Did you know a customer is twice as likely to visit your website for a second time if they’ve read a blog post for three minutes, instead of one?
And that customers who keep reading are more likely to convert?
This is all well and good, I hear you cry, but how do you get people to actually read what you’ve written (especially if it’s about something dull or technical, or, worst of all, both)?
Even professional copywriters struggle to be on point all the time (trust me) but there are a few hints and tricks I’ve picked up along the way that will help improve your copywriting and keep customers engaged.
Use power words to play on emotion
Strength. Power. Victory. Joy. Strong words that trigger emotions are any copywriter’s go-to language tool, and for a good reason. Words that evoke strong emotions are more likely to get your customers to take notice of what’s being said – and therefore more likely to take action.
If your reader is interested in what you’ve got to say, they’re also more likely to stay on your page and read right to the end of the post, not only increasing the chances they’ll convert, but also helping lower your bounce rate and improve SEO (hello top spot on Google).
These power words don’t just have to be nouns or adjectives. Verbs work just as well and are a great way to drive action. Try adding words like increase, maximise, raise, award and streamline to your copy and marvel at your soaring dwell time.
All killer no filler
So, your copy is now bursting with killer power words. Hooray! Now it’s time to slash all the filler.
It can be tempting to stuff your copy with these powerless words to reach a word count, but this is a trap that’s dangerous to fall into.
Filler words only serve to dilute your meaning and, now I’m being brutally honest here, bore your reader into skipping to the next, more exciting piece of content.
The phrase ‘added bonus’ is one such example. The word bonus already signifies there is an additional benefit, so the word ‘added’ here is redundant.
Getting rid of your filler words will make your writing more compelling and persuasive.
Be concise
My next tip follows on from your remorseless binning of filler words; to use as few words as possible to make your point. Keep the most important information front and centre and keep it concise. Use a clever headline to grab attention and immediately deliver the main point of the article. Then follow this with a short paragraph highlighting other significant features and benefits.
If you’re struggling to find the main points, think about what problem you’re trying to solve or what you want the reader to do or achieve after they have read your content and go from there.
Write one or two sentences summarising what you’re going to cover and choose your best one as a jumping-off point. You essentially want to deliver maximum value as quickly as possible.
Inject some personality
How many times have you been excited by a promising looking blog only to be disappointed by content that’s drier than a cracker without cheese?
Injecting a sense of personality and a distinctive style will engage your reader and keep them reading all the way to the bottom of the post.
Don’t be afraid to break away from the industry norm and try something new. The trick is to find what works for your audience and stick to it.
It really is the magic ingredient into transforming dull subjects into fascinating ones.
Photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash