Those who believe that content and copy (i.e. “copywritingâ€, using words to sell) are two separate entities have this to say:
“Providing content on your website is for the purpose of information and not necessarily to sell a product.â€
“On the other hand, writing copy is definitely to sell products to potential customers.â€
If you think this way, then consider the following points:
When potential customers come to your website, you don’t just want them to look; you want them to do something. Your content is versatile in that it can build a relationship with the prospect and, at the same time, it can call them TO DO something.
If your copy is good, it will not only convince customers to buy but will build a solid relationship as it informs them of what you have to offer and why it is better.
Both copy and content have similar goals. You can use both to inform and to call your customers and potential customers to action. No, it doesn’t mean that you have to turn your content into a sales letter, but you can tweak it a bit so that customers are inspired to buy.
Here Are Some Tips to Bring More Copy (Results) to Your Content:
Don’t neglect your headlines. Here is where you will be grabbing your reader’s attention. You want them to have a hard, almost impossible time looking away.
Know what you want to accomplish with your content and then call the customer to action. What is it you want your words to do? If you want them to sign up for a mailing list for a free product or newsletter, then say that in your article. This is no time for subliminal messages. Including keywords that link to other pages on your site is not good enough to direct them. Use the keywords by all means, but also be specific with your words.
Show your confidence through your writing. When you waver on a point in your article, customers may lose faith. Know what you are talking about and pass your confidence on to the prospect.
Connect with your audience. Let them know that you are speaking directly to each of them with words like “you†and “your.†To many group pronouns like “we†and “they†may lead them to think that they don’t need your product and you are not talking to them. Say something like: “You are probably one of those moms who are too tired in the evening to always cook dinner;†instead of “Many mothers don’t have the energy to cook for their families.†Don’t miss the opportunity to be direct with the audience.
For the best results you can get, craft your content with an end goal in mind. Engage the reader with headlines that hook and invite them to read more. Be confident and direct, telling the audience what action they are to perform after reading your piece. If you don’t, no one will necessarily buy your products even if they are the best in the world.
Hi Alice,
You’re right about knowing what you hope to accomplish with your writing. Every article you write should have a purpose and should point the reader to taking the action you want.
Your point about using inclusive words like “you” and “yours” cannot be overstated. Connecting with your audience and making them feel a part of your writing is a cornerstone of blogging success.
Alice,
Although I do not disagree with the point that you are trying to make, I do disagree with the idea that copy and content should be considered as being the same.
When writing content, the publisher should write the first draft based on the question, “What does the researching visitor want to know?” The time to add the things that your article addresses is during the rewrite or edit phase.
Copy is the exact opposite approach. With copy you should focus on conversion first and SEO/Answers second.
The Sales Funnel approach should be used to create a Gestalt effect. (Or as Covey fans say “synergy.”)
Thanks for the feedback everyone…much appreciated.
Hi James – I don’t think I said (or at least I didn’t intend to say) that copy and content are the same. I did say they can share a similar goal – to get the reader to do something.
Still, I would also say that content and a lot of copy start with solving a problem for their readers…with the end goal of converting them to click, subscribe, buy, etc. I’m speaking more from experience than from theory and strictly from a web-based perspective. Of course, approaches vary depending on who your prospect is, your traffic source and what you’re selling.
I didn’t mention anything about SEO – but I know a lot of people do when it comes to written pieces, so I see why you brought it up. I would put that last on the list for both copy and content as on page factors really have a minor role. Always get your message out first before you worry about keyword placement.
True SEO does not concentrate on short term solutions such as keyword density.
By mentioning content, you are referencing True Long-Term SEO. The Google Bounce Rate is a measure of the visitor’s level of satisfaction/disatisfaction with the CONTENT. If a page is Keyword Dense but content shallow, the dissatisfaction bounce will result in a drop in ranking.
Content is the key to Visitor Cruising and the clicking of on page links which results in HIGHER ranking. Therefore, as I said before, Alice, when you mentioned content you were mentioning true long term SEO.
James – I’m really not sure where you’re trying to head with this discussion. You have changed what I said not only once (by saying I said content and copy are the same – I didn’t say that) and now acting as though SEO is relevant to this particular discussion.
But let me humor you a bit and say SEO is relevant to both copy and content. Many of my sales pages rank well for their keywords – not because I use the keyword on the page, but because of off-page factors like incoming links and likely even the bounce rate you mention above. Still, none of this has any relevance to the point I was making in the above blog post on a specific topic.
If you’d like to discuss the points I actually made in the post, I’d be happy to discuss them.