If we’re being honest, the entire purpose of the content we create is to take our leads on a journey. A journey with the ultimate goal of converting them into a customer. We know the struggles of analysing content to find the areas to improve (especially when you’re the one who’s written it). So, we’ve detailed the 7 ways we use to write converting content, to give you a place to start.
1) Eye-Grabbing Headlines
Your headline is the first, and potentially only, impression you have on a lead. By acing the title, you can entice readers onto your copy. But without this, the rest of your blog, whitepaper, or email may as well not exist. Create a title which stands out, one which will intrigue your reader so that they click onto your piece.
Your average desktop email client allows roughly 60 characters in a subject line before it gets cut off. For smartphones, it can be over half that, with only around 15-30 characters showing. Typically, subject lines in the region of 50-70 characters perform best.
- Sentence length: The character allowance means that you have roughly 6-8 words to grab your leads attention. We’ve found that short subject lines are the best to use.
- Grammar: Having spelling mistakes or grammatical issues in your headline can immediately deter a prospect. Avoid these, double check your work, and consider using a grammar tool to aid your decisions.
- Numbers: Using numbers in your title can serve several purposes. It can make it immediately obvious what your reader can expect in the copy. For example, the title of this piece shows 7 ways to… and that’s exactly what we’re giving you. Using statistics can also help, especially if it’s a shocking figure. It can make the reader question the reason, and perhaps, how they can achieve the same.
- Questions: Using a question in your title can result in a higher click-through rate than using a statement which ends in either a full stop or an exclamation point. A question makes your lead begin to think about the potential answer. In turn, they’re more likely to read on to determine the answer.
2) Intrigue Readers Fast
Hook your readers in the first paragraph of your content so they want to keep reading. Compelling content creates a want to read the next sentence. Master this in every sentence, and you will lead your prospects all the way through your content, right to your final Call To Action (CTA). Any superfluous information should be removed. Every sentence should be integral to your message, and not over-complicate the delivery.
3) Strategic CTA
You won’t ever convert a lead from a single piece of content. It will be from an amalgamation of content types, pieces and personal conversations which result in the change. But you can lead your prospect between those various elements with the placement of a strategic (and relevant) CTA. Whether it be leading to more content pieces; product pages; a demo page; an event invite; or a contact us form. Your CTA can incite action to complete a further task. All with the aim of getting the lead more invested in your product and company. Make it relevant to the content, to ensure your CTA will resonate with the reader.
4) Follow Through on Your Promises
If you’ve promised that something will be in the content, make sure you deliver it. Promising that crucial answer to someone’s burning question and then talking about nothing relevant will only serve to annoy them and offer a less than ideal perception of your company. Relate your content to your title, tie it all together, and clarify why each aspect is important for the topic.
5) Be Scan Friendly
The majority of site visitors will spend less than 15 seconds on your page. Instead, they skim across the content rather than reading every word in-depth. Making it highly readable, and easy to pick out the key elements, can make it easy for them to consume the content which matters.
- Use descriptive subheadings: Breaking your text up into digestible chunks can allow readers to jump to the part which is relevant for them. It also has the added bonus of being more memorable than a single chunk of text.
- Highlight your CTA: Make you CTA obvious. Typically, people expect to see hyperlinks as blue and underlined. Following this format will mean that your readers will automatically know where your links are in your content.
- Use short paragraphs: Each paragraph should contain a single point. By making an effort to keep your paragraphs short, you keep your writing lean and direct. It’s a great method of avoiding the waffle which can sometimes creep into our writing too.
6) Remove Distractions
Your content piece should be focused on a single aim. Make it immediately clear what it is, and remove any additional ‘asks’. By guiding your contacts on a pre-determined route, you can ensure their interactions are leading them down the path to becoming a customer. Optimising your content so each progression takes your leads into ‘heavier’ content, or more relevant website pages, will help achieve this.
7) Advise, Don’t Pitch
If you only ever pitch in your content, you’re not giving your leads a reason to trust what you have to say. Of course, you’re going to think that your product is the best, but why should anyone believe you? By creating content which is information, in-line with best-practice, and helps resolve their problems, your leads will be far more inclined to believe your product pitch follows the same tact. Aim to give your leads something of use to them.
These are the methods we advocate for creating great content, which will take your readers from leads to customers. But what works for one person, doesn’t necessarily work for another. Split test the changes you’re making to see the effect they have in action before you roll it out across the board.
