Copy in Marketing?
Copy is another word for written content, and in marketing, copy is used in two different ways. Standard copy is designed to build relationships, inform, educate, or entertain, while sales copy is specially crafted to persuade a prospect, lead, or customer to take a desired action.
Generating leads requires a mix of all the above, which is achieved through both content writing and copywriting.
Copywriting vs. Content Writing
Although some people use these terms interchangeably, copywriting and content writing are two distinct professions that use different skill sets, although there is some overlap. Generally speaking, a content writer uses their writing and researching skills to create blog posts and articles, while a copywriter uses marketing and sales psychology to create sales copy focused on conversions.
Businesses need both content writers and copywriters to generate leads. Here is a breakdown of which role is responsible for the different types of copy:
A content writer is ideal for writing:
- Onsite blog posts
- Offsite articles for content marketing
- Social media posts
- Product descriptions
- Internal documents
A copywriter is ideal for writing:
- PPC ads and landing pages
- Calls to action (CTAs)
- Direct marketing copy (physical ads)
- Digital advertisements
- Public relations (PR)
Different Types of Marketing Copy
When it comes down to it, there are six types of marketing copy businesses need:
Web Content
Long-form web copy includes onsite blog posts, articles, informative guides, and anything else that gets published on a website that is generally 1,500 words or more. When done right, long-form web copy significantly outperforms short copy in many instances, including sales pages. If you’ve been avoiding publishing long-form content because you heard that people don’t read much, that’s not always true. It depends on the context and where your visitors come from. If you have value to offer and you reach the right audience, they will read your content.
Social Media Posts
Social media post copy refers to the written content that accompanies a post on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other platform. It is the text component that accompanies an image, video, or other media content, conveying a message or engaging with the audience.
The goal of social media post copy is to capture attention, communicate information, evoke emotions, encourage interaction, and drive engagement. It should be concise, compelling, and relevant to the target audience. A well-crafted post copy can help increase visibility, attract likes, comments, and shares, and ultimately achieve the desired objective, whether it’s promoting a product or service, sharing news, building brand awareness, or fostering community engagement.
Sales Collateral
Sales collateral copy refers to the written content that is used in marketing and sales materials to promote a product or service. It includes the text found in brochures, product catalogs, sales presentations, case studies, whitepapers, data sheets, and other marketing materials. The purpose of sales collateral copy is to provide detailed information about the features, benefits, and value of a product or service, and to persuade potential customers to make a purchase or take a desired action. The copy is crafted to be compelling, informative, and persuasive, highlighting key selling points and addressing the needs and concerns of the target audience. It often combines persuasive language, storytelling techniques, and clear calls to action to drive engagement and conversions.
Advertisements
Advertisement copy, also known as ad copy, refers to the written content used in advertisements across various media channels. It includes the text found in print ads, online display ads, radio and television commercials, billboards, and other promotional materials. The main purpose of advertisement copy is to capture the attention of the target audience, communicate a compelling message, and persuade them to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, visiting a website, or contacting a business.
Internal Documents
Internal document copy refers to the written content used within an organization for internal communication and documentation purposes. It includes various types of written materials that are circulated among employees and stakeholders within the company. Internal document copy can take the form of emails, memos, reports, company policies, procedures, training materials, employee handbooks, meeting minutes, and other similar documents.
The purpose of internal document copy is to convey important information, instructions, guidelines, and updates within the organization. It aims to ensure effective communication, consistency, and clarity among employees, departments, and management. The content of internal documents may vary depending on their specific purpose. For instance, company policies and procedures outline rules and guidelines for employees to follow, while training materials provide instructional content to educate and develop employees’ skills.
Internal document copy is focuses on delivering information accurately and efficiently, ensuring that employees understand their roles, responsibilities, and the company’s expectations. The language used is often specific to the organization, using internal terminology and acronyms that are familiar to the employees. Additionally, internal document copy may include references, citations, or hyperlinks to relevant resources or additional information within the organization’s intranet or internal systems.
Public Relations
Public relations copy refers to written content used in public relations activities to shape and manage the public image and reputation of an individual, organization, or brand. It involves crafting persuasive and compelling messages that are disseminated through various channels to reach and influence the target audience.
Public relations copy can take different forms, including press releases, media kits, statements, speeches, articles, blog posts, social media content, and more. The goal is to generate positive publicity, establish favorable relationships with the media and the public, and effectively communicate key messages.
The content in public relations copy focuses on storytelling, highlighting achievements, initiatives, events, and other newsworthy aspects to create a positive narrative. It aims to build trust, credibility, and goodwill among stakeholders. Public relations copy often emphasizes the unique selling points, values, and contributions of the individual, organization, or brand it represents.
The tone and style of public relations copy depend on the target audience and the specific context. It may be informative, persuasive, or persuasive and employ language that resonates with the intended audience. It often incorporates facts, figures, quotes, and testimonials to support key messages and build credibility.
Public relations copy is essential for managing crises, addressing public concerns, promoting new initiatives, and maintaining a positive public image. It requires careful planning, research, and understanding of the target audience to effectively shape public perception and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders.
What Does Good Marketing Copy Include?
If you want to have good marketing copy, it’s important to include these key elements:
Call to Action (CTA)
What do you want people to do once they read your copy? Sales pages, PPC landing pages, ads, and even some blog posts end with a CTA designed to inspire the reader into action. For example, “Get three months free when you sign up for our newsletter” or “Download our ultimate fishing strategy and catch more fish starting tomorrow” are CTAs that will encourage email list signups.
Clarity and Conciseness
Clear messages get results. When people are confused, they zone out or bounce. Conciseness gets your points across faster, which is critical in a world where people often just keep scrolling. The fewer words they have to read, the sooner they’ll read the content that moves them into action.
Solutions to Pain Points
You’ll get more conversions by offering solutions as opposed to focusing on features. To generate a high number of leads, you need to empathize with the reader’s pain and provide solutions. However, this requires knowing what your market struggles with first.
Proof of Value
Great copy proves the value of whatever you’re offering. Some people use customer testimonials and link positive online reviews to show proof.
Brand Voice and Personality
Every piece of copy carries a tone, and you want your tone to align with your brand voice and personality. It makes prospects feel at home if they already know who you are, and it gives new leads a chance to experience your brand. Many brands increase conversions by adding a little personality to their sales copy.
Tips for Writing Effective Marketing Copy
Now that we’ve covered the basics, here are some tips for writing lead-generating copy that gets big results.
Create a Goal for Your Marketing Copy
First, you need to have a goal in mind for each piece of copy. Lead generation has several stages, and not every point of action will be signing up for your email list. There might be several steps that come before that, like clicking on a PPC ad or visiting your website through an article. Craft each piece of copy to elicit the specific action you want readers to take.
Perfect the Art of Persuasive Copy
Persuasive copy is essential for generating leads. Time is valuable, and people need a reason to give you their time and energy. Knowing the art of persuasion is a good start, but you also need to understand how it translates to the written word. It’s a lot easier to build rapport with someone in person than on a static web page.
The first thing you’ll want to do is familiarize yourself with persuasive words. These words alone aren’t enough, but they will be critical components in your sentence structure. However, be cautious about using the word “free.” You’ll definitely generate more leads when you offer something valuable at no cost, but you’ll also get people who aren’t your target market just looking for a freebie.
Know What Your Audience Wants
You can’t convince people to click on your ads, visit your website, or sign up for your email list if you don’t know exactly what they want. Copy that speaks in generalities doesn’t really hook people enough to move them into action. If you want leads, knowing what your audience wants is the key.
A message that speaks directly to your audience will make them think, “this product/service/idea is for me!” For example, say you’re selling a digital course on how to build a successful ecommerce website. General copy would look like the following:
“If you’ve always wanted an online store, you’ll learn how to make a successful e-commerce website with our 3-day course.”
While it’s true that this copy speaks to people who want a website, that’s not really what they want. To write effective copy, you have to know why they want a website and speak to that. What do people want? In this case, the real desire is usually money with as little effort as possible. For example:
“With our course, you’ll learn how to create a website that generates revenue while you sleep. We’ll teach you how to earn six figures with just three hours of work per week.”
It’s easy to lose sight of what your audience wants when you’re close to your own product or service, so if you aren’t sure, consult with a professional marketing agency. Or, perform some research on your most successful competitors to see what they’re writing.
Write Direct and Strong CTAs
One of the biggest reasons copy doesn’t convert is because the call-to-action (CTA) doesn’t speak directly to the audience – it’s too general. For instance, “sign up for our newsletter” and “check out our website” are common phrases, but they don’t inspire lead generation.
Usually, people combine lead generation with a lead magnet to sweeten the deal. A strong CTA will tell users why they need your lead magnet and/or emails. If you don’t have a lead magnet, create one, because that will give you an opportunity to create a powerful CTA. These days, people don’t sign up for email lists unless they really want your offer.
Make Sure Your PPC Ads and Landing Pages Match
Getting clicks from Google ads is only the first step in generating a lead. Often, lead generation efforts fail despite getting clicks because there is a disconnect between the ad copy and landing page copy. The most effective, brilliant ad in the world will fail if the landing page content doesn’t match the ad.
Your landing page needs to make a user feel like they’re in the right place, getting what they expected, and the entire experience – from ad to website – should feel like one smooth experience.
Rather than using clever headlines and punchy one-liners in your ads and then saving your best copy for your landing page, write both from the same perspective. In other words, sit down to write your ads and landing page copy as if they are the same piece of content (because technically they are). Treat your landing pages as extensions of your ads.
A/B Test Your Copy
You’ll improve your copy when you start split testing it to see what works best. For instance, you may find that one headline generates 40% more leads than another. Or, you might discover that a completely different angle in your sales copy generates 20% more leads than other versions. You’ll never know if you don’t run split tests.
Don’t be afraid to rewrite your headlines and copy over and over again to continually increase the number of leads you generate.
Be Intentional With Your Headlines and Bullet Points
People today don’t always read long pieces of content; they scan the page for meaningful headlines and bullet points. When their eyes hit a spot on the page in bold, or a list that stands out, they’ll quickly read those lines to see if anything stands out. This is why you need to be intentional with your headlines.
Rather than writing headlines just to make your copy look good, write them with intention, knowing that your visitors will likely read your headlines without reading the accompanying paragraphs. Make your headlines as descriptive as possible to let people know what your content is about.
Ask Others To Review Your Copy
Get other people to review your copy before you publish it anywhere. Yes, even social media posts. Having a second pair of eyes will help you catch spelling errors, typos, and missing words that your computer’s tools may not pick up.
Publishing copy with typos (no matter how small) will make your business look unprofessional, so don’t skip this step.
Key Takeaways
Writing isn’t for everyone, and that’s why we’re here. If you want a successful inbound lead strategy, leave it to the pros. At Abstrakt Marketing Group, our copywriting teams specialize in writing copy that generates leads. We can write ongoing blog content for SEO, marketing collateral, ad copy, landing pages, product descriptions, and anything else you need.
Whether you’re just getting started or want to improve an existing strategy, contact us today to learn more about our lead generation services.
Want to Learn More?
