8 Tips for Copy That Drives Leads

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By Roberta M. Fisher, Consultant, Gadd Business Consultants

With 60 percent of companies marketing budget spent on Google Adwords and 20 percent spent of Facebook Ads, you need to make sure your content marketing is reaching and being read by everyone it can.  Even with these percentages that is being spent on marketing “content marketing” still has the highest rate of return on money spent to advertise with a rate of 600 percent versus 350 percent from Google Adwords and Facebook Ads.

How do you write effective copy?  Utilizing the below 8 tips will increase your bang for the bucks spent. 

1.  Master the F-shaped pattern.

            This refers to how people read their content online and on mobile devices.  Readers scan a line      at the top of the content, jump down farther down and scan another line, followed by reading             down the left side of the page (looking on subheads). 

  • Be sure to use clear headings and subheadings
  • Important words should be used first in paragraphs and all headings
  • Boldface important words or points
  • Use borders, colors or images for small sections
  • Utilize bullet points and lists

2. Skip the fluff and stick to facts.

            People want to know the facts so don’t use fluff which they do not have patience for.  Keep it             short and sweet, make it easy to understand for the busy customers.

3.  Keep your readers awake.

            People spend over 3 hours per day reading content material, don’t make it boring.

            Spend the time looking at your marketing data for the following;

  • High bounce rate
  • High volume of “unsubscribe” and “unfollows”
  • Few interactions
  • Rate of sharing
  • Traffic to site declines

Keep readers engaged by:

  • Articles that are short and to the point
  • Scannable
  • Interject personality
  • Tell a story
  • Add visuals

4.  Write and rewrite those headlines.

            The headline is what grabs the readers the most and first.  A good headline performs the             following:

  • Teases without divulging everything
  • Make sure it fits your brand’s tone
  • Search Engine Optimization friendly
  • Be descriptive
  • Do not use words that would cause your content to go to spam

5.  Make it personal.

            Make sure the story that relates to your products or services.  A story that leads them from             “buy me” or “this product is great”.

6.  Figure out what’s going wrong.

            Trying as hard as you can may not be enough.  Find out what is not working in your message.       Have a second copywriter or a professional review your message on how to improve your    results. 

7.  Write simply, but purposely.

            Write clearly and avoid any jargon.  Educate them and help them to see the products or             services you provide the way you do.  Your message should be short, to the point and             engaging.

8.  Research, plan and organize.

            Do the research first on your message, add pertinent information or tie it to a current event,             statistics and/or case studies on the subject.  Be mindful of how lengthy you make it, decide if          you should tell a story or list the qualities of your products/services.

Reference Thomas Smale, Contributor, founder of FE International